Welcome to Gaia! ::

I stood at the end of the driveway. It was crazy, really, how much I'd looked forward to this moment: ever since I found out that some far-off relative had died and left me their private island, along with a hefty portion of a bank account. Private island: just saying it makes me feel rich and famous. Well, it wasn't totally private; there was a small town on the opposite side of the modestly sized island. Standing here, staring at the gorgeous and proud mansion, I started to wonder. Was I dreaming? Was I going to wake up, disappointed at this magnificent dream I'd concocted?

I took a deep breath and moved towards the door. It'd been empty about a month, and the dirt and dust would no doubt need tackling. The estate wasn't small: it was at least seventy-five bedrooms (or so I was told,) and with a little elbow grease and some tenacity, it'd be restored to its formal glory in no time. Well, I kept telling myself that. It was the only way that I could put my nose to the grindstone and get the work done. I had the money, I had the time, and I had the desire. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

My first night here, in this empty mansion, was creepy, rest assured. I spent a good three hours finding the electricity breaker. Nearly every light worked; only a few had to be replaced. Once the lights were on, I putted around with some random cleaning chores; it was getting late and I wanted to get an early start the next morning. Oftentimes I'd find myself staring at the outbuildings. An eerie light glimmered up at me from them. They were a good half-mile away, and I was a bit excited to see what might be in there. I decided then that the outbuildings would be my reward for cleaning the estate; saving the best for last, I took a quick shower and headed off to bed.

Dragging myself out of bed the next morning, I wandered to the large kitchen that I'd polished up the previous night and prepared a light breakfast. As I sipped the last of my juice, I looked out the large windows that bracketed the breakfast nook and let my mind and gaze wander. The outbuildings ranged in size, the largest the size of a barn, the smallest the size of a garden shed. I chuckled to myself, rinsed out my glass, and went to get dressed. I knew that all the linens would need cleaning, as would the drapery and rugs, but for some reason I had this desire to see what was going on in the mysterious outbuildings. Double checking that I had my cell phone and keys, I locked up and headed off into the woods.

It was the oddest thing I noticed as I wandered through the landscape: there didn't seem to be any birds chirping, no rustling of branches, no nothing. No wildlife, nada. It was a little disconcerting, but I just shrugged it off as my mind working a little too hard and kept walking. It wasn't long before I discovered the first building. It was one of the smaller ones, and I peered inside. It was filled with garden tools. I snorted and wandered off to the next one. It was larger, wooden, and with huge doors. I swung one of them open, my eyes bugging out of my head, I'm sure. There was a rather large truck within. I'm sure it was used for hauling large ..things, but what, I didn't know. It was the weirdest thing. I continued on with a furrowed brow, hoping the next few sheds would reveal something more interesting.

I would be disappointed as I reached the last shed. Up until now I'd found nothing worth getting excited over. This last shed would be my last hope for excitement. It was the largest shed of them all, built like a ranch-style house. Reaching for the knob of the door, I gave it a quick turn. Locked. Odd. I slipped my key inside the lock and twisted as it unlocked promptly. It seemed to swing inwards of its own accord, nearly inviting me to enter. It was eerily lit within, and warm. Oddly enough, those were the first two things I noticed before I stepped foot inside the shed.

I hesitated as I moved past the threshold, allowing my eyes to grow accustomed to the dim lighting. It was almost tropical inside the large building: humid and almost damp. As my vision sharpened, I blinked rapidly, astonished at what was going on in the room.

Test tubes. Hundreds of them. I wandered closer, awestruck. Each test tube was kept in a warm incubator of sorts. And within each test tube were small.. fetuses??!! My mind kept tripping over itself as I tried to understand what was happening. I made my way over to a desk that sat near the far wall, falling back into the seat with a thud. What in the Hell was going on here?

I turned to the desk with hope, hoping that some divine explanation would bestow knowledge upon me. As I wrifled through the papers, I glimpsed one word over and over again: extinct. It would seem that my distant relative had some sort of obsession with extinct species.

'I have successfully recreated two long-forgotten creatures, but something odd has happened. It might be because they were missing certain aspects of their own DNA, so I spliced it with human DNA. They've taken on human-like characteristics as they've grown older. I am not sure if I should continue my research. The Red Colobus Monkey and the Quagga are now adults; it's odd, they mature much faster than humans do, but once they reach their adult stage, it's as if they suddenly.. stop growing.'

