unyasi [Lore] Taraju

[Bellosh]

Taraju - A Welcoming Port of Entry

 

Not all coastal havens in Unyasi are heavily urbanized like the cluttered metropolis of Clawifax. Just to the southwest of the Quagga Strait that separates the southern mainland from the Gallapocus Islands, a placid lagoon hides the cozy port town of Taraju. When it comes to the buying and selling of rare, exotic goods made by either ponies or zebras, Taraju is frequently preferred as the place of choice to do business.

 

The port town distinguishes itself from all other Unyasian city-states in that it is built almost entirely over the water. The harbor’s waters lie protected in a wide natural cove, but the jagged cliffs on all sides make flat land extremely hard to come by. Zebras however found it possible to fabricate wooden buildings and docks within the bay itself by using strong stilts, enabling the growth of a regional trading center.

 

Clawifax is unquestionably the bigger port by every measure, but Taraju lies much closer to the Equestrian maneland. Even though the cove town can’t handle massive amounts of shipping traffic, pony merchants specializing in selling unique hard-to-produce items tend to prefer anchoring their sailing ships and setting up shop here instead. Zebra traders from all corners of Unyasi come to exchange exotic goods from their own tribes for the valuable wares sold by the ponies. Ponies and zebras alike then typically return to their homelands to make modest profits off their stock of foreign goods.

 

As a lovely cove just across the ocean from Equestria, some zebras in Taraju make a living though providing hospitality and recreational services to travelers. Anypony desiring to go on safari down in the Veld can readily buy supplies and recruit guides in the port town. For those who don’t want to travel that far, canoeing through the spellbinding bay or even eating in a Taraju café are also popular options for taking in the surrounding sights. And if nothing else, the local beach is among the finest spots to sunbathe and swim in the southern land.

~Unyasi and its Mysteries: A Pony's Guide