SETTING/LOCATIONS

[canyonmods]

A - SAN BENEDICTO CITY
		Welcome to San Benedicto. With a metropolitan area around the size of New York City, this place is anything but quaint. Self-sufficient and isolated, you'll find that practically everything you could need is made right within the canyon. People from all walks of life pack into the city's borders, bringing a slice of the metropolitan into an otherwise barren landscape. The most crowded part of the city lies at the center, where Town Hall is located. The Hall overlooks a spacious courtyard, boasting a lush green lawn and a beautiful three-tiered fountain. The courtyard is a hub for everything from celebrations to protests, and the area surrounding it opens up into San Benedicto's dazzling shopping district. Cute boutiques and chain stores alike pepper the area. Hungry after all that shopping? There are plenty of cafes and five-star restaurants available to whet your appetite (but no one will blame you if you choose to eat from one of the much cheaper food carts lining the streets instead). The city gets even denser the further north you get, prices going down and disrepair going up until you finally reach the poorest part of the city. While the area isn't the prettiest or safest around, the rent prices drop significantly compared to the high-rise apartments in the city's center. You'll find plenty of cheap apartments around here, and, if you're willing to shell out some extra cash, there are rows of townhomes you can rent for a little extra privacy. Locally-owned businesses are plentiful, but you're in for some tough competition if you set up shop there: most places have been around since mom and pop's day, and their customers are fiercely loyal. If you have something new to offer, though? You're looking at a lifetime gig. Toward its southern end, you'll find attractions such as the San Benedicto Zoo and the fairgrounds, designed to give canyongoers a glimpse of what life's like outside the walls. A few lots are constantly up for rent, there for anyone with cash and an interesting idea to snatch up. Take advantage of the space if you'd like to dazzle the populace with your talents. The southwest end of the city is its richest area, where buildings get lower but larger. You'll find everything from comfortable homes ringed by white picket fences to mansions with sprawling acres all to themselves. Businesses here can be pricey (and a bit snooty, if we're being honest), but the quality is stunning. Getting a job there can mean a long commute for anyone coming from up north, and hiring guidelines tend to be stricter, but the hefty paychecks make it all worth it. This area is a favorite of the city's precious few doctors and lawyers. Landing an apprenticeship with one of them is difficult due to high demand, but beating out the herd could net you a place in one of their guest homes. Between the two extremes, you'll find plenty of residential areas, home to quieter stretches of town. There's nothing too special to be said about what residents have dubbed as "The Everyman's Ring," but to most of them, that's the appeal. If you like an even mix of chain groceries and natural food shops, of exclusive private schools and secular public ones, the Ring is for you. Many businesses are built into the interiors of old rowhomes, giving the place a linear, cozy charm.
B - INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
		The city's industrial district sits in the northernmost part of the canyon. It's a relatively run-down place, the air dense with smog and the ground beaten and littered. There are older factories near the back, closest to the looming wall of the canyon, and newer ones near the front. People often make up tall tales about the abandoned, empty factories, and they're a popular place for teens to go on dares, if they can get past the security near the start. In the canyon, hardly anything is imported. One entire stretch is devoted to mass production, where factories churn out everything from clothes to phones. The paths leading up to the factories are well-worn, trucks constantly shipping out new loads of gizmos and gadgets. Though there have been green initiatives in recent years, it's still not the easiest place in the canyon to breathe. The bright minds who manufacture the canyon's goods are always looking for new minds to spark ideas, and they can never get enough hands to work the line. Employment opportunities abound here.
C - THE DUMP
		This area of the canyon serves as the city's dump. Everything is thrown into one massive pile, but somehow, it never seems to get any taller. It's almost as if the trash is being sucked downward somehow... Probably best not to get too close to the edge.
D - THE FARMLAND
		Nearly the entire stretch of this part of the canyon is home to the farms that produce everyone's food, though smaller, cheaper homes can be found here, too. Anywhere else, the volume of production for a city San Benedicto's size would be a nightmare, but in the canyon, food of all kinds grows with hardly any need for human intervention. Even exotic plants flourish, with sprouts popping out of the ground so quickly that it's almost like they're being pushed up from underneath. Of course, even the most well-behaved of crops need people to tend to them, so there are farmhouses dotted up along the stretch. The farmers also care for livestock, herding huge numbers of cows, pigs, and sheep, with tall coops for chickens that seem far more adapted to flying than they should be. Some folks have even cut barns into the sides of the canyon, making nice, natural homes for the creatures they care for. The farmers are nice, if a little resistant to change. This far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it almost feels like a different time period. Homes are smaller, filled with less technology, and kids tend to be homeschooled, expected to inherit the farms when they're old enough. If you can stand the almost deafening quiet and the huge workload, farmhands are always needed. You won't be allowed to get too involved with the process of planting and watering, but when it comes time to harvest and clean up after the animals, your help will be greatly rewarded. Just don't ask too many questions or try to shake things up, and you'll do fine.
