The Fictional Society of Horizon City

The following narrative describes the fictional society behind Horizon City, as told through a fictional first person view.

Through a Great Circle - Ever since I was a child, I had been fascinated and bedazzled by the stories of Marco Polo, how he experienced and described the mysterious cultures of China. I never thought I too would have this kind of experience in my life. The Great Circle, or known better to AW, Horizon City, is a place alot like China was too the Europeans during Marco Polo's time. The first thing I learned about the culture of Horizon, is that they are extremely accepting and embrasive of other cultures, such as my own. When I had received a personal letter from them, to come and share my culture, I was absolutely excited! I had no idea what would lie ahead, but it forever changed my life.

A Foreigner Embraced - When I first entered through the Great Circle, I was met with all kinds of different people. I ran into the man who had sent me the personal letter. He was the leader of that specific district. He immediately gave me a spot of land and welcomed me. They wanted me to design something for them, and watched me close. It was clear they were as fascinated by me, as I was of them. Especially with my hair, and strange clothing. The man then told me now that I received citizenship in their society, I would slowly be experiencing some external changes.

Colors Everywhere - I didn't realize at first why they were so fascinated with my brown hair, and my style of clothing, but it soon became clear why. Somehow through what they described as an ancient technology of the Great Circle, my hair color became red, and then my clothes all of a sudden matched the same style as theirs. My style of clothes were also red with this bizzarre sequence of 9 dots on the shirt. At first there was many people of all kinds of different hair color and clothing color. But as my hair and clothes turned red, I was then embraced by fellow people of red hair and clothing. They kept saying "Fire Daughter! Fire Daughter!" What could this all mean? And why is this society so based on color?

The common look of a Horizon City citizen. Embellished with 9 dots on the chest, black pants, and black shoulders pads, and colorful hair.

The Meaning of the Colors - Horizon City is a very complex and intricate civilization, I saw people of all skin colors, but they weren't segregated because of their skin color, as they are in the culture I come from. They were segregated through two primary areas of color. One, and most importantly, was their hair color. Your hair color is derived through some elemental and mysterious means deemed to you at birth. You cant dye your hair, you cant shave it off, though you can style it. The second was the color of your suit. Now the suit isn't something you just put on. Through means of the most ancient technologies of the Great Circle, the suits grows with you, grows on you, it cleans itself and while you can take it off, you cant get very far without it. Now the color of the suit reflects your innermost passions and ideals. In my world they say "if you could only see what a person looks like on the outside." Well these suits do just that. Different color suits mean different things. Lastly is the 9 dots, They are connected to your emotions, your intellect, and your deepest passions. They change colors, and are used most commonly to tell the emotion of an individual. But they also are used in many other ways, such as for war. They are a great source of mystery and always seems to produce something new.

The Colorful Government of Horizon City - As I mentioned earlier, the colors you exhibit externally, literally describe who you are. It was especially interesting because my fellow "Fire Sons and Daughters" all exhibited the same ideals and passions in life that I did. The governments here are based on it. Now There are only two colors that really stand out in HC. Those colors being black and white. It was rare to find someone with a black suit or a white suit, but if your suit was black, it meant your ambitions and passions and ideals were dark, ominous, and even said to be hell bent. But if your suit was white, it meant you exhibited the most purest of ambitions. Though there were an intricate amount of exceptions, for example not all black suited individuals are evil, alot of them experience the elemental property of darkness. Also alot of colors can surprise you, when you think you know them, you find even the most advanced technology can leave you decepted in regards to others. Even more rare however, was the royal hair color of yellow. To me it looked blonde, and didn't seem very special, but to them, it meant royalty. They called those with yellow hair "Those blessed by the Sun". Now HC is governed through colors, and colorful names for colorful governments, "Ocean Community" or "Fire Community" It seems each color represents some elemental mixture, which is why I was called a Fire Daughter because I had both red hair and a red suit. Those with black suits were free, just as every other color was, but they were watched, and they paid no attention to the other colors, other than white. It seemed as though they were hell bent on eachother. The prince of the royal monarchy of Horizon exhibited the rare yellow hair, as well as the pure white suit. He is held in high regards by the people.

