Mappys

Mappys are a fictional species introduced in contemporary speculative fiction and interactive media. They are depicted as map-loving humanoids who inhabit a world where geography and navigation hold social significance.

The name derives from map, with the in-world diminutive suffix -y, signaling a being associated with maps. Most depictions describe Mappys as about the height of a child or small adult, with parchment-like skin bearing ink-like markings that shift to reflect orientation. Their eyes resemble tiny compasses, and they move with a careful, methodical gait.

They occupy regions known as maplands or cartographic archipelagos, places where landscapes rearrange themselves and routes are fluid. Mappys organize in cartography-focused communities, maintain public libraries of routes, and practice collaborative map-making. Apprentices train under elder Mappys to learn celestial navigation, terrain reading, and the ethics of accurate mapping.

Technologies and tools associated with Mappys include styluses, ink sigils, and pocket charts; maps are treated as living objects that can be consulted for warnings about geography changes. In storytelling, these devices underscore themes of orientation, memory, and adaptability in shifting environments.

In media, Mappys have appeared in a selection of speculative works, with appearances in the indie video game Cartographia, the graphic novel Meridian Routes, and the web series Atlas Keepers. Reception within fictional ecosystems emphasizes their approach to navigation, communal knowledge, and resilience in the face of changing maps. See also Mappy, a related term from early arcade fiction.