Glittering Oasis
Glittering Oasis is a Miinu settlement and one of the five Stone Capitals located in a dry, arid region east of the mountains Bituin. The city hosts the fossil stone of the scarab beetle.
Government
The Oasis is ruled by the Termite Hive, lead by Queen Iso, the oldest actively ruling queen in the world. The termites have strict control over this region from how it runs, to how it's own people behave. The Queen in her madness instates ridiculously strict rules the miinu must follow or face public execution.
Districts
The city is split between the Surface District, The Underground, and the Termite hive itself. The surface district is the above ground portion of town, with entertainment venues, farms, and parks. The underground is as the name suggests, an underground part of the city where the residents go to avoid the heat. And the termite hive is a sprawling pyramid of sand and clay that the termite hive resides.
History
The village was a very small farming village with few miinu living there before Queen Iso, her partner and her starting hive claimed the region as their own. With them they brought their fossil stone with them. In their old village, humans had vandalized the temple and attempted to steal it. Those humans were of course cursed by the stone and turned into Miinu. When they were found, they were captured and forced into slavery by the termite hive. The termite hive made quick work of conquering the area, forcing the existing villagers to give up their land and their homes with the promise of transforming the area into a prosperous utopia. The starter hive and slaves made quick work of building the palace where Queen Iso would become engorged with eggs, unable to move from her palace. Those eggs would hatch into the first generation of termites, who would grow older and start constructing even more tunnels and more structures.
In a matter of decades, the town went from a dying village to a ever growing city, where residents from the old capital city would move to. Things didn't start to go south until after the death of Queen Iso's first husband, in which the Queen who still had many years on her yet went mad. She would demand the city grow bigger and bigger, while also implementing strict and often nonsensical rules, just so that she could imprison residents and enslave them to expand the city indefinitely. As a distraction from the cruelty of the Termite hive, the entertainment district was built, including the arena that has since become one of the most popular and beloved attractions in the city.
Tourism
Many miinu make the tough journey out into the desert just to get a chance to see the blossoming city in the sand. Many travel there to start a new life in the prosperous city, while others come just to witness the Grand Arena events. The oasis is also a frequent stop of The Traveling Flea Circus.
Architecture
The city is known for it's expansive and detailed architecture, created by the termites. Most of them are built from sandstone, limestone, or clay, many of them are hand carved from the inside out by. The surface boasts some of the most gorgeous views of the lake and the lush flora that grows on it, as well as the farmlands. The town square is lined with tile paths and beautiful parks, and even has functional fountains. At the center of the city is an open temple that hosts their Fossil Stone, The temples design is explicitly designed for humans to be able to approach the stone and pray to it themselves, as well as give offerings. A large slab of stone is reserved for the humans to kneel on, and it's forbidden to trespass on this part of the temple. The temple has an open roof and a bowl-like wall structure to allow offerings to be placed inside, however the stone itself is chained down to prevent thieves.
Another popular structure in the village is the Grand Arena, a coliseum in which miinu gather to watch other miinu fight each other or compete in sports.
The city has not only some of the tallest buildings created by miinu, but the deepest, with almost every building leading to an underground portion of town used to escape from the heat. The underground tunnel system is surprisingly spacious and allows for housing of all types of miinu, not just the termites. In fact, very few residential buildings are located on the surface, as the heat during the summer is often deadly. The surface is more often used at night or in cooler seasons, or by farmers who are wearing protection from the elements.
Other important structures like homes, clinics, shops, and the archives are located underground. Many are equipped with sturdy metal gates that can completely block off access to certain sections in case of emergency like an attack. An aquafer system draws water from the lake into the town for easy access of drinking water. Ventilation shafts allow oxygen to reach even the lowest parts of the city. Light is allowed in through tinted glass skylights, that allow light but block out heat. Deeper down, lanterns and torches are required to light up the tunnels.
Much of the architecture is highly detailed with intricately carved walls and stone pillars, and chiseled murals. Though the lower you go down, the less intricate the design gets, as the deeper tunnels were designed for poorer miinu live. There is also of course the section belonging to the termite workers, which is normally off limits to normal residents. In this same area you can find Queen Iso's underground palace, and the dungeons.
Climate
Being located in the desert, the region is often very hot and dry. During the day during the summer months, it's so hot that it's often beyond survivability for most miinu. Heat stroke and sunburns are a real risk for those who have to go out and work during the day. Many of the residents are actually nocturnal, sleeping during the day and coming to the surface at night, as the desert drops significantly in temperature at night.
Being so close to the lake and having plants growing near by offers some respite from the heat, and many miinu will come out in the evenings to take a swim in the lake.
Founding Date
1648
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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