First thing: I will not explain where the name came from. I haven’t a single clue where I came up with that. Apparently there’s a London borough of the same name, though, but neither that nor horses have anything to do with the island Hackney.
So, Hackney is an island on the planet Mintop. It’s divided into a west and east half. The west half has the village of Nottle and a volcano called Mt. Chiphus, and the east half features Gelago City, Reptibia Rainforest, and an old manor that is unkempt and overgrown but with a manor house that is kept fairly clean by its residents, the ghostly spiest (hence its title of Spiest Manor).
Nottle is the primary village of slube residency. It’s located on the western peninsula, with the east edge made of mostly fruit farms. It’s a peaceful village where nature and working together are valued—there is no official economy, as instead cleeple simply take what they need—the village being so small that everyone knows each other, and anyone who would try to take advantage of others are generally ostracized out of the village.
Nottle does have a leader, though, referred to as a merag, whose power generally extends through the rest of west Hackney. As of Slubes, the current meragis Merag Caleco, who is also Cherry’s father.
Mt. Chiphus is generally considered to be an extinct volcano. However, during Slubes something happens to it…
Gelago City is a city in the middle of east Hackney. It’s inhabited by several different species and is somewhat more advanced than Nottle, adapting some technology from further and wider shores. The economy used a barter system for the longest time, and though many smaller shops still use bartering, currency has been introduced for larger businesses.
Gelago City’s leader is titled a merag, whose power extends through East Hackney, although this probably isn’t true for Spiest Manor, and Reptibia Rainforest is difficult to tame. As of Slubes, the current merag is Merag Chuck, a stroo and old friend of Mayor Caleco.
Reptibia Rainforest is a rainforest taking up most of the south and southwest side of East Hackney. Though some wild animals can be found, most are timid compared to the wild plants that overgrow in the area. Some plants can be found nowhere else on the planet, and that is a good thing. Unlike the golden color of most trees on Mintop, trees in Reptibia Rainforest are a pale silver.
Spiest Manor is an unkempt plot of land surrounded by a small forest. The manor itself is overgrown with wild grasses and shrubs with but a few bent and broken trees. The manor house at the center of it is well-kept, though, presumably by the spiest that inhabit it. Few dare to tread there—both for fear of the spiest and difficulty in getting through the surrounding land.
These two halves of Hackney are divided by a river. It seems to originate near the center from well springs and flows out to the north and south.
Duth Olec's Cuckoo Cosmos 