Eddling: The Land and Its People

Eddling is a young land, full of hope and activity. While most regions have a history dating back centuries, Eddling as a country is — at time of writing — only two hundred years old. It is full of vibrant and energetic people, eager to enjoy this world for as long as they are in it.

This is not to say the region has no history, but it is here that Eddling suffers from the same colonialist issues that many other countries do: The history of the country of Eddling is not the same as the indigenous people’s history. Thankfully, the worst excesses of industrial colonialism have spared the region, and there is a strong indigenous influence on modern Eddling culture, but this does not wipe away the scars that still remain.

The colonialist era in Eddling is often translated as “The Time of Woe,” but this is a poor translation of the indigenous Fenning people’s phrase, literally: “World Weeping Time.” The other indigenous people, the Rekek, call this period “When the Land Fought Itself,” reflecting the Rekek view that people and land are closely intertwined. Lately, there has been a political push to officially rename the Time of Woe to the Rekek phrase: Quana Lamiia, or “The Invasion of Foreigners.”¹ As of this writing, there has been no sign of the Eddling government passing this act.

In spite of these political troubles, there is much to find in Eddling of great interest for travelers. The three cultures of Fennings, Rekeks, and Eddlingers have mingled relatively peacefully over the years, and while there are public nationalist and separatist movements, the country has managed to maintain something of a stable peace, largely through a national democratic process.

Travel to Eddling every year and it will be a different place every time. One of the younger lands, there is still an incredible amount of history and culture for having existed for so short a time. I do my best to make my may to Eddling once or twice every year. There is always something new to see among the many blossoming streets and burgeoning towns of Eddling, land of discovery, passion, and hope.

Culture for Travelers

Eddling is a cultural mix of the three heritages that call the land home: The native Fennings and Rekeks, and the immigrant Eddlingers. In the interest of accuracy, I will describe certain aspects of all three that have blended and mixed throughout the region, rather than imply that Eddling culture is homogeneous.

Fenning

The Fenning people were a collection of nomadic hunter-gathering tribes that dominated the eastern edge of what is now Eddling. Due to their traveling lifestyle, Fenning architecture is young and spartan. Far more recognizable is their clothing, as the Fenning people migrated across several hundreds of square miles. The differing climates and local flora required creative use of available resources to create clothing that suited the changing weather.

As such, Fenning clothing is some of the lightest, warmest, and most durable in our fantastical world. They pioneered the art of blending fibers, the first of which was corsh. Corsh is a blend of cotton, rumweed silk, and blueflax. The resulting thread is thin, strong, and is adept at whisking away moisture from the body due to capillary action from the dry blueflax fibers. Look for authentic corsh clothing when visiting; they will last a long time, and are remarkably comfortable.

The Fenning’s nomadic culture also resulted in much of Eddling’s cuisine, which I will detail in a later section.

Rekek

The Rekek people lived in the western and central edge of Eddling. More sessile than the Fenning, the Rekek built small towns and villages, many of which still exist to this day. Rekek architecture is largely wooden, with large stone rocks providing the walls’ support. It was believed that the type of wood used when building a house would call spirits of good- or ill-fortune to whomever lived inside, and so there is an extensive history of ‘wood-reading’ in Rekek culture. Choosing the right kind of wood for any given project is important, and travelers should always ask about the wood used in making any souvenirs that they purchase.

The evang is a common string instrument that originated among the Rekeks, though its design changed with the arrival of the Eddlingers and their musical influences. You will doubtlessly find several entertainers performing evangs on the streets or in music halls, and most operas and madrigals performed in the local theatres include at least one. It is the cultural instrument of Eddling, invented centuries ago and spreading wide across the land before Eddling was first founded. Originally made of wood, glass is now the more common material, with the strings made of silk.

Please, avoid describing anyone as “playing the evang:” since the evang is held between the legs, playing or handling the evang has become a crude euphemism. Instead, use the word evang as a verb, as in; “that musician is evang-ing.”

