Atavia

Atavia is an island in the Nysdra Sea off the east coast of Cusinaut that is a possession of Urcea. It is located east of New Harren and south of the Chenango Confederacy.

Prior to the Nysdran Collapse which connected the Nysdra Sea to the Ocean of Cathay, Atavia was a highland region which archaeologists believe was heavily settled by prehistoric Cronans due to its advantageous, defensible position, though little is known about these peoples. Human habitation continued on the island immediately following its becoming an island, but archaeologists believe these groups died off or departed for the mainland. Within the historical record, Atavia has been the home of many different types of peoples, most of whom being transient groups of fishermen who would settle on the island for the season and depart. Permanent settlement of the island began around 1300 AD, and it was largely self governing until its conquest by the Algosh in 1903. The island remained largely isolated until the late 20th century, when it began to modernize due to increased interaction with nearby New Harren.

The island was seized from Algoquona by Urcea in 2024 with restoration of local control and traditions being a top priority of the Government of Urcea following a century of Algosh rule. The island is home to a Royal Air Force base which will be the largest in the Nysdra Sea region.

Etymology
The word Atavia is thought to be a corruption of the neighboring Tonawandis term "o'dwadagwehde'he't", which means a flat object or an object made flat. Accordingly, the name for the island began as an, though due to the transient historical nature of the island's population no native name for the place is known, if any ever existed. "Atavia" developed from colonists of New Harren in the late 19th century trading and interacting with the Tonawandis people. The island, if it appeared on maps at all prior to 1850, was typically just referred to as "Nysdra" on most Occidental maps.

