Landforms in columbia

Ancient you, peaceful you, you in the mountains of the north!
I come for you, the most lovely land!
——Lyrics of the Sami Tourism advertising song, created by Columbian Caravan International Travel Agency
Many readers who live in nomadic cities in Victoria and Columbia will have heard this song. In the past period of time, TV channels and intercity networks have launched rounds of Sami tourism promotion campaigns. Many people even heard the word "Sami" for the first time in these advertisements. The ads were apparently so successful that advertisers now no longer need them - come summer, travelers naturally sign up in droves to board shuttles to the resort town of Chapatt or several other well-known northern attractions. These people are willing to spend a lot of money and spend more than a week on the bumpy road to experience (or re-experience) the charm of the "most lovely land".
I went too. Indeed, that trip was a great experience.
But the purpose of this article is not, after all, to discuss the quality of today’s Sami group travel experiences. Let me tell the reader frankly that long before the first stake of the first wooden house in Chapat-Gavri was brought to the shores of Lake Chuaviali, long before it even received that name(meaning "horned beast") I had visited Sami before. Although that visit was not entirely my intention, now it seems that I was a "blessing in disguise" to a certain extent——
It was the insights I gained at that time that allowed me to truly complete this article and introduce readers to a real Sami outside the scenic area.
Overview
Sami, the end of the land, the territory of forests and tundra. To the average person, it is a faraway tourist destination, the home of saunas. Beyond the light of the bonfires in the resort camp, it is probably the most unique "country" in Terra's system, and it also has a unique model of coexistence between man and nature in Terra. Here, our common sense must humbly recognize its limitations and give way to Sami’s common sense.
History
History of discovery
For those of us outside of Sami (especially those in academia), the history of Sami is really the history of its discovery.
Although the name "Sami" appeared very early, for most of history, this name represented only a group of unworthy primitive tribes in a small corner of northern Terra. If people look up some literature and materials before the crystallization ahe, they will basically come to the following conclusion:In the days when Sargon's lions fought for supremacy in the desert, the Sami lived a savage life, kissing bark and mud;In the days when Nightzmora Khan conquered the land, the Sami lived a savage life, kissing bark and mud;In the era when the Iberians and Leithaniens successively captured Bolivar, the Sami people still lived a savage life, kissing bark and mud. In such records, there may be some stories and fairy tales about giant feathered beast-like monsters with long legs, and the Elafia girl holding a crystal feathered beast egg, but other than that there is nothing much to tell——Even in Ursus, which is adjacent to Sami, no more detailed and serious material can be found.
Kal'tsit: Obviously, for Ursus, the need to cover up the truth about the Sami is actually greater. For a long time, in Ursus, the Sami people have only been portrayed as sporadic alien tribesmen who engage in petty theft. Fedot Dezhnev's expedition was completely unexpected by the Ursus court, and Ursus' subsequent invasion and annexation of the territories of the Sami tribes was probably a show of helplessness.
In the common sense of the era, nothing would need to go into Sami and nothing would want to come out of there. Of course, we know today that this was not the case. The Sami people have never lived an isolated life. Various evidences show that the Sami are the main birthplace of the Elafia ethnic group, and they can now be found all over Terra——But this is ultimately a deduction conducted under modern scientific standards. Sami was so far away that people at the time didn't care much about its actual condition. People who walked out of Sami in the past may have had various personal reasons, and they did not leave us any unique records.
It is generally accepted by academic circles that detailed written records of the Sami region began with Fedot Semyonovich Dezhnev's four northern expeditions. This explorer, who is a household name in Ursus, has stayed in Sami intermittently for more than ten years, truly pioneering systematic research on Sami. Unfortunately, the hand of the Emperor of Ursus also followed. During a short period of time in the middle of the ninth century, due to the discovery of Originium deposits and the need for the Kazimierz war, Ursus quickly ceded large tracts of land that once belonged to the Sami tribes through military invasion and economic acquisition. This is how the northwestern boundary of Ursus, as commonly understood today, was formed.
Fedot Semyonovich Dezhnev
Fedot Semyonovich Dezhnev (803-879) was a renowned explorer, cartographer and orbital planner of Ursus. He entered Sami four times between 838 and 851. He and his team members may also be the first Terran people to successfully return after penetrating into the Infy Icifield. At the same time, it was Dezhnev who discovered the Kolossal Prime Vein in what was then Sami land. He perfected the reading of the Sami alphabet, summarized the two major models of the Sami language, introduced the Sami tribal composition, natural religious culture and Snowpriests conference system to the southern society, and recorded the Sami people for the first time. The use of their unique spell (generally known today as "Furda's Secret Art"). In protest against Ursus' "arrogant, barbaric and unjust oppression" of the Sami region, he retired early in 852 at the age of forty-nine and refused to serve Emperor Ursus for the rest of his life. There used to be a town of Dezhnevsk in the far north of Ursus, named after his surname, but it was later abandoned.
His wife was an Elafia from Sami. The couple had a son, Asmundir Fedotovich Dezhnev, who later became the rector of Deity Grypherburg Ushinsky Pedagogical University.
In recent years, a challenger to dominance has emerged in the Sami region: Columbia. Unlike most other countries, Columbia has always shown great interest in Sami. Since the 1960s, groups of Columbians have entered Sami with the support of their country or various domestic NGOs. Unlike the country's pioneering movement in the western wilderness, Columbia's interest in the Sami seems to be scientific, and the people who entered the Sami from Columbia were mainly scientific researchers at that time. These Columbians used modern technology to resurvey the range of swamps, black forests and snowy mountains, claiming to have established a stable route to Fjal Vetrtonn. They also rediscovered the isolated Cyclops, a Sarkaz Royal Court tribal, in the rolling mountains, and established an incredible connection with them.
Kal'tsit: This is probably because the Cyclops made prophecies about this, and those prophecies be forced to come out to warn these Columbians, lest the latter break into something they should never break into.
The biggest change occurred recently: Columbian investors apparently managed to win the favor of some southern Sami tribes. They cooperated with these tribes and began to develop tourism in the Sami wetlands, and achieved considerable results. Several large-scale tourist towns have been built in the area (such as the well-known Chapat-Ghafri town mentioned earlier) as well as a large number of resort facilities. There are even rumors that the first nomadic city will soon appear in Sami, under the auspices of a certain Columbian "conglomerate".
Sami and Ursus
It should be noted that there was no "war" between Ursus and Sami - in both parties' perceptions. What actually happened often was that Ursus exchanged goods such as crops for a Sami tribe to move, ceded the land, and used force to expel another tribe. For Ursus, it is not related to the Sami as a whole, but deals with the affairs between itself and each tribe bordering it independently; and the same is true for the various tribes of the Sami. The tribes in the core Sami area do not care how the peripheral tribes get along with Ursus, and the Snowpriests Congress has obviously never regarded Ursus as a threat to the unity of the Sami tribes. For more than two hundred years after the initial large-scale operation, Ursus seemed to have adhered to a certain bottom line, controlled the intensity of friction with the tribes, and did not continue to annex Sami lands on a larger scale. (Kal'tsit: This is the boundary drawn by the Holy Fool. Thanks to his knowledge, the Ursus people have always clearly understood that the barrier between them and the ice sheet is more important than the territory.)