Immigrant Eddling

The immigrants who named the land Eddling came from the Old Kingdom originally, but were quickly incorporated into Fenning and Rekek society. Since they blended with both cultures, they are often cited as the catalyst that merged Fenning and Rekek cultures into the more mixed Eddling culture that exists today.

While there are countless minor influences, the largest influence of the immigrants on Eddling culture was the introduction of animal husbandry, specifically goat-herding. While the immigrants relied on sheep-herding for the first few generations, the local long-haired goat population quickly supplanted the sheep as preferred stock. This introduced goat-wool and goat-wax to Eddling, which resulted in massive changes to the textile, healthcare, and wood-care industries.

While both Rekek and Fenning people had forms of writing before the arrival of the Eddling people, their methods were largely supplanted by the Eddling practice of ink on parchment scrolls, and later books. While remnants of these old forms still exist in museums, the only influence native writing had on Eddling culture was the practice of reading right-to-left, bottom-to-top.

This is probably one of the most common errors travelers in Eddling can make. Remember: signs, menus, and instructions of all kinds must be read bottom-to-top. Thankfully, in most cases the clear absurdity of a sign when reading from top-to-bottom will be a gentle reminder.

One other note for travelers: Eddling beds are ovular rather than rectangular. Early bed-mats were woven on circle looms, and the tradition has remained to this day.

Gender

Be aware that women who wear trousers may find themselves being called “sir,” while men with long hair or without beards may be called “madam.” These possible mis-genderings are not intended as an insult (usually), but rather the result of a heavily gendered culture. Eddling has clear and distinct gendered behaviors and roles in their society, which may cause significant discomfort or confusion for travelers, depending on their own cultures.

At the same time, men or women who are curious may find it quite easy to switch gender with just a few changes to their presentation. Eddling culture has little prejudice or discrimination when it comes to people whose gender and sex do not match.

That said, Eddling does have a difficult time with non-binary or agendered people. As uncomfortable as it may be, it is best to consider adopting a gender, or perhaps regularly swapping, during your visit.

Cuisine

There is nowhere in the known world where Eddling cuisine is served apart from Eddling, due entirely to the fact that Eddling cuisine is part and parcel of its unique cultures.

The Fenning people were natural nomads, and tended to have a loose understanding of ‘familial ties’ or established meal-times. Since the region was — and in many places, still is — heavily forested, there was little need to ration wood. As such, when the Fenning people stopped for a day, there were usually multiple cooking fires made throughout the evening, each serving only five or six people at a time.

This tradition carried on to the point where the concept of cafés or restaurants is somewhat foreign to the Eddling people. Instead you may find yourself invited to dinner by a complete stranger. This is not uncommon, and it certainly surprised me when a local shopkeep asked me if I had eaten dinner just before they closed up shop. I told them I had not, and found myself eating at their house not an hour later, along with three other strangers their spouse had invited.

The people of Eddling have developed detailed rituals around dinners and parties. Most of this will be unnecessary for a traveler to learn, save one fact: visitors and guests to a dinner are usually expected to bring their own meal. The quality, quantity, and covetousness of each plate is a signal to the host as to the eaters enjoyment, such that if you do not bring a favorite dish, or exotic treat, it is a insult to your host.

As a traveler, of course, you will be given plenty of social leeway; few hosts will ever expect a traveler to carry their own food with them. At the same time, purchasing a local street-dish or carrying along a small coldplate from a local traveler-eatery will do much to ingratiate you.

For those who are expected to attend a formal gathering, such as a ball or soiree, you should note that in the land of Eddling, the art of eating is part and parcel with the art of cooking. For extravagant or high-class gatherings, your meal is expected to be cooked at the table, to show how important the meal is from start to finish. Such affairs usually involve dishes cooked at low heat or seared at the start, to ensure that the meal can go straight from pot to mouth without burning the tongue.

While tourism has increased due to the relative fame this land has garnered,² the act of cooking has become an art-form in itself, resulting in performance-chefs who add flair, poetry, or music to their preparations. If you are looking for a show, you should look in the tourist sections of the main towns, while those who are looking for a more authentic experience would do well to stick to side-chewerys, “traditional” food-halls, and any well-known locals.