As my brain registered what I'd just read, I inhaled sharply. It was absolutely amazing what was going on. My distant uncle had been attempting to bring back extinct species, and in doing so, he'd created something different. Anthropomorphic creatures. Extinct creatures. It was amazing. Why had he given this fully functional re-creation facility to me? Just knowing that the room I was in contained hundreds of live creatures was simply amazing to me. I felt as if he'd entrusted me with his life's work.

It was at that moment that I knew what I would do. I would raise these creatures and let them use the island as their home. I knew I wouldn't be able to raise them all myself, and that I would need to find qualified guardians to care for them until they were old enough to take care of themselves.

Kuu Kisiwa: A lush island with tropical attributes. The largest island of the Kilinge Island chain. This is where you will come to receive your Boundless, and where they will remain until they are old enough for quests.

A - Hurul-ayni Estate: The estate where all Boundless are created. Sunny lives here in the large main house; the Boundless are always welcome here. It is a large building, Victorian in design, with an alleged 75 rooms. Tons of space for the explorative young Boundless. It is a four day walk to the Town of Adhimu.

B - Town of Adhimu: A bustling town filled with native people. There is a marina, saloon, inn, blacksmith and a goods store. Nearly all of the indigenous people are kind, with the exception of Devlin, who lives on the easternmost outskirts of town. The residents of Adhimu specialize in growing fruits and a few vegetables.

C - Shumbi Lagoon: It is rumored that Malkia Maha lives near this crystal-clear lagoon. This deep lagoon empties into the ocean surrounding the islands. Perfect for swimming and exploring under-water caves.

Nyamafu Island: A small island to the East of Kuu Kisiwa. Very plain in appearance, yet lushly forested and quiet. Very peaceful.

A - Town of Kiwa: A peaceful people who want nothing more to live their daily lives. They specialize in beadwork and pottery.

Dubwana Island: A frightening hulk of volcanic isle. Explosive and dangerous, it looms on the horizon visible to all. A thread-like wisp of smoke drifts from it’s summit, proof to the rumbling monstrosity within. There is no greenery or life on this island.

A - Hayawani Peak: The summit of Dubwana. Frothing with a mix of magma and ash that it spews occasionally into the air. At its highest point, it reaches well over 26,000 feet.

Majifukiza Island: A gorgeous island forested with evergreens. Set in the midst of this lovely island is a small lake which provides a bounty of fish to the Shwari, the town nearby.

A - Town of Shwari: A fishing town, the residents of Shwari use both the ocean and Lake Buluu to supply them with a seemingly neverending supply of fish, which they market with nearby islands for other goods. A days walk to Lake Buluu.

B - Lake Buluu: A deep island lake, chock full of fish. Surrounded by lush evergreens.

Barafa Island: A frozen island of pure solid glacial ice. It is said that this island moves, but there is no proof it does. There is no greenery or life on this island, though it might be perfect for those who prefer icy regions.

A - Wembekali Peak: The summit of Barafa. Smaller than Hayawani Peak, the highest point of this ice mountain is only 14,536 feet.

Jankiwiti Island: A small plain island. No inhabitants. Rainforest setting, lush and gorgeous. No known indigenous people reside on this island.

A - Mafuu Beach: This is no ordinary beach, for the sand is created of tiny gold nuggets. The people of Kiwa will often travel here to gather supplies for their beadwork.

Karuacha Island: A desert island, oddly enough encased in thick greenery.

A - Town of Changua: These people provide the islands with a constant supply of grains and wheat, which seem to do well in the sandy soil. They are a staid people though non-hostile, and they prefer merely doing business and leaving.

Jabali Island: The oddest sight in the Kilinge seascape. It seems to be a mere hulking mountain of mud or earth. No greenery is here, and there is no indigenous people known to reside here.

A - Utope Plains: The only flat area on the island. The Mud Plains, loosely translated. Those who travel through it are in danger of being sucked into the vast muddy plain.

B - Mtutumo Peak: The highest point on Jabali. It reaches a mere 5, 947 feet.