This Cursed World

A world encased in a near-never-ending blizzard, constantly cold, never warm. So small, this world can be visualized as a large snow globe. On each end, is a village inhabited by many different kinds of Neopians- dividing them, an immense mountain range. Those who try to walk beyond the villages, beyond the mountains, find themselves endlessly walking into the storm, becoming worse and worse with each mile. This creates the assumption that there is nothing beyond what they know, and it has become common thought to dismiss the idea to explore beyond their reach. That curiosity could be put to use scouring the mountains, but it is a fool's errand. The mountains are constantly changing, paths once taken turning into paths unknown, familiar landmarks suddenly moving or vanishing altogether. Only those with a strong internal compass can make the journey to the other side without disappearing...

The Two Villages

When travellers set foot upon this land, they found it entirely untouched. Climbing down from the tunnel from whence they came, they initially settled on the western land of the mountains. Trees were a mite scarce, so they built their settlement out of earth, stone, and hard-packed snow. Since here, it was cold, and the wind bit at them near-constantly, they called this place Frostis. In productivity, they dug underneath the snow, under the dirt, and were able to find flint and coal. This allowed them to light their homes, cook their food, and create tools. Frostis eventually began to flourish, although slowly, but flourish nonetheless. Seeds of vegetation and flora were planted in a large farmhouse, as the weather outside was too harsh to grow much of anything. This farmhouse, being warm, safe, and often traversed, became the meeting place of the village neopets.

In time, many sought a place where the weather was kinder. A small group banded together and made way to whatever was on the other side of the mountain, and discovered land where trees were more abundant, the snow fell softer, and the air didn't bite at their skin like it did in Frostis. The group settled here and made homes for when they went back to fetch their kin. Those who were weaker in health were invited to live at this new establishment, now named Wintris. The less hardy left Frostis behind, and so were the two villages of Frostis and Wintris. As such, the two towns began to develop differently.

Frostis prized its physical labor and handiwork, and worked to build a large, sustainable farm and created homes that were sturdy enough to survive the harsh snow. The farm kept its place as the village's meeting place, and due to its size it also became a place for Neopians to find some respite. A system was quickly put in place wherein everybody worked to do their part in keeping the village afloat. This included snow plowing, roof tending, and farming shifts.

Wintris, having began with mostly family and those who were too weak for the harsh weather and hard labor in Frostis, prioritized its community, and grew to be more social. Some of the first things created were a communal garden and a community center, the center being the hub for village meetings and a place for children to study and socialize while their parents worked. There was of course a system instated similar to Frostis so as village upkeep was consistent, and it was certainly just as mandatory like its counterpart.

The Mountains

Dividing these two villages, are the mountains. Tall, snowy, and mysterious, the highest peaks disappear into the clouds cloaking the sky. Nobody knows where it begins or ends, neither has anybody successfully been able to map it. After more than a century, only two families are left with the ability to navigate it without totally vanishing within its maze-like paths, and both pride in this ability and help others by working as travel guides. They do admit that the paths are always changing- it's only thanks to that internal compass do they not fall prey to the mountains. Otherwise, it's best to look at them from afar...

Unbeknownst to all but two, the mountains are cursed, leading those from their homelands into this "dimension". All over the mountain, caves and tunnels also shift and change with the terrain. Within them, are portals to other dimensions, to worlds unknown. Unfortunately for the neopets of Frostis and Wintris, they have been the only ones to stumble upon this world en-masse. In every other plane, the portals are often hidden and out-of-reach. It is only because of the one who discovered it, the one who led them all here, that they are fated to stay in this place til the end of their lives.