Recently, perhaps due to the influence of the culture of southern countries, there have been some attacks on Ursus border settlements in the name of "Sami people", leading to retaliatory actions by the Ursus side. Ursus officials have repeatedly accused the Columbian authorities of being the masterminds, and the latter has naturally denied all accusations.
Beyond the land
I have promised the reader in the introduction to introduce "Sami outside the scenic area". In this section, I will keep this promise and first introduce "history outside the scenic area". This part of the content is more like folktales than history. They will mainly come from what I have seen and heard with my own eyes. But few outside of Sami can verify this, and my memory is obviously subject to error, so I leave the final judgment to the reader.
Our history often focuses on recording people's actions and commemorating the rise and fall of countries. People living in the Sami tribe are not interested in this. The Sami's memories of the past have always revolved around tribal migrations, which were directed by a magical ritual. For the Sami people, this magic ritual and the ensuing migration held by each tribe are collectively known as "Sohati" or "O-Friedl", which is the "Great Battle". The "Great Battle" is their own history in the eyes and mouths of the Sami people.
When I first visited Sami, I migrated with a Sami tribe (please allow me to withhold its name). The summary of the story included below is derived from the records I made at this time. It is difficult to say whether "Sami" as a place name originated from stories related to the "Great Battle" or whether it was the opposite. After a long period of written adaptation and oral transmission, this kind of story has produced many versions, some of which have been spread to the south and evolved into the stories we have heard before. Among the Sami tribe, such stories usually contain several elements, such as a misunderstanding between two or more mythical creatures, the sudden appearance of strange enemies, the Sami people's eternal battle for Terra, etc.
It is worth mentioning that the "Father of the Ancestral Spirits", in addition to "Sami", is more commonly known as "Sami Takhto" (Mode A) or "Samivili" (Mode B). These two words have a very precise Victorian translation, which is "Sami's Will". Some snow priests have made it clear that "divination is listening to Sami's will." We can argue that such stories actually record the events that marked the beginning of Sami history. Considering the grand changes in the world described in the story, Sami is very close to the main mineral vein of Kolossal, and Catastrophs occur frequently, we can infer that the battle between mythical creatures in the story is very likely to actually be a very violent natural disaster in ancient times. .
Sohati
Ten thousand years ago, when humans first arrived at the end of the land, the giant feathered beast Valushita that roamed the sky laid a scorching egg. The egg could not withstand the high temperature it released and shattered into many pieces in the sky, making a huge sound and dazzling light, awakening Sami, the father of the ancestral spirits on the land. At the same time, Valushita lowered her head to check her egg, but was blinded by the light as she looked directly at it. It knew that its egg had broken, but mistakenly thought it was Sami who did it. Valushita let out a shrill scream and angrily accused Sami. It lost all reason, flapped its wings, raised up a violent storm that covered the world, and scattered huge feathers as sharp as steel knives, trying to hurt Sami.
The father of the ancestral spirits, Sami, was protected by the land and did not want to pay attention to the unreasonable troubles of the feathered beast. But Valushita is blind, and the resentment it spreads indiscriminately is flying everywhere, and it is about to cross the agreed ancient boundaries and kill innocent humans. The Father of Ancestral Spirits then made a compassionate decision. He stretched out his body and withstood all disasters for mankind. But at this time, the fragments of the egg laid by Valushita fell from the sky, and Sami's body was exposed outside the shelter, and was burned as if by twenty suns. The father of the ancestral spirit was caught off guard and was severely injured, and had to quickly return to the land.
Later, Valushita regained her sight and regained consciousness. Heartbroken by the lost egg and filled with regret for hurting the father of the ancestor spirits, it left Terra without looking back. But the fragments of the eggs remained on the ground, attracting evil spirits. Sami had no way to leave the shelter of the land for a while, so he had to ask for help from humans. But the merciful ancestral spirit father will never allow humans to try to remove those fragments, because such a method does not exist on land. Sami only gave instructions to humans, asking them to work hard to resist the evil spirits and not let them cross the black forest. He also assured mankind that one day He would be able to gain the recognition of the land again. Then He will be able to end His rest and solve the problems posed by Valushita forever; then the battles of mankind will surely end.
Ammatalu
The father of the ancestral spirits, Sami, cast his last glance at the forests and swamps before he rested. This glance seemed to be frozen in time and lasted for thousands of years. The ancestral spirits Matmonin and the ancestral spirits amma were born. Among the twins, Matmonin's appearance is more like that of a human being, so He feels close to human beings and wants to travel on the land and see all human beings;Amma's appearance is not like that of a human being at all, but she has the compassionate character of the father of ancestral spirits. She decided to stay in the land where Sami rested, and guide the vegetation and animals on the land to help humans complete their mission together.
amma has no human form and cannot understand human speech, so she cannot directly show her body and communicate with people. But it was she who, by using the hints of snow and fire, made people understand the principles of divination and trained the first generation of snow priests. She also used the suggestion of animal horns to guide the Dietan women who had just arrived in Sami, so that they could get help from the Sami tribe and avoid starving to death. Out of gratitude, the Dietan woman cut off a few pieces of bark and taught the Sami people how to write words that can drive many things.
Until now, Amma is still wandering in the black forest. Occasionally, the Sami people can pick up pieces of pure white snow that will not melt, which means that Amma has seen him and wishes him good luck. A Sami who picks up such a piece of snow usually encounters good things, but he must always pay attention to his surroundings so as not to miss Amma's hints.
Due to the coexistence of two typical models of the Sami language, the authenticity of the "Amma Talu" (i.e. "Amma's thing") story is easier to verify than other stories. There are many versions (all very, very long) of the story of the twin ancestral spirits Matmonin and Amma. In these versions, sometimes the human form of Matmonin appears to help humans, and sometimes the animal form or invisible Amma secretly guides humans. But there are always fixed parts in the development of the story: the first generation of snow priests will always be born among the Sami people; the "Dietan women" will always come to the Sami people and teach the Sami people how to write secret texts. If we peel off the skin of the story, the meaning of the word "Dietan" is also very clear, that is, "prophet". There is reason to believe that this refers to the Cyclops of Sarkaz. It is probably because the Cyclops taught the Sami people how to write Furda's cipher text that the Sami language has two completely different vocabularies and lexical patterns, but they are completely interoperable.
Occasionally, the "Dietan women" will split into two groups in the story, one of which will enter the mountains, while the other will go all the way north, "looking for the wound in the land." This may suggest that the Cyclops actually split into two groups, or that another ancient race that we don't yet know about also stopped in Sami.
Sami’s other stories will not be repeated here. If readers are willing to believe that these stories have their basis in reality, then we can roughly summarize the development history of the Sami tribe like this:Thousands to 10,000 years ago, a Catastrophe of unprecedented scale swept through the Sami, leaving an indelible collective mark on the region. After the natural disaster, the surviving people awakened to a common Originium Arts. This Originium Arts is likely to belong to the category of telepathic perception spells, which allows the user to obtain some kind of precognitive information. Over the next thousands of years, Sami society was gradually shaped by this Originium Arts, forming a tradition of tribal migration to escape the Catastrophe. Later, the Cyclops moved from Kazdare to the Sami and introduced Secret Art, allowing the Sami to control their huge sacred trees and golems. After these three events, the social form of the Sami people was completely shaped and showed what it is today.