Marital Arrangements, the Mixing of the Rainbow - The most bizzarre and complex part of HC is how the colors interact with eachother. For example. One is only allowed to marry another one who shares the same hair color, as well as the same suit. Though the shades of the color dont matter, and complimentary colors are okay as well. For example one with blue hair and a blue suit, can legally marry one with darker blue hair, and a teal suit. Even though their children can be born with any kind of color comibation, genetics play no role. It is a great mystery. But the greatest crime one can commit in HC is to marry one who is not of the same color combinations, or worse, marry one with opposite colors. I never quite understood why this was such an offense, but it was. Perhaps, since the colors represent an element, it could be said they didn't want to throw that off balance. I am not completely certain. It is frowned upon in HC to associate with those of other hair color and suit color, though in alot of cases, you find people with the same hair color, but not the same suit color, and vice verse, associating.

The Mystery of the Nine Dots - While emotions can be read through the nine dots, they generally seem to stay at a neutral state. I found most bizzarre, how they fight with eachother. There is no violence in HC, at least not in the sense that we know. But disputes and issues are settled through an almost "tic-tac-toe" type of game with the individuals nine dots. Initially, I was encouraged, though I'd say I was moreso provoked to fight with an "Ocean Son". I found it was incredibly difficult to fight this way, because our nine dots "fought" eachother, yes I know its difficult to hear at first, but they did. I realized it required absolute control and understanding of ones own passions, emotions, and intellect in order to be a good "niner" as they called it. The dots are elemental based, but not completely. My first duel, I lost, because I am told "Ocean Children" are enemies to "Fire Children". I mean its not a bitter rivalry, but a friendly one, in most cases at least. in our duel, my emotions were sent all around, and my intellect and passions were rocked, my dots became like flames somehow, but then he instantly doused them with his dots, and left me feeling beat up. To lose wasn't a great feeling, as I mentioned, my emotions and my mind was just rocked. But I was told I would learn better as I moved on.

The Way of the Noble Horizoner - I finally realized and respected the people of Horizon for their ability to manipulate and control their emotions and intellect like so. I now can see why they are technologically and philosophically more advanced than any other culture in AW. Now I found the reason why the yellow haired Horizoners were held in such high regard. They were since ancient times, the greatest niners out there, with the highest capacity to develop their nine dots. They were the best niners by far, and this led them to their royalty. Now while those born with yellow hair become royalty, not all royalty has yellow hair, since children differ in their colors at birth. The Noble Horizoner though, is one much like the prince of Horizon, with royal blood, and the rare white suit, he exhibits great compassion, and an honor reminiscent of the samurai, and the knights of my culture. I had heard many stories about noble Horizoners, as well as darkly malevolent ones. The war here between black and white, was much like the war between evil and good in my culture.

Leaving the Great Circle, A Reflection - Now after I had built my home, and spent some time among the Horizoners, I was really experienced in their culture, as well as their way of life. I realized I was truly embraced there, though my colors left me limited, they also allowed me many freedoms. I can best describe the place as a utopian fine line between freedom as well as communism. They are very free, yet also very strict and rule oriented. They place alot, if not all of their culture on hair color and suit color. It was fascinating though, because you always knew the person from the inside out, if a person was filled with love and mercy, you could tell. If they were filled with hate and bitterness, you could tell, most of the time at least. As I walked out of the Great Circle, and back aboard my ship, my hair color and attire reverted back to normal. I was given a warm goodbye, and also a welcome to come back. As my ship headed home, I was then able to finally understand the way Marco Polo felt, and I too would follow his foot steps and write down all I saw and experienced, just as he did.