Oldham (ohld·hæm)

A city built on an entirety of an island in the Northwestern seas of Olane. Oldham plays a crucial part in connecting the northern parts of Okera to Olane. Since its creation, as small port village, Oldham has always had a prominent role in trade routes in the northern parts of Olane, but with the discovery of the mystical purple lilies and the creation of multiple trade routes both inland and in the seas Oldham has placed it self as one of the most important trade cities in the west of Olane.
Oldham also has one of the greatest infrastructures in all of Olane, with great walls to protect the city from the waters, and a robust sewer system that spans the whole city, creating clean and renewable pathways for sewage water.

Demographics

Oldham is a human majority city, however, other more "normal" humanoid races are also welcome, such as elves and dwarves. Other more monstrous or mystical humanoids are mainly pushed away and if found could potentially be executed, however the times have changed some laws in recent Oldhamese history.

Government

The government of Oldham is ran by an elected mayor. Each district in Oldham also has a head of district that is also elected by residents of that district. The main job of the mayor was to make sure that order was maintained within the city, in addition the mayor ensured that the city remained safe and that the trade was well maintained and ran efficiently.

Guilds and Factions

Religion:

Most people in Oldham worship the "Gentle Sisters" Pantheon. Mainly praying for protection and prosperity. The Godesses rarely directly interacted with the people of Oldham, however, they have helped Oldham in many ways, by sending help to those in need and by protecting the town in its early stages.

Tourism

Tourists: Most tourists that come to Oldham are seafarers and sailors, who take Oldham as a rest stop for a few days until they restock and get ready to sail off to their next destination. However, many people from surrounding cities also visit Oldham for its fantastically out-of-this-world festivals, especially people for the city of "Ahlenkart" who only need to take a four hour boat ride to reach Oldham.

Festivals of Oldham: Oldham is renowned for its festivals, which happen almost bi-weekly, the mayor usually has a "Deputy of Festivals" which surveys the general population on how to make the next festival even better than the one before. However, some festivals are ran annually, such as "The Festival of a Hundred Nights" which occurs on the 100th night of the year where the Oldhamese all go out on sailboats and canoes to the edge of "The Great 'Am Reef", they then release special reflective sky lanterns that reflect the luminescent fish from the sea, painting the starlit sky with even more colors.

Natural Resources

Purple Lilies: The mystical purple lilies are native to Oldham and they can't be planted or grown in any other region as far as anyone can tell. Purple lilies have many properties that have made them a luxury resource to a lot of other cities. Purple lilies can easily be turned into a sparkling rich purple dye that last for centuries. But the purple lilies also have many medical and magical attributes, they can be used for healing wounds and diseases while also easing paining. They can also dried and ground to become "purple dust", a sweet yet bitter spice that is mainly used in baked goods. Purple lilies have the scent of concentrated honey with a whiff of caramelized apples.

The Great 'Am Reef: Oldham is the closest civilization to "The Great 'Am Reef", which gets its name from Oldham itself, located only a few hours away. Because of that, Oldham has always sent its fisherman to this reef, mainly for seafood such as fish, crabs and lobsters. However around the year 950, the reef started to magically alter itself physiologically, causing many fish to glow and emit colorful lights. Now, fish farmers go to the reef for its abundance in dyes, pearls and even edible coral.

Founding Date

580 AF

Type

City

Population

15,000 - 17,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Oldhamese

Location under

Olane

Included Locations

• The Great 'Am Reef

Owner/Ruler

Mayor Chai Zuel

Related Tradition (Primary)

• Festivals of Oldham