The Last Safe Haven

The Island

Typically tropical in its climate, Menagerie is Remnant’s smallest landmass and the semi-official home of the Faunus people. The west side of the island, what the locals like to call the “Fishtail Bay” is where the vast majority of the populace lives. They live in small clusters of densely packed communities along the coast, although some tend to choose to live near the foot of the mountains. Doing so is considered a double-edged sword, for while the land there is great for agriculture, the chances of a giant boar coming down from the mountains is magnified.

The winds and rains that come off the ocean feed into the fertile land and would give the outsider—and even the first Faunus settlers that came here after the Great War—the impression that Menagerie is a paradise. However, beyond the leeward side of the mountains is the remaining two-thirds of the island which is a vast, uninhabitable desert. It’s not even just the Grimm that are the problem, but the wildlife in Menagerie is particularly dangerous and makes expansion nearly impossible.

1.1 million

Being an island, Menagerie is surrounded on all sides by the oceans of Remnant. Its main sources of water are from the mountain runoffs that occasionally collect in small lagoons scattered throughout the bay area. The desert area, from what little has been explored, does not appear to have any water sources.

Unified government that seeks to maintain a deep connection with its community, dangerous wildlife and terrain gives invaders only a few point of entry (by sea or by sky) so easier to defend against, rich agriculture and fishing industry.

Small (comparatively to the rest of the world) but dense population, few defenses to natural disasters, dangerous wildlife, potential food shortages due to the aforementioned issues, lack of a CCT Tower, lack of an Academy for specialized Huntsman training.

Menagerin

Chieftain and Council

Menagerie has to import a lot in terms of technology and building materials in an effort not to overtax their forests. Their main exports are in fishing and agriculture, especially the more “exotic” fruits. Their economy is best described as steady but fragile in the event of a particularly bad natural disaster, but they often stockpile in advance to prepare for that.

One would think for as beautiful as the hospitable side of Menagerie is, tourism would be booming. Quite the opposite, in fact, and the Faunus that live here like it that way. Not only because they don’t want their way of living to be made a spectacle, but Menagerie’s resources are stretched enough as is for how much of the island they’re able to make a sustainable living from. The infrastructure to support tourism just does not exist. That said, Menagerie is still welcoming to newcomers and occasionally does get Faunus that visit as a sort of “pilgrimage” experience.

Menagerie is an architectural hodgepodge, with large influences taken from Faunus immigrants from Mistral that carry over most everywhere; the sloping, elegant roofs and ornate wood carvings, to name a few. The houses are built out of a mix of imported concrete and wood, the latter being a common natural resource on the island, typically elevated from the ground the closer one is to the ocean. They’re generally good during an earthquake and the water passes through the more elevated houses during a flood.

Most famous of Menagerie are districts like the Shallow Sea, which has various wooden walkways that integrate aquatic Faunus with their more terrestrial brethren. All in all, Menagerie is built for function and controlled loss in some cases, but there’s a definite pride to be seen in the architecture throughout.

But a key detail you’re quick to notice, especially in such a place as Kuo Kuana, is that the cities of Menagerie are densely populated and packed together. Multiple stories are seen as a necessity and space is a luxury—and if you should have that space, it should still serve a function.

To Faunus, it’s considered an unequivocal “safe haven” for them, with few born there choosing to leave of their own volition. The opinions of other kingdoms varies, but due to its lack of CCT Tower Menagerie’s so cut off from the rest of the world that they only have a hazy idea of what it’s like.

Common

Various languages and dialects of the different communities brought over since its inception

Festival of Lights (winter solstice celebration)

First Strike (festival for the beginning of prime fishing season)

Builder's Day (founder's day, essentially)

Summertide's Stay (summer solstice celebration)

Dried or pickled fruits and vegetables ranging from bananas, pears, figs, mangos, watermelon rinds, peppers, beets, leeks, etc. Coconut milk, meat, and shavings as a garnish. Rice and thin flatbreads made from it. Pork, squid, shrimp, and crab; fish like tuna and marlin are common meats. Pickled eggs are a must have.

Overall, Menagerie is the king of fusion cuisine, since it’s home to Faunus that have brought their culinary traditions overseas and intermingled them with others. Like curry with coconut as a base mixed with rice noodles from Mistral; spices and flatbreads from Vacuo served with a fish stew. You get the picture.

Chieftain (commander-in-chief, essentially; position passed down from chieftain to chieftain)

The Council (checks and balance, essentially; elected officials that specialize in various aspects of Menagerie)

Daytime: high 80s to mid 90s

Nighttime: high 60s to mid 70s

Wet and Dry season (November - April & May - October, respectively)

Spider Season (May - August)

Monsoon Season (December - March)

Between 30-70% humidity depending on the season.

In the dry season, as low as less than 1 inch of rain per month; comparatively, the wet and monsoon season can bring as much as 16 to 18 inches of rain per month.

Depends on the season, but typically between 5-10/mph.

Earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical storms, floods, droughts, landslides

The Faunus Rights Revolution

Melangkah (hospitable side; ravaged by wildlife at the foot of the mountain)

Baru (first attempted settlement on the desert side; didn't last long)