History
The majority of historians and archaeologists believe that Atavia was relatively heavily populated by humans in the era just prior to the Nysdran Collapse, though the extent of settlement and level of technological sophistication of these peoples has been a matter of scholarly debate. A growing number of scholars believe that the residents of the island, previously a highland, had achieved rudimentary developments in agriculture, though urbanization and specialization had yet to take place among these peoples. Evidence of extremely rudimentary agriculture-adjacent equipment, as well as depictions of what are likely agriculture in cave paintings give credence to this theory. The earliest peoples of Atavia constructed which became objects of spiritual fascination to later residents of the island. Atavia was soon depopulated after the Nysdran Collapse as the highland became an island, and most scholars believe that the climatological changes that produced the Collapse also disrupted local agriculture. These scholars believe that the early agricultural practice was delicate enough to be totally destroyed by small shifts in climate. Due to the Collapse, most of the previously freshwater fish of the inland Nysdra Sea died off, and no fish or wildlife were immediately available around Atavia until antiquity. Accordingly, the island was barren of human life for much of the period until 200 BC. As saltwater fish had become plentiful by the 3rd century BC and the peoples of Cusinaut had become skilled, generational fishermen, Atavia became an attractive place to base seasonal fishing expeditions out of. Beginning in around 150 BC, the island was host to large transient groups of fishermen and their families who would remain for the summer before departing back to Cusinaut for the remainder of the year. Oral histories and archaeological evidence suggest that some attempts at permanent settlement were made on the island, but many of these were in fact groupings of the sick and injured left behind by seasonal work forces. Many small, permanent villages were established on the island around 500 AD, but these largely existed alongside the seasonal fishing expeditions and are mostly believed to have had good relations for the expeditions or even having played a support role in some fashion. These villages, never more than 20-50 people, often experienced population growth by means of seasonal groups leaving those behind who were unable to travel, establishing the basis for an extremely diverse culture on the island. Many scholars believe even the residents of these villages even occasionally returned to the mainland for the villages to be settled by others. The first truly permanent settlements on the island are thought to have been established around 1300 AD. The Atani people, as they became known in the west, retained the diverse characteristics of the earlier settlers of the island, with the population being a heterogenous ethnic and linguistic mix of people from across Cusinaut and as far as Shenendehowa Bay and the Quetzen cities. The largest wave of settlers to the island came with the onset of the in the 17th century, as during winter the island could be reached on foot over the frozen straits during the winter. The "high period" of Atani culture existed from about 1700 to 1900 as the population of the island continued to grow, adapting diverse linguistic and cultural traditions from the various people who settled or were left behind on the island. The Atani developed advanced and intricate architectural and artistic achievements using whale bones, which became the preferred target of fishing expeditions due to nascent trade with the Occident. While many of these structures were simple, sturdy huts, some large and elaborate halls with whalebone archways were also constructed. During this time, the rapidly developing Atani culture developed a complex theology within M'acunism relating to the dolmens and other indicators of ancient settlement on the island. Small numbers of domesticated animals were also introduced to the island via trade during this period, transforming much of the hinterlands of the flat island into grazing land for newly emergent semi-nomadic tribes. The Atani culture of this time had no unified polity but rather a sometimes-competing, sometimes-collaborating network of ten to thirty different tribes and confederations of villages. Keuka began to emerge at the preeminent fishing village around 1750, with the Head Man of the Village being recognized as some sort of first among equals by other villages as of 1800. The island and its constituent units were not members of the Northern Confederation but largely functioned within its sphere. The island continued largely undisturbed through the 19th century, though interaction with the new colony of New Harren began the slow introduction of Occidental technologies to the island. Beginning in the 1890s, the "northern giant" of the Northern Confederation - the Algosh people - began to threaten Atavia, levying tribute using newfound naval assets. The island was continuously raided by the Algosh between 1895 and 1902, dramatically decreasing the wealth and ending the Atani high period. The Algosh landed a large force on the island in 1903 and formally took control of the island, incorporating it within their territory and the Northern Confederation. The villages, which now owed the Algosh an annual tribute of fish and other products, nonetheless continued in relative isolation until the Occidental Cold War when commercial interests in New Harren began to make contacts on the island. A failed Atani rebellion attempt, in part using Occcidental weapons, was launched in 1977. Severe reprisals followed with the Algosh establishing garrison towns on the island in order to solidify control. The autonomy of the villages was sharply reduced in favor of Algosh military control, leading to increased ethnic strife. The island became part of Algoquona after the end of the War of the Northern Confederation despite unrealized plans by the Royal Marine Corps to seize the island. Algosh influence over the island waned following the destruction of Algoquona's military apparatus in 2017's Operation Western Blizzard. Algoquona continued to exert nominal influence over the island through the Final War of the Deluge, when it stationed a garrison on the island. With the failure of the Tepetlcali Campaign, Atavia was a prime target for the Urcean military but plans were again shelved due to the Invasion of Cetsencalia. With Varshan's final defeat looming, the military turned its attention back to Algoquona and made landfall on the island in April 2024 with the local garrison surrendering upon the arrival of the Marine Corps. The island was subsequently annexed by Urcea as a military rectory. Construction of an air base for the Royal Air Force - RAF Atavia - began in the grassy interior while the Department of National and Institutional Development began statebuilding activities in June 2024. The formal rectory government was established in July 2024, creating a new local federalist system to govern the island by 2025. RAF Atavia began to take on an outsized importance on the island's economy in the 2030s, spurring the growth of a significant urbanized service economy.

Geography
Atavia is a roughly rectangular island, 39 miles tall by 26 miles wide, in the Sea of Nysdra off the eastern coast of Cusinaut. The island is predominantly flat and dominated by grasslands in its center, with the occasional forest dotting the landscape and especially near the coasts. Some scholars argue the presence of forests by the coast suggest that the forests were deliberately introduced by humans to improve the availability of wood to build canoes and boats, but this theory is hotly contested. Most of the major settlement sites are clustered on the coasts. The island's Cathedral City, Keuka, is located roughly halfway up the coastline in a major bay on the east coast of the island. Keuka, with a population of 25,000, is the largest settlement on the island by a large margin, and has been the most significant recipient of Occidental investment since the island came under Urcean control. Keuka Bay, the most important inlet on the island, serves as a fishing hub. Atavia is considered to have an. On average, it is warmer than mainland areas of Cusinaut directly to its west owing to the effects of Nysdra Sea currents. Atavia has wet winters and summers with mild temperatures throughout both seasons. Accordingly, Atavia features a wide array of flora and fauna acclimated to more mild temperatures. Atavia's flora and fauna is more similar to those in the southern areas of Cusinaut, such as those in the Rectory of New Harren, and in many cases the same species of plants and animals are present in both locations. It is generally assumed that these organisms had a wider range that encompassed both Atavia and southern Cusinaut prior to the Nysdran Collapse flooding.

