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[sharkberrypizza]

The World of Anamalia
↳ Is Anamalia a planet? Is there a universe? What else is out there?
↳ What are all the large cities of Anamalia? What are they like?
↳ What is travel like/mode of transportation? Between cities?
↳ Are there towns outside the main cities? What are they like?
↳ What about technology? Do citizens have things like smart phones? The internet?
↳ Who owns the apartments (apartments/journals) lore-wise?
↳ Are there multiple languages, or accents from different regions?
↳ What are the governments like?
↳ What about holidays? Are there different ones for different regions?
↳ Do humans exist?
↳ What is the weather like? Are there seasons?
↳ What do the regions think of each other? Are there wars?


Citizens
↳ Do citizens have pets?
↳ How are there cow citizens, and cow animals?
↳ What are their diets like? Does it vary by region or race?
↳ Wait, meat fruit?
↳ Can my citizen be from somewhere other than Big City?
↳ Do citizens age? What are their lifespans?
↳ What happens when they die? Are there regional traditions?
↳ Are there ghosts?
↳ Isn't wearing just a shirt inappropriate?
↳ So going totally naked ...
↳ Do they choose their own names?
↳ Can my citizen be a criminal/police/etc?
↳ Do glowy/glittery/etc citizens actually glow/glitter/etc?
↳ How do mouthless citizens eat? Are eyeless citizens blind?
↳ Can aquatic citizens visit or live outside the water?
↳ What are interpersonal relationships like?


Wishing
↳ What is wishing?
↳ How are citizens born?
↳ Why is it called wishing?
↳ Are there families?
↳ Is there any kind of special bond between wishlings?


Big City Life
↳ What kinds of businesses are we allowed to run?
↳ Does Big City handle citizen disability well?

 

[sharkberrypizza]

What is travel like/mode of transportation? Between cities?

Much like you'd expect in our world; all major cities also have airplanes and railway depots!

Between cities and towns there are vast stretches of “nowhere” and “nothing” but the travelers, their cars (or perhaps buses), and the roads. Yes, there are roads between most settlements on land, and just like Earth they may be in ill repair - especially in some of the more tropical areas simply due to natural wear and tear from the environment.

For in-city traffic, it depends on the location.

For example, Big City has a wide array of public transportation, including trams and a subway system, and most of the city proper also has sidewalks and bike lanes - though there are certainly roads for individual cars to use as well. Other towns and cities more or less always have paved roads, but their level of public transportation varies.

 

[sharkberrypizza]

Are there towns outside the main cities? What are they like?

Yes, there are!

These towns tend to be sleepier establishments, usually initially created for some purpose and the residents just decided they liked it there permanently. They typically have somewhat lower levels of technology; have you ever been through a town that looks like it's been stuck in the 70s? Many smaller settlements are just like that, though most of its citizens enjoy it all the same.

It is worth noting, however, that only the major cities have Wells. The entire population of smaller towns are made up of citizens that have left cities and opted to live elsewhere, whether from a desire for work or a change of scenery.

 

[sharkberrypizza]

Can my citizen be from somewhere other than Big City?

Absolutely!

Just keep in mind that citizens have the concept of a birthplace and a hometown, much like we do, and since there are no Wells in smaller towns, all citizens are created in a major city and later migrate to those places.

For example, a goat born in Flat Place might move to the township of Iannastei in Ancient Valley, and if you asked him where he's from, he'd probably say Iannastei - since he considers that his hometown - but if you asked where he was born, he'd tell you Flat Place!

 

[sharkberrypizza]

How are citizens born?

Citizens are born through the magic of the Wells.

In most towns, this means that citizens will simply pop into being from time to time; they appear in a flash of light - where nothing stood a minute ago, now there's a fresh cat or dog ready to tackle the world! Most Wells have a tendency to create a certain set of races; they aren't locked into it, but it's far more likely.

What a citizen knows upon creation can vary wildly.

Some of them are born knowing absolutely nothing - not even how to talk, though this is very rare. The vast majority of them at the very least know basic language skills and their own name. Beyond that, it's a total grab bag; some may be extensively educated in a single subject, while others may have a smattering of knowledge of some basic education.

The Well in Big City is unique in that it allows the birth of new citizens from wishes desired by others.

This process is called, simply, wishing; a wisher is someone who desires life to be created by the Big Well - whether a new friend, family, or even employee or nemesis! - and a wishling is the result of these desires. Otherwise, the process is still the same; a flash of light, and then suddenly one or more new citizens pop into being!

 

[sharkberrypizza]

Is Anamalia a planet? Is there a universe?

"Animalia" typically refers to the megacontinent that all known wells reside on, though the planet itself doesn't have a name.

