Ghyll:Encyclopedants Progress Report 2

The Encyclopedants is a term applied to the small group of individuals who decided a collection of Ghyll intellect, in written and distributed form, was necessary for the bettering of society, as well as the benefit of future historians. The group now presides over the encyclopedia's integrity and "cohesion of vision". To remain an objective judge, the Encyclopedants attempt to focus only on "the facts as we're told them", asking questions, poking holes, and suggesting "standards" to further quality assurance. These Progress Reports are considered official communication between the Encyclopedants and their Scholars, and they encourage others to write their own thoughts and comments into the margins.

The Facts As We're Told Them

The second batch of entries consists of the following entries: Ball Lightning Liqueur (Invention), Baron Claude Lloyd Albert Smallwood (People), Battle of Barnum Stones (Other), Berell (People). Besq Boats (Invention), Bethany Mboya (People), Betrothal march (Other), Bindlet Ball (Other).

Ball Lightning Liqueur (Invention)

• Ball Lightning Liqueur is a counterpart to another weapon, "Awal Sleeps".
• "Awal Sleeps" comes from the Evesque Valley; Ball Lightning Liqueur originates at Iganefta.
• "Awal Sleeps" is targeted against jelly mines; Ball Lightning Liqueur attacks Fefferberry crops.
• "Awal Sleeps" removes the sound of its destruction; Ball Lightning Liqueur simulates nature.
• Melderson created "Awal Sleeps" as an affront to Awal's rebuking of his work.
• "Awal Sleeps" is based on the sound suckage principles of Awal shrinkage.
• Ball Lightning Liqueur requires two to deploy: one to throw the bottle, another to shatter it.
• Evesque Valley scholars are investigating unshattered Ball Lightning Liqueur bottles.
• Both weapons began active use 50 years ago in a continuing war to decide lighting supremacy.
• The war has lasted so long that it is known as the Conflict That Is Not Happening.
• The Evesque Valley has frequent (natural) lightning storms, and is north of Iganefta.

Baron Claude Lloyd Albert Smallwood (People)

• The Baron (born -62/7/11 EC) is Bavarian Creame's former husband.
• The Baron is the most important producer of Adlorst Vinifera, but also produces other wines.
• His sprawling plantation, also a tourist attraction, is located in Evesque Valley.
• The Baron is known for dabbling in alchemy and is a suspected member of the Karcist League.
• His alchemy mishaps purportedly (he denies it) created the doggerel plague of -11 EC.
• The Baron has written an unknown number of monographs concerning plants, alchemy, and more.
• He has recently studied animal husbandry and attempted to engineer a new breed of Mute Chukarandos.
• The Baron hosts a large library on linguistics, and has been known to talk to animals and plants.
• He has funded several expeditions into distant lands to study the languages of small, dying peoples.
• The Baron has been seen performing annual rites on dates related to his previous marriage.

Battle of Barnum Stones (Other)

• Battles over the supremacy of different means and types of lighting techomancy have been waged.
• The Battle of Barnum Stones, somewhere between -400 EC and -332 EC, is the most celebrated.
• The Barnum Stones were moved to Stindersgrough by Corvin Axehand in –158 EC.
• In addition, a subsequent Raking has left the exact battlefield location unknown.
• The participants at the Battle of Barnum Stones were the Looliers and the Exingians.
• Salerny Redthighs was the shaman-chief of the Looliers at the time of the Battle.
• After days of consultation, Umbrage, than exasperation, bull's pizzle started the war.
• The Exingians were outnumbered and outflanked, but battled regardless of the odds.
• The Exingians have a ritual square formation of 7 warriors wide, and 7 warriors deep.
• Each center warrior of each line hold vorpcaras high, and three pages flank them.
• Pages to the left hold wooden bowls of spring water; pages to the right hold springs of adlorst.
• These symbolic items of the 7 by 7 square were meant to represent time passing.
• The Exingians were slaughtered, and the Looliers suffered no losses, nor honoured the dead.
• The group headed for home, camped at the Vale of Serdoch and were never seen again.
• The victory united the remaining Loolier tribes, and eventually led to their own downfall.
• Across the centuries, the Looliers are still despised, despite their success at the Battle.
• Bordingbras his hatt!, the only known Loolian manuscript, is held at the Odlucian Library.
• A scattered line of dried Fefferberry seeds is considered ritualistic in some areas.

