Zal
Zal sits at the western end of the Grand Canyon, nestled between the towering and protective walls of the canyon on three sides. When seen from a distance (particularly the top of the canyon), it looks more like a camp, as the vast majority of buildings are only a single storey and look rather ramshackle and not too sturdy. However, most of these buildings have stood for decades, some for a century or more. The canyon walls provide the buildings with protection from harsh winds and sandstorms off the Western Mountains.
Over the last couple decades, Zal has become more prominent as a hub for people to travel through when either entering or leaving Taebur. This isn't entirely from convenience. Reaching Zal from the east is relatively easy. People can just follow the floor of the Grand Canyon. The western face of the canyon is not a sheer wall like the north and south walls and there is a "road" of sorts (more a well-travelled path), but it is steep and difficult to navigate. As a result, for most of its history, Zal was never a prominent trade hub. However, with Ardan to the north succumbing more and more to the desert every year, travellers have started switching to Zal as a preferred way in and out of Taebur.
Zal has encouraged this. It has always been a place known for its engineering and manufacturing industry, and in recent years, it has worked to build on that. It is also one of the best places in the region to find and purchase weapons, particularly ammunition.
Demographics
Zal's population changes frequently. Although it officially has a permanent population of about 200 with just as many transient, that permanent population is not all that permanent. Few people live in Zal for more than a few years before moving on. The number stays relatively constant (and is in fact, creeping upwards) because new people are settling in Zal all the time. These people stay for a few years, then move on as well. That transient population comes and goes in a matter of days or weeks.
Although the demographics aren't constant, the town's population tends to be mostly engineered humans, with stock humans being the next most common, and other kinds of mutants after that. Synthetics are rarely part of the permanent population, but are somewhat common amongst the transient population.
Government
The ruler of Zal is Hamis Amul, the elderly patriarch of the Amul family. Officially, he's a duly elected mayor, but considering there hasn't been an election in Zal for over 20 years and Hamis's was the only name on the ballot in the last one (after his mother, the previously "elected" mayor, died), everyone is well aware that the town is not an actual democracy and is run by Amul Firearms. The city is doing well, though, so few people really care.
Inhabitant Demonym
Zalian
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Related Reports (Primary)
Related Reports (Secondary)
Zal
Community Type: Frontier TownPopulation Level: 4 (200 permanent; 50 to 200 transient, depending on the time of year)
Force: 12 (+1)
Mobility: 7 (-2)
Resilience: 12 (+1)
Learning: 12 (+1)
Awareness: 16 (+3)
Command: 8 (-1)
Wealth: 24
Reputation Bonus: +5
Skills: Craft (mechanical) (3) +7, Craft (metalworking) (3) +7, Craft (structural) (1) +5, Diplomacy (1) +3, Handle Animal (1) +3, Intimidate (2) +4, Knowledge (gossip) (1) +5, Knowledge (technology: archaic) (1) +5, Knowledge (technology: Pre-War) (1) +5, Linguistics (1) +5, Perception (4) +8, Profession (4) +8, Repair (1) +5, Survival (4) +11.
Feats: Archaic Engineering, Archaic Manufacturing, Archaic Weaponsmithing, Pre-War Weaponsmithing, Stockpile
Benefits: xxx
