Dunes Respite (doonz ress-pit)
The smaller of the two desert towns on the Morgran Peninsula, Dunes Respite serves mainly as a stopover and crossroads for all trade passing throughout the desert. It is the place where the trade roads meet coming to and from Loraica, Gel Morgran city, and Ogrimph. As such, much of the town is focused on the hospitality for merchants and on supporting the trade routes.
Demographics
Dunes Respite is somewhat cosmopolitan in that it is made up of people from all different races and backgrounds. Like Ogrimph, it has a large portion of orcs who were native to the desert and were among the original founders. Since the town's founding other peoples have moved and thrived here including many humans and halflings, as well as dwarves, tieflings, and a mix of other races.
Most of the town is employed in lower-wage jobs - be it hospitality for the caravan merchants, raising camels or other livestock, or assisting the caravans with repairs. Unlike most cities and towns, there is no true aristocratic class in Dunes Respite - the extreme dynamism of the town's population and business make it difficult for any one family or group of families to establish lucrative businesses. A few of the larger merchant support businesses have become more profitable in recent decades, leading to a rising middle class that lives slightly more comfortably than the common Dunesies.
Government
Dunes Respite is run by a small council of three Elders who are elected by the townsfolk every two years. They decide all the town's taxes and policies, oversee the law enforcement, and settle any legal disputes between citizens and/or traveling merchants. There is a separate Lawkeeper that presides over all criminal trials and hears evidence and arguments for those matters. This official is also elected by the townsfolk every four years.
Defences
The shifting sands of the desert make it difficult - if not impossible - to build sturdy outer walls for any town, and Dunes Respite is no different. There are very few roving bands in the desert that could threaten a settlement, and most large animals tend to stay away from population centers - so the town has little need for external walls anyway. To address these concerns, as well as to monitor the town and the transient merchants, there are several small Watch garrisons spread throughout the town from which the guards patrol.
Infrastructure
The desert climate makes it difficult to maintain most semblances of infrastructure - especially roads. The oasis upon which the town rests is stable enough, however, to support tamped-sand roads that have more or less been established by repeat traffic over the decades. The central water pool is the main source of hydration and clean water for the town, though some houses and neighborhoods have dug their own deep wells to access freshwater reserves.
History
Dunes Respite was founded by a group of emigrants who had left Ogrimph after being frustrated by economic hardship and limited living space. Many other settler groups had left Ogrimph before - and many others after - but Dunes Respite was the only new town that was founded by such emigrants. The rest of the groups either perished in the desert or made their way to established settlements such as Dunes Respite, Gel Morgran, Loraica, and other jungle villages.
In Dunes Respite's first decade of existence, it faced many attacks from other roving bands of people and from larger predatory animals who had used the oasis for rest and refreshment in the past. The early Foxes (the translated local name for the guards) struggled to fend off these strong beasts but were eventually able to secure the oasis and keep the predators away. After that time, the town developed a sort of understanding and symbiotic relationship with many smaller beasts who used the oasis - and even the larger beasts were not immediately repelled unless they showed aggression toward the townsfolk.
After that initial trying time, the town settled down into relative tedium. There have been very few incidents that threatened the town since then, and Dunes Respite has enjoyed several centuries of peace. They were one of the towns that had pressed hard for the formation of The Desert Concord, having borne the brunt of Ogrimph's exploitative policies. Merchants were forced to pay extortionate fees to access Ogrimph's markets, and many returned to Dunes Respite with no coin to spend - but they still needed access to water and repairs for their carts. Tired of their town being forced to foot the bill for Ogrimph's ruling family's excess, the leaders of Dunes Respite joined the leaders of Loraica in calling for a regional government or pact to be formed.
Architecture
Most architecture in Dunes Respite falls into one of two camps: stucco or adobe buildings built to withstand the desert climate, or semi-permanent tents made of sun-hardened cloth. Most houses open to the south and have cloth-mesh windows on the shaded north to allow cool air in. The larger houses, temples, etc. resemble early Persian styles: mainly made of clay-brick or stone with colored mosaics providing color and adornment, central courtyards for gardens, and shaded colonnades for hallways.
Founding Date
710 2A
Type
Town
Population
2,061
Inhabitant Demonym
Dunesies
Location under
Owning Organization
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