Berell (People)

• Berell is revered as a patron among rural communities, although his name may be an alias.
• A popular folktalke of Berell and his history is stored at the Odlucian Library.
• The philosophy of Berell is to better your own existence, as only you have control of it.
• Those who follow his precepts believe the paramount goals are secrecy and personal wealth.
• The believers have split into different sects, which have varying views and tenants.
• The number of current followers is unknown; secrecy forfeits their admission of belief.
• Formal gatherings of organized service are usually led by the oldest member, a rejah.
• The gatherings rarely take more than an hour, and only happen once every two weeks or less.

Besq Boats (Invention)

• Besq Boats are medium sized sailing craft made from Sphoxolis Trees.
• These trees can be found in many places, but plantations abound in the Evesque Valley.
• The Boats typically have one mast and single sail that uses the top and main boom as support.
• Besq Boats are traditional amongst sailors, and they've appeared in drawings dating to -172 EC.
• Oral history suggests the design of the Boats have remained unchanged for 300 years.
• Building these Boats typically requires a team of eight people, normally master carpenters.
• The Boats take eight months to build, and an apprentice eleven years of study.
• Most construction begins in Ablinth, and naming ceremonies occur in Jole.
• Besq Boats are most prominently used for fishing and coastal commerce.
• Smugglers enjoy the boat's speed, and have developed methods for maritime warfare.
• The most famous Besq Boat sailor was Captain Riquiras, a buccaneer and smuggler.

Bethany Mboya (People)

• Bethany Mboya entered the public eye in -11 EC, apparently 19 years old.
• The Bureau of Numbing Research list Bethany as the 4th most popular name for girl babies.
• Her name is assumed a pseuodym as "Mboya" is commonly used in their creation.
• Using a pseudonym is common in Ghyll, but more so in artistic circles, which Bethany influenced.
• Siam Sinch denied rumors that Bethany was a romantic partner, and a muse behind her work.
• Siam Sinch and Gabson Foye, her soon-to-be husband, argued violently over these rumors.
• Taking a lover during your final tri-menth of the betrothal march is met with scorn.
• Bethany was featured in a series of lumograms in varying states of dress and undress.
• Bethany was reported to be lovers with artists, scholars, Bindlet Ball players, and politicians.
• In -9 EC, small pamphlets written by Mboya on a variety of subjects appeared.
• In became common in -5 EC to boast of nights spent, and pleasure had, in Bethany's presence.
• In -3 EC, it became clear that Bethany couldn't have had the 6,437 lovers attributed to her.
• Gabson Foye discovered, in -2 EC, that Bethany was really the overweight Jan ver Daath.
• Daath, a man, was a retired soldier of the Tarkherk Corps, in the Conflict That Is Not Happening.

Betrothal march (Other)

• A longstanding tradition, the length of the march is determined by math and guesswork.
• In modern times, the march tests the couple's devotion with three grueling sections called tri-menths.
• The tri-menths are not of the same length, involve a prime number distance, and increase in difficulty.
• Tri-menth lengths are determined by year, astrology, hair color, and the #27 Bindlet Ball player's name.
• The third tri-menth is the most challenging, amd mostly likely to break a couple apart.
• Distances range from several steps to a great many sugro-nanit lengths.
• The original conceiver of the march may have been Briorus Jan-Vanderschusen.

Bindlet Ball (Other)

• Extremely popular sport, national pastime, and big business.
• The annual championship is held on the the Day of Champions.
• The Ghyll Bindlet League, founded in -54 EC, consists of 27 teams.
• Game allegiances have been known to affect political races, as in the election of -38 EC.
• Games can last 5 or 6 days, and a Bureau of Forgotten Knowledge member resolves referee disputes.
• The longest game on record started in -7 EC and is still in the 4th period (of 7).
• Players leaving the field forfeit the game, so small homes were built on the field, yet don't hinder play.
• Game play consists of two teams, with the number of players per team determined by a complex formula.
• Due to continual Mediation over the formula results, common convention is to agree on 12 players per team.
• The goal is to get a ball, one nanit in diameter, into a hole (the bindlet) less than one nanit in diameter.
• The interaction between the players and crowd affects the size of the ball due to Awal shrinkage.
• Game play lasts for 7 periods, one of which is over when the ball is put through the bindlet.
• Everything is open to interpretation, and Bindlet Ball, Its Rules And History, is 946 pages.
• Primitive forms have been around since -400 EC; its current form, roughly 60 years.
• In -14 EC, an act was passed to deny any professional bindlet player from taking political office.
• The current champions are the Glossfordshire Maurlons, who won in record time of 5 hours, 17 minutes.

--The Encyclopedants