So Generally, I'm sorta curious how the more permanent Settlements interact with travelers, with roaming traders, hunters, and cartographers out there remapping the lost wilds. I assume if they even considered letting them in that there's sort of quarantine periods, but more likely that it'd be an 'outside the gates, under heavy watch' sort of trading deal.
It really depends on the settlement, in all honesty! Each settlement is, for the most part, created by a unique group. There’s no real larger government, each one is in essence a city-state. A heavily militarized settlement founded by many former military members, for example, might be very hierarchical and rigid in organization, while there are plenty of other settlements more lax in how they let in travellers, letting them right into the settlement so long as there isn’t a clear and present danger (and sometimes letting them in BECAUSE there is a clear and present danger: escaping the undead). Some, just barely more developed than a layover, may not care at all.
Stormport, being more established, hasn’t seen any outsiders in over a decade. So they don’t really even HAVE a plan for “what if an outsider shows up and wants in.” They’re going to have to decide on the spot.
(HINT. HINT.)
I wouldn’t imagine there’d be much reason for quarantine periods, save for if someone wants to stay and seems to be clearly sick or potentially a threat. Ed, for example, with his dog and mule, tends to be able to walk in without much trouble or quarantining. He’s well-known, and even if not known, is physically healthy and clearly seems to be a longhunter of some kind.
There’s probably even settlements who flat-out reject ALL travellers, and do not allow any outsiders in their boundaries.
So yeah, it REALLY depends on each individual settlement. You could probably find a hundred different policies and predispositions toward travellers and traders between a hundred settlements.
Which is also why I encourage, even if your character isn’t part of your settlement per se, making your own settlements to add to the AU! Play around with them!
