The Great inconsistency hunt is on!

[Sangwa]

Tradition and magic don't explain interbreeding, unless each time two members of different species interbreed some wizard goes around casting spells that mutate chromosomes  or people have the tradition of genetically modifying themselves. It's just plain silly.

Also, people can distinguish infections from other types of discomfort since the Dark Ages. Infections usually involve the activity of bacteria, viruses or other microscopic organisms and are often related to mucus, rashes, rubor, etc. If the researcher would study the problems with Nolthrir ears and not notice any of the previous symptoms, I doubt he or she would call it an infection, since that would be far-fetched.
It could be that Nolthrir got this infection from swimming too fast because they become more vulnerable to an organism that gets to them. I'm not sure if we should consider them to be able to get several infections in the ear in one single week, since I don't know if it's too common for animals to have infections in the same place over and over again without accumulating serious injury.

EDIT: Corrected some text.

[Under the moon]

These might help.

http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=28285.msg378185#msg378185 - race crossingbreeding. This is canon.

http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=28285.msg380676#msg380676 - Nolthrir hearing and ear infections. My opinion (which may become canon) based on scientific fact. Many aquatic Earth creatures close off their ears while submerged. Rapid speed could cause the ears to open slightly and leak in water. Result: infections.

Given that the Nolthrir did not have gills or webbed feet (and likely not even green skin) before they came to Yliakum, specialized ears that close off underwater are not a long stretch.

[Shaman]

Just relating to this, but what about enkidukai packs interbreeding? Say a clamod and a kore interbreed, would the child then result in having black fur with white hues in it, or would it just be the same "one or the other" concept?

[Under the moon]

The Kore Pack was created as a mix of Rabani and Akkaio, so it is possible. However, there is a very strong reluctance against breeding between Packs for this very reason. Their colors are seen as a tremendously large part of their identity, and very few if any Enkidukai are willing to bring an Enki child into the world without this identity. It also may help that each Pack instinctively finds its own colors a great deal more attractive than the other Packs.

As far as Settings is concerned, it 'never' happens. I know there are those of you that will "want to be different" and think to 'choose' to be one of these crosses, but know that it would be completely against everything the Enkidukai believe in, it would never be supported by Art, and also blatantly ignoring Content created by the hardworking folks in Settings. You would not want us to feel that our hard work is going for nothing, would you? 

[Shaman]

Hm, I never knew that about the Kore. Nonetheless though, not all Enkidukai would be born in Ojaveda or another Enkidukai town, would they? Perhaps they were born somewhere that Enkidukai traditions weren't necessarily taught to them?

[Under the moon]

There is no such place.

[Shaman]

Really? So a dermorian village teaches their children enkidukai customs?

[Dihenis]

I'm sure their enkidukai parent would teach them. the parent dying or leaving shouldn't be too normal either

[Under the moon]

* Under the moon chuckles.

The world is not so large as that. Besides, what Enkidukai child does not have at least one Enkidukai parent?

*edit* Beaten to the punch.

[Shaman]

I could come up with a great character concept to counter that, but no matter. Makes enough sense I suppose.

[Sangwa]

Why? The genes of the non-dominant parent's race are converted into the equivalent genes of the the other parent's race upon conception.

How? Magic and possible divine intervention. It is a fantasy game. Leave a little mystery in things.

"Leave a little mystery in things" is a cute way of asking us not to think about it because it's just a system made to help players be fine and dandy about having their characters interbreed with any other one.
I'm left to ponder if the Azure Crystal, or other Crystals or Glyphs, casts a spell every time a race breeds with another, to mutate their chromosomes. And does this happen with other animals? It should.

My only problem is that by interbreeding with each other freely, by living in harmony and by having a system that does not establish different stats for different races, we don't have more than 1 race, we simply have more than 1 model and different cultures you can pick for your character, despite of his race (Because a dermorian might have lived his whole life in an enkidukai village.)

[Shaman]

Do the people of Yliakum understand the concepts of imperialism, and kings and queens? Just a thought that came to mind. The Dark Empire, the Fallen Kingdom, The House of Purrty, "Xillix Queen of Fools"...they all have reference to these things, yet it seems like the people of Yliakum would only know one government - the Octarchy. So where are these concepts of kings and queens and such coming from?

[Caarrie]

the name xillix uses on the forum has to do with an event he tried to do ingame that made him look a tad foolish hence the name "xillix queen of fools"

[LigH]

Many races in Yliakum lived outside before and entered via portals. Who knows which race had which kind of society before they arrived? ...

[Parallo]

Where did it the idea for imperialism come from originally? The head of course. The same place the Octarchy came from and modern democracy. If we were to have to create new names for every concept then we would have to not speak English in game. Sure they're in a stalactite but it was the Greeks that named them stalaktós which gave rise to how we say it and they aren't in Yliakum yet we still use the word and concept they invented with the same name they used. Therefore if one invents the same concept with their mind in game, which is obviously possible, it only makes sense to call it by the same name so as to not confuse, unless confusion is your intention.