Zone Authority Police

The Zone Authority Police, zaps for short, control the borders between Cantons and enforce the Concordant Mandates. Most of their members are monks and other martial artists with the abilities to maintain peace in a Zone full of extraplanar creatures and offworld magitech. The ZAP has found that monastic training blends well with the discipline and precision they require from their officers.

Upholding the Mandates

The Zone Authority oversees the enforcement of the Mandates dictated by the Concordance. They monitor intra-canton activity and monitor interplanar trade. Their first priority is maintaining order and security. Their officers in their distinctive black and glowing blue uniforms, are the most visible and well known agents of the Zone Authority Police.

When it comes to direct enforcement, the Zone Authority Police are tasked with a wide array of responsiblities.

• Patrolling the Inner Ring, Outer Ring, and all roads and entry points into the Zone.
• Maintining peace in the bustling trade cities of the Eight Cantons.
• Responding to threats ranging from rogue spellcasters and smugglers, to evil spirits, and extraplanar incursions.

The ZAP's jurisdiction overlaps with much of the Zone Authority's broader mandate. They have extensive powers within the Zone, including the authority to:

• Enter public spaces unimpeded.
• Stop and search individuals, vehicles, and cargo at any checkpoint.
• Inspect the ident-a-hedron of any person entering the Zone or crossing canton borders.

However, ZAP officers must work with Canton watchment for matters beyond their immediate jurisdiction, such as entering private property or enforcing laws specific to individual Cantons. The ZAP tries to maintain a cooperative relationship with intra-canton authorities, but their relationships with each of the governing bodies vary from trusted to indifferent to outright hostile.

Monastic Training

Most ZAP officers undergo rigorous monastic training to prepare for the unique demands of their work. The tradition of using martial artists for enforcement roles stem from their natural balance of physical discipline, mental focus, and spiritual resistance to magical influences.

Key elements of their training include:

• Unarmed combat: Unarmed techniques allow ZAP officers to incapacitate targets without unnecessary bloodshed.
• Focused resistance: Using their ki/spirit, monks can neutralize or redirect magical attacks, making them highly effective against spellcasters and spirits.
• Agility and movement: Their training allows them to run up walls, run on water, and traverse the city in ways that give them unparalleled mobility.

Detective Lim, Master of the Way of the Ki-rin by Chris L - Heroforge