Kal'tsit: The Sami people have always demonstrated an amazing collective memory, and this section is actually very informative. For the study of Sami, the starting angle of legendary stories is undoubtedly the right one. For the convenience of explanation, I clarify here that the so-called "Father of the Ancestral Spirits" or "Sami's Will" refer to the same Feranmut. But I also feel that revealing the whole truth about Sami here may not be a choice I am willing to make now. This is also in view of the recent experiences of the Sami joint scientific expedition team. Please understand.
Geography
Kal'tsit: The prerequisite for discussing Sami geography is to recognize the essence of Sami - this is the place where Feranmut, who survived the ancient war, lies. The size of this Feranmut's body may be the only one in Terra today. It can even be said that a considerable part of everything that is discussed today in Sami happened on the creature's riddled back. But it has never recovered from the scars of war, and is unlikely to. It has always resisted the influence of demons infiltrating Terra. The elf's healing abilities have their limits, and as it continues to weaken, it is likely that in the near future it will need all the help the land can offer.
Northern staircase
Sami is the northernmost country of Terra, located northwest of Ursus where the Kolossal Prime Vein meets Lake Kolossal. Continuing north from Sami, you will enter the Infy Icifield with harsh conditions and no settlement.
In the Sami land, the landform changes always follow a simple four-level pattern: swamps in the south, forests in the sub-south, snowy mountains in the sub-north, and tundra in the extreme north. This change in landforms seems to have been artificially designed: to enter the tundra, travelers must cross the snowy mountains; if they want to return from the snowy mountains to the swamps in the south, there is no way around the black forest. During Dezhnev’s third expedition, the Ursus expedition tried to advance along the edge of the Black Forest from Haradriga Point in an attempt to measure the boundary of the Black Forest——They finally walked all the way to the Yevrenov Research Station in Ursus (today's Yevrenisk), and there was no forest there. According to Dezhnev, the topography of Sami is not static, the forest seems to walk when no one is looking, the ice and snow decide every day where it wants to cover, and even the rivers secretly change their course. Of course, the reality is probably not so fantastic. In Sami, the landscape in most areas is monotonous and lacks change. Even under the guidance of modern scientific instruments, people who are unfamiliar with the terrain still often get lost. Dezhnev was probably lost, and the black forest he saw was probably a spell cast on him by the local Sami people. At least, modern surveys have confirmed that it is possible to bypass the Black Forest and enter the ice sheet directly. However, this road must pass through the military-controlled area of Ursus and has been closed to traffic for a long time, so it has little practical significance.
Aurora
Nights are generally longer in Sami than elsewhere in Terra. Here, people often observe a luminous phenomenon in the sky at night, which looks like shining strips of light hanging in the sky, which is spectacular. This luminous phenomenon is called "Bolia" by the Sami and Ussans, and because it only occurs in the far north, it is also called "Aurora" by people in other parts of Terra.
The color of the aurora changes frequently, being predominantly green, but also often appearing as red, blue or purple. Its brightness and density are also changing all the time. For the Sami people, the aurora is the tears shed by the huge feathered beast Valushita in the sky;For the rest of us, auroras are likely the result of intense collisions between material from the Sun and the atmosphere. But no matter what the explanation is, it does not affect people's appreciation of its beauty.
Politics and military
government
There is no central government in any sense in Sami. The basic unit of this "country" is the tribes that self-identify as "Sami people". Some of these tribes will give themselves a name, and some will not. There are at least hundreds of such tribes in the Sami.
The core of the tribe is usually a religious leader, called the "Snow Priest". The Snow Priest is the tribe's most powerful shaman and magician, able to use Sami's unique Originium Arts, and keeps the driving spells of the tribe's sacred tree. All general tribal affairs are managed by the Snow Priest and his group of shamanic advisors. Of all the responsibilities of a snow priest, the most important is divination. The Snow Priest can communicate with "Sami's Will" through divination and obtain enlightenment. This kind of revelation is the biggest basis for Snow Priest to lead the tribe to migrate to avoid Catastroph. According to the existing records, this kind of revelation rarely fails.
Kal'tsit: "Sami's will" is Feranmut, but this Feranmut can only utter weak murmurs, so there are many snow priests who don't really know whose words they are listening to.
Sometimes multiple snow priests from multiple tribes would receive the same revelation, a sort of "encyclical". A snow ritual meeting of unprecedented scale will begin at an extremely fast speed, and hundreds of Snow Priest from almost the entire Sami will rush to the venue quickly. This type of meeting has never been open to outsiders, and I don’t know the specific content of the discussions. But in my personal experience, such meetings are often followed by some sort of mass migration of the tribe as a whole (usually southward en masse). It can be speculated that the purpose of this conference may be to discuss a plan for collective migration to avoid large-scale severe weather or dense Catastrophs. This assembly is also the closest institution to a state body in the Sami region.
It is worth noting that, based on the information released by Columbia, in the recent period, there has been no record of a large-scale return north of the Sami tribe after a large-scale migration southward. A reasonable speculation is that they were accustomed to the modern technological achievements brought by Columbia and thus were more willing to settle in the south. If this is the case, then we are undoubtedly standing at an important turning point in Sami history.
Military
Sami does not have a unified government, and naturally there is no unified army. But there is no shortage of strong warriors and skilled Casters in every tribe. The former is not only good at ordinary swords, but also good at using huge pole weapons;
The reputation of the latter's iconic snow-storming arts has long spread beyond Sami. Conceptually, these people constitute an armed force that maintains internal security and order in Sami. Disputes within the Sami tribe will basically not evolve into armed conflicts. In the confrontation with Ursus, as mentioned above, each tribe basically fights on its own.
But that is actually an appearance. For the Sami, their bravest tribes and best warriors had to enter the "Soatwiaka" (meaning "Legion"). This team is said to be numerous and always guards the boundaries of the Infy Icifield in the fortress at the foot of the mountain. The enemy they fight is said to be not human, but a terrifying enemy called "Andskotarnir". I have never seen the fortress of the legion, nor have I come into contact with the soldiers of the legion, but readers should remember that the Sami people collectively refer to the snow divination and tribal migration as the "Great Battle"——According to my observations, the migration of the Sami tribes is indeed proceeding along the lines of some kind of military mobilization. In the seemingly aimless march, one tribe can actually "encounter" many other tribes who are also migrating——This shows that the migration route of the tribe was planned like a waterway, or at least it was open to all tribes like road information. Furthermore, I found that the proportion of warriors was significantly higher among the tribes heading north. When tribes migrated and met, some warriors would even leave their original tribe and join the tribe heading north. Undoubtedly, the purpose of these people is to join the legion.
Kal'tsit: Andskotarnir is a subspace Collapsal infiltration entity. Columbia calls it "Collapsal body" or "Collapsal creature", and is generally called "Demons".
In these teams, I have seen fully armed rockhorn beasts marching in formation. Under the control of their drivers, they moved more uniformly than a human army. This was also the first time I witnessed the huge war golems of the Sami people. Those structures composed of entire giant trees, large pieces of rattan and hard rock seemed to be completely capable of defeating any war machine of the same size. Some golems are even covered in cipher text, and their abilities have obviously been further enhanced through arts. What exactly the Sami who brought such a force to war would encounter in the north, I can only imagine, cannot say.
