Political Parties

Three political parties command the bulk of influence within Jorvik, but many minor parties thrive there as well.

Skyhearth

A skyhearth is a black, rubbery mass ranging from the size of a fist to several feet around. It has a mass of thread-thin tendrils at one end, which float upwards like whisps of smoke. It essentially eats wind and light to produce heat. When wet, it produces electricity instead. The energy generated is proportional to its size.

Most families have a decent-sized skyhearth in the house, used for cooking and heating. Very large skyhearths can produce temperatures that rival a blast-furnace, but only in a small area. Wealthy villages use skyhearths to provide public lighting, and remote settlements sometimes use them to power electric defenses.

They reproduce by budding.

Money

Most money takes the form of leaves of precious metal encased in sheets of thin, transparent, protective plastic. These are commonly stored in a wallet, and the plastic may be stamped with an official seal of some authority.

Thus we have gold, silver, and copper bills.

The Old Man of the Mountain

I'm going to come back and give this a proper write-up, but here are my ideas.

  • Long, flexible, segmented, insectile body.
  • Limbs are long and tapering, the fore-limbs branching several times. The finest endså can be held and used like hands, but also may spread apart. Many-jointed.
  • The "hands" contain holographic projectors, which the Old Man uses to paint words in the air. It cannot speak, so this is how it communicates.
  • A node at the font is covered in muscular stalks attached to chitinous plates. The creature can form these into various noh masks. The node also has a long, white beard. The mask's appearance is often incongruous with the creature's actual mood. Draped with ivory-colored leathery folds over back and between leg joints.
  • Several irregularly places rasping mouths on underside.
  • Draping skin folds between the limb segments, connected to the back. Folding them around itself and using its "mask", the creature somewhat resembles an old man in long robes perched on a rock.
  • The

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