RE:WORLD
re:world is my personal speculative worldbuild / mind palace that has existed solely in my head for several years, until recently, when i decided to try mapping it out.
it is earth, set in a post-apocalyptic, post-capitalist future that functions on green anarchist principles. governments, militaries, and borders no longer exist. the population consists of humans, anthropomorphic animals, and non-sapient animals, with a size and density comparable to pre-columbian americas.
life and culture revolves primarily around water, followed by named locations called biomes. people identify themselves with their relativity to great river and wide water, before the biome they live in. land is stewarded, not owned.
culture
as mentioned, people identify more with their relationship to bodies of water, rather than the land they live on. many people fall under multiple labels, but not always.
the list of water-based cultural terms
downriver
people who live closer to the coast, on the southern end of great river.
impression: practical, adaptable, social, opportunistic, noncommital
salt
people who live along the coast, near the ocean.
impression: resilient, weathered, no-nonsense, spiritually serious, grim
upriver
people who live on the northern side of great river, away from the ocean.
impression: thoughtful, grounded, patient, reliable, reserved, stubborn
headwaters
people who live where rivers begin.
impression: rulesetters, intense, principle-driven, isolated, naïve, smug
mainlander
people who live where land is continuous and forgiving.
impression: practical, adaptable, comfortable with strangers
archipelagic
people who live where land is fragmented by water.
impression: good at navigation, fluid, comfortable with ambiguity
islander
people who live in isolated pockets surrounded by water.
impression: reserved, conserving, familiar with natural cycles
infrastructure
food networks are local, carefully managed ecosystems—not distant monocrops.
electricity is a public utility, but not a baseline, as most daily tasks do not require electricity. there are no long-distance power monopolies or plants. dimmings or outtages are expected, normal, and prepared for.
transport is dominated by waterways, followed by footpaths, rail, and wind travel.
material use includes stone, clay, wood, fiber, bone, and metal. everything is repairable, reusable, degradable first. metal is precious, scavenged and recycled endlessly. tools and objects are treated with more care, and it's normal for things to change hands and travel quite far. mass-produced products do not exist.
money does not exist. there is no wage labor, no survival barter, and people aren't constantly negotiating their right to exist. individuals and settlements instead keep track of communal credit using ledgers (that can be physical, digital, or mental). maintaining your give-take balance only matters socially, and cultures have differing levels of imbalance they're willing to tolerate. regardless, baseline needs are guaranteed.