Saragossa
As the last bastion of armed internal resistance against the Southern Republican government, Saragossa is alive with the tension of terrorism. Despite the best efforts of the Knights of Saragossa (the local Republican legion) and other forces, the will and determination of the people has yet to be extinguished. In fact, if anything, the harder they are squeezed, the more defiant Saragossans become, drawing strength from their need and outrage. But not every citizen supports the Saragossan People's Front For Independence. In fact, the average citizen considers both sides to be the enemy and simply wants to live out a calm and peaceful life. There are also those who choose sides. SPFI supporters lend support in the form of information on prime targets, food, supplies and sanctuary. Meanwhile, Republican patriots relay information on suspected sympathizers and hidden bases. Either way, information is the key to victory for both sides, and at this point, the SPFI seems to be ahead in the game.
Throughout the limited war in the city, the economy of the city has staggered onwards. The agricultural concerns have remained largely untouched by the conflict because the fields are located away from the centers of armed forces. Similarly, most of the mining operations have been relatively unscathed by the conflict, although there have been instances where one side or the other has stormed a shaft to search for their foes. The power generators have been the hardest hit in the conflict as the SPFI has seen them as an expedient way to eliminate the Knights’ superior communications technologies. They have been largely successful, and it is common for large sections of the city to be without power for days at a time after a strike against a generator.
The skyline of the city, set upon a majestic mountain, remains a thing of beauty - provided that it is seen at night and in silhouette. Although the number of buildings that have toppled i s small, very few buildings in the city have avoided sustaining some kind of damage and pock-marks left from bullets or bombs ensure that anyone who enters the city knows exactly what is happening here. The dangers of living in the city have caused the people who live here to adapt, and people who walk openly in the streets are either bait or newcomers. The ever-present danger of snipers has caused most citizens to travel underground where possible, and dart from shadows to doorways when the must travel in the streets. The reason that unaligned citizens follow these paranoid routines is due to the significant number of neutral people who have been caught in crossfire or mistakenly targeted by one of the warmongering factions.
Demographics
Life in Saragossa
Saragossans live by the adage "adapt or die." This is as true for the Prefect as for the street urchins in the dead zone, leaving no one immune to the city's harsh realities. Hightowners have become used to having their picture ID ready at all times, have gained the capacity to ignore the heavy presence of security when they are trying to relax, and they almost never ever go into Midtown unless absolutely necessary. The military personnel from the base rarely travel alone, always tell the watch where they are going, when they" be back, and why they are going there. They all are very aware of how much like hostages they are in their own city. This fuels the greatest part of their animosity and anger towards the SPFI. There are SPFI supporters who can be found even here, however, and some of these are people of significant influence over the business, crime and social spheres of the city.
Midtownters are living in a war zone and they are acutely aware of it. Out of sheer necessity Midtowners seem to develop a sixth sense when someone is about to be shot or something is about to blow up. Despite their precarious situation, they are somehow still able to live out their lives and have moments of great joy. It is perhaps because they know that their lives could be ended by a whimsical decision by either side of the conflict that they try to enjoy life to its fullest. Very few people can match the Midtowners i n their fervor to have fun when the time comes, but when they decide to be serious, they have a staunch determination to see what they are doing through. They have developed the tendency to do things quickly, efficiently, and quietly.
Lowtowners are the rabble of the city, considered cowards that have no place with the rest of the Saragossan community. They are even shunned by the legal system, since all Lowtown housing is technically illegal development. Thus, Lowtown is the perfect place for someone to seek refuge if already labeled "Undesirable" by the community and the government ; this includes people such as petty criminals, street urchins and the homeless.
Government
The Politics of Terror
Saragossa is under constant martial law, with an imposed curfew and random house inspections being common events. Prefect Ethan Lo Samant is effectively the sole leader of the city, aided by five sous-prefects in charge of their own respective military units. These units also act as the police force. Prefect Samant rules the city with an iron fist because all attempts at a more calm approach have led to deaths among his men. Regardless of his motives, this strong-arm tactic has only increased the support for the SPFI and the front gains more and more momentum each cycle.
The less than ideal situation in the city has been a political nightmare for anyone who might be even remotely blamed. As a consequence, Prefect Samant has come under pressure from just about every major political figure in the Republic. Lord Protector Jacques Molay sees the SPFI situation as a threat to national security from an almost invisible army. Samant has often felt Molay’s pressure to step up the ”sweeps” through the city, run tighter and more lethal security on the military base and run periodic safety checks on just about every member of Saragossa’s citizenry. Samant has been able to deflect these pressures by offering to step down and let Molay take charge of the situation. Molay has yet to reply to the offer.
The only truly unexpected reaction from the major political players comes from Prime Minister deRouen. DeRouen staunchly refuses to answer any question regarding Saragossa or the SPFI. He doesn‘t even acknowledge that there is a grave problem in that area of the Republic. When the SPFI strike at other cities, he refers to them as “foreign radical extremists.” Aides close to deRouen attribute this attitude to deRouen’s belief that no Republican could ever commit such atrocious crimes against children, and thus they must not be Republican. Many citizens have bought into deRouen’s lie.
Industry & Trade
- Power Generation
- Mining
- Agriculture
Economy Under Siege
The mainstays of Saragossa‘s economic infrastructure are agriculture and power generation. There is also a small ore production facility located three kilometers outside city limits which mines and refines hard copper ore. Both sides of the conflict have made it a point to leave most of these facilities alone. The SPFI realizes that these are growing industries and the economic health of the city depends on such facilities. The Knights of Saragossa do not patrol the mines (leaving security to corporate proxies), to keep them from becoming military targets. Prefect Samant dislikes the compromise, but he realizes that it saves lives.
The city is not only famous for its terrorists. Its cawfee receives considerable attention as well. While not as impressive as Reunion’s plantations, cawfee nevertheless accounts for 30% of total crop production in the city. It is here that the world renowned Mortano bean is grown. The remaining crop production is devoted mostly to grain crops of varying kinds such as derach wheat, named after the geneticist who successfully adapted it. This crop, although rather bland in comparison to other types of grain crops, has a high nutritional value and stands up well in the mountainous terrain.
The power generation industry in Saragossa is located in the southeast quadrant of lowtown. The generators are powered by both sunlight and water from the MacAllen Network. Photovoltaic arrays cover about one square acre of land and harness the sun’s power. The water driven turbine generators supply 84% of the total power and are located in the MacAllen Network itself, heavily guarded by compagnie D of the Knights of Saragossa. At present, energy is among the most profitable of Saragossan exports, but the sporadic nature of its supply has caused several buyers to threaten to go elsewhere for this commodity unless either service is returned to normal or prices are reduced.
Another more subtle aspect to the economy of the city is the influence the merchants have over the Prefect. The most notable of these is Crassus Mining Corporation who presently owns and exploits the rights to most of the copper mines near town. Another point that raises CMC‘s standing in Saragossa is that they are a subsidiary of Deschamps, the major player in CREE.
Maps
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Saragossa
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