Being invited to a meal is not the only option, of course: If you are not invited or would like to eat alone with your own family, ask where the closest (or tastiest) Food-hall, Chewery, or winswak is.

Winswaks

The winswak is a central place where food is cooked and eaten, and is perhaps most similar to a caféteria. Instead of trays of food, however, there are hotplates, mixing stations, and other food-preperation tools that are free to use.

Several winswaks forego the cooking stations entirely, and instead have hotplates and cooking stations built-in to your table. This is closer to the Fenning tradition of eating, drawn from meals occurring around a cooking campfire.

If this sounds complex, consider looking for traveler-winswaks or traveler-eateries. These places are combination traditional winswak and grocery store, where you can shop for ingredients and then cook them immediately before sitting down to eat. Some traveler-winswaks even have personal chefs for an additional fee if you’re too tired to cook.

Notable Dishes

The immigrant Eddlingers largely forsook their cuisine culture when establishing what is now Eddling. According to history, their food supplies had largely emptied by the time they arrived, and so were forced to survive on hunting, their dwindling sheep population, and the generosity of the locals. As such, while there was certainly some influence on local cuisine by the arrival of the Eddlingers, the traditional cuisines of the Fenning and the Rekek have remained largely consistent for centuries.

Also, due to the similarities in cooking, namely the need to cook your meal at the table, the greatest differences between Rekek and Fenning cuisine is not the dishes they make, but the ingredients they use.

Hwork

This word is used largely to mean any thin slice of meat that is cooked on a flat surface for a brief period of time, then dipped in sauce followed by spices before being placed in the mouth. Shrimp and game are the most common meats used, while the common spices and sauces used depending on region and tradition

Limblit

Limblit is a kind of small salad, made up of root vegetables and nuts in a wrapped purse of red-lettuce leaves. The salad is placed over a flame for only a few minutes until the leaves wilt away, leaving the vegetables half raw, half steamed from the high water content of the leaves. Lim is the Fenning word for a flower blooming, with -blit being a diminutive suffix.

Rop

Rop is any kind of thick stew or soup cooked in a heated pot. The broth is traditionally made by layering meat, mushrooms, and/or red-lettuce on the bottom of the pot, though pre-made broths are becoming more common. Once the broth is made, any other ingredients are added and eaten at the diner’s discretion, making the dish very similar to Chinese hotpot.

Common Ingredients

Rekek and Fenning cuisines largely use the same ingredients, with only a few exceptions. Both use game as staple meat, with which type depending on what is commonly available in the region. Red-lettuce is a common vegetable, as are root vegetables like potatoes, yams, hot-bulbs, and moonchokes.

Dairy uncommon as an ingredient, with milk and cheese being considered childish and rotten, respectively. Eggs are rarely used, though they are sometimes found in Rekek Rop broths.

Grains are likewise rare, instead replaced with nuts and small legumes.

Fenning

Fenning cuisine is notable for its larger reliance on nuts, mushrooms, and root vegetables instead of meat. Savory spices like Oregano are used more often than hot peppers, seeds, or sweet spices. Fenning spices are rubbed or pressed into the bite before cooking.

Broths and sauces tend to be thinner and more sour or vinegary, designed to be splashed onto the bite before it enters the mouth. The ‘seed vinegar’ that you’ll see on almost every table in Eddling originates in Fenning cuisine.

Rekek

Rekek cuisine uses more game than Fenning dishes, and has a wider variety of commonly used spices. Spak is the term for the different spice blends you dip your food into; Red-spak and blue-spak being the most common. Red-spak always includes dried red pepper and cloves, while blue-spak must have dried sweet-ginger. Ro-spak is the term for any blend that is lightly toasted before being used.

These are the most common three, but each spak recipe is unique, with different regions having different “required” spices — you will have to speak to your host to learn what spices are in each blend.

Rekek sauces are generally thicker and have gentler flavor profiles, intended more to provide a base for the spice-mixes to stick too, rather than provide most of the flavoring itself.

