Post by Kai on Feb 16, 2010 16:09:22 GMT -5
Non-Tower City Settlements
Not all of Earth’s human population exists within the eight tower cities. Known, collectively, to the tower city citizens as ‘the Unprotected’, the majority of these ‘non-tower city settlements’ exist as scattered establishments primarily concentrated on Earth’s northern continent. The central island (where Central City is located), the northwestern ‘sister’ island to Kestral’s island location, the plains area on the southern continent around Telemnos, and the southern continent’s northeastern peninsula also host, or have been host, to non-tower city settlements. Additionally, there are rumors of at least one settlement on the deep southwestern island of False Paradise (known to have a climate almost identical to that of Sumeral) but the concentration of dangerous creatures (as visible by boat or by air surveillance) is an often-used dismissal to such rumors. The rumors of a False Paradise settlement (or settlements) are representative of the transient nature of the majority of the non-tower city settlements. Small populations, scarce resources, substandard technology (defensively and in terms of resource collection,) the difficulties of monsters, inclement weather and natural disasters all combine to make ‘life on the outside’ dangerous. (Naturally, enthusiasts/citizens may counter with the excitement vs. mundane tower city argument in their own defense.) The eight tower cities are well-established, but the nature of the non-tower cities would, in times past, make it difficult to keep proper maps. It is said that non-tower city settlements rise and fall like the tides; whether it is due to their destruction by adverse circumstances or that the settlement chooses to pick up and move to a different location. Only a handful of settlements have existed in the same location for more than 30 years. Of those, Eldridge (southeast of Asherah/northeast of Mirror City), Aesop (near the forest of the same name southwest of Telemnos), Visho (on Kestral’s sister island), Midway (west of Champagne), and Omicron (on the peninsula south of Champagne) have persisted long enough to have a history and be commonly classified as ‘dug in’ status – meaning that tower city officials and citizens begrudgingly admit that they ‘might actually amount to something.’
Unlike the tower cities, which follow the same general schematic, non-tower city settlements are quite diverse. The ‘established’ settlements (i.e. those mentioned above) operate as either small community villages or like corporations – depending on what their primary purpose is. The settlements that exist with the purpose of ‘succeeding outside of the tower cities’ tend to be more community oriented, as the whole of their existence revolves around cooperation, family planning and increasing their own population and resource reserves. Eldridge is a prime example of a ‘community’ style settlement. On the other hand, the ‘corporation’ oriented cities tend to follow a ‘scorched’ or ‘stripped earth’ policy. These settlements focus on retrieval of useful resources, with no sense of renewal and no ‘community camaraderie’ for their ‘citizens.’ In fact, population turn-over in the ‘corporate’ style cities is exceptional, as ‘failed’ individuals – or those who have made enemies of their fellow citizens – are expelled and ‘fresh blood’ new recruits are lured away from tower cities on (usually false) promises of adventure and ‘making it big’ economically with one grand discovery. Of these, Omicron is the most famous example.
The younger settlements can range from ‘seasonal’ settlement ‘nomad-like’ groups that operate under ‘tribal’ (as called by tower citizens) organization, small scale excavation efforts (which follow the ‘corporation’ model, but are typically the first to be wiped out due to risk-versus-reward behavior), to more ‘community’ based settlements. Those that are most visible are the ‘community’ ones, which tend to publicize their need for help in swelling their populations for survival purposes. Unlike ‘corporate-style’ recruitment, the ‘community’ cities, which are looked at as trying to play the ‘sympathy’ card, are usually not successful in their recruitment attempts and tend to be ridiculed or ostracized on the message boards upon which they post or in the media outlets where they try to purchase advertisements. Promises of settling outside of the tower cities for the sake of being outside the tower cities is not seen as something worthwhile to the majority of tower city citizens, whereas the lure of credits and fame, despite (or perhaps in addition to) the danger of the ‘corporate’ style settlements makes for lop-sided recruitment numbers. Only the loss of function (due to injuries) or life balances the overall population numbers.
Regardless of ‘established’ or not, ‘living off of the land’ is the rule of survival for non-tower city settlements. Economically, the settlements exist first and foremost as a ‘network’ of entities that are not directly related to the tower cities. Resources of one are exchanged for resources of another in a trade-and-barter system that involves raw goods more often than it does credits. The settlement-to-settlement trades are used to supplement the survival of each settlement, and when credits are earned by a settlement, they tend to be hoarded for the next ‘trip to the city’, where purchases, usually for technological upgrades, are made for the settlement as a whole. The rare influx of credits from a tower city – whether from governmental or corporate purchases – is viewed as the pinnacle of success for a non-tower city settlement. These exuberant rarities occur almost exclusively through a non-tower city settlement’s discovery of old technology or information from the various ruins scattered across (or, more correctly, beneath) the Earth. Unfortunately, as the collective population’s attention has moved towards space, these ‘paydays’ have become even more rare… and when they do happen, the credits earned ‘just aren’t what they used to be.’ As such, ‘impulse buy’ shops, located near long-distance teleportation hubs, have become increasingly common to help support non-tower city settlement’s credit income.
