MILES vV, Host: Good morning! I'm Miles, here with my guest, Hardi Byr'dordt.
HARDI: Morning!
MILES: And this is Jump Start.
[Jump Start theme begins]
MILES: Half-Stout Bakery, a pre-Traveller staple of every mall in the Empire, closing its doors this weekend. What to get at the end of a legacy.
HARDI: Also in the business sector, Foothills Engineering, closing their domestic offices - what does returning to import-only do to the vehicle market and the market at large?
MILES: And lastly, a frank discussion with my guest to go over the newest decree and it's impact on Dwemmernacht - does this target the minority dwarf populations in the Empire?
MILES: All that and more ahead. Let's get a Jump Start on the weekend.
[Jump Start theme fades]
MILES: Half Stout Bakery closes its doors this Sunday. The Halfling owned franchise is another in a recent string of similar regional chain restaurants now settling for bankruptcy.
HARDI: This rash of closures comes on the tail of a controversial set of future rulings presented by the Depart of Prophecy. This is something several family restaurants, large chains, and private fortune telling entities are looking to contest in the next coming months.
MILES: The closure of this neighborhood staple comes with a particular sting as it also means the conclusion of their food bank and charity, Stout Hearts.
HARDI: How-wever, if you would like a piece of memorabilia, you can now bid on your local Stoutie! In a last hurrah, the bakery has announced that the iconic statuettes outside each location will be auctioned off by the Stout Heart foundation. Check with your local Half Stout for more.
MILES: I'm picking up a few dozen of the Thresher breads while I can!
HARDI: [chuckling] Really?
MILES: Of course! Always loved them, best thing Half Stout serves.
HARDI: [chuckling louder] Not the Drake Baked Biscuits? Not the Stout Bread? The Stout Bread, Miles!
MILES: [Laughing] Well, we can agree to disagree there!
[Transition Music as laughter fades out]
HARDI: Also in the business sector, Foothills Engineering unexpectedly announced the closure of nearly all of their Empirical offices. The announcement cites better manufacturing opportunities elsewhere and promises that most customers will not notice the difference.
MILES: However, experts are warning that this will have immediate effects in the job market and cause long term ripples throughout the domestic industrial community. Here's economics correspondent Pyre Elemental with more.
[Grainy audio of an early commercial fades in with "Engineering done right. From the mountains to the foothills to you.", then fades out.]
PYRE: That was the beginning of the very first FE commercial to air in the Empire. It marked the beginning of an age in automobile and automaton production. Wilson Burred, the first CEO of FE-Empirical, brought a new age of marketing high tech magic craft to the middle and lower classes, shaping the desires of the average citizen to a taste in luxury and quality.
PYRE: In the centuries since, Foothills Engineering has gone through many periods of change, including the infamous Djinni Djrivers and their experimental dalliances into nuclear technology.
PYRE: Once upon a time, every car, automaton, and flying carpet would have that "Hills and Hammer" logo, but those days have long gone. In more recent years, FE has lost their foothold on the average consumer thanks to cheap imports and stiff competition, such as the Empirical Fjords, and a well run dry for breakthroughs in home appliances.
PYRE: It's not all bad news, say prophecy experts. The move to withdraw from the Empire caused a spike in stock prices internationally, especially in the Deep Market and The Bay. But what about here?
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
PYRE: Foothills Engineering made clear in their earlier announcement that this would not impact the average consumer. They promise their import schedules to be, I quote, "as precise as their designs". In part because of their already declined presence and the competitive market, prophets are agreeing it will be a while until most would notice the change. The biggest result is the closure of the remaining manufacturing plants, but we have yet to receive solid numbers on this.
PYRE: To find out more, including those statistics listen to Behind the Boroughs with myself, Pyre Elemental, and my cohost Xib.
[Transition Music]
HARDI: My first car was an FE.
MILES: You don't say?
HARDI: A hand-me-down Djinni Djriver Blue in bright green. I loved that thing until the core burned out. I could drift the sharp corners in the older mines in my neighborhood in Deep Mountain by leaning out the window. Do NOT do what I did, kids.
[Shared laughter.]
MILES: I'm sorry, "Blue in green"? I just can't help but ask.
HARDI: Yes! Each model was named for a colour. It was a whole theme. Believe it or not, it was originally to partner with a popular Dwarven action show.
MILES: Like super heroes?
HARDI: No no, they were the Lost Mine Rangers. Terrible show, but I loved it. It showed some corners of the older mines, some places very close to my childhood home, as rural dungeons. Eight coloured rangers would delve for treasure. It was cancelled before the car line could start production so they changed the names from the characters to their related colours - I could do a whole show on this, Miles, stop me now!
MILES: [Chuckling] I want to be your first guest!
HARDI: And if it ever happens, I promise you will.
MILES: Well, Hardi, we have you here for one more segment to get your thoughts on this new decree. First of all, what is it?
HARDI: It's a lot of things Miles, but I want to start with what it's not. It is not an outright attack on the dwarven community. It won't have an immediate impact for most people - except for this weekend, Miles.
MILES: And what is this weekend?
HARDI: Saturday night into Sunday morning to be precise, we observe Dwemmernacht. It's a beautiful ceremony where dwarves - and friends, and anyone who wishes to join us - stand vigil over the moons. We gather wherever the moons can be seen for the whole night and join hands to wish for a calm night.