Citizens simply refer to it as "the world," if anything. Despite their level of technology, there hasn't been a great effort to try and explore outside of their borders as of yet, as they've always had plenty of room and resources in Animalia itself. However, it's generally agreed on there might be something out there - particularly when even digging under their borders yielded discovery of Under There and Heck!

As far as the stars, who knows?

The galaxy visible in the night sky is typically called Far Far Away; while there are astronomers studying the inky ocean above, citizens don't yet have any capacity to explore it.

 

[sharkberrypizza]

What are all the large cities of Anamalia? What are they like?

All of the large cities are detailed on the front page of the main thread!

Please feel free to ask individual questions about cities or regions if you'd like.

 

[sharkberrypizza]

What about technology?

Anything you can think of from the modern day human world, citizens probably have it.

Smaller towns typically have less connectivity and general advancements than the major hubs, but all large cities have high quality internet access and copious amounts of wireless data connectivity. Smart phones, PCs, televisions, gaming systems - all the comforts of the human world are familiar to citizens as well.

It’s also important to note that their energy sources tend to be green.

The larger cities have devoted themselves to using more solar, wind, and water based solutions - so, in turn, issues like fracking or ecological destruction from deep, offshore drilling simply don’t exist. They do, however, have mining and oil industries - but they are much less intrusive, as the goal isn't energy but usually resources for making products.

 

[sharkberrypizza]

Who owns the apartments (apartments/journals) lore-wise?

Whoever owns them!

It's up to the player if these are their own citizens or if they'd prefer an NPC to run their apartment. General lore-wise, housing establishments are owned by their investors, though some cities maintain public housing options as well for less fortunate citizens.

 

[sharkberrypizza]

Are there multiple languages? Accents?

All citizens speak the same language.

For the purposes of the shop, this is just English, as it's the language the shop is run in, but lorewise it likely wouldn't even have a name. There are codes, ciphers, and created languages, as the concept of "what if someone spoke differently?" isn't hard to imagine, but for entire regions, overall, they all speak the same.

However, individual regions certainly do have accents and dialects that vary slightly from the base!

Since these regions are all distinct and have existed for some time, there's been plenty of room for drift and evolution, even if it hasn't turned into an entirely separate language. Think about the difference in English between humans from London and New York, or New York and Salt Lake City; they are all technically English, and the formal, written language among them would all be understandable, but on a colloquial level the sounds and slang would vary wildly!

 

[sharkberrypizza]

What are the governments like?

Each region has their own government, though unlike the human world, they are far less interested in things that we would consider hot button political issues. There is no worry about foreign policy; every citizen is a citizen of Animalia, and there is no real argument on that point. What they focus on instead is the civic infrastructure of their region - allocating funding for things like healthcare, housing, law enforcement, as well as deciding local policies for various business and industry standards. Governments do not maintain any sort of military presence, as they have no use for them; however, priorities do differ by the needs of each region. Ancient Valley is far less likely to need as much road upkeep as somewhere like Swampy Bog, for instance!

Government officials are chosen through a direct democratic progress; while some groups may band together for common goals, the idea of a political party isn’t exactly well known in Animalia. Rather, individuals run on their own merits and ideas, and while they may receive funding from interest groups, there is no hard identification for someone’s affiliation. Candidates for various offices are required to reveal all of their funding sources publicly, and votes are counted and applied at an individual level. In this way, no one citizen’s vote is diminished by some form of conglomerate voting, and likewise the idea of “us versus them” and “for the party” doesn’t cloud judgment of how suited an individual is for a position.

Though there is no overseeing governing body that commands each of these regional governments, there is a unified council of scientists from each region that collaborate and advise areas as a whole based on their current knowledge. This involves ideas such as pollution and renewability, and while they have no power to force any government to listen to their advice, historically this council is very well respected and their word is, at the very least, taken quite seriously by the regional directors.

 

[sharkberrypizza]

Do humans exist?

They do not, and they never will!

Only the races detailed in the race thread currently exist in the world.

 

[sharkberrypizza]

What about holidays?

In an out-of-lore capacity, many holidays from the shop are based on real-world holidays.

The reason for this is simple; people tend to get excited about holidays, and it’s fun to participate in a holiday in a game or setting that you’re playing in that relates to something familiar and recent! However, any religious connotations and contexts are removed from our holidays, and they’ll be redesigned to fit the world itself.

Within lore, of course there are holidays!

Many regions have their own smaller, local celebrations and festivals - in some places you can hardly go a month without at least one or two celebrations. As a whole, though, there are definitely some holidays that the whole continent celebrates together, even if they might have their own regional twists on things.