Economy
For a long time, the Sami tribes were largely self-sufficient, with the land providing more than they needed. The Sami people can make all the necessities of life with their hands, and barter can meet the needs of both within and between tribes. Therefore, the Sami people do not need currency.
But Columbia has changed this situation. People from out of town can now use Columbian gold coupons to spend money in resorts in southern Sami. Many resorts and entertainment venues employ local tribesmen as laborers and waiters. These people receive Columbian coins and buy industrial products produced in Columbia——The Sami seem to enjoy this, and I choose to leave it to the reader to comment on this all-too-familiar process.
Travel
Traditionally, there were two routes into the Sami: one through the vast wastelands of northern Columbia, and the other from Ursus, heading west along the shores of Lake Kolossal. Foreigners who want to enter Sami from Ursus need to go through several relatively cumbersome approval processes. This will take some time, but it is not as impossible as the outside world spreads. In addition, although there are rumors that Columbia plans to build a national highway connecting Columbia's mainland and Sami and set up formal checkpoints, there is currently no strict border control between the two places.(It is worth noting that if travelers follow a convoy departing from a large nomadic city to Sami, there is still a high probability that their travel documents will need to be submitted for inspection before departure).
In 1099, there were three main caravan routes leading to the tourist areas of Sami:
The traditional route from Trimounts, Columbia is the shortest and has the lowest fares;The route departing from Mercyside County in Victoria has more luxurious service facilities. Because this route passes through Kjerag, you can view the magnificent Karlan Snow Mountains from a distance;The route starting from Montelupe in Siracusa was opened for the first time and is the longest, but it undoubtedly provides more choices for the residents of Leithanien, Siracusa and even Laterano.
Culture and society
Although there are personal preferences, the Sami people are basically able to switch between the two modes of Sami language. In addition, although most Sami people are literate, the use of spoken language in daily life should still account for the absolute majority. Poetry, literature, and other forms of written language also existed, but they were far from numerous. Letters are delivered between tribes by people who are engaged in similar professions as messengers, but there are only very few letters between each tribe and the outside world of Sami.
Nature
--What's this?
——It's soda.
——I don't like this "soda", it tastes unnatural.
On the intercity network, the Sami people “don’t like soda” because it “has an unnatural taste.”
The Sami people respect the laws of nature and believe that everything has its time and should not be disturbed. They take from nature what they need, but never more. Their "cultural temperament" is famous in the south, and the stereotyped image of the "Sami people" comes from this. In literature, film and television, the love story between the South and the Sami people with culture shock elements has become a template and has a fixed fan base. However, after all, these works have been modified and processed by romantic imagination, and "it's soda" obviously cannot represent the real situation.
A reminder
However, different Sami people can have huge differences in their interpretation of this rule. I will omit the specific examples here, so readers are aware of this:
When Sami mentions "all things", he is indeed referring to everything he knows - and all of this is part of the "eternal hunt".
The universal way everything works in Sami is the cycle of prey and prey. Through the act of "preying", the spirituality of all things can be exchanged and circulated. Therefore, this act should not be interfered with by human emotions or morality. Generally speaking, understanding and agreeing with this rule is a prerequisite for being called a "Sami". Due to this rule, their attitude towards nature is more pragmatic, and they do not prefer certain trees or beasts as imagined in literature. They do not generally have feelings for non-human things similar to those for people, nor do they have any preferences when using these things.
Tribal migration
Depending on the tribal culture, a tribe may not stay in the same location for very long, or quite the opposite. But the snow priests of all tribes perform divination at least once a month. If they are warned in the divination, migration will begin. Whether it is the result of divination or some kind of pre-existing knowledge, the migration route and destination are determined from the beginning.
In the tribe's settlement, all living facilities are set up around one or more huge tree golems. These tree golems are called "family trees," and the largest and most important of them is called the "master tree." These trees can walk, take root, and help the tribe carry any heavy objects under the control of the Snow Priest.
The Sami people have developed a strict sense of cooperation during this long-term migration life. They were extremely efficient, not only in their work but also in preparing for the move. They have an ancient document called the "Tree Book", which is passed down from generation to generation in the tribe and serves as a guideline for this kind of migration. According to my observation records, under the guidance of the "Tree Book", from the end of the divination ceremony to the departure of the tribe as a whole, it may only take half an hour. It can even be said that the efficiency is higher than that of ordinary nomadic platform switching lines. .
Conclusion: The branches are cold and the stream is quiet
For readers interested in traveling to Sami, I wish you a perfect trip. Although I don't know if it is the "loveliest land", it is indeed a lovely enough land. Please be sure to abide by the resort's rules and do not leave the resort's boundaries. Sami may end up being a remote exotic place or a spectacular tourist destination, and there's nothing wrong with that. The introduction of the internal situation of Sami in this article is indeed to enhance readers’ understanding of the real situation of Sami, but it is not intended to further encourage readers to go to Sami and experience Sami for themselves. Based on personal experience, my attitude towards Sami is very complicated and difficult to explain. But I am convinced that Sami should not be disturbed too much by the outside world. There may be secrets there that are not suitable to be revealed now.
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This is maybe a silly question but it's hindering my ability to draw an accurate climate distribution, so...
Consider the Columbia River basin in the US. The inland rainfall over a significant part of the US mountain west gets funneled into the Columbia River which discharges into the Pacific Ocean.
But it's being funneled by... the terrain, right? All the mountains? Mountains that I thought were supposed to prevent rain from getting there in the first place by forcing moist air up and causing them to dump their moisture as precipitation all over the Pacific seaboard?
How is enough rain getting in the basin in the first place to feed the Columbia watershed? And for that matter, if there is that much water, why is the watershed area itself not very green?
Similar questions about e.g. the Tigris and Euphrates. They're fed by snowmelt from the Armenian Highlands, but I don't understand how that much snow is getting there in the first place given how thick the belt of mountains is in all directions. I would expect the moisture-bearing wind to be stopped before they reached the source of the Tigris and Euphrates - that's what causes the Colchian rainforests, right? Or, if there's so much snowmelt around, why the Armenian Highlands themselves aren't very green.
Something isn't clicking here, to the point that I'm not even sure what question to ask. But basically when I'm drawing my world, there are a bunch of rivers that seem like they have to spawn from snowmelt in large mountainous agglomerations... that... seem like they should block snow from getting there to begin with? How are all mountain ranges not just super dry?
Oh, and monsoons - I understand the concept of the intertropical convergence zone being constantly low pressure and how that causes constant rainfall, and I understand that the ITCZ moving north and south seasonally is what causes the monsoon. But I'm not grasping why the ITCZ moves around. Or more to the point, what kind of landform am I looking for to determine what parts of my world should experience a seasonal monsoon?

