Oasis (wah-see)

Oasis is one of the most interesting and unique towns in the world. Its desert climate limits and influences every aspect of the town, from its population size and architecture to the type of industries available. The town of Oasis is located in the Legobar Desert on the northern coast of the Gulf of Viskii. It is about two days west of the Backbone Spires and just over a day east of the Raisa River. The eponymous feature of this town is a small lake fed from underground sources of water, surrounded by a small copse of trees and other vegetation. The town has been around since the First Age and was one of the original city-states that joined with Eadinsk to create the kingdom of The Dale almost 3,000 years ago.
Almost all buildings and houses in the town are built into the ground to keep their interior temperatures low in the desert heat. The underground springs that fuel the town's central lake can also seep into houses - but most are built to take this into account and provide small individual reservoirs of drinking water for the citizens. The town also has several storage facilities built into the ground to store food and other goods - as the town is not able to grow much of its own produce. The Raisa River is too far away for Oasis to have a river port, so the ships that come from inland areas sail along the coast to deliver their goods to the town.
Many citizens that call Oasis home have family ties to the town that go back several generations, including most halfling families. There are also a number of citizens with racial advantages to living in the desert, like tieflings and fire genasi, who are not as affected by the heat. These folk sometimes stay in Oasis for generations but other times will relocate from other parts of the world to start new lives. The population of Oasis has been constant for several centuries - as the climate simply cannot support more people - though its makeup is always changing. In times of exceptional heat or scarcity, people tend to leave the town for other pastures. They are replaced by others coming to the desert from other parts of the world.

Demographics

About 60% of Oasings are halflings, and many families have historical ties to the region going back several generations. There area also many orcs, half-orcs, and goliaths which combined make up about 30% of the town. The remaining citizens are a mix of humans and dwarves mostly, though there are notable tiefling and fire genasi families. There aren't many industries available in the city, as the climate prevents most crops from growing, and workers need to stay indoors to avoid heat related injuries or illness. In fact, the climate limits the size of the population in Oasis. It has been roughly the same size for several centuries, with waves of people moving out and others from around the world coming in to take their place looking for work or new starts. Shipping and warehousing are two of the biggest employers in the city, as people unload cargo from inland ships and store them in underground storage areas for future use.

Government

The town of Oasis elects its own Mayor who runs the town's government, assisted by a small council. These positions are all elected directly by the people of Oasis and serve four year terms. There are very few taxes in Oasis, and most common things (like groceries and taverns) run on a community basis with bartering and gifts the normal way to do business. Many merchants who bring goods to the city operate on a cash basis, however, and the taxes the town owes to the kingdom are required in coin (since Oasis doesn't have many crops to contribute). There is a small supply of gold that slowly circulates into and out of Oasis, and a small number of workers travel back and forth to the Backbone Spires to mine precious metals and gems that the town uses as well.

Defences

The town of Oasis does not have any formal walls or other large defenses. The port facility on the coast has a few cannons to protect the ships docked there, but no large watchtowers. The guard barracks are in the central part of the town and - like most other buildings in Oasis - buried underground with only one story above ground. The town does not have many regular threats, only occasional raids from the mountains. Contrary to what most would expect, these raids are traditionally from the mountains far to the west, not the Backbone Spires only a couple days away. Thus, the town's defense relies heavily on the desert watchtower to deal with threats before they cross the Legobar and make it to Oasis.

Infrastructure

There are almost no paved roads in Oasis. Several centuries ago, the town paid to pave the main roads, but within a year the winds had blown sand over them so many times their exact paths were lost. The town gave up on paved roads at that time and have not tried again to make it happen. The two main landmarks in the town are the small depressed lake in the east of town, surrounded by small green hills, and the slightly larger hill to the west that houses the government buildings and temples. The port facility on the gulf coast is small compared to many port facilities across the world, with a few very short docks that lead to underground warehouse and storage facilities.

Architecture

There is very little architecture to speak of in Oasis, as the vast majority of homes and businesses are built in the hills and the ground to help keep everything cool. The main government buildings and temples in the center of town are about one story above the ground each but are built far underground - deep into the bedrock underneath the sand - to provide the space necessary. The few buildings and parts of buildings that are above ground are built in a sand brick or adobe style reminiscent of Arabian and southwest Native American styles.

Founding Date

1178 1A

Alternative Name(s)

Oazis

Type

Town

Population

2,597

Inhabitant Demonym

Oasings

Owning Organization

The Dale