The Island

It may be pertinent to mention that the island that the town of Pencilvania is situated upon is pretzel-shaped. It seems something went wrong somewhere down the line. Of course, a line (to indicate the wondrous and elusive shape of a pencil) would have made for a pretty straightforward island, don't you think? But these are Writers that like to shake things up a little! Yet given what we might know about Writers and their beautifully inscrutable minds, it wouldn't be remiss to assume that maybe, just maybe, there is a reason for everything. It could even be for the reason that pretzels, while exceedingly relative in size, are an exceptional snack. What's not to love?

Each of the three rings of this sandy pretzel¹⁾ is steeped in a sticky, heavy quagmire of molasses²⁾. Only the bravest would dare trudge through these murky depths… or the most foolish. Of course, that's not to say that being foolish is a disadvantage in these wacky out-lands – unless you'd rather take your chances with the vast horde of crocodiles that surround the island itself, wading in a salty, infinite ocean bedraggled with their tears. And why do they cry, you ask? You could certainly ask them, but then again, crocodiles have tears for a reason.

There are other peculiar sights that drift along the borders of this sturdy baked pastry, which serve as delightful precursors for the brilliant and zany town at its centermost ridge of land. Maybe if you look around for long enough, you might find that some Characters will be more than happy to show you around!

There's only one thing that can brave the sinking quagmire of Pencilvania's molasses lakes. Well, two very similar-looking things. Indeed, the Private Sweets hold a heavy emphasis on privacy, and less so on the sweetness (at least on the inside). These identical nautical vessels, always maintained at an incredibly precise distance apart from each other, serve as distantly ominous symbols of pirate activity from Sweet-Tooth Jane. Each one is emblazoned in rather brilliant colours: a healthy (or most definitely unhealthy) mix of gold, teal, pink, and purple adorns their hulls and the billowing weight of their sails. It should be noted, however, that Jane did not choose these colours. When she's not manning her ships and scouting the edges of the lakes for trespassers, she's haphazardly attempting to repaint them (with the assistance of her horde of crocodile brethren that sleep under the surface, of course). Yet it seems the shiny brown molasses coating never seems to stick.

During her expansive time charting the open seas, long before her time on the outskirts of Pencilvania, Jane had acquired so much shiny booty from all her ruthless plundering that she could no longer fit it all in just one boat. Lo and behold, maybe even by the sheer force of her will, the brand spanking new vessel had arisen from the surface of the briny depths, an exact copy in every way. It also seemed that all of her reptilian sisters and brothers from way back home had joined the ride; it was as if the ship had been kind enough to bring them along. Soon enough, Jane's infamy only grew, and a chill would often settle over those who could hear her shrill cackle over the waves as they were left with nothing but a few Bucks to spare.

Nowadays, given the fact that she and her booty are indubitably trapped in the lakes (due to some unforeseen circumstances she'd rather not discuss), Jane has taken it upon herself to acquire other methods of spreading her influence over the town of Pencilvania. Crocodiles pour from thin pipes and any other places where there are suitable sources of water. Even in the occasional torrential downpour (often brought about by Moony, of all people), these burly behemoths will come falling down from the sky, setting their sights (and their stomachs) on anything within reach. All the while, Jane effortlessly transports herself between both of the Private Sweets, searching along the shoreline for easy pickings amid the chaos.

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One of the sunniest places throughout all of Pencilvania. This beach spans across a significant portion of the island, spreading out as far as the eye can see. The sun seems to always hit it at just the right spot – regardless of its position in the sky. The beach is always as warm as it is at high noon.

And at one edge of that beach is a bright spot: a spiraling, resplendent lighthouse situated at the edge of the coastline. Its adoring light glimmers and pierces through the sharpest of nights, guiding weary sailors home, and keeping them far away from all the crocodiles. It is also the home of Sonny, who watches out for everyone in Pencilvania as the lighthouse cares for those on the sea.

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Sometimes (if not most all of the time), the citizens of Pencilvania will be surrounded by strange occurrences, particularly when it comes to their thoughts. A brilliant idea might spontaneously summon a lightbulb, or an immediate moral dilemma could spawn an angel and a devil version of a Character, who both end up quarrelling and forcing their creator to come to a decision. Evidently, the residents of this busy town are no strangers to their own internal landscapes, which often take on lives of their own!

The Kruisin' Kastle is a towering, monolithic structure that lives upon a singular cloud. It appears to hover precariously over the centre of Pencilvania, serving as a storehouse for whatever thoughts, feelings, ideas, or dreams the townspeople might be having at any given time. Everyone from the Inner Critic to the Heebie-Jeebies have found a place to stay up in the sky, nonchalantly passing the time until they're needed down on the ground to make a judgement call.

The courtly head of this immaculate estate is none other than the illustrious Dram Broker, a regally-dressed vampire who will occasionally descend from the clouds as a bat to simply witness Pencilvania function. They're willing to aid anyone in fulfilling their immediate hopes and desires, whether that be a craving for a particular kind of sandwich or a crate of bees³⁾. In exchange, he'd like to request copious amounts of bloo– uh, I mean, chocolate milk, if you're willing to spare any⁴⁾. The rich taste quenches their thirst and helps them drift off to sleep, where they'll return back up to the sky and count all of their pet sheep again.

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Situated at the top of an outcropping on a hill just outside the city can be seen Pencilvania's mighty observatory. The sleek, metallic dome glints in the starlight, and you can get a wonderful view of the entire night sky above, if the conditions are right. Very rarely are people actually allowed to use the telescope itself, and only under the direct supervision of Doctor Nocks Shus. Perhaps sometimes it looks a little ominous, protruding out from the structure, with just a bit too much machinery that definitely can't be for telescopic magnification. Nevertheless, the open dome and the gantry-way leading around it are excellent spots to get a wide view of Pencilvania and the rest of the island.

However, the Eurekomplex itself is more than just the observatory dome. The entire compound consists of several other laboratory buildings and is surrounded in a stone wall topped with barbed wire. It's not the most inviting, but the gate is usually left open, and despite the numerous warning and danger signs, there aren't any explicitly telling you to “keep out”.

The signs on the inside change frequently. “Biohazard”. “Explosive”. “High Voltage”. “Poison”. “Forklift Operating Area”. “Wet Floor”. The list continues, and is liable to change even from Scene to Scene in the same episode. The other buildings resemble small warehouses, are generally locked and host their own warning signs, perhaps enough to dissuade prying eyes from getting a glimpse. If you are able to peek inside you might catch sight of complex machinery, chemical concoctions bubbling away, and other… scientific endeavours.

Don't think that you can just sneak around unobserved, though. Even the most sneaky of people are liable to run into the Doctor herself, or perhaps one of her assistants. She can come across as incredibly enigmatic and overbearing, but likely also quite enthusiastic to have you there. Perhaps too enthusiastic… You might want to be careful around here. Then again, there's no better place to push the limits of cartoon science!

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