Some American geography questions for you:
1: Which US state has the highest percentage of its area covered by mountains? West Virginia
2: The Adirondack Mountains of New York are part of which much larger geographic landform? Canadian Shield
3: Which river is, by water volume, the main stem of the Mississippi River system? Ohio River (or Allegheny River if you go to the source)
4: What is the largest US river by volume that is not part of the Mississippi River system? Columbia River
5: Outside of the Mississippi River and its tributaries, what is the largest river system in the southeastern US? Mobile River
6: Which US states receive the lowest and highest levels of precipitation on average? Nevada and Louisiana
7: Outside of the Great Lakes, what is the largest freshwater lake in the US by area? Lake of the Woods
Tell me how many you got in the comments, and which ones you missed! If you disagree with any of the answers, let me know as well.

As an ecologist and anthropologist there are some things I see repeated and thought some tips might be appreciated
Rivers:

• run from high elevation to low, usually along the least energy path (shortest path in terms of energy cost).
• converge from small streams to larger ones and the angle formed by the intersection of those streams points downhill/downslope.
• may branch in the direction of flow when they meet a lake or sea, forming an estuary or a delta.
• do not connect oceans to oceans.
• lakes and wetlands will have many sources flowing into them, but usually only one exit flow.
• rarely cut across mountain ranges, although this is known to happen when rives are older than the mountains and have been able to downcut faster than the mountains rise (eg. Columbia River and the Cascade Range).
• run according to the substrate they are on and create distinct patterns, this is determined by the bedrock or the sediment over which they flow.
• are slope dependent, they meander in flat terrain and run straight(ish) in steep terrain. ___

Continental Plates (Mountains and Rifts):

• mountains generally form where tectonic plates meet (not a universal and they may mark old boundaries such as the Urals & the Appalachians)
• mountains are often found along the margins of continents (see above); If this is where oceans meet a continent (eg. South America & the Pacific) then it’s likely they will be tall, steep, and will have volcanoes (again, there are exceptions depending on what angle the crustal plates are moving relative to each other); If this is where two continental plates meet (India & Asia) there will be Tall mountains and wide-spread chaotic terrain as a result of the impact (eg. the mountains in Central Asia and southern China)
• some mountains will form in relatively solitary locations (eg. Mt Kenya, Hawaii) but these are generally a result of volcanic activity associated with hotspots (Hawaii) or rifting activity (Kenya).
• rifts are where a continental plate is pulling apart, often there are volcanic mountains and activity as well as land uplift adjacent to the rift even if the rift itself is far below the level of the surrounding terrain (eg. The Great Rift Valley). ___

Islands:

• similar to mountains, islands are often a result of tectonic plates meeting (eg. Japan) or pulling apart (eg. Iceland), this type is often associated with volcanic activity.
• some are a result of isolated hotspot activity (eg. Hawaii & the Galápagos), these often have undersea mountains and sister island chains associated with them.
• Where mountain ranges meet the sea they often continue undersea and have offshore islands associated with them, hence island chains.
• undersea rifting zones form extensive underwater mountain ranges that periodically breach the surface, forming islands (eg. Iceland), again, island chains can be a result of this.
• shallow seas may have islands formed where coral reefs grow toward the surface (eg. The Northern Line Islands, The Maldives). Sea level changes and tectonic activity may raise these above sea level, or drop them under. These islands tend to be round and hollow, or long and skinny, with flat topography, these are usually called ‘atolls’ (note that coral reefs often form around other types of islands, resulting in a combination type of island).
• ocean currents along the shore of a continent (longshore drift) will form low coastal islands comprised of sediment usually called Barrier Islands (eg. the Virginia Barrier Islands & Texas Barrier Islands). Some of these may be peninsulas anchored at their base and stretching out, pointing in the direction of water flow.
• sea level rise (or fall) will also create islands from existing topography (eg. the British Islands, islands in the Baltic Sea, western Indonesia). ___

Climate/Weather:

• on a planet there are bands of warmecooler and wettedryer cells of air that help to determine where certain large scale environments exist (eg. grasslands vs forest). These masses of revolving air are called Hadley Cells they are dependent on the size of the planet, the density of the atmosphere, and the speed of rotation. In general air rises at the equator and falls at the poles, the number of cells in between is determined by that and must be an odd number as a result. Venus has one, Earth has three, and Jupiter has many.
• ocean currents have overpowering effects on the climate at local scales and for local regions that may overpower the effects of the large-scale influences (eg. Europe is kept warm and damp by the Gulf Stream, and direction the persistent winds come from, despite being at the latitude of boreal forest in Canada, Peru and Namibia have dry coasts, but abundant marine life due to cold water from Antarctica flowing north and upwelling).
• mountain ranges have similar overpowering local climate effects, forcing rain on one side of them and casting a dry rain shadow on the other side (eg. the Himalaya wet on the India side, dry on the Tibet side; western Oregon wet, eastern Oregon arid; rain forest in northern Iran at the southern end of the Caspian, dry everywhere else).
• the tilt of your planet and the direction it spins will affect your weather and where ecosystems are found as well. ___

Ecosystems, including forests and vegetation:

• are weather and climate dependent, this means that you need to pay attention to your wind and ocean currents.
• rarely have an abrupt transition and generally do not jump abruptly between types (eg. even if deserts and jungles are found on the same latitude you won’t see them adjacent to each other without a large land feature to provide a barrier).
• as above, the placement of mountains, oceans, inland seas, etc. will make for important regional variation.
• trees in tropical environments tend to have broad crowns, while trees in higher latitudes tend to be straight and narrow (tropical trees are collecting light from above, high latitude trees are collecting light from the sides).
• pocket forests often form in protected areas (bases of mountains) and along river margins (called ‘gallery forest’).
• vegetation tends to grow in clumps and patterns based on available resources and seed distribution rather than distributed evenly across the landscape.
• North-South oriented landmasses (and mountains/barriers) will result in a world with greater biodiversity and more different types of ecosystems than East-West oriented landmasses (and mountains/barriers). This is due to the difference between cutting across climate bands rather than staying within the same climate band. ___

