Snow Shrew Mucker

Above-ground Folk assume nature will take care of their waste. They dump it in the street for rain to wash it into rivers or in streams to float away. But those Folk who live below ground can't rely on these solutions. The Snow Shrews' solution is the humble muckers. They have the dirty job of gathering human waste from toilets, animal waste from farms, kitchen garbage, and farm leavings and turning it into usable soil. Everyone agrees it is a dirty and unpleasant job. And because of this, muckers are held in high esteem by their community.

Career

Career Progression

Most Snow Shrews begin apprenticing between 16 and 20 years of age. After about 10 years, an apprentice will be recognized by his mentor as having the skills to be a mucker. Snow Shrew nests will hold a party to celebrate this accomplishment. Then, the younger man has two choices; he can stay as his mentor's assistant or look for a community in need. This is often a hard decision and less than 25% of new muckers will leave their community without governmental pressure. In smaller communities, there is no further advancement beyond simply being the mucker. Whereas in cities, there is usually a hierarchy with one very experienced Snow Shrew at the top and new muckers at the bottom.

Payment & Reimbursement

Mucker's pay is dependent on the community they live in but usually affords them a lifestyle around the community's mean. In rural communities pay for muckers is often in the form of goods and services such as food, shelter, clothing and home maintenance.

Other Benefits

Beyond pay, they receive a tremendous amount of goodwill. Snow Shrews appreciate that muckers do an unpleasant, dirty job that benefits the community. They are remembered on gift-giving holidays and their requests are followed if possible.

Perception

Purpose

They recycle waste into usable soil. Folk, animals, farms, and businesses all make waste. Unlike communities on the surface there is no rain to wash it away, no streams to carry it away. Instead the humble mucker carts it away and turns it into soil for planting beds.

Social Status

Recognized as an unpleasant and dirty job, the general public openly shows appreciation for someone willing to be a mucker. Children are taught that muckers are community heroes. Often in smaller communities, they have leadership roles thrust upon them. And even in cities, they are afforded a great deal of respect.

Demographics

Most muckers are men due to the physicality of the job. However, there is no stigma to being a female mucker.

History

According to their History, the first muckers were taught by the Chi-Rotae, a race of bat Folk that saved the Snow Shrews during the Boggin Conquest. Their secrets of turning waste into usable soil continued to be passed down even after they became extinct. By the time Mi-Suku was free again, every Snow Shrew community had a mucker. Most of the basic techniques used today, remain unchanged. Perhaps that is why the symbol of the mucker is a bat holding a shovel. Also of note in their 3,000 year history, muckers have always served voluntarily with enough workers to meet their Folk's needs.

Operations

Tools

Snow Shrew tunnels don't allow for much use of animals. So most of the mucker's work is manual labor. They use pitchforks, shovels, and large hand pumps to load raw waste into handcarts and wheelbarrows. These are pushed to a central composting station. There, solid waste is again moved using pitchforks and shovels to compost piles. Whereas liquid waste is pumped into gravity-fed filtering machines. In cities if there is space, compost piles are turned using giant cavies. Otherwise, this job again is done with pitchforks and shovels.

Provided Services

Muckers collect waste. In the morning, muckers go on their rounds cleaning out the refuse of a percentage of toilets in their community. The ideal is for each to be cleaned out at least twice a week. They also collect kitchen scraps and other trash left for them. In rural communities, they then continue to farms collecting any refuse. This often means helping muck out animal pens. In cities, their rounds take them to all the business, industry, and shipping concerns. Solid waste is composted. Liquid waste is filtered and cleaned. When the composting process is finished, they distribute the soil among the farms they serve. Most soil created in urban areas is sent to farms in need as overseen by the government.

Type

Sanitation

Demand

While some muckers do serve two communities, their services are required by everyone.