I found a fresh semi anarchy server on Fabric 1.21.11 with light mods. It is meant to stay smooth and not feel crazy modded.
It is a new world so there are no giant empires yet and no players that feel untouchable. You are not showing up late because it is basically the start.
The vibe is explore and take chances. There are places to check out loot to rebuild and secrets behind doors.
They also do in game rewards community events invite rewards and they say the server is being developed actively and built to last long term.