Politics and government
Atavia is a military rectory of Urcea, and accordingly it is a governed by a Military Rector. The Military Rector is usually the Urcean military theater commander in an area, but in the case of Atavia, a Royal Air Force commander - presently Dep. Air Nav. Caolan Hinchey - was instead chosen due to the importance of the air base to Urcean defensive planning and its future importance to the island. The military rectory was established on 4 July 2024. After the establishment of the military rectory, the island was divided into twenty departments and the Royal Air Force Exclusion Zone, which hosts the RAF Atavia airbase. The departments were established in January 2025 following a thorough survey of the island, considering traditional alliances between towns, historical political apparatuses dating back to before the Algosh conquest, and various kinship groups. The Military Rector governed the island more or less directly until 2026, when the Departmental Assembly was created as a consultative body. The Assembly consists of two delegates from each department, with the exception of Keuka, which has six. Beginning in 2028, the Departmental Assembly was given deliberative status and given a limited number of powers, including financial oversight of the Military Rector's administration and the right to appoint certain administrative agency heads. The Governmental Agreement of 2029 provides, once the territory is transitioned to a civil rectory, that the Departmental Assembly will assume full legislative functions in Atavia under the supervision of the civilian Rector.

The twenty departments themselves have varying governing models based on local constitutions. Two function along the lines of an Occidental elective, including the cathedral city-department of Keuka. Three have a kind of ary council model, where a departmental council invests executive authority into one of their own. Ten have a system sometimes called "absolutist annual ", where a random individual from among a certified group of people serving with complete authority for a one year period. The certification system varies by department but is usually based on education in traditional Atani practices and views. The remaining five departments have a mix of these systems, including a sortition-based parliamentary council, a mayor-council system with a sortition-chosen mayor, and other similar combinations. The delegates from the departments to the Departmental Assembly also vary between election and executive appointment, but the Governmental Agreement of 2029 required that each department elect its two delegates at large once Atavia transitions to civilian government.

Owing to its developing governmental apparatus, Atavia does not have a well developed political culture. What political factions exist on the island tend to be based on geography or by economic sector. Within the faction of public officials aligned with fishermen, who comprise the majority of the Departmental Assembly and departmentsl governments, there are smaller sub-factions. Many of these are aligned with individual fishing settlements or are aligned based on traditional fishing grounds. Many old alliances and rivalries from the pre-Algosh period continue to play a minor role in Atavian politics.

Economy and infrastructure
Atavia's economy is primarily centered around fishing. As fishing boats and methods have become increasingly advanced on the island, support industries - such as boat mechanics and even some limited retail locations for fishing tools and paraphernalia - have begun to grow around it. Besides fish, Atavia's main export is what could be described as "cultural oddities", products specific to the Atani people and their traditions such as whale bone horns, miniature sized dolmens which have become popular in Urcea as and desktop decoration, and other similar items which serve both as functional products as well as souvenirs. Construction is increasingly becoming the largest industry on the island as the Urcean military has been constructing bases all along the island. It is estimated that the service economy adjacent to the Royal Air Force base - RAF Atavia - on the island will be the largest portion of the economy by 2050. The Occidentalization of the island has had the practical effect of fostering increased urbanization, leading to population growth in all of Atavia's largest settlements. The cities, especially Keuka, have seen the largest share of economic growth since 2024, with the military-adjacent service industry being a primary driver. The largest segment of this are new contracting firms, ranging from construction to catering, developed by indigenous entrepreneurs hoping to receive lucrative military contracts. The island government created in the mid-2020s has also been a small source of service-related economic development.

Demographics
As of 2030, Atavia had a population of 41,435. The population skews younger as is common throughout the Nysdra Sea basin. The overwhelming majority of the island are ethnically indigenous Atani people, though more than a thousand Urceans are permanent residents on the island, most of whom are associated with the Royal Air Force base RAF Atavia. A small number of unassimilated Algosh people remain on the island, and they have been the victim of frequent discrimination and attacks by the Atani people since Urcea took control of the island. A majority of legacy Algosh residents were voluntarily repatriated to the Algosh Republic in the late 2020s, though some have elected to stay. Educational attainment on the island is moderately low by Occidental standards, but around 70% of the population is literate.

