A bed of interwoven branches was held under water by 2 weights. Attached to this bed was a series of ropes, that would raise the bed out or the water.
Fifty yards out to sea. Eight swimmers kicked their feet as they lay on their back. Each holing a branch down in the water. one in each hand. The branches reached down in the water about 7 feet.

As the swimmers grew closer to the shore and decreased the spacing between them. Schools of fish were concentrating themselves ready to be scooped up by the waiting bed. Today the catch would be a good one.

This is one of the coastal village of the Muati people.

The Muati people, a community of people around five thousand strong live and hunt this land. The northern land rose up to mountains. A wide forested area and then around 20KM of flat land reached out to the sea. They lived in groups of 75 to 150 spread out to different villages. Coastal groups fished and made jewellery from shells. Those on the plains farmed or hunted. Some areas collected fruits for some reason only grew in one area of their land.

A network of paths linked the groups together. Though mostly these pathways were used by a group called the movers. They would travel from the mountain to several areas of the coast. At each village they would be well catered to by the people of the village. From the mountains they brought various type of rock meat and animal skins to all the other villages. In return each village treated the movers as part of the village. No form of currency was used in this network of villages.

Their was no leader. Decisions were made by each village and then represented at a meeting of all villages. One person was chosen from each village to speak their opinion. Or the opinion of the village and then their own view. Sometimes these views contradicted each other. But the speaker always told the opinion of the village as a whole.

Arrows with bone metal and stone tips were all used. Spears up 12 feet with a throwing tool to increase speed and distance the spears went. A large village sat at the borders of their land. Beyond the borders on the east of the land was dessert. On the west the mountain extended out to sea for a 100 yards or so. It did taper lower as it reached the sea.

Strategically placed on a flattened piece of the mountain were it reached the shore. A look out station more than a village was placed. This was the smallest village in the community and hosted around 50 people. Each person at the look out was from a different village, They would rotate lookout duties between members of a village. Each would take 4 days in rotation and perform their lookout function.

Buildings to the most part were basic. Stone was used as high winds would blow away any structure without weight. Animal skin was used for a roof. The skin would be held High by two or three poles inside the walls. The skin would be stretched across the reach the brickwork wall. Then another two layers of stone work would be placed atop. They would stop the high winds from taking the roof away.

A well organised group of groups. An agreed on way of living that evolves with consideration for others in the groups. It is far from utopia. Those who break the rules are exiled. The choice is the desert or the sea. Fifteen names appear on the list of exiles from over 100 generations.

Outside of the Muati people. The planet held many or nations. For the most part the Muati were isolated from other regions. Mountains desert and sea surrounded them. The stories of past do tell of a time when others came and tried to take the land away from the Muati. The Muati people prayed to their God for help to defeat their enemies crossing the desert.

One exile had made it across the desert and told of the Muati lands. The metal ores from the mountains the herds of wild beast that roam. the fruit and other crops grown. The abundance of fish that can be found along the shore.

The Muati people defended themselves from the desert with spears and bows. While they were excellent hunters, The aim against men on horseback was not so good. But they were able to keep them at bay. This had a high cost of materials for weapons. Spears and arrows that cannot be reused. Unless collected. Their stockpile was starting to run low. They were using spears faster than they could make them.

Then their God answered their prayers. No cloud cover for over a week. The scorching heat of the desert was too much to attack in. It was draining the water supply of those attacking. The attackers left in a position to attack win or lose. Or retreat and live.

They left and the Muati people had a feast to honour their God.