Doll Festival

Though this takes place in Big City, the Doll Festival marks the beginning of the year celebration, and many regions still sell or make smaller trinket versions of the big dolls that end up made each year. This festival began as a result as a rather odd happening; Big City’s Big Well seems to have a fit at the beginning of every year, wherein it likes to make things other than citizens living beings! Over time, citizens began to realize they could, mostly, channel the Well’s, uh, efforts into something more productive, so there is a month long festival geared towards the creation and offering of doll bodies for the Well to animate. Once created, these dolls go on to be considered citizens themselves, even if they’re a little strange from time to time.

Heartswell Carnival

A celebration of all things love takes place immediately following the doll festival; historians and ancient citizens alike agree that it cropped up as a result of all the new life in January reminding people of how much they cared for their existing friends and family. In recent years, much of the marketing has shifted towards romantic interludes - just because it sells well! - but in truth this February holiday celebrates all sorts of love, romantic, familial, and platonic alike! Of amusing note is a trend in Big City within the past few years where younger citizens have eschewed the meaning behind this holiday, instead turning it into a celebration of the self; traditionalists argue this is just an expression of self love, which certainly doesn’t earn them any points with the young rebels.

Emergence Day

Despite the serious name, this holiday is simply a celebration of the “emergence” of the world from winter into spring! While some preliminary festivities happen the week before, the main day of this holiday usually takes place at the beginning of April. Observances include a spring produce feast and, usually, a hunt for either hard-boiled or candy eggs. Most agree this is a silly game to celebrate the fact that poultry - and more recently, egg-plants - are once again producing food after a long winter.

Sun-Sing Jubilee

A major holiday taking place in June, this celebration salutes the entry into summer and is generally considered simply as an event for citizens to kick back and appreciate life and each other. Lighting bonfires and having cookouts is a major part of this holiday, as well as singing, playing music, and dancing together. The roots of this holiday date back to a more widespread observance of thanks given to the idea of personified Wells, but in recent times it is often little more than an excuse to take time off and party - and there’s nothing wrong with that!

Longshadow

As the weather turns cooler and autumn gets into full swing, the spirit of Longshadow can be felt in the air, so named as citizens can note their shadows growing long in the shortening days. This is actually a handful of celebrations rolled into one, simply because of their closeness and the fondness most citizens feel for both of them. The beginning of Longshadow is marked by a feast day, called Longshadow’s Eve, where the incoming harvest and plenty is celebrated along with thanks for one’s friends and family. This high note grows darker as the month progresses, with the impending creep of the winter season inspiring spooky imagery and fun. Citizens didn’t always have their bright street lights and accurate GPS to help guide them home, after all, and that fear of a distant, untamed past has given rise to a celebration of all things unknown and creepy. Haunted houses and eerie parties are a mainstay through most of the month of October, ending in the second day of the two part holiday - Longshadow Night. Citizens go out during this night dressed as all manner of ghouls and ghosts, intent on scaring each other and “stealing” their goods - usually candy and treats given out to “appease the vicious spirits”!

Festivus

The final celebration of the year culminates at the end of December, where people come together in the cold winter months to reminisce about the year and look forward to the next. Though the actual day of the holiday is the very last day of the year, December 31st, typically celebrations can last up to a week before hand, with decorations and miniature festivals taking place throughout the whole month! The final week is a holiday of giving, with businesses organizing large distribution of luxuries to those less fortunate and individuals often doing the same. The last day, citizens celebrate the passing of one year into another by indulging in a huge meal then giving heartfelt gifts to those closest to them. Many try to stay up til midnight as well, where the party continues well into the night and the next morning!

 

[sharkberrypizza]

What do the regions think of each other? Are there wars?

Generally, regions view each other favorably ...

... though they may find the decisions or habits of other regions strange, as anyone from another area might! Fortunately, all citizens view themselves as citizens of Animalia, and the biomes of the continent are reasonably sized and spaced such that no governing body in known history has had any desire for major conflict. Thus, there are no wars, and there are likewise no real feelings of animosity or degradation between regions; individuals can travel freely between regions as they wish. Big City itself is a major melting pot for the various regions, and one can often see cultural habits clearly on display on any of its many streets!

 

[sharkberrypizza]

What is the weather like? Are there seasons?

There are seasons, though each region may feel them differently.

The various areas tend to have their own unique biomes and reactions therein to varying weather patterns; Swampy Bog, for instance, is a tropical swamp, and tends to stay warmer than, say, Big City or Flat Place during the winter. Rainy Plateau barely feels winter at all, becoming simply “tolerable” by most standards, but their summers are intense, hot, and humid. What is notable as different weather may vary by region as well; someone in Big City might think little of a light summer shower, whereas it would be a marvel in Sandy Ridge.