Roads:

• tend to follow the contours of the terrain.
• often stay near sources of water, or make a shortest path between them.
• generally follow the margin of ecotones (changes in environment) if the ecological transition is a major one (eg. follow the edge of a forest rather than cutting although it, although there are always exceptions).
• often have small settlements at intersections or near important resources (water, ford, ferry, etc).
• intersections may point toward the nearest major settlement. ___

Settlements:

• are generally built adjacent to important resources especially transportation resources (rivers junctions, road junctions, fords, good harbors, etc).
• are almost always founded near an easily accessible source of fresh water.
• are almost always adjacent to prime food resources, especially agriculture or fishing.
• small settlements are generally ½ day’s walk from each other.
• large settlements are generally around 1-3 days ride by a fast messenger from each other (potentially several weeks by slow caravan) – this can be highly variable though.
• generally are built on one side or another of a waterway, not equally distributed across both sides (although a satellite settlement is common). ___

Harbors:

• Are built in areas protected from wind and waves (if natural protection is missing then artificial breakwalls will be built). ___

Lastly - It’s your world and rules can be broken, but if you do so you need to have a reason why it breaks the audience’s expectations of how things work.
Resources: NPS: rivers and fluvial systems Geology Café: Rivers, Streams, and Water Underground Geology IN: Types of Drainage Patterns Lumen: The Theory of Plate Tectonics N. Carolina Climate Office: General Circulation of the Atmosphere Higgins Storm Chasin: What is a Rain Shadow USC.edu: Ocean Currents and Climate EstrellaMountain.edu: Ecosystem and Community Dynamics Alexander 1977 A Pattern Language- Towns, Buildings, Construction - PDF link.

Weekly Summary (Apr 14 - Apr 20, 2017)
UNRESOLVED MYSTERIES
Edit: Thank you so much for gold! ☺ This is the best. 😄
Hi guys, hope you're enjoying the month. I can't believe April is almost over, time sure flies! This sub had some great write-ups this week. Thank you for all the helpful and constructive comments. Let me know if you find any mistakes, or you have any feedback. Stay safe. ✌ ❤
Last week's summary April 6 - April 13, 2017
UPDATES

• February 5, 2013 - Kelsie J. Schelling (21) disappeared from Pueblo, Colorado (US). Kelsie was a college student in Denver, who had recently found out she was pregnant. Kelsie seemed hopeful that the baby could help cement her rocky relationship with her boyfriend, Donthe Isiah Lucas. After confirming her expectancy with an ultrasound, Donthe asked Kelsie to meet him at a Walmart parking lot in a nearby city. Kelsie made the two-hour drive, but Donthe failed to show up at the store. After texting him multiple times, Kelsie vanished. Donthe's actions after her disappearance were... What happened to Kelsie? (UPDATE): Investigators have found potential evidence at... Do you think Donthe's guilty?
  
• November 3, 2015 - Harold Backer (53) disappeared from Port Angeles, Washington (US). Harold was once an Olympic rower, but most recently had a career as an investment adviser on Vancouver Island, British Columbia (Canada). On the day he vanished, Harold told his wife he was going on a bike ride. Harold never returned. After his disappearance, his clients came forward stating that they had received letters from Harold saying that he lost their investments and savings. (UPDATE): Harold Backer turned himself into the Victoria, B.C. (Canada) police department What happened?
  
• December 13, 2015 - Myra Alissia Freeman (17) disappeared from Highland Home, Alabama (US). Myra vanished after she had told her mother she'd be taking out the trash. Myra never returned that day. Myra's family found out later that she had two secret cell phones, and spent a lot of time in online chat rooms and on a messaging app Kik. Law enforcement believes Myra may have met someone online, and ran away with them. Her parents have not... Where's Myra? (UPDATE): Myra has communicated with her parents, and she'll be reuniting with them soon. Law enforcement plan on doing a welfare check. What happened to Myra?
  

THE MISSING

• April 8, 1969 – April Fabb (13) disappeared between the villages of Metton and Roughton in Norfolk (England). April vanished while she was riding her bike to her sister’s home. She had planned to deliver a gift to her brother-in-law. April’s bike was found abandoned in a nearby field. Police have found no… What happened to April?
  
• June 2, 1971 – Douglas C. Chapman (3) disappeared from Alfred, Maine (US). Douglas vanished outside his home after his mother left him briefly unattended to use the phone. Law enforcement and hundreds of volunteers searched the area surrounding his home, believing that the child may have wandered off by himself. However, there was no sign of Douglas. Douglas’s father believes he was taken in a vehicle.. Where is Douglas?
  
• January 31, 1976 - Marie Elizabeth Spannhake (19) disappeared from Chico, California (US). Marie had recently moved to California and worked as a model at a camera shop. On the day she went missing, she had an argument with her boyfriend and took off walking alone in an unfamiliar area. Marie vanished. Law enforcement believes that she may have been kidnapped and murdered by… What happened to Marie?
  
• April 25, 1988 – Elizabeth Campbell (20) disappeared from Copperas Cove, Texas (US). On the day she vanished, Elizabeth had visited her boyfriend at his home in Killeen, which was 30 miles away from her parent’s home. The two ended up getting into an argument, and Elizabeth then found a ride to a 7-11 in Copperas Cove. She called her parents and boyfriend, but her parents could not reach their phone in time, and her boyfriend refused to drive her home. Elizabeth walked out of the store to use the payphone outside and then disappeared The Trail Went Cold
  
• February 4, 1990 - Deborah Deann Poe (26) disappeared from Orlando, Florida (US). Deborah was an ambitious young woman who hoped to start her own catering business; she even worked two jobs to make ends meet. During the day she worked in sales at the newspaper, and at nights she worked as a clerk at the convenience store Circle K. On the day of her disappearance, Deborah drove to her shift at Circle K and started her evening like any other usual night. Her boyfriend and customers reported seeing her early in the evening, but between the hours of 3:15-3:30 am... What happened to Deborah?
  
• June 16, 1990 - Trevaline Evans (52) disappeared from Llangollen, Denbighshire (Wales). Trevaline was an antique dealer, who ran a small shop. On the afternoon of her disappearance, Trevaline left the store to grab a quick snack across the street. She placed a note on the door that said, "Back in 2 minutes." A witness confirmed she had bought two pieces of fruit at a nearby shop, and appeared to be returning to her store. Trevaline vanished that afternoon. According to customers and friends that had visited the store that day, Trevaline was in high spirits. What happened to Trevaline?
  
