Six City-States (and a Seventh)
Population
~180,000
Capital
Mirador del Agua
City-States
6 (+1 Secret)
Currency
Water-Rights
The Oasis Confederacy is an alliance of six independent city-states bound together by water-rights treaties and mutual survival across Eshara's arid interior. A hidden seventh city — the Veil — exists as an emergency reserve, its location known only to the six city leaders.
Water-rights function as fundamental currency. The annual Water Congress negotiates allocation, and disputes over access have nearly shattered the Confederacy multiple times. External pressure from the Suntouched Dominion and the Sand Lords grows while the astronomers at Starfall Haven have made a discovery that terrifies them into silence.
Scholar-Star Halimede has ordered the destruction of certain astronomical records and the construction of new instruments pointed at a specific section of sky. Her staff report sleepless nights, hushed arguments with visiting scholars from other cities, and cryptic messages sent to contacts beyond the Confederacy. Whatever the astronomers have found, it has transformed Halimede from a confident academic into a frightened woman working with desperate urgency. The ancient records at Starfall Haven reference a “returning eye” — a phenomenon the founders of the observatory believed would come again. Halimede's calculations suggest they were right.
The Confederacy's largest city and diplomatic centre. Lord Vespyr governs with careful neutrality, hosting the annual Water Congress where water-rights are negotiated. The city's fountains are a statement of wealth — water displayed openly as proof of abundance.
A metalworking settlement built around iron-rich springs that tint the water red. The wells produce both water and ore, making Crimson Wells simultaneously essential and strategically vulnerable.
The most cosmopolitan city in the Confederacy — a cultural crossroads where desert traditions meet foreign influences. Yasmine al-Hazir's healing houses draw patients from across Eshara.
Home to the Confederacy's most accomplished astronomers and scholars. The observatory towers study the night sky with instruments of remarkable precision. Recently, the astronomers have made a discovery that terrifies them — and they refuse to share it.
A timber trade settlement on the edge of the Confederacy's territory, serving as the primary point of contact with the Sylvan Shores. The harbour handles more wood than water — a fact that makes its residents pragmatic about alliances.
The hidden seventh city-state — an emergency reserve maintained in absolute secrecy. Only the six city leaders know its location. The Veil contains water reserves, food stores, and defensive positions sufficient to shelter the entire Confederacy's population if the other cities fall.
Governor of Mirador del Agua
A diplomat of legendary skill who maintains the Confederacy's fragile unity through personal relationships and careful compromise. Vespyr is aging, and his potential successors lack his talent for keeping six independent city-states from each other's throats.
Ruler of Crimson Wells
A pragmatic leader who views everything through the lens of resource management. Kess has quietly fortified Crimson Wells against attack, suggesting she expects the Confederacy's peace to fail — or knows something others don't.
Healer-Priestess of Sanctuary
The most respected healer in Eshara, whose patients include royalty from multiple kingdoms. Yasmine uses her medical network as an intelligence-gathering operation — she knows the health secrets of the powerful, making her untouchable.
Chief Astronomer of Starfall Haven
Leads the observatory that has made a terrifying discovery. Halimede has become withdrawn and secretive, ordering the destruction of certain records and the construction of new instruments pointed at a specific section of sky. She will not explain why.
Road of Bones Commander
Commands the caravan guard force that protects the Road of Bones — the primary trade route connecting the Confederacy's cities. Kess-Mara's patrols have reported increasingly strange phenomena along the route.
Criminal Mastermind
Leads the Silk Knot — a criminal cabal operating across all six city-states. The Broker's identity is unknown, but their network controls smuggling, information brokerage, and protection rackets. Some believe the Broker is actually one of the six city leaders.
Scholar-Star Halimede's astronomical discovery leaks: something is approaching from beyond the sky — something the ancient records describe as a 'returning eye.' The Confederacy must decide whether to prepare for an event their astronomers cannot fully explain.
The location of the Veil has been compromised. Someone has sold the secret to an outside power. The Confederacy must relocate their emergency reserve before it's seized — but moving that much material through the desert requires a massive operation that cannot be hidden.
The Silk Knot criminal cabal has infiltrated the Water Congress. Evidence suggests the Faceless Broker is manipulating water-rights allocations to create artificial scarcity, driving up prices and destabilising the Confederacy from within.
Strange phenomena along the Road of Bones intensify: caravans report time distortions, phantom cities on the horizon, and ancient structures emerging from the sand. Captain Kess-Mara needs the party to investigate before trade grinds to a halt.
Lord Vespyr collapses during negotiations and is dying. Without his diplomatic skill, the Confederacy begins to fracture. Each city-state manoeuvres for advantage while external powers — the Dominion, the Sand Lords, the Gritfang Tribes — sense weakness.
Mining town
Dwarven forgehold
Lakeside village
Trading post
Frontier outpost
Coastal watchtower
Monastery village
Highland shepherds
Naval garrison
Border outpost
Blighted village
Elvish settlement