Outskirts

The outskirts of Anchor Rock are the parts of the town that are objectively the most peripheral and arguably most central to the community's existence and identity. Farmland lies in verdant ribbons in the lower parts of little valleys with pastures in the hills above, dotted with livestock and more and more stone the further you climb towards the mountains proper.

Even in the closeness of the old forest, with trees surrounding you on every side, you can't help but feel as if the whole world is unfolding out before you. From some of the overlooks, you can look back towards home and see the whole of Anchor Rock spread out, little roads and paths and buildings like children's toys sitting in the palm of the land that enfolds it. The people that live here, out on the edges, might seem like hermits at first (and some have their reasons for wanting to be left alone), but more often than not you'll find a farmhouse with a light on in the window and a friendly face inside, who will surely smile if you approach. After all, you've come all the way from town—never mind that the journey isn't all that long.

A little way outside the boundaries of Anchor Rock but marked into the town by the path off into the woods that leads to it, the Abandoned Quarry is a microcosm of the wilderness that surrounds Anchor Rock. From here, you can see miles and miles away down the mountains and countless orders of magnitude further into the night sky. Unless someone's come here for the views, though, you're likely to be alone.

One of the many farms and ranches surrounding Anchor Rock, the Zhao family farm has been producing Anchor Rock’s highest-quality eggs for three generations now. Set at a distance from town, not many save the farm’s owners themselves and the scores of chickens they raise find themselves wandering its sunny runs. On the rare occasions where Deanna is not out making deliveries, she’s sure to be found here, a hen on her hip as she hurries about the farmhouse.

Anchor Rock's train station is perhaps its most advanced piece of infrastructure. Though it's still fairly simple - just one platform, a little wooden house for shelter, and a length of track that winds off around the foothills that must have been laid decades ago, it's only in contention with the dirt tracks that connect the village to the mountainside farms that feed it.

The train only comes once a week, so the station is all but abandoned the rest of the time. It's a nice spot to hang out and not too far from the village proper, so it's not all too unusual to find some of the local youths here the rest of the week. For the most part, though, you'd only come here if you were looking to catch a train.