E - BETENDESO LAKE
		Belching out from underneath the city, Hoton Waterfall dumps water 2,500 feet into the lake below. The lake is huge, dwarfed only by the wide stretch of the canyon it sits in. Getting to the shore is a bit of an adventure in and of itself: you can either take the gondolas down, gliding over the expanse of the lake as you go, or rent some climbing gear from the lake information shop and rappel your way down the steep drop. Or, if you're a weenie, you could go down the elevator built into the cliff. Just hope you don't get stuck: maintenance can take a while in such a precarious location. Once you get down, the view truly is picturesque. The lake is large enough that the waterfall on the other side shrinks to the size of a half-used pencil, and the water gets deep enough for even the most experienced divers to feel a little wary. It's perfect for swimming, fishing, speedboating, or just lounging around on the sandy beach. This is a popular destination for citygoers when they need a little peace and quiet, so there are several waterside cabins nearby, rented or leased to whoever's got some extra cash. The beach eventually recedes to the most densely-forested part of the entire canyon. Trees and shrubbery, though not the tallest, sprout all the way to the other end of this stretch of the canyon. Somehow kept alive in the dry canyon by the underwater runoff, this area makes up the canyon's largest and most lush green space. It's only a few miles from one end to the other, but people are discouraged from going too far in. It's easy to get disoriented in there, and there are tales of hungry wildlife and secret sinkholes that'll both swallow you whole. Sure, the stories are based on a few real-life disappearances, but they've got to be embellished, right? Couldn't hurt to take a chance.
F - ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
		Colloquially dubbed "The Ruins," this area is the site of San Benedicto's largest and most active archaeological dig. Their current project is an attempt to unearth the remains of a large, old building dated back to before the city's founding. Not much of the building has been discovered, and historians haven't yet been able to determine its purpose. The most commonly-held belief is that it was a temple of sorts, due to the large foundation carved with unfamiliar symbols. However, some have called this into question, citing a lack of any traditional religious staples, such as pews or an altar. The debate has been quieted now that the site has proven to be the "drop-off point" for visitors from other worlds. If you want to learn more about the city's history, the San Benedicto Museum of History is just a short shuttle ride away. The large building is set to grow larger still, with an unfinished wing under construction near the back. Inside, you'll find unearthed artifacts on display behind thick sheets of glass, with museum staff ready to answer any of your questions in as much detail as possible. The museum comes equipped with three theaters that play informational movies on loop, all filmed on-site, with actors in full period garb illustrating stories from the canyon's past. If that's not enough for you, they offer walking tours, where guides will take you to specific locations and give you a more hands-on experience. Museum staff are particularly eager to talk to new arrivals, and will listen for ages to stories about characters' homeworlds. Some are even so enthusiastic about this scientific wonder that they're willing to help arrivals out with room and board, provided they're allowed to distribute information given to them however they'd like. It's all in the name of progress, so don't be shy!
G - WICAHNAKAPI CAVES
		Wicahnakapi Caves are currently closed due to recent structural damage. The canyon's vast system of caves are a popular tourist attraction, and as such, entering requires tickets to a tour. It's not just a shameless cash-grab, of course: the caves are so deep and twisted that navigating them without an experienced guide will leave you lost and starved for days at best. At worst... Well, they still haven't found the last dozen people who tried to venture in there on their own. With someone to show you around, though, the natural phenomenon really is beautiful. Rather than looking like a gaping maw as so many caves do, this one has few stalactites and stalagmites. It's smooth like a tube, what scientists say is a holdover from volcanic activity in the area thousands of years ago. It does branch out eventually, curving into whirls and loops and dead-ends, to the point where going too deep will have a dizzying effect. The beginner-level tour ends at the base of an underground waterfall, though tourists are cautioned not to get too close, lest they slip and be sucked into the unforgiving flow. If you're a more experienced spelunker, however, you might be interested in the Master Tour: be ready to squeeze through spaces barely wide enough to fit you and rappel down some steep, ink-black drops. At that level, the dizziness can become crippling, so it's suggested you bring some earplugs and medication. Try not to listen too hard to the sounds in the dark. Your mind plays tricks on you this far from the sun...