The Land Beyond Reach - Vol. 1 Ed. 21
Dec 09, 2020 12:01 am
World Builders' Guild Newsletter
A desert of blue falls to the horizon.
No ships, no planes, no powered vessels to interrogate the calm breeze.
The jungle hangs over the dunes like a damp veil of verdant abundance. Life's subtle din pulsates from beneath the canopy.
Those within have thrived on the secret bounty of this hidden land. Their words, love, trials, conflicts remain a mystery to the wanderers beyond the vast expanses.
What a wondrous, mysterious world.
What if I told you that this place exists in our world, the "real" world, today?
Resting largely untouched in the eastern Bay of Bengal as part of the Andaman Islands chain, North Sentinel Island represents one of Earth's last unexplored land masses.
The indigenous Sentinelese fiercely reject contact with outsiders. They've been known to defend their territory with an ancient tenacity that delivers would-be visitors an unexpected arrow wound or, worse, an impromptu obituary.
It's out there. (Photo by Pierre Leverrier on Unsplash)
There is perhaps a single known case of friendly contact with the Sentinelese. In the early 1990s a steadfast Indian anthropologist pitched a successful campaign to land ashore to engage in a brief tarry and exchange of goods (coconuts, in fact).
Even she was accosted by arrowfire when a hostile youth sought to drive her away during the encounter. She was spared when the boy's curious accomplice nudged his shot wide.
The Indian government forbids travel to or contact with North Sentinel Island for fear of more slain missionaries and, most importantly, to protect the Islanders from diseases from which they have no immunity.
This world—this beautiful, dangerous planet—holds secrets that testify to the unyielding spirit of humanity. There are lands that yet have to be bludgeoned by the currents of modernity.
We seek these to remind us that time is not a prerequisite for a successful existence. Some places are worth keeping secret. Their people love the life they know and will kill to shield it from harm.
A world defended is a world well built.
To future worlds,
Matt Ventre
Sharpening the Toolkit
- Information architect and designer Jorge Arango on Conformism vs. Independent Mindedness
- Nintendo is dropping information on next month's grand opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan - check out the preview of the Mario Kart ride.
- Wizards of the Coast released new cards featuring Bob Ross artwork in the digital version of their hit game Magic: the Gathering
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