Trains, Busses, and Taxi Services

Eddling has high quality public transport both within and between its cities. High-speed rail is common and easily used by citizen and traveler alike. Busses are rare, with trolley and tram services much more common in the major metropolitan areas.

“Rolling-trams” are fully-automated public transports which travel along light rail in the larger cities. They move at much slower speeds than piloted trolleys, and stop for short periods of time at established stations. While their slow speed allows passengers to jump on and off whenever they like, people who require movement aids are unable to use them like this, and so they are being phased out.

Several places also have drive-trams — trolleys that are pulled by horse or ox instead of an engine or power-line. These are usually found in the rural or poorer towns, but the Horseshoe Line in Belliboos is still in operation, largely as a quaint alternative to the more modern trams.

Taxis are not unknown in Eddling, but they are largely unnecessary, and using them can be seen as an affectation.

Weather and Climate

Eddling is a relatively temperate region, with light snow in the winter and commonly mild summers. You can get away with packing light breathable clothing like cotton shirts and shorts or skirts if you’re planning to travel in the warmer months, but be sure to pack a jacket and/or scarf, as once the sun goes down the temperature can drop surprisingly low. Layers will help here as well.

In the spring and fall, layers are lifesavers; the temperature can vary between quite warm in the mid-day to chilly in the evening. Thick sweaters are especially helpful in the fall months, and scarves are a common clothing accessory.

In the winter months, be sure to pack thick warm clothing, including hats and gloves. Snow boots are probably not required, as snowfall is usually quite sparse in Eddling. The exception to this is if you’re planning on visiting the mountainous regions, as cold snow gear will be as important as suitable climbing gear.

Precipitation of all kinds is common in Eddling; be prepared for rain throughout the warmer months, and regular snows in winter.

The Eddling Tin (t)

The Eddling Tin is the regional currency backed by the Eddling Treasury. Anything lower than a single tin is minted in a hard coin, while anything more than a tin is printed with special paper and ink.

Coin	Worth (t)	Worth (c)
Tin (t)	1	64
Ha-Tin	1/2	32
Qua-Tin	1/4	16
A-Tin	1/16	4
Canny (c)	1/64	1

Bill	Worth (t)
Two-Tin	2
Fi-Tin	5
Ten-Tin	10
Twen-Tin	20

Higher denominations of tin bills are not common and will likely not be necessary to use for any traveler. Cannys are also rarely used anymore, excepting for cheap candy or toy dispensaries for children. Hoswip Canny, or “not worth a Canny,” is a common phrase of dismissiveness, and the phrase ples Cannish, or “begging for Cannies,” is used to describe someone who is desperate.

While the strange division of Tins into halves and quarters is uncommon, the decline of A-Tins and Cannys means that many stores and restaurants are now labeling their items differently. Old price labels — t2,32c to price an item at two Tins, thirty-two Cannys, for example — are being phased out in favor of tiered labels: t2~1 for example, to mark an item costing two Tins and one Ha-Tin, while t3~/~1 is three Tins and one Qua-Tin.

Dealing with A-Tins is difficult, even for those who have spent many years in Eddling. As such, it is common and often expected to round to the nearest Qua-Tin. If you want to bypass the headache entirely, simply say “Tos” when handing over your Qua-Tins. This word means “done” or “deal,” and is used similarly to “keep the change” in Eddling culture. This won’t mark you as a tourist, as many locals don’t bother with A-Tins either. Whether this is because of its odd sixteen-to-the-Tin value or inflation reducing its relative use is still debated among economists.

The Tin was a common trade-coin used between several ancient cultures in the Eddling region. Originally chipped stones, Tins are now minted from an alloy of copper and tin. While some historians believe this is the origin of the term, others note that the different units of Tins follow several recognized patterns of linguistic decay, meaning that the Tin was possibly originally called the Krymb, an ancient Fenning word for “honor” or “value.” That the Tin’s historical use centers around Fenning civilizations appears to support this theory.