Not all of Earth’s human population exists within the eight tower cities. Known, collectively, to the tower city citizens as ‘the Unprotected’, the majority of these ‘non-tower city settlements’ exist as scattered establishments primarily concentrated on Earth’s northern continent. The central island (where Central City is located), the northwestern ‘sister’ island to Kestral’s island location, the plains area on the southern continent around Telemnos, and the southern continent’s northeastern peninsula also host, or have been host, to non-tower city settlements. Additionally, there are rumors of at least one settlement on the deep southwestern island of False Paradise (known to have a climate almost identical to that of Sumeral) but the concentration of dangerous creatures (as visible by boat or by air surveillance) is an often-used dismissal to such rumors. The rumors of a False Paradise settlement (or settlements) are representative of the transient nature of the majority of the non-tower city settlements. Small populations, scarce resources, substandard technology (defensively and in terms of resource collection,) the difficulties of monsters, inclement weather and natural disasters all combine to make ‘life on the outside’ dangerous. (Naturally, enthusiasts/citizens may counter with the excitement vs. mundane tower city argument in their own defense.) The eight tower cities are well-established, but the nature of the non-tower cities would, in times past, make it difficult to keep proper maps. It is said that non-tower city settlements rise and fall like the tides; whether it is due to their destruction by adverse circumstances or that the settlement chooses to pick up and move to a different location. Only a handful of settlements have existed in the same location for more than 30 years. Of those, Eldridge (southeast of Asherah/northeast of Mirror City), Aesop (near the forest of the same name southwest of Telemnos), Visho (on Kestral’s sister island), Midway (west of Champagne), and Omicron (on the peninsula south of Champagne) have persisted long enough to have a history and be commonly classified as ‘dug in’ status – meaning that tower city officials and citizens begrudgingly admit that they ‘might actually amount to something.’
Unlike the tower cities, which follow the same general schematic, non-tower city settlements are quite diverse. The ‘established’ settlements (i.e. those mentioned above) operate as either small community villages or like corporations – depending on what their primary purpose is. The settlements that exist with the purpose of ‘succeeding outside of the tower cities’ tend to be more community oriented, as the whole of their existence revolves around cooperation, family planning and increasing their own population and resource reserves. Eldridge is a prime example of a ‘community’ style settlement. On the other hand, the ‘corporation’ oriented cities tend to follow a ‘scorched’ or ‘stripped earth’ policy. These settlements focus on retrieval of useful resources, with no sense of renewal and no ‘community camaraderie’ for their ‘citizens.’ In fact, population turn-over in the ‘corporate’ style cities is exceptional, as ‘failed’ individuals – or those who have made enemies of their fellow citizens – are expelled and ‘fresh blood’ new recruits are lured away from tower cities on (usually false) promises of adventure and ‘making it big’ economically with one grand discovery. Of these, Omicron is the most famous example.
The younger settlements can range from ‘seasonal’ settlement ‘nomad-like’ groups that operate under ‘tribal’ (as called by tower citizens) organization, small scale excavation efforts (which follow the ‘corporation’ model, but are typically the first to be wiped out due to risk-versus-reward behavior), to more ‘community’ based settlements. Those that are most visible are the ‘community’ ones, which tend to publicize their need for help in swelling their populations for survival purposes. Unlike ‘corporate-style’ recruitment, the ‘community’ cities, which are looked at as trying to play the ‘sympathy’ card, are usually not successful in their recruitment attempts and tend to be ridiculed or ostracized on the message boards upon which they post or in the media outlets where they try to purchase advertisements. Promises of settling outside of the tower cities for the sake of being outside the tower cities is not seen as something worthwhile to the majority of tower city citizens, whereas the lure of credits and fame, despite (or perhaps in addition to) the danger of the ‘corporate’ style settlements makes for lop-sided recruitment numbers. Only the loss of function (due to injuries) or life balances the overall population numbers.
Regardless of ‘established’ or not, ‘living off of the land’ is the rule of survival for non-tower city settlements. Economically, the settlements exist first and foremost as a ‘network’ of entities that are not directly related to the tower cities. Resources of one are exchanged for resources of another in a trade-and-barter system that involves raw goods more often than it does credits. The settlement-to-settlement trades are used to supplement the survival of each settlement, and when credits are earned by a settlement, they tend to be hoarded for the next ‘trip to the city’, where purchases, usually for technological upgrades, are made for the settlement as a whole. The rare influx of credits from a tower city – whether from governmental or corporate purchases – is viewed as the pinnacle of success for a non-tower city settlement. These exuberant rarities occur almost exclusively through a non-tower city settlement’s discovery of old technology or information from the various ruins scattered across (or, more correctly, beneath) the Earth. Unfortunately, as the collective population’s attention has moved towards space, these ‘paydays’ have become even more rare… and when they do happen, the credits earned ‘just aren’t what they used to be.’ As such, ‘impulse buy’ shops, located near long-distance teleportation hubs, have become increasingly common to help support non-tower city settlement’s credit income.