Atavia

Atavia is an island to the east of New Yustona in the Nysdra Sea that is part of Urcea.

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.

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 Yustona 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.

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.