MILES: I'm sure many people have seen this, I believe it went viral on Cauldrn last year?
HARDI: It did, and brought this issue a lot of attention in both positive and negative ways - as is all things on Cauldrn.
MILES: For those less permanently on their spellbound, this trend was a burst of videos featuring young elves running around...
HARDI: I believe it was the "How'd He Get There"s. In the forests of the Empire, sometimes finding a place to see the moon all night is hard to find. Sometimes, we try to find obscure places simply to be left alone. Ironically, this has caused some kids to turn it around, looking for and filming our more agile community members. The finding is harmless, it's when they try to break the concentration, such as screaming "How'd he get there?" repeatedly, that's when you get videos that do not put anyone in a positive light.
MILES: That's terrible!
HARDI: It is! This is an important night for us, and, I believe, many could benefit from it. However, a counter-trend of twinned spells used the first videos to explain the ritual and correct misconceptions. It was quite heartening to see... when the video is accurate.
MILES: Big if! And so, what makes this tradition so important?
HARDI: The Dwemmernacht is actually a more recent history than many might thing. While it is pre-Traveller, it was not more than a few centuries - well within a lifetime - from its inception to Her arrival. It is actually very simple. We make an effort to travel from anywhere in our mines and jobs and whatever is going on in our lives and spend the night together, watching the moons the one time a year that they are both full at the same time.
MILES: That's beautiful!
HARDI: It is! Originally, it was believed that the moons missed us, so we had to spend at least one night, the night they are at their best, to give them our undivided attention. To prove we haven't turned our backs on them. While we have learned a great deal about the moon spirits since then, many observe it either for fun, community, or health. Studies show that nearly 80% of adult dwarves and 40% of most every other majorly represented species in the Empire do not spend more than four days a year outside anymore.
MILES: Four days? For a forest community, that's shocking!
HARDI: Exactly! A professor for the Deep Mine's premier university, Slate Scholars Guild, Drillia Mortogaa, told me that there are also tremendous benefits mentally too. Here's a clip from an interview I had with her.
DRILLIA: Yes, yes, it's very good for the mind. Some, some they have issues with the ah... loneliness of it. While we often join hands, and that itself is tremendous for us in this touch-starved world, the silent part of silent vigil can be hard for many. For them I recommend you go ahead and let that mind wander. It's been a whole year since the last time you were there. Ups and downs, things to sort out and set to bed. Yes, yes, it's good for the mind. For simple monotaskers ah... haha like yours truly, well, it's a good time to empty the mind, freeing your thoughts from life for one night.
HARDI: Comparative studies have shown many similarities between our Dwemmernacht and Elven meditations.
MILES: I was just about to say! So it's clear that this is a tradition with a short history, but it's ultimately extremely beneficial to most participants... is that right? So now, how is this affected by the newest decree?
HARDI: The newest decree, on its face, is aimed to keep people safe and make the jobs of city inquisitors a little easier. It puts a limit to the number of people that can gather in clearings and streets in metropolitan areas. While this sounds perfectly sensible, it has some pretty obvious drawbacks. With the dense forests surrounding the cities, dwarves will now either have to travel quite far, climb even more dangerous heights, or potentially even commit trespassing to find a place with enough open sky. This makes it all the more difficult to coordinate with local immigrant and allies and all the harder to form real community bonds, Miles.
MILES: I don't know, that does feel a touch... targeted.
HARDI: I won't pretend, it does seem that way to most. The Capital has come forth to defend the decree, stating that it is to help curb the occasional zombie outbreak by helping inquisitors make quick identifications late at night.
MILES: Besides the Dwarven resistance to the disease.
HARDI: They have yet to comment on similar questions EFPR has posed to them.
MILES: So what can folks do right now?
HARDI: Well, in solidarity for that night only, the carpet pilots will be pausing their strike to create clear skies. We will be holding a demonstration of our own at the Capital parade grounds, and invite all members of the public to join us in silent protest and observation of our ritual.
MILES: I know I'll be there. Hardi Byr'dordt, where can folks find you?
HARDI: my account on Cauldrn is my name, my spells are all about the demonstration right now so please follow for updates.
[Transition Jingle]
MILES: Lastly, here's a few things to get a jump on your week ahead.
HARDI: Will o the Wisp season begins soon - be sure to fireproof your roofs and keep children from wandering for the next few weeks.
MILES: Also, parents in the Mariz'fla'rezan school district are calling for an increase in cult teachings - that full story in a EFPR special tonight.
HARDI: and lastly, rebounding land shark population - a big win for sharks and the indigenous population spearheading the efforts. How a symbiotic relation with the Empire's most fascinating fish has saved a struggling city and brought attention to a long standing struggle on the next episode of jump start.
[Jump Start Theme fades in]
MILES: Thanks to EFPR's executive producer, Malik First of His Line, editors Portia Marti' and Xip, with technical support by the Lov'vovk brothers. Our theme was composed by Drip the Inspired. This is EFPR's Jump Start.
HARDI: Jump Start is sponsored in part by contributions of listeners like you. You can show your support by casting the EFPR app, available on most devices, and by joining EFPR Next.
MILES: Thanks to guest host Hardi again. Good to have you on.
HARDI: Always happy to be here Miles!
MILES: Have a good week everyone.