Language
Nearly all permanent residents of the island speak Atani. The Atani language is considered by scholars to be a derivation of the Algosh language, though it is uncertain if it is a distinct subset or simply a regional dialect. The Atani language shares the same basic grammatical structure as the Algosh language as well as its morphology, but has significantly different vocabulary such that Atani and Algosh speakers only have the barest amount of mutual intelligibility. Much of the Atani vocabulary originates not from Cusinaut but to the east, and many phrases are thought to have a shared origin with the Quetzen language. Many scholars believe this to be evidence for the presence of northeastern Cronans forming a large part of the original settlers of the island in the 14th century. Whatever the case may be, the Atani language underwent significant revision during the 20th century. The century and a quarter of Algosh domination on the island led to significant introduction (or re-introduction) of Algosh words and phrases. The Algosh government, in 1957, began a program of standardization of the Atani language which, while it did not erase its uniqueness relative to Algosh, introduced many Algosh conventions and functionally imposed Algosh spelling rules onto Atani. Atani still retains these 20th century developments today.

Religion
The indigenous Atani peoples practice a regional variation of M'acunism which developed around the ancient burial grounds and prehistoric present throughout the island. Atani M'Acunists, who make up essentially the entire population of the island, believe that the dolmens are the houses of all Kānenaka and that the island, accordingly, is the earthly paradise on which the earth goddess Makuahine was born and may one day return. The notion of the return of Makuahine is extremely controversial among the people of the island, and many scholars believe the belief was influenced by early Occidental traders and missionaries to the island who preached the messianic return of at the end of time. Approximately 60% of the islanders believe in an earthly return whereas 40% believe that, given enough sacrifices, Makuahine will allow the island to be restored to its state of paradise without any further significance. The divide between the so-called "returnists" and "paradisists" represents the main religious groups on the island.

The Catholic Church has almost no presence on the island, with just 321 permanent islanders being adherents of the faith, though the Church has been making inroads within Atani society in recent years and significant Church infrastructure being built on the island due to the growing presence of the Urcean military.

Culture
Atavian culture is centered on its relationship with the sea. For much of its human history, the indigenous Atani people have been involved in, and this economic preoccupation colors most Atani cultural touchstones. Traditional architecture in Atavia is based on the intermix of local stone and large whale bones, creating a unique style that has been upheld in the modern period by the use of imported porcelain and other bone-like materials. Similarly, jewelry and other small objects are whale bone related, and whale-related knick knacks have become a popular export of the island since the 2020s. The burial dolmens have also become a defining characteristic of the Atani, not only in their religious practices and export items but in the small local television and literature producing sections, who include the dolmens as either symbolic or literal plot devices in stories.

The Atani culture has been influenced by foreign cultures as well. The century of Algosh occupation introduced several Algosh cultural mores, such as summarized recountings of the martial achievements of individual ancestors being part of first introductions. Some scholars have noted that many Atani substitute impressive hunting outings of their ancestors rather than martial victories in keeping with the island's connection to whaling. Occidental culture, particularly the culture of Urcea, has begun to take an outsized influence in Atavian life, as Urcean popular culture - such as movies, television, music, and literature - are becoming ubiquitous on the island. As part of the formation of the new local government in the 2020s, the newly built education system incorporated mandatory classes on "Ataniness" for pupils with the encouragement of the Military Rectory government in order to maintain a cultural distinctiveness and continue the Atani way of life.

Music
The mixed heritage of Atani culture has produced an eclectic musical culture reflecting its mixed origins. While most music and songs of the Atani people are songs known on the mainland of Cusinaut with little to some regional variation, Atani culture has a long tradition of unorthodox instruments made from whale bones and other sea-related instruments such as shells. It is thought many Atani songs began as the equivalent of, songs sung by whaling crews in canoes and boats since the permanent settlement of the island. In recent years, Atavia has become a popular tourist destination for prominent Urcean recording artists who bring in many of the best known Atani musicians to feature in their songs using unique instruments. Since the Urcean capture of the island in 2024, many Atani craftsmen have been producing instruments at increased rates, not only including their own native instruments for export but also typical Occidental instruments using local materials and craftsmanship. Atani-crafted guitars with whale bone accents have become a highly sought after item in Urcean musical circles and are becoming extremely fashionable in Levantia.