Paalez

Paalez is a fictional coastal town in the Veridia region of the Veridian archipelago. It serves as a setting in speculative fiction and tabletop role-playing campaigns.

Geography and demographics: It sits on a sheltered bay along a rocky coastline with terraced hills. The climate is temperate maritime. In-world demographics typically place the population around 9,500.

History: Paalez was founded in the 12th century by maritime settlers from Lareth and developed as a fishing and shipbuilding town. It survived a major earthquake in 1523 and later industrialized modestly, maintaining a significant maritime-oriented economy.

Economy and culture: The economy centers on fishing, boat maintenance, and artisanal crafts such as ceramics. The town hosts a summer market and a lantern festival in winter; Veridian is spoken, with a distinctive local dialect. Local culture emphasizes seafaring traditions, informal cooperatives, and communal ceremonies tied to the harbor.

Governance and education: Paalez forms part of Veridia's coastal prefecture and is governed by a town council. It is home to the Paalez College of Maritime Studies, a fictional institution; transport includes ferries to neighboring islands and a small regional airstrip featured in some narratives.