Region Profiles
"You come from distant places, do you not, traveller? You must be thirsty. This Well... its waters are pure and clear. As we say in the desert: live and drink."
The following worldview is commonly held by the residents of Ephia's Well, and can be gleaned by any who spend time within its walls.
Overview
Ephia's Well is a small-scale fortress and sometimes-settlement that has long occupied a prominent and central spot on the trade routes between the splendorous cities of the desert, straddling a crossroads of the great Giant's Road. It is said to have been built by the ancient giants thousands of years ago; now their ruinous walls form the innermost quarter of the fortress, surrounding a bountiful oasis that flows outwards from tributaries deep within the earth. The surrounding walls have been built and torn down by conquerors, adventurers, and merchants... again and again and again.
The most recent incarnation of these attempts at state-building is a small colony-town tucked within the resurgent Sultanate of Baz'eel. It is governed by an assembly of Legates elected from among the Voiced population (those true citizens of the Well who have paid for their right of citizenship) who reign on behalf of the Sultan. Many of these Legates are drawn from the three most prominent political Leagues of Ephia's Well. The League of Purple, staunch traditionalists, the League of Gold, who value coin over blood, and the League of White, who position themselves as voice for the poor and needy. The Well's laws are nascent, largely inherited from Baz'eel, but dutifully enforced and mostly adhered to. Those who reject these laws find solace in the Well's linked network of cramped gutters and camps.
On the outskirts of this political battleground, three prominent groups are situated within Ephia's Well - the Astronomers of Q'tolip, who ward Ephia's Well from natural disasters and lead its archaeological efforts, the Sultan's Janissaries, who maintain the Well's place in a growing empire and participate in its defense, and the Knights of the Cinquefoil Rose, who act as guarantors of the refugee culture and operate the Well's largest drinking establishment.
Teeming with refugees from ruined settlements, the Well has a linked destiny with the much larger city of Baz'eel, hosting the outflow of those that have been denied entry to the City of Splendors. Its minarets are visible in the Well's skyline, an ever-present reminder of the opulence that awaits those deemed worthy by the administrators of the settlement. The fourth legion of Baz'eel's standing army is stationed in the Well. They enforce the will of the Assembly and work to advance the interests of the nearby capital.
The population of Ephia's Well is small, perhaps no more than a few thousand people, but more refugees arrive every day. For work, many are craftsmen, relying on a steady stream of raw materials brought in by scavengers and caravaneers from the surrounding wastes - with frequent distributions of aid in "stabilization packages" from wealthy donors in Baz'eel.
Social Characteristics
Secretive - "The result of their discussion? I can't tell you that. Not for any price. They are listening, and they would have my head..."
Constructive - "Our walls, they crumble. Our people, they starve. We must build. We must build a jewel in the desert, a rival to all who behold it..."
Lawful - "The edict was clear; the cigars are illegal now. I suppose we will have to close the store. I don't know what I'll tell my father..."
Social Norms
Desperate - We have lost everything. Our past and our present, both taken from us in an instant. All that now remains is our future, and that grows uncertain with each passing day. We must dig in the sand, and pull out the treasures we find. If that is not enough, we shall go to our masters, and grovel. We are not too proud to beg.
Hierarchical - All men have a place in society, and that must be recognized. The lesser is not the greater; the greater worked and labored and earned his place here. What have you done? You must bow your head when better men pass.
Meritocratic - But after he has passed, you must prepare to surpass him. Perform great feats in the name of the Citadel; build great monuments on her behalf; earn your place here. When once you have, perhaps it shall be he who bows his head.