The Sea of Uam

By strict definition, the Sea of Uam, in northern Al-Riyah, is not really a sea at all, but a large freshwater lake. Nevertheless, for many in the dry Quel'Ahman lands, it may as well be a sea. It stands as an oasis at the edge of the great deserts, and its fertile shores have been well settled, producing bountiful crop yields that sustain Quel'Ahma's people.

Fed by the Shamat River and by a system of underground springs, the Sea of Uam supplies a ring of marshy wetlands, which have been largely settled and given over to agriculture on its south shores. The waters are a hub of activity, with ferries going back and forth across the water to transfer supplies from one village to another, and the lake is well-known for its great bounties of fish, with many inhabitants of the region relying on fishing to sustain themselves.

Despite boasting a relatively large population for a place this far inland in Quel'Ahma, however, the Sea of Uam has no great cities; its people are spread out along a number of small villages along the shore that get by on fishing and farming, largely regarded as country bumpkins by the wealthier elite of the coast. In days long past, the Sea was much more important as a center of commerce, but with trade on the Great South Sea eclipsing the more limited routes through the desert, it began to decline, and many of the region's former cities now sit abandoned, their crumbling walls harvested to build new homes.

The largest settlements on the Sea are both found to its south. On the west shore is the town of Katsir (hex 012.021), which boasts a major market drawing in farmers who travel from miles away to sell their produce every week. As one of the Sea's major population centers, it is managed by an office of Genasi nobles who collect taxes and oversee trade for the Emir - which causes some friction with the largely human populace who are unused to such direct oversight. A nearby cave opens into a large subterranean spring - and a few shepherds who have sheltered their flocks there report seeing winding tunnels, dug by massive crabs and scorpions.

On the east shore is Salamah (hex 014.021), a town that grew around a trading post that stood as a center of exchange between the settlers on the lake and the Caravan People of the desert beyond. To this day, it has many inns and bathhouses, some of them centuries old, and the visiting caravans bring an influx of trade goods from across Quel'Ahma. One caravan has drawn plenty of attention, for one of its merchants, Aberkan Nersesian, has displayed a large carved scarab of blue stone, found in a Nuwapian ruin far to the east. He claims that it has given him great fortune and healed his family's illness, but he refuses to part with it - some have whispered he has even stabbed those who got too close to it, which seems uncharacteristic of the normally patient man...

To the north, the village of Al-Negba (hex 012.014) marks the end of a system of trade routes linking the Sea to the coastal cities, and thus sees its fair share of visitors. Despite this, the village has a reputation as a swampy backwater, and most travelers only seek its service for a ferry to the wealthier settlements on the south shore. Currently, the village is home to an Amidi mystic named Hayim al-Din, who is renowned for his ability to heal the sick and repel evil. He is, however, getting tired of all the attention this brings him, finding it disrupts his meditation, and he intends to leave soon - but how will the people who have become dependent on him to solve their problems cope?

The village of Rumanah (hex 011.017) sits in a fertile valley, but is largely isolated from the outside world, scarcely receiving any trade. It is built amidst the ruins of an older, and much larger, abandoned city, but its inhabitants are reluctant to explore the ruins further - they have everything they need where they are, and local lore tells of the lingering spirits and ancient curses that cling to the ancient graves. The ruins have not been fully charted, and perhaps there may be something of value there yet...

The village of Ahkbera (hex 012.020) isn't far from Katsir, but the people there have little interest in dealing with the town - they are suspicious of the Genasi and have little interest in being ruled by wealthy dilettantes who don't understand their hardships and ways of life. However, this has proven an issue when the village has of late seen a number of mysterious disappearances, with villagers going missing and their mangled bodies turning up days later bearing strange teeth marks. The elders blame these attacks on a ghul - a man-eating spirit that can take the form of whatever it eats. But can they deal with such a problem when they refuse to go to Katsir for help? And what if the ghul is closer than they think?

The village of Ibtan (hex 015.019) is one of the Sea's wealthier farming communties, owing to its location along the river. It is a center of trade, with many farmers from steadings in the area traveling here to sell their wares - and, as a result, a hotbed of rumor, where news from many nearby settlements can be heard and passed on, often growing in the telling. It is an open secret that many deals on the black market happen here too, with farmers and Caravaneers covertly smuggling goods without having to pay the taxes they might be subject to in larger markets - or that might attract inspection from those who might disapprove of what is sold.

Other points of interest that might be found on the shores of the Sea of Uam include the ruined city of Al-Abeytas (hex 010.016). The city has had a long history, first being built by the Nuwapians, briefly conquered by their Fedreline rivals, and later settled by Quel'Ahmans, before declining into ruin over the ages. As a result, the site consists of many ruins layered on top of one another, with older sites buried in the swamp. The Royal Archaeological Society has sent expeditions here to catalogue and examine artifacts - and many of these expeditions, for one reason or another, have been stricken by misfortune.

Also in the swamp is a long-abandoned and overgrown maqam found at hex 016.015. The old shrine has served as a landmark for travelers, but few are aware of its true significance as the burial place of the Amidi master Abdullah en-Nur. If a faithful devotee of the Covered Path spends the night here in meditation, his ghost may pay a vist and impart knowledge.