• January 5, 2005 – Norvice Landon (39) disappeared from Chicago, Illinois (US). Norvice was the father of three children and the owner of two small businesses. Before he vanished, Norvice was going through a difficult period in his life. He was in the process of divorcing his wife and experiencing troubles in his businesses. Three months after he disappeared, Norvice’s truck was found in a parking lot at an airport in Chicago. His family does not believe he’d leave without letting anyone know. Missing and Forgotten
  
• July 20, 2005 – Stacy Ann Aragon (28) and Steven B. Bishop disappeared from Gilbert, Arizona (US). Stacy was a caring woman with a contagious laugh. She had recently gone through some tragic circumstances before her disappearance and had lost anywhere from 75-100 lbs (AZ Central). Stacy and her boyfriend Steven were last seen at her aunt’s home. Steven had recently been released from prison for aggravated assault. Law enforcement found Stacy’s abandoned vehicle in a remote area near Lake Pleasant, Arizona. Stacy’s family does not believe she would willingly leave her children. Where are Stacy and Steven?
  
• March 2, 2010 - Russell Bohling (18) disappeared from Bempton, East Riding of Yorkshire (England). Russell was attending a trade school for bricklaying and had planned to open up his own business. On the day Russel vanished, he was last seen leaving home to go to school. Later that day his car was found parked near a former air force bunker. Someone had paid for a full day’s parking for his vehicle, but there was no sign of Russell anywhere. Where is Russell?
  
• June 24, 2010 - William "Bill" Ewasko (65) disappeared from Joshua Tree National Park, in California (US). Bill lived in Marietta, Georgia but traveled to the park every year. He enjoyed hiking and seemed to welcome adventure. The day before Bill vanished, Bill had arrived in California and rented a car to travel to the park. On the day he disappeared, Bill called his girlfriend and gave her his itinerary for the day. He told her that he'd call her later, but this was the last time she'd ever hear his... What happened to Bill?
  
• August 8, 2010 - Ben McDaniel (30) disappeared from Ponce de Leon, Florida (US). Ben was a gifted man with an unflinching sense of adventure. He had recently experienced some setbacks, and with the blessing of his family decided to take a sabbatical in Florida. While he was in Florida, Ben pursued his scuba diving passion and made use of the geographical landforms to explore underground caves in his area. Although these dives were considered dangerous, Ben remain undeterred. What happened to Ben?
  
• July 25, 2015 - Diamond Bynum (21) and King Rajan Walker (2) disappeared from Gary, Indiana (US). Diamond and King had recently moved to Gary from the nearby city of Hammond. Diamond is mentally challenged due to a rare genetic disorder that also causes overeating and behavioral problems. On the day they disappeared, the two vanished when a family member who was supervising them fell asleep [NBC News]. Diamond enjoyed taking walks around the neighborhood, but would often get lost... Where are Diamond and King?
  
• November 20, 2015 - Rory Johnson-Hatfield (29) disappeared from York, North Yorkshire (England). Rory lived in the town of Skipton but had traveled to York to visit a friend. He was described as a social and friendly individual with a great sense of humor. On the night he disappeared, Rory had gone to a pub with his friend and then returned to his hotel (BBC News). Rather than staying in for the evening, Rory decided to visit another pub with a guest he had met at the hotel. What happened to Rory?
  
• August 11, 2016 - Loy Vannapho (75) disappeared from Richland, Washington (US). Loy had a highly routine life but also suffered from some health issues. He was last seen dropping his wife off at her work at a restaurant. Loy was supposed to return later to pick her up but never showed. When his family tried to reach him on his cell phone, it went straight to voicemail. The day after he vanished, law enforcement found his truck, and there was a small pool of blood... What happened to Loy?
  

UNRESOLVED (& UNUSUAL) DEATHS

• June 9, 1912 – A crazed ax murderer butchered a prominent family in the town of Villisca, Iowa (US). The Moores’ were well known and liked in their small community. The family consisted of husband Josiah, his wife Sarah and their four children. On this particular summer day, the family arrived home from church with two guests, who were friends of their children. Who killed this family and these kids?
  
• July 8, 1917 – Tom Thomson (39) disappeared from Algonquin Park, Ontario (Canada). Tom was an artist, who was greatly inspired by the Ontario wilderness. On the day he vanished, Tom planned to canoe in the outdoors and to do some sketching. Tom never returned from his trip, and his body was found a week after he went missing. There are many theories as to what happened to Tom in the lake that day... What happened to Tom Thomson?
  
• November 17, 1978 – Jayne Friedt (20), Ruth Shelton (17), Daniel Davis (16) and Mark Flemmonds (16) disappeared from Speedway, Indiana (US). The four young people worked at Burger Chef, a fast food restaurant. They were closing up for the night when law enforcement speculated that multiple individuals entered the establishment and attempted to rob the restaurant. Police believe something went wrong during the robbery, and the employees were then kidnapped and driven to a secluded area where they were killed. The bodies of the four were found in… What happened at Burger Chef?
  
• April 7, 1992 - Evandro Ramos Caetano (6) disappeared from Guaratuba, Paraná (Brazil). Evandro was a happy boy, who was well known and liked in his town. He attended school in the afternoons, so his mother took him with her to work in the mornings and then would drop him off later in the day. On the day he vanished, Evandro had asked his mother if he could walk home alone to eat something before class. She agreed to let him go, and this was the last time she'd see him alive. Days later police found his mutilated body in a bush and they believed he was murdered in some... What happened to Evandro?
  
• April 20, 1992 - Cindy Halliday (17) disappeared from Barrie, Ontario (Canada). Cindy was a caring and trusting individual, who loved working with children. She was last seen visiting a friend at a halfway house. Cindy and her siblings would frequently hitchhike with no problems. A witness believes they saw her getting into a stranger's light colored Dodge Diplomat or Chrysler LeBaron. Her remains were found a month later along on Hwy. 27 in Midhurst (Brampton Guardian). What happened to Cindy?
  
• Spring 2003 - Maggie Wigen (19) disappeared from Tenakee Springs, Alaska (US). Maggie was an independent young woman, who had rented out a cabin alone in a small town in Alaska. She had hoped to become a wildlife biologist and even volunteered at a bear research project. Months before her disappearance, a friend of Maggie's had walked into her home and saw what looked like Maggie being sexually assaulted by her neighbor while she was telling him to stop. The neighbor insisted that no rape had occurred, and apparently the issue was dropped (Juneau Empire). Maggie ended up disappearing shortly after this incident. Her body was found 50 feet from her cabin. There have been cracks in the investigation. Will Maggie and her family get justice?
  
• March 24, 2012 - Molly Young (21) was found shot and killed in Carbondale, Illinois (US). Molly was an aspiring artist, described as kind and compassionate. Molly was spending the evening at home when her ex-boyfriend Richie Minton texted her begging for help. Richie had spent the night out drinking with friends, but a concerned Molly rushed over to his home. Hours later Molly was found shot in the... What happened to Molly?
  
