Sundown Oasis
The Sundown Oasis is the seat of power of House Dreadfang, the rattlesnake shifters whose territory encompasses the Drywind Desert. The oasis serves as both the administrative center for the territory and a vital trade outpost and resting place for caravans traveling through the desert.
Demographics
The permanent residents of the oasis are various species of beast shifters who are well-adapted to the desert climate. This includes the diamondback rattlesnakes who rule over the territory as well as cousin species such as sidewinders and speckled rattlesnakes. Several other groups of snakes make their home in and around the oasis like kingsnakes, whipsnakes, and gopher snakes. Mammalian species include fennec foxes, jackrabbits, peccaries, bobcats, pikas, shrews, gophers, and ground squirrels. The avian inhabitants of the oasis are primarily burrowing owls and roadrunners, but less populous species include cactus wrens, prairie falcons, and thrashers.
There are also several thousand transients who move through the oasis throughout the year, and beast shifters from across the continent can often be found in the oasis, although species that are adapted to the extreme cold of northerly climates rarely travel far enough south to enter the desert. The transient population is comprised of quite a few species from immediately beyond the borders of Dreadfang territory, including alligators from the east, macaws from the south or geese traveling south from the Coastwall Mountains.
The upper classes of the Sundown Oasis are made up of the nobility, including House Dreadfang and representatives from their vassal houses, as well as wealthy merchant families. The oasis is the final destination of caravans traveling down the Sandroad from the north, bringing goods from the resource-rich portions of the kingdom beyond the desert. The wealthiest merchants are those who have managed to establish a monopoly over a particular good, such as a luxury food item or desirable import.
Beneath this upper class is a thriving middle class of craftsmen and hospitality professionals who support the caravans as they travel through the oasis. Wagonwrights, wheel-makers, innkeepers, blacksmiths, mercenaries, and money changers comprise the professions encompassed by this class, which has sprung up in support of the trade infrastructure of the settlement.
The lowest class are those who labor as serfs within Dreadfang territory. These include domestic servants, construction laborers, well diggers, and quail ranchers (desert quail being the primary form of domestic livestock found in the desert). These serfs are allowed to live on Dreadfang lands with limited taxes in exchange for the labor they provide to House Dreadfang.
Government
House Dreadfang are the administrative governors of the Drywind Desert, creating and enforcing the territory's laws and ensuring that the broader laws of the kingdom are also enforced.
Territorial laws specific to the desert and therefore the oasis often pertain to water rights. Well sites are carefully scouted, and unauthorized well drilling is strictly forbidden in order to maintain the water table and ensure sustainability of the resource. Rain collection is also heavily regulated to ensure enough rainfall returns to the water table.
All High Noble houses have the responsibility to collect taxes for the crown, but also have the right to establish tax law within their own territories. The royal tax typically applies only to luxury items or the transportation of crown-controlled materials such as gold and silver. House Dreadfang has established a tax system that is meant to encourage the movement of caravans through the oasis while curbing the power of the wealthy merchants living within the Sundown Oasis. Therefore, while crown tax is collected on the relevant goods, House Dreadfang does not tax caravans to enter or leave the oasis, or based on what type of goods they are transporting. Instead, taxes are assessed at the point of sale, which levies a heavier portion of the taxes on the permanent merchants in residence who are purchasing goods from incoming caravans, as a portion of the purchase price is also assessed as a tax. The exception to this is the transportation of livestock, as a tax is assessed per head due to the necessity of watering the animals at the oasis.
Water tax is another important source of income for the Dreadfangs. Water tax is paid annually by inns and caravanaseries for the right to utilize water for bathing as opposed to drinking, a luxury that is typically forbidden in the desert. Travelers who are not native to desert regions may be more used to bathing in water rather than self-grooming or dust bathing, so the ablity to offer baths is an attractive luxury and brings more business.
Security for the caravans against roving bands of desert bandits is paramount for House Dreadfang. They are one of the few High Noble houses who maintain a standing company of professionally trained soldiers, the Sandguard. The Sandguard is tasked with defending the walls of the oasis and inspecting caravans as they arrive for unsavory characters who may be attempting to smuggle themselves within the walls. The Sandguard may also venture into the desert to investigate a bandit attack on a caravan arriving in the oasis.