If you’re interested in a more in-depth look at what each’s typical weather patterns might be, have a look at their associated biomes! Big City is a grassland, Flat Place is a savanna, Innawoods is a temperate forest, Sandy Ridge is a desert, and Rainy Plateau is a tropical rainforest. Frosty Falls is made of both tundra and taiga, Swampy Bog is a tropical forest with heavy amounts of swamp and marshland, and Ancient Valley is best described as an “ancient” temperate forest, with most of its flora unique to its borders. Tall Mountain is a bit of an oddball, as its weather depends on the neighboring regions, though the elevation of its settlements affect the weather accordingly. Dankville, Under There, and Heck all lack direct access to the sky and atmosphere, so don’t have weather patterns, though they are affected by seismic events such as earthquakes and cave ins. Finally, Cloudy Cover tends to float above all that silly weather nonsense, and no one has any idea what it’s like Far Far Away!

 

[sharkberrypizza]

Do citizens have pets?

Of course!

Citizens keep a wide variety of pets, though most regions and local governing bodies tend to put a limit on what individuals are allowed to keep. They don’t want citizens keeping cows in their living rooms, right? However, small, easily kept and domesticated pets are wildly popular, and most citizens will have at least one or two in their lives!

 

[sharkberrypizza]

How are there cow citizens, and cow animals?

Much like in our world, humans exist alongside other primates like monkeys and apes, citizens exist alongside animals similar to themselves.

Most citizens don’t even consider these creatures related to themselves, even if they bear a superficial resemblance, and with good reason; unlike citizens, the animals of the world seem to have arisen through less Well-oriented origins! Animals and plants reproduce autonomously, and they also seem to have much less variety in their physical forms. While domestic species are often bred to have a wide array of colors and markings, their actual body structure - such as number of eyes, location of mouth, and the like, as well as their texture, physical resilience, or other such inborn traits - is much less mutable than a citizen’s. Due to this, citizens are a totally different category of being by their own summation, and any resemblance to extant animals is, at worst, some Well’s idea of a joke!

 

[sharkberrypizza]

What are their diets like? Does it vary by region or race?

All citizens have the capacity to be omnivorous if they so choose!

While some races may have dentation better suited to one sort of diet or another - most cats have quite sharp teeth, after all, and horses quite dull - they are entirely able to digest both meat and plant matter. Historically, citizens would raise animals for meat, but since contact with Under There and the discovery of their more diverse (and unique) flora, the increasingly popular meat-fruit and egg-fruit plants have entered into the vast farms surrounding Big City and dotting other regions. There, citizens grow the wide array of crops needed to support their population. Fishing and undersea farms also supplement the intake of food, as there is unfortunately no plant-based alternative for any of these delicacies, though the morality of these food sources has come under heavy debate in recent days.

As far as what citizens eat, just about anything you can imagine!

Regions all have their own local produce and culinary tracks, and Big City itself offers just about anything you could want. Restaurants and supplemental take-out delivery services are popular in such a busy place, and it’s hard to go a few blocks without seeing at least one street vendor offering mouth-watering treats to passers-by.

 

[sharkberrypizza]

Wait, meat fruit?

That’s right! Along with the … unusual citizenship discovered in the deep caverns of Under There, a whole new array of plants were discovered that changed the way citizens above ground look at their animal consumption.

Huge, gnarled trees grow without sun - though they aren’t harmed by it - sprouting off bulbous, fleshy pods. Roughly the size of a grapefruit, these meat fruit are covered in a pale, furless skin and contain solid lumps of muscle under a layer of fat. Harvesting these fruits does no more harm to the plant than harvesting an apple would, although many describe the meat orchards as slightly disturbing.

At the roots of these trees were found smaller plants, blossoming with sickly white leaves and growing all manner of colored, hard-shelled fruit - each containing a yolk and albumen as one might expect from a normal egg! These plants, unlike their sheltering trees, are much more sensitive to sunlight, though that hasn’t stopped production from creating large, underground “white houses” to grow these tasty morsels.

Finally, a strange breed of mushroom grows Under There, though so far no efforts have been successful to cultivate it above ground, giving them a very special export indeed; these fungi have the texture and taste of various organ meats, with kidney and liver ‘shrooms being the most popular offering!

 

[sharkberrypizza]

Do citizens age? What are their lifespans?

As of now, no records have been made of citizens aging or perishing from old age.

They are, effectively, age-immortal, though they are susceptible to disease, illness, and injury as much as any other organism is. The birth rate is much slower in Animalia than in the human world, since all new citizens are created by Wells, so this is so far not a problem.