SUMMARY
Anay is the home of Malaya. The Anayans are efficient and resourceful. Though the Anay Colony use to be a center of trade and research for the Mainland, it has slowly drifted from its original purpose and has become its own self-sufficient society. Mainland ties have been cut with the colony as it redirected its resources to its other establishments. The Anayans have a strong sense of dedication and loyalty to the colony, but in doing so, they have isolated themselves from the rest of the world.
HISTORY
As one of the earliest human colonies established by The Mainland, originally was a center of Wild Research. The colonists learned how to live off of the land and effectively use nature's resources. Scouts researched the ecosystem around the establishment, and alerted the colony of useful areas or materials found on their expeditions. The information provided by the Scouts was an important factor in the development of Anay and why it was able to survive for so long. Once the colonists learned how to farm the land around Anay and extract minerals from the hillside, the colony became less dependent on Mainland imports. Anay is incredibly self-sufficient and has developed its own culture separate from the Mainland, so when contact with the Mainland mysteriously stopped, the colony was able to survive. However, research has slowed down to a halt, as interest in the Wilds deteriorated as Anayans focused on maintaining the colony. Though Anay still has a great collection of early Wild Research, it lacks new material. Anayans satisfied with their life in the colony, see no need to expand further and only focus on maintaining the society they have established.
GEOGRAPHY
The Anay Mound is similar in shape and structure to epigeal termite nests. Erosion continues to wear down the original landform the colony was built from, but Anayans have built their own structures to reinforce and repair parts of the mound. Inside the colony it remains cooler than the semi-arid climate outside. The inside of the Mound reaches deep underground where most of the colony's activities occur. The living areas are accessed through the upper part of the mound where doors and walkways line the walls; however, the houses themselves are above ground and follow the side of the Mound. Some parts of the houses are carved out of the soft rock, but there are also man-made structures that were built around them. The valley landscape around the colony makes it difficult to travel by foot, but it provides a good defense against the Wilds and farming is still possible in the flatter areas. Looking from the top of the mound, you can see the edges of the escarpment, the border of the Wilds.
CULTURE
Anayan colonists are generally friendly and personable. It is a neighborly community where everyone knows each other, their roles in the colony, and details of their personal lives. Everyone strives do to their share to help the colony. Overall, Anayans are efficient, organized, and resourceful. Since the beginning of the colony, they have been known to not waste resources that have been given to them or that they have collected. Though there is a currency derived from the Mainland, a majority of people use the barter and trade system in Anay. Anayans take what they need and share the rest. To not dedicate all hours of the day to benefit the Colony is seen as selfish and looked down upon. The only governing body is a council formed by the leaders of each department. They meet to discuss distribution of resources and workers. There is no established military.
Training and Jobs
General schooling is provided from ages 5-18. Even though the education is not specialized at this stage, general school provides a detailed and well rounded education on all departments. Once general schooling is finished, students will start training in the specific area they want to pursue. Though some require more training than others, people are usually done with training by the age of 20. The people are free to change positions depending on the needs of the colony. However, in cases of emergencies, the council is able to declare a forced reassignment depending on the needs of the Colony, which is why the general schooling is so important. Most jobs are colony based, such as doctors, teachers, engineers, farmer/ranchers, etc.; however, there are also jobs that deal more with The Wilds.
Scouts: Scouts explore, research, and find resources for the colony. They then lead teams of Gatherers to retrieve said resources when needed. All their research and notes can be found in the Anay Cellar Library.
Hunters: Hunters reside along the edges of the colony in order to protect farmers and the rest of the colony from monster attacks. Slain monsters are stripped of meat and other usable resources and delivered to the market.
Gatherers: Gatherers help collect resources from the wild and distribute it to the rest of the colony. Gatherers also oversee airship imports and exports.
Since the colonists have established many of their own resources within Anay and have little enthusiasm to expand, the need for Scouts have decreased in recent years. Many Scouts have changed to librarians to maintain the Scout records. Most of the food for the colony is provided by farmers and ranchers, and it can be bought or traded for in the marketplace. Though people are allowed to go hunt for their own food, they are discouraged from doing so due to the danger of the Wilds.
Lifestyle and Relationships
There are no leisure specific facilities in the colony, which is why not many outsiders come to visit the area. The people of Anay find joy in doing everything they can in order to benefit the colony. By dedicating their lives to the colony, they ensure the well-being of their families and neighbors. Despite their long working hours, they still make time for their families at the end of the day. If a family has extra resources, they share with their neighbors that might not have as much. The colony thrives on the interpersonal relationships between the people. Everyone is familiar with each other and know details of their lives. However, this leaves little room for secrets and suspicious behavior. With the Anay being so organized, irregularities are noticed quickly and reported throughout the colony, which are usually those who want to leave. Many consider those that choose to leave Anay as selfish and naive. Usually younger generations have this desire, but it is quickly smothered due to societal pressure.
People and the Wilds
There have been some that have attempted to venture past the Wilds, but monsters prevent them from going far. Anayans use to live with nature and be familiar with the life around it, but over time, as the colony became more self-sufficient, the reliance on nature beyond its borders receded as well as people's knowledge about it. Even though all the research discovered by Scouts are available to the public through the library, the general public isn't as interested in learning about the outside world. This not only applies to the Wilds, but also to the other human colonies and even the Mainland. Only a few elders are still alive that remember life at the mainland. Despite being a center of knowledge and learning in the past, the Anayans have slowly become ignorant and closed-minded, knowing only about life in the colony.
APPEARANCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Anayans dress in clothes that are easy to move in that are usually form fitting to avoid any loose fabrics from getting in the way. People that work with education or medicine wear looser fabrics and carry around less equipment. When outside, they usually sport an extra cover to protect themselves from the sun's heat.
Though rustic and outdated compared to other established human colonies, Anay still has many advanced technologies. The most common form of personal transportation both inside and outside of the mound are hover boards, which can collapse into a portable form when not in use. However, there are other forms of levitation transportation in order to make deliveries or to move large objects throughout the colony. Normal hover boards aren't made for long distance transportation and are only used within the community. Hunters, Scouts, and Gatherers have their own specialized boards that they get after training. Anti-gravity pods are used for emergency landings.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Anay Mound
The Mound is the main part of the colony. Civilian homes line the side of the mound above ground, but the homes also have a connection to the interior mound where most colony activity happens.
The Cellar Library
The Cellar Library hold records of Anay history, Scout research, and textual materials to help with trainings.
The Nest
The Nest is the city center and market place of Anay. It is located at the base of the mound. Trading and selling is active all throughout the day.
Chimney Drop
The Drop is the tallest point of the mound. This is where resources from outside of the Mound art brought for redistribution. Human colonies can only be reached through airship transportation because they are so far apart, but many years have passed since any Anayan had left the colony, even for trade.
NOTABLE ANAYANS
Malaya
The Swarm
Notes, Reference, and Inspiration
- Kandovan, Osku, Iran
- Uchisar and Ortahisar, Cappadocia, Turkey
- Derinkuyu Underground City
- Guyana Cliff
- Maijishan Grottoes
- Mesa Verde
- Bandiagara Escapment
- Loess Plateau, Yaodongs
- Palangan, Iran
- We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
- Community run by logic and order
- separation from untamed nature
- specific jobs and roles, transparency is created through the interpersonal relationships between the people rather than literal glass walls
