▁of ▁car ving ▁elaborate ▁objects ▁out ▁of ▁wood ▁and ▁present ing ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁Earl ▁for ▁his ▁jud ging ▁of ▁the ▁winning ▁car ving . ▁They ▁are ▁in ▁a we ▁of ▁the ▁" Cast les ", ▁as ▁they ▁call ▁G orm eng h ast ' s ▁el ite ▁inhabitants . ▁ ▁Some ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁outside ▁world ▁is ▁imp lied ; ▁Dr . ▁Pr unes qu all or ▁at ▁one ▁point ▁sketch es ▁an ▁o str ich ▁ske leton , ▁while ▁Ste er pi ke ▁proc ures ▁a ▁mon key ▁from ▁somewhere . ▁Otherwise , ▁the ▁impression ▁given ▁is ▁that ▁G orm eng h ast ▁is ▁st agn ant , ▁ins ular , ▁and ▁intros pective . ▁A ▁rec urr ing ▁theme ▁is ▁the ▁time - consum ing , ▁complex ▁and ▁point less ▁rit uals ▁that ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁submit ▁to ▁regularly , ▁the ▁origin ▁and ▁purpose ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁long ▁forgotten . ▁G orm eng h ast ▁makes ▁a ▁stark ▁contrast ▁with ▁the ▁industri ous ▁and ▁techn olog ically ▁advanced ▁city ▁that ▁is ▁the ▁setting ▁of ▁Tit us ▁Al one . ▁ ▁Story ▁ ▁Tit us ▁Gro an ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁begins ▁with ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁the ▁e pon ym ous ▁Tit us , ▁as ▁the ▁he ir ▁to ▁the ▁throne ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Gro an , ▁and ▁finish es ▁just ▁over ▁a ▁year ▁later ▁with ▁his ▁" E ar ling " ▁or ▁formal ▁invest iture ▁as ▁the ▁sevent y - se vent h ▁Earl ▁of ▁Gro an , ▁after ▁the ▁un