Zerasho Oasis
This prismatic oasis is a vibrant splash of colour amidst the dull Ushal landscape. With the sun reflecting off of the multi hued water and prismatic sand it is almost blinding to look at. Bathing in or drinking the waters sharpens one's senses and supposedly causes one to feel more sure in their convictions even if they doubted these convictions earlier. Bathing is said to make the effects to last longer than those gained by drinking. Legends have it that if a blood sacrifice and prayer to Zerje is made at the oasis all manner of things are possible ranging from someone's abilities being improved, to a message from Zerje appearing in the water, to another boon from the quasi-deity.
Prolonged exposure to the water is said to cause physical shifts and the gain of magical abilities like those of aasimar of Zerje . Considering that all residents of the town seem to be aasimar of Zerje, this is generally considered to be true even by those who are more skeptical of the water's abilities. A final legend has to do with the region's possible history of being used frequently for the summoning of extraplanar creatures, supposedly summoning is much easier and requires less blood closer to the oasis than other areas of the world.
Prolonged exposure to the water is said to cause physical shifts and the gain of magical abilities like those of aasimar of Zerje . Considering that all residents of the town seem to be aasimar of Zerje, this is generally considered to be true even by those who are more skeptical of the water's abilities. A final legend has to do with the region's possible history of being used frequently for the summoning of extraplanar creatures, supposedly summoning is much easier and requires less blood closer to the oasis than other areas of the world.
Fauna & Flora
The creatures around the oasis display unnatural features despite not being elemental or fei touched . Many animals have no body hair and instead have iridescent feathers covering their limbs or entire bodies. Additionally, those that sweat or pant don't appear to do so and those with claws or talons have brightly unnaturally coloured claws or talons.
The plants of the area have leaves in bright unnatural colours and often have large feather-like leaves, a sharp contrast to the typical thin hard leaves of most desert plants. Both plants and animals of the oasis are much lighter than their non oasis counterparts. They also have much better senses, reflexes, and abilities than normal creatures of their species.
The plants of the area have leaves in bright unnatural colours and often have large feather-like leaves, a sharp contrast to the typical thin hard leaves of most desert plants. Both plants and animals of the oasis are much lighter than their non oasis counterparts. They also have much better senses, reflexes, and abilities than normal creatures of their species.
History
No one knows exactly how the oasis became so infused with the magic of Zerje but many folktales link this to the oasis and town's role as the Suha Sovereignty's capital. In her quest to conqueror other lands, Chasul the founder of Suha summoned severeal extraplanar servants of Zerje. Some say that it was ruler's and her successors' summonings of Zerje's extraplanar servants, others say that Chasul summoned a particularly powerful extraplanar being that warped the area around them, still other stories claim that she preformed a specific ritual to transform the area, or that she was blessed by Zerje and either preformed a ritual or by her own connection to the quasi-deity transformed the area. Those that believe the first two theories often call the oasis, the Oasis of Blood, a reference to how many people died so that these creatures could be summoned here.
As worship of Zerje regains popularity in southern Istervyn, travel to the area becomes more and more common again. New legends are appearing about the role that the oasis may have played in this. Niru, the prophet responsible for starting this rise, was well known for their visits to Zerasho Oasis. There are rumors that this is where he first came into contact with Zerje. Others say that it is possible to contact him through the oasis or that his spirit resides in the oasis after his death.
As worship of Zerje regains popularity in southern Istervyn, travel to the area becomes more and more common again. New legends are appearing about the role that the oasis may have played in this. Niru, the prophet responsible for starting this rise, was well known for their visits to Zerasho Oasis. There are rumors that this is where he first came into contact with Zerje. Others say that it is possible to contact him through the oasis or that his spirit resides in the oasis after his death.
Tourism
Pilgrims travel to the oasis to be blessed by its waters. The popularity of Zerje in southern Istervyn means that many wish to visit even if the inhospitably of the surrounding landscape discourages some. A popular practice is to take home a vial of water from the oasis, especially for relatives or friends that cannot make the trip. The town has plenty of buildings like small houses and shrines built for these pilgrims.
I love the idea of prismatic sand. I bet that looks beautiful. I'm curious about the animals in the area. :D