Setting

Die Young is set on a fictional island in the Mediterranean Sea (somewhere in Turkish territorial waters, probably in the Aegean Sea).

Geography

The size of the island is relatively small (approximately 7 km²). Geologically is characterized by limestone formations, with high cliffs, rocky hills, natural stone pillars and caves. Water on the surface is not abundant, especially in the southern area of the island: most of the rivers are dried and edible water is usually found in small natural springs. However, there are three main waterfalls located in The Mountain Pass, The Stone Pillars and Monumental Tombs. The latter creates a river dividing the Old Mines and The Military Post. There's also a swampy area between The Stone Pillars and the Old Mines.

Flora & Fauna

The flora of the island is typical of the Mediterranean region, characterized by scrublands and evergreen forests. The southern area is a garigue with dry soil and wild grass; most of the trees are pines, witch cover a large area of the game (The Pinewood). Other areas are covered with evergreen oaks, like the thicket that gives name to one location (The Holm Oak Thicket). A beautiful field of wild sunflowers grows near the Temple Ruins in the south. In the swampy area north of The High Tower wild reeds flourish abundantly (The Canebrake). Finally, the northern area of the island is, again, a scrubland with scarce presence of trees, mostly due to human activities.

Some of the wild plants that grow on the island can be collected by Daphne and used to craft health remedies or special recipes. These are Curry Plant, Lavender, Pot Marigold, Comfrey, Belladonna and Ephedra (along with the Fly Agaric mushroom).

Large areas of the island are also used for cultivation by the Community. In the southern region there's an Olive Grove, west to the High Tower there's a an Apricot Orchard, and the Hollow Fields are largely covered with canola crops.

As for the fauna, the island host several wild species. The most common are goats, foxes and rabbits, easily found throughout the island. More rare are wolves and boars. In the southern region there are also several stray rottweilers; this breed is not indigenous, and their presence in the area is due to a special breeding process to select the best specimens for training in the Militia, according to the Dog Breeding Report.

Vipers are also present on the island, often crawling among tall grass and plants. As for birds, crows can be seen all around the island (often near dead bodies or carcasses), while seagulls are more common near the coast. Birds of prey (or Raptors) are also likely to be found in some areas of the island, especially in the higher altitudes.

In addition to wild animals, you may also see small flocks of sheep in Hollow Fields and around the area of The Temple of Hope.

History

The island has numerous ancient ruins and relics that date back to the classical era. The rock-cut tombs remind of the Lycian necropolis of Myra, which date to the 4th century BC. There are also ruins resembling ancient Greek monuments, like the Tholos of Delphi (Temple Ruins) or the Parthenon (The Temple of Hope). Other artifacts of the same era, like the Ancient Idols (which are dated around the 3rd Century BC in one document of the Prologue), confirm that the island was a flourish colony mixing Greek and Turkish ancient culture.

On the island there are also several evidences of its medieval period under the Turkish empire. Watchtower near the coast were common at the time to spot enemies' ships from afar, and The Watchtower, The Coastal Tower and The High Tower found on the island are perfect examples of these kind of structures.

In the modern era, the island has been under the Turkish jurisdiction. According to The Collector, people lived peacefully in a small village until the Community was established on the island. That happened shortly after the Turkish coup d'etat in 1980, when Brother Number 1 reached a deal with the new government to run his personal utopian community on the island. The deal included several illegal activities to be handled by the Brothers, one of them being the managing of a labor camp for political prisoners.

An earthquake in 1986 forced the Brothers to chase any mining activities on the island. According to the document "Report: Underground Temple", mining was the main source of income for the Community until that time. After the incident, the workforce of the prisoners was redirected towards artifacts recovery from the ancient site of the island (for smuggling of antiquities) and, in most recent time, to drug production (for drug trafficking).