Infrastructure
Water is of vital importance to the sustainability of the Sundown Oasis, and the distribution of water throughout the settlement is a year-round task requiring extensive innovation. The settlement is therefore built around the oasis, with the water located centrally and watched by the Sandguard. Sattelite wells dug throughout the city tap into the water table surrounding the oasis, while covered aquaducts supply water to major sites such as the residence of House Dreadfang, temples, or other administrative buildings. In the late fall and winter, when the desert air cools and the majority of the annual precipitation falls, public fountains are activated throughout the settlement.
The oasis sits at the convergence of two crown-maintained roads, the Sandroad and the Coastroad. The Sandroad begins in Sundown Oasis and travels north, through Snowscream Pass and into Earthshake territory, eventually terminating at Dragonhearth. The Coastroad originates at the delta of the River Rushing and follows the coast of Serpent's Bay east until it breaks away from the coastline and turns toward the desert. It enters Sundown Oasis from the southeast. Streets throughout the remainder of the town are paved with clay and allowed to bake dry in the sun. Maintenance of these roads is a year-round task that becomes especially intense in the wet months. Rare summer monsoons can turn much of the town's infrastructure into a muddy slog, and once the sporadic storm passes the harsh sun will quickly re-bake the road's clay, so construction crews are often present during the downpours, working to maintain the shape of the roads and flatten them out while they are still wet.
The city is protected by sturdy adobe brick walls, ten feet in height and wide enough for two guards to walk side by side on the tops. The Sunguard patrols these walls year-round, utilizing their height and the flat desert landscape to spot caravans in trouble and sally to their rescue. The main gates of the oasis are located where the royal roads pass into the city, a north gate and a southeastern gate. There is an additional western gate that opens to the desert and the treacherous western passage that leads out over the featureless dunes.
Districts
Sundown Oasis is divided into several distinct districts which have arisen over the course of the settlement's history. It is commonly agreed that at least five districts exist, but residential areas may further subdivide into distinct neighborhoods.
Walltown
The majority of the residential areas of the oasis are clustered in an area known as Walltown, which is located near the southeast gate and against the protective wall of the oasis in the southern portion of the town. The closer to the wall, the poorer the residents, as middle-class professionals are able to claim more desirable locations closer to the oasis itself and the centers of trade. Walltown is heavily patrolled by the Sandguard, and much of the town's violent criminality can be traced to the poorer areas of this district. Residences are typically one-storey, single-room adobe dwellings with rounded roofs, and families will use hangings to separate the interior into different areas.Sunhaven
The Sunhaven district is immediately to the north of Walltown. This area houses inns, caravansaries, and the industries that have sprung up in support of the caravan industry. This is where the majority of the mercenary bands who find work escorting caravans through the desert make their headquarters, as well as the Ranger's Guild, where desert guides ply their trade. Blacksmiths, wagonwrights, and wheel-makers have established their shops in the Sunhaven district in order to be closer to their customers. The Coastroad divides Sunhaven from Walltown, with Sunhaven located north of the road and the beginnings of Walltown to its south. The closer to the oasis, the more luxurious the hospitality.Sundown Exchange
Near the northern gate on either side of the Sandroad is the Sundown Exchange, the primary mercantile district of the town. Against the northern wall is the warehouse portion of the district, where merchant goods are stored after purchase or between transports. Space at these warehouses can be rented on a short-term or long-term basis, and it is often the first stop for caravans entering the oasis from the north. Most of the warehouses are owned directly by House Dreadfang, and are another source of the nobility's wealth, but some private ownership does occur. Merchants who reside permanently within the town purchase goods that are primarily desired by the residents to later sell in the market. Other transactions taking place in this district are often logistical in nature. Caravans rarely travel the full length or breadth of the continent, but rather have specific routes, meaning that a traveling merchant who arrives in the Sundown Oasis will first seek out a place to store their goods, and will then negotiate with and hire another caravan to transport them further, or sell to resident merchants. The majority of the money-changers and bankers in the oasis are also found in the Exchange.Goldpost Market