• February 12, 2014 - Pravin Varughese (19) disappeared from Carbondale, Illinois (US). Pravin was a student at Southern Illinois University majoring in Criminal Justice. On the night of his disappearance, Pravin attended a party and was seen leaving at 11 pm. After the party, he had a disagreement with someone who had offered him a ride home that night. Pravin was last seen walking into a wooded area. Days later his body was found in the vicinity. Many have been critical of law enforcement for failing to... When will Pravin's family get answers?
  
• August 16, 2015 – Taylor Samson (22) disappeared from Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada). He was last seen at his home the night before he vanished. Taylor was a college student, who also sold pot on the side to make extra money. Before he went missing, another student, William Michael Sanderson, contacted Taylor and asked if he could buy a large quantity of marijuana. It is believed that Taylor met up with William and was killed during their confrontation. However, there are still many unanswered questions in this case… Where is Taylor Samson’s body?
  
• October 15, 2016 - Katherine "Kétie" Jones (26) was found shot and killed in Charlotte, North Carolina (US). By all accounts, Kétie was a generous person, who was well loved by her friends and family. She lived a modest life and worked as a hostess at a local restaurant, where she walked to and from work. On the night she was killed, Kétie declined a ride home from friends and decided to walk the short distance by herself. She had nearly reached her destination when... Why would someone target Kétie?
  

BIZARRE, PARANORMAL, & UFOs

• March 1954 - Seattle Mass Hysteria - The community of Bellingham, Washington (US) had never seen anything quite like this, something was hitting their windshields and dinging their cars at an alarming rate. Many speculated that it could be some top secret government project, others thought it was a group of local hoodlums with a bb gun, and some thought it was some insect... What was occurring in Bellingham?
  
• 2016 - Erratas (Eratas) –Erratas is a computer algorithm which can be used to avoid certain kinds of detection. An algorithm is a series of actions or steps, which allow a computer program to perform a task. Apparently, Erratas is used by major corporations throughout the world, who go to great lengths to make sure that there is no identifiable link between their business and this particular algorithm (The “Erratas” Mystery). These rumors about Erratas picked up steam on 4chan; users have even investigated them and claim there is some truth. What do you think?
  

HISTORICAL MYSTERIES

• 19th century – The Rohonc Codex is “an illustrated manuscript book by an unknown author, with a text in an unknown language and writing system” [Wikipedia]. The book was found in Hungary and has fascinated academics due to its usage of Christian symbols and Islamic iconography. Historicalblindness examines the mysteries around this manuscript and provides a link to his new podcast that tackles some of the biggest questions What are your thoughts?

THE ACCUSED

• 1974-1975 The Visalia Ransacker is “an unidentified serial burglar who operated in Visalia, California” (US) throughout the mid-1970s (Wikipedia). His early robberies often went under the media's radar due to the nonviolent nature of the crime. However, this pattern ended abruptly on an autumn night in 1975. On this particular evening, a homeowner woke up to strange sounds outside his bedroom, which caused him to get up and investigate quickly. He found a masked intruder attempting to abduct his teenage daughter and immediately tried to intervene in her defense, but he was shot in the process. Who was this intruder? Could he be responsible for more crimes in California?
  
• 1979 - 1986 The East Area Rapist (Original Night Stalker) – “an unidentified serial killer and rapist who committed 50 rapes in Northern California and murdered twelve people in Southern California” (Wikipedia). He is believed to have started his crime spree as the Visalia Ransacker. The East Area Rapist seemed to carefully select his victims, finding out information like their home phone numbers. He would then place calls to their home before and after the crime. Nerdfather1 does an excellent job of detailing the crimes… Do you believe police will ever determine the identity of the East Area Rapist?
  

ARTICLES & OTHER STUFF

• November 17, 1969 - Netflix docuseries to revisit Baltimore cold case: Sister Cathy Ann Cesnik (26) disappeared in Baltimore, Maryland. Sister Cathy worked at an all girls, Catholic preparatory school. Her body was found months later... What do you think about this new docuseries?
  
• 2016 - present - The Missing People Choir - The group is made up of the families and friends of people who have disappeared. They were brought together by the organization and charity Missing People (Missing People). The choir has attracted media attention for their performance on Britain's Got Talent. They hope to raise money for their charity, but also bring awareness to the suffering of the families that are left behind. Missing People Choir
  
• April 2017 - "Program to identify dead and missing across the US put on hold" - The University of North Texas Center for Human Identification will no longer be able to accept DNA samples from other states due to a recent cut in their federal grant. In the past, the lab had provided free services through the National Institute of Justice, but the federal government will be cutting funds to provide more funding to the processing of rape kits. Discuss
  

ASK THE SLEUTHS

• Missing cases you never hear about Discuss
  
• Have they identified any serial killers after they got murdered? Discuss
  
• Are there any cases where police/prosecutors believe they know who committed a crime but don't have enough evidence to bring them to trial? Discuss
  
• Need help remembering one of the internet's first atrocities. Discuss
  
• "Unidentified dead people" Discuss
  
• "Which mystery were you happiest to see solved?" Discuss
  
• How many disappearances are voluntary? Discuss
  
• Share your theories on any famous mystery Discuss
  
• Which cases did you think would never get solved, but have since been solved? Discuss
  
• Which cases were solved by pure chance/luck? Discuss
  
• Why is it taking so long to identify Kara Kopetski? Discuss
  
• What unsolved cases/disappearances are you most drawn to Discuss
  
• Do you regret looking into any cases? Discuss
  
• St. Louis Jane Doe: Possible to use technology to reconstruct her face? Discuss
  
• Deaths/Disappearances linked to black market organ trade? Discuss
  
• If you could ask any living suspect, witness, or victim of a mystery any question, who/what would you ask? Discuss
  
• "[Meta] Anyone else sick of murders and kidnappings?" Discuss
  
• "Have there ever been any serial killers that specifically targeted men?" Discuss
  
• "Looking for cases about missing persons who legally disappeared/deceased as a child, but years later turned out to be living under a different name/identity?" Discuss
  
• "Why did Aaron Hernandez kill Odin Lloyd?" Discuss
  
• "How long have you been following unresolved mysteries?" Discuss
  

REFERENCES

• “10 years later, family seeks missing Phoenix woman.” AZCentral
  
• "25 years later: Life continues for mom with Cindy always on her mind." Brampton Guardian.
  
• "Rory Johnson-Hatfield disappearance has 'destroyed family'." BBC News.
  
• The Charley Project
  
• The “Erratas” Mystery
  
• The Missing People Choir
  
• "Troopers arrest suspect in Maggie Wigen case: Alleged killer also faces sexual assault and theft charges." Juneau Empire.
  
• Unresolved Mysteries
  
• Wikipedia
  
• "Witness testifies Maggie Wigen was raped before she was killed: DA hopes to rest case Monday after medical examiner's testimony." Juneau Empire.
  
• "Year Passes Since Disappearance of Diamond Bynum and King Walker, No Answers." NBC News.