Eustunras

Eustunras ('big red place' in Iuxat) is one of the largest settlements in the Red Velvet Desert. Orignally a desert trading post that expanded with the discovery of subterranean water reserves, Eustunras is the capitol of the regional quasi-state known as the Red Velvet Association.

Demographics

A community of High and Low Rostran with a long and storied history in the Red Velvet Desert, Tunrasans tend to be darker and redder in complection than their ancestors in the Rostran Archipelago Confederacy. While bright red is within the normal range of skin tones for Rostrans, the propensity towards this color as opposed to the dark tan that comes with lengthy sun exposure in the islands suggests that environmental conditions - perhaps the surplus iron compounds in the soil and ground water - may be the cause. Between this physiological change and the growing differences in culture between island and desert cultures, some have suggested that long-term citizens of the RVA may actually constitute a different Rostran ethnicity entirely in the manner of the similarly-isolated Cobalt Rostran culture. Ovinex in the town have undergone a similar regional shift, tending to bear finer, lighter-colored, and less curly coats to allow better management of body heat.
The Ixa Ad-Korvidiu sect of Rostran Esotericism is the most common religious identification in Eustunras. Locals speak a combination of Iuxat, Guild Pidgin, and a unique Iuxat-Munyobu creole, all of which serve to ease trade.

Government

The Eustunras town council is dominated by candidates which, while elected by public vote, almost invariably come from the local gentry. These powerful individuals are descended from the oldest and wealthiest families which established, managed, or otherwise enriched the trade post before it grew into the town that it is today. Political campaigns protracted affairs that involve promising water rations and other perks to those who might be best swayed by such inducements; these benefits tend to be offered at a familial, rather than individual level in keeping with High Rostran old modes of social interaction.

Defences

Eustunras is protected by a combination of isolation, graft, and the ability to cut off access to the aquifer. Red Velvet Desert dwellers will not attack for fear that the town council will order the well capped with explosives or a spare shell will do it for them. The Avarix Corps uses the place to fence stolen goods into the black market and to resupply, so they don't tend to cause trouble for the locals. RVA officials sometimes appeal to the Rostran Archipelago Confederacy Marine Forces or even hire security from Otoi Security Enterprises, CCH if geopolitical conditions suggest that the town might be in danger soon.

Industry & Trade

Aside from water and dates (see Natural Resources), Eustunras has growing glassmaking and textile industries. Arbitrage and refuelling charges are also important inputs to the local economy, as many travellers between settlements in the area stop in the safety of Eustunras and conduct trades with other travellers before continuing on to their ultimate destinations. The winter 'bazaar season' is the closest thing that the Red Velvet Association has to nationally recognized holidays beyond those imported from the Rostran Archipelago Confederacy.

Infrastructure

Roads in Eustunras tend to be narrow and comprised of brick or worked stone. Transportation to exurbs and other settlements tends to be conducted via sandsail, motorcycle, or even camel; airship travel may be ill-advised due to Avarix Corps activities in the region and a lack of will on the part of Eustunras' leadership to resolve the issue permanently (see Defenses). Long-range communication is handled through a single RadNet transciever mast near the town square, though the bandwidth is limited.

Architecture

All structures in Eustunras are built up from reddish adobe and red stone blocks from the rock 'island' on which the town sits. White and blue ceramic tile mosaics are often used for exterior decoration, allowing the town to be seen from great distances despite its structural coloration.

Natural Resources

Eustunras' best-known resource is its underground aquifer, which is replenished by a geothermal spring. A certain amount of water is rationed out to the residents via several pumps and a municipal plumbing system managed by a geothermal steamtech autonet, but more than what is absolutely required for survival or small-scale farming efforts may be purchased at a premium. Water in the Red Velvet Desert is almost more valuable than Confederate Sea Ducats or biodiesel, so surplus water serves Tunrasans as an auxiliary currency and trade good.
An agri-mine carved into the rock beneath the town helps to suplement the limited output of surface crops and rooftop gardens. Date palms grow in the area and are an important source of carbohydrates in the Tunrasan diet.

Hermitage Island Fellowship Flag by BCGR_Wurth

Type

Large town

Population

16,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Tunrasan(s)

Location under

Red Velvet Desert

Owning Organization

Red Velvet Association