At the junction of the Sandroad and the Coastroad on the eastern shore of the oasis is the Goldpost Market, a vast open-air market where shops and permanent stalls exist beside taverns, perfumeries, street food vendors, and buskers of all types. A post is a common term for a site of trade within the kingdom, short for "outpost," and the market derives its name from this term. The market is also where much of the town's entertainment is located, with several outdoor stages scattered throughout the busy streets. There is also the Pit, an amphitheater that features dance, plays, and music year-round. Performers may be resident troupes or travelers, and the Pit is managed by House Dreadfang. Although they collect no fee for the right to perform, a tax is assessed on the portion of the act's earnings. Performers must petition to appear on the Pit's stage, and are invited to Diamondback Villa to perform for the high noble house before being scheduled to appear, which ensures that the quality of performance in the amphitheater remains high. No entry fee is charged for seating at the Pit, and performers must solicit the crowd for payment, which they typically do throughout the performance by passing a bowl or a hat. Excellent performances may prove quite lucrative, and resident troupes that have built a reputation over the years can become very successful repeat performers. Goods from around the kingdom can be found in the market, but merchandise from the northern regions is an expensive rarity. Merchants who are able to corner the market on Honeypaw mead or cranberry jam from Deepwinter territory can become excessively wealthy through their endeavors in Goldpost.Diamondback Villa
Restricted to members of House Dreadfang, their servants, their guard, and their guests, Diamondback Villa sprawls along the northwestern shore of the oasis. Constructed primarily of limestone with adobe outbuildings, the architecture of the villa is designed to maintain a comfortable temperature for the rattlesnake residents within, who cannot regulate their own body temperatures. The villa is only two storeys tall, with a semi-detached outer wall comprised of limestone columns that is connected to the villa itself on the roof. This creates more motion in the wind as it moves around the outside of the building, creating a cooling effect, as well as providing a shady outdoor space. The villa itself is constructed around a large courtyard with several pools and fountains fed from the oasis via covered aqueducts. Windcatcher towers at the four corners of the villa further cool the building in the extreme heat of the desert summer by directing the wind down the towers and circulating it throughout the villa. Receiving halls, parlors, dining areas, the kitchens, and servant's quarters are located on the ground floor, while the luxurious chambers reserved for the Dreadfang family and their noble guests are on the second story. Between the villa itself and the Sundown Exchange are the barracks of the Sandguard, ensuring a protective barrier between the residence of the Dreadfangs and the north gate.The Coils
The Coils is a name given to the administrative district of Sundown Oasis that lies to the southwest of Diamondback Villa, named for the winding construction of the roads that travel through this district, a contrast from the grid layout of the streets in the Sundown Exchange or the Goldpost Market. The streets in those two districts are meant to ease the flow of traffic, ensure the ability of the Sandguard to quickly reach and respond to criminality, and prevent stampede conditions and crowd chokeholds in the event of a sudden sandstorm. In contrast, the streets of the Coils were designed to confuse the approach to the western side of Diamondback Villa. Immediately outside the low wall that surrounds Diamondback Villa are several luxury guest houses for visiting dignitaries. Beyond these guest houses are the headquarters of the bureaucratic organizations that manage the city - tax collection, records, the water commission, caravan registration, licensing, inspection offices, the census bureau and the construction bureau. These organizations report directly to House Dreadfang and are generally headed by appointees. Most of the guilds that have permanent representation within the oasis have their headquarters here in the Coils. To the southwest of this area of the Coils stands the Windtower, the headquarters of the city watch division of the Sandguard, named because of its windcatcher design and the howling noise it produces on quiet nights. Beside the Windtower is the courthouse, where appointed magistrates or representatives of House Dreadfang rule on legal cases. At the western edge of this district near the wall and the western gate is the town's jail and executioner's square, strategically removed from other important buildings.Brightwalk
