Ghyll:Howzingery
Howzingery is, in most of Ghyll, an extremely rare occurrence - rare enough that it wouldn't normally be worth writing an encyclopedia article about since, for the most part, only a few very dedicated scholars even know or care about such things as Howzingery, and they already know everything they need to know about it. However, it has recently been discovered that Howzingery is an extremely commonplace occurrence in some isolated geological spots, such as Ungerry-Tubers, and therefore it is worth explaining for the sake of the occasional traveller visiting those places.
Howzingery is quite bizarre. It begins with a small bump on the ground, which gradually enlarges until it reaches what is known as the Sneling stage. At this point, it begins to release unusual odors, not unlike those of rotting Zhur Fruit. If there are Ghyllians living in the area and they have discovered the Sneling, it is traditional for them to hold a festival around it, although they often wear nose plugs - Sneling Festivals, in fact, are so popular in the places where they can be held at reasonable intervals that there are whole Sneling Festival organizations whose job it is to find the Snelings and set up and coordinate festivals around them.
After some time, the Sneling bursts open to reveal the Nutule, a small orange growth that slowly turns to jelly over the next three days and then evaporates. Why this happens is a complete mystery. As soon as the Sneling bursts, any festivals held around it immediately disperse, usually leaving behind tables, chairs, and lots of debris littered about.
Rancticirchiretic is one of the few people to have ever witnessed a Howzingery from start to finish with the scientific knowledge to make use of and properly record the process. Therefore, his text is still the primary research document for those interested in the Howzingery phenomenon, despite the number of papers on the subject that have been written since his was published. He has recorded that the Nutule is, on average, a single nanit in radius, and if plucked from the ground immediately after the bursting of the Sneling, small, shriveled roots can be seen emerging from its bottom. This suggests that the Howzingery is created by a sort of plant, although far too little is known to say for sure. Rancticirchiretic also reports that the Nutule jelly tastes like roasted splak, which just goes to show that the man was a) very brave and b) had unusual dietary habits.
The only other thing worth mentioning is that the inhabitants of those vague, isolated spots where Howzingery is common often mention that there is some connection between it and the heh-blammo balance. If there is any truth behind this statement, it has yet to be revealed.
Citations: Heh-blammo balance, Organization, Ungerry-Tubers.
--Dfaran L'Eniarc 18:38, 6 Jul 2005 (EDT)
