Welcome to Eudaimon
Many generations ago, the world as we know it was destroyed. A lethal plague, a devastating series of wars, and the greed of power-hungry men ravaged humanity, but the biggest threat of all had been lurking overhead. The sun expanded rapidly beyond its bounds, transforming the world into desert. As humanity scrambled to save itself, four cities grew from the wreck, designed to withstand the harsh new environment.
Only three remain.​
The events of The Voice and the Silence series take place in the third surviving city, Eudaimon. Built to both satisfy and control the needs of its inhabitants, Eudaimon is a city of opposites, at once a place of blinding light and underground darkness, excess and ascetism, unrestrained pleasure and growing dissatisfaction and privation. In a quest to maximize the potential and happiness of each individual, the founders designed the city with four parts, each with a unique purpose. But as the desert expands and the demands of the populace grow, Eudaimon is struggling to live up to all of its promises.
Because in a city built on contradictions, ​things are never quite what they appear — ​and they might just be about to explode.
The Inner City
The more desperate the straits, the bigger the party...
The majority of the population lives in the inner city, housed in towering megaplexes that shelter them from the harsh environment. It is a highly stratified society, where an individual's social score determines their privileges. Once admitted as a citizen, a chip is implanted in the lucky individual's left wrist, giving them access to the credits and benefits that their score provides.
In accordance with the city's utilitarian philosophy, every individual is taught to relentlessly pursue their own happiness. Because no one wants to focus on the fact that the world could end tomorrow, immediate gratification is prized. To this end, quickly consumable media is highly available, and the city never sleeps.
While this might give the appearance of chaos, nothing could be further from the truth. Underneath the glittering, bustling facade are ironclad rules that cannot be broken, enforced by robotic City Eyes and the feared trackers. While there is little social stigma against many things, forcing your own morality and worldview upon someone else or claiming their superiority are criminally punishable offenses.
The Anchorage
​Hunger is a feast. Poverty is riches. Servitude is freedom...
Not everyone is content to live only for themselves. Some crave a larger purpose for their lives. So Hiram Absalon, the son of Eudaimon's founder, created the anchorage, a secluded religious community lying at the desert's edge.
Every resident of the city takes an evaluation when they reach the age of seven to determine where they fit best into society. Those who demonstrate altruistic or pious tendencies are given to the anchorage. Upon arrival, they undergo another evaluation to determine what temptations they are prone to. Males are trained to be priests at an undisclosed location, though very few survive the final test. Females remain in the anchorage and train to be balance keepers, so named because their ascetic lifestyle and acts of penances are meant to balance out the inner city's hedonism. If a keeper demonstrates enough ability, she can attain the highly coveted rank of matron, giving herself some authority and influence. Ultimate power, however, rests with the examiner. With his authority to declare judgment and enforce discipline — as well as his rumored talent of searching out all sin — he is feared by all.
The Badlands
Eat or be eaten...
The badlands formed when the city governance relocated all of Eudaimon's inhabitants into the inner city, as it was a smaller, more compact area to maintain (and control). Surrounding the inner city on most sides, the area has largely fallen into disrepair, filled with crumbling infrastructure, outdated technology, and, for some residents, the remnants of an older way of life.
The population varies greatly depending on proximity to the inner city. The outskirts, which lie closest, are the safest and most stable section, populated by those who desire more freedom from the city's jurisdiction or who have been cast out for debts or exceptionally low social scores. Further out, the badlands are infested by criminal gangs, pockets of rebels, and clans of scavengers — some of whom are rumored to be cannibals.
Unofficially operating outside the rule of law, the area is considered highly dangerous and is generally feared and avoided by both the inhabitants of the inner city and of the anchorage.
The Wastelands
There is nothing left...
The wastelands are the no man’s land stretching between the three cities. With the vast majority of ground water dried up or diverted and large swaths of the world transformed into desert, survival there is nigh impossible. Now considered devoid of human life, it was briefly the domain of those barred from entering the cities upon their creation — ​those who were suffering from the festering plague or who were for various reasons considered undesirable. If any pockets of humanity remain, they are largely unknown. However, traces of roads, buildings, and cities can still be found under the shifting sands.
Very few willingly enter the wastelands and access is strictly controlled. It's a dry and dangerous environment, rumored to be populated by fierce creatures. Those who are city property (by reason of debts, purges, or egregious crimes) are forced to work in the wastelands digging solar wells. For the bold, desperate, and brave, there are caravan trade routes that run between the cities to exchange supplies. Groups of scavengers will also undertake supply runs, and because of the desperate need, their unofficial gate is always open.