Along the western bank of the oasis, between the Coils and Walltown, is the temple district of Sundown Oasis, also known as Brightwalk. The grandest temple in the district is the Temple of the Oasis, dedicated to the animus of the oasis itself, and is constructed right against its shores. Adjacent to this is the Temple of the Sun, which is only slightly smaller than the Temple of the Oasis. These are the two most popular temples among the population, as residents gather at the Temple of the Oasis to give thanks for the gift of water by placing brightly-colored pebbles, scented oils, shells acquired from traders coming in along the Coastroad, or libations. Prayers in the Temple of the Sun ask for the god's mercy, and for the gentle life-giving rays of the sun instead of the fury of the desert's heat. Offerings here are usually poppy, marigold, or cactus flowers for their bright orange or yellow colors, but wealthier individuals may leave gold on the Temple of the Sun's altar, particularly if they plan to depart on a caravan through the western gate to the harsh sands of the Dunesea. Other minor centers of worship include temples to the gods of the four winds, the god of the desert sand, and the spirits of the Coastroad and Sandroad. Smaller shrines can be found throughout the district dedicated to more minor spirits. On the opposite side of the Temple of the Oasis stands the private ancestral shrine of House Dreadfang. While they keep an ancestral shrine inside Diamondback Villa like all families in the kingdom, the extensive history and family tree of the noble house required a secondary site, which houses the ancestral tablets of the more ancient members of their house, including its founder.History
The settlement at Sundown Oasis was officially founded in YK3, after House Dreadfang was written into the Book of Gold and given dominion over the Drywind Desert. The family immediately began construction on Diamondback Villa, recognizing the strategic importance of the desert's largest oasis. The villa took nearly a year to complete, and by YK4 the plans for the royal roads were announced. Royal construction crews were sent to Sundown Oasis to begin paving the Sandroad and the Coastroad, and a temporary tent city sprang up along the eastern shore of the oasis. As more and more towns were slowly connected with the oasis along the royal roads, the settlement grew.
By the tenth year of its existence, Sundown Oasis had a permanent population of close to two thousand residents and House Dreadfang had begun construction on the Coils and the adobe wall that would eventually encompass the town. Bandit raids had become problematic since the construction of Diamondback Villa, and the Sandguard was officially established at that time. Construction of the wall finished in YK16, and the headquarters of the Sanguard was built shortly after. What would eventually become Goldpost Market had established itself at the junction of the royal roads. In YK21, construction of the Coastroad was completed, and an influx of trade and population nearly doubled the size of the settlement. The original adobe walls were knocked down and new walls were built. In YK27, the Sandroad was finally complete, and another population boom occurred, necessitating another demolition and reconstruction of the exterior walls, a process that would continue throughout the town's history.
In the present day, some of the population of Sundown Oasis has spilled outside the walls, and House Dreadfang is again considering another round of demolition and reconstruction. However, the size of the wall required to encompass what has become such a large settlement means that it may require several years to build, leaving the oasis vulnerable to raids by bandits while its defenses are down. For this reason, the Dreadfangs have elected to expand the size of the Sandguard and build an additional outpost outside the oasis's walls to maintain order in these outskirts.
Architecture
Construction materials utilized in the oasis are primarily adobe brick and limestone, with the latter being reserved for larger buildings such as temples, the Windtower, administrative buildings, and the residence of the Dreadfangs. The vast majority of the buildings are constructed from adobe, with limited wood framing as support. Buildings are typically square or rectangular with flat roofs, but round buildings with rounded roofs or a domed section of roof on an otherwise flat-roofed building are not uncommon. Many larger buildings have windcatcher towers attached for cooling. Doorways are often arched for structural support. The homes of the wealthy are often arranged around a central courtyard with a pool or a fountain, while several poorer homes may share one communal well as their water source.
The artistic flair of the city's residents can be found in the form of both mosaics and murals. The sides of many buildings sport patterns of colorful stones or glass sunk into the mud brick of the exterior walls, often arranged into magical sigils for protection, prosperity, or health. It is popular to paint murals of vegetation on the sides of residential buildings as a way of softening the harshness of the desert landscape, while commercial buildings may sport abstract patterns of brightly colored paint to catch a customer's eye. Textiles are a common decorative element for interiors - sheer or opaque hangings can divide a room, and throw rugs on the floors are used for comfort and decoration. Windows are left without glass to encourage airflow, and gauzy curtains are popular to let in a moderate amount of light but block some of the sun's intense heat.
Comments