Worldbuilding Unit
The worldbuilding unit for the English class at Freestyle was one of my favorite units I have ever taken in high school. We were given much freedom to create any world and story we wanted. With such an open ended structure, I was excited and worked hard to make my worldbuilding project as deep and extensive as possible. Working along with 2 partners, we developed a worldbuilding project I had been working on for the past year already; Tank Monkeys.
Tank Monkeys
Tank Monkeys takes place on Terah, a world very similar to Earth where humanoid mammals such as dogs, cats, bears, and of course, monkeys have replaced humans, creating diverse societies and nations rich with culture and history. The monkeys were the smartest since the beginning, creating advanced technology far ahead of the other species. Abusing their technology, monkeys would often attack other species for their resources, resulting in the birth of the rivalry between monkeys and cats, resulting in countless wars over land and resources. Many other nations were dragged into their petty wars, creating complex political dynamics between the nations of Terah.
The Eastern Alliance (consisting of the Monkey and Dog nations) faced off against the Fascist Feline Regime during the 7th Great War. Although throughout history the cats and monkeys had been evenly matched, this time it was different. The combination of corrupt and greedy monkey politicians against the exceptional Feline Reich military led by King Leo V led to the defeat of the Eastern Alliance. Although all monkeys desperately fought till the very end, their military was completely wiped out, and the systematic extermination of all monkeys began. Most adult male monkeys were killed fighting to defend their nation, while the women and children were rounded up to be exterminated. In only a year, 8 million monkeys had been wiped out, with only a few hundred left alive.
Logan
That brings us to our story, about Logan, a soldier who must learn to accept responsibility and face his fears. During the great war, Logan was a Tank Commander, surviving till the end of the war. But when he knew defeat was inevitable, he ran away in his tank rather than staying to fight. He’d grow to regret that decision for the rest of his life, leaving everything he knew behind to be burned and destroyed.
Story Overview
The story begins when Logan discovers 3 young monkeys, Churchill the kind Gorilla, Mikey the energetic Capuchin, and Kage the rebellious Chimpanzee, surviving by themselves in the wilderness. Logan is shocked yet glad to see other monkeys for the first time in over 13 years, but the young monkeys explain to Logan that they are running from the Crusaders, a group of religious Lion warriors loyal to the Feline Reich who have been slowly hunting down and killing all monkeys that were left alive. They explained that they were on a journey to the Eastern Sanctuary, a supposed safe haven for all monkeys that have survived the war. Reluctantly, Logan offers to help them in their perilous journey the Eastern sanctuary by driving them there in his tank. The trip will take months, but Logan is determined to help these young monkeys achieve their dream and live in a safe environment.
Presentation Recording
My group and I presented our worldbuilding project through a presentation, seen in this recording here: