Ciudad del Carmen
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Ciudad del Carmen | ||||
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Statistics & Foundation |
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On this page... (hide)
- 1. Essentials
- 1.1 Travel
- 2. Culture
- 3. Families
- 3.1 Active
- 4. History
- 4.1 Influence on 'Souls
- 4.2 Characters
- 5. Notes
- 5.1 Etc.
Ciudad del Carmen is a city in the southwest of the Mexican state of Campeche. The city sits on an island in the the Laguna de Terminos, a series of interconnected tidal lagoons amd estuaries. The Laguna de Terminos is located on the western Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. Much of the surrounding areas are tropical savannah; however, to the south, swampy and thick jungles make up the far inland areas, making overland travel difficult. To the north, cenotes (a natural pit, or sinkhole resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath) decorate the land; there are few rivers. The area has a pronounced dry season that lasts from January through May, with the wet season finishing out the year. September and October bring copious rainfall.
The Zacatal Bridge connects the mainland and the island upon which the old city sits. The area has been ravaged by a number of hurricanes since the fall of humanity; few human buildings still stand; those that remain are of extremely strong construction, often stone and brick. There are some areas that are filled with old human debris; however, still other areas have been swept clean by nature, weather, and Luperci. On the barrier islands, beach ridges, and mangrove coastline surrounding the Laguna de Terminos, there are several Maya sites.
The Laguna de Términos is made up of a series of rich, sediment-laden lagoons and tidal estuaries connected by two channels to the Bay of Campeche. Its shores are swampy and support vast mangroves. It is fed by several fresh water rivers and includes several. very nine days, about half of the lagoon's water volume is renewed, primarily through the effect of ocean tides. Twenty-nine percent of the lagoon is covered with seagrass. Sand dunes and creamy-pale beaches outline parts of the lagoon; its beaches along the Gulf of Mexico are particularly spectacular.
In the brackish waters of the lagoon, a number of aquatic species such as sea bass, small sharks, crabs, oysters, turt les, and storks can be found. The landward main wildlife species that can be found here include the jaguar, ocelot, puma, deer, wild boar, raccoon, hare, ring-tailed cat and spider monkey. There are many bird species including the chachalaca, ducks, quail, pelican, toucan, buzzard and many more. Reptiles include rattlesnakes, coral snakes, boa constrictors, various species of sea and land turtles, iguanas and crocodiles.
The Bay of Campeche was the site of the catastrophic Ixtoc I oil spill in 1978. Although the humans had a decade to clean everything up prior to the apocalypse, the effects can still be seen here and there in some parts of even the Laguna de Terminos. Digging some inches into the ground produces stained-black rocks; breaking them apart or scratching them with a metal object produces an oily scent.
1. Essentials
1.1 Travel
Sea
- Canines sailing from Ciudad del Carmen typically stick to the shallows along the Yucatán Peninsula. The ruins of Cancún, a usual brief rest stop for many seafarers, marks the point at which canines either head north to New Orleans or Barbados.
- New Orleans is 638 miles north of Cancun across the relatively shallow Gulf of Mexico. It takes about four and a half days on a ship to get there.
- Barbados is 1880 miles east and south of Cancun across the shallows of the Caribbean Sea. It takes about a week on a ship to get there, usually with a night stop in Jamaica? for rest.
Overland
- There are many roads, but they are long and there is thick, swampy jungle on the inland parts of the peninsula. Overland travel to Eterne is possible; however, the route is looping and avoids many of the harsher travels areas. It takes just over one week to get to Eterne.
2. Culture
Most of the canines in the area are transient, remaining only so long as their boat does. Little culture has developed here; there were no permanent residents until 2012.
Residence
The canines primarily live in what was once the city central -- several buildings, including a library and former administrative center, are inhabited by the permanent residents. Canines passing through the area generally sleep where they can -- either aboard their ships, in the remaining buildings, and even in the ancient Maya ruins ringing the bay.
Language
Mexican Spanish is most frequently spoken. English is sometimes used as a trade language. French is often spoken by canines coming south from New Orleans.
3. Families
3.1 Active
Sastre |
Sastre
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4. History
- 1978: Prior to the apocalypse, the Bay of Campeche was the site of the catstrophic Ixtoc I oil spill.
- 2005: Canines from Barbados land here briefly; they note the richness of the lagoon -- not only its waters and surrounding lands, but its easy ability to land a boat.
- 2006: Several groups of canines from Barbados land here again over the year and begin exploring inland; one winds up at Eterne.
- 2009: An adventurous Eternian coyote named Evaristo Sastre (son of a Barbadosian trader who remained in Eterne), procured a boat. He began making semi-monthly trips to the island to trade Eternian goods for Barbados trinkets, slaves, and other exotic wares. The perilous journey required both an overland trek and a brief seaward journey through shark-infested waters.
- 2010: A boat from New Orleans lands here at the same time Evaristo and a French trading ship are moored in the lagoon. This pretty much marks the beginning of Ciudad del Carmen as a more "official" port (if there is such a thing for Luperci!).
- 2012: The first permanent residents, a coyote family from slightly further north, begin trading things they capture in the lagoons to canines landing in the Ciudad del Carmen. These things can be easily procured around the city, but many of the ships that landed and departed here were already laden with goods or canines needing transportation one way or the other; few had time to hunt ocelots, bottle "magical" water from a cenote, or forage for exotic plants.
4.1 Influence on 'Souls
4.2 Characters
- somebody
5. Notes
5.1 Etc.
Status
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