It has been an especially long time since we had any environmental art, but all that’s about to change riiiiiightttttt… now.

The Bindings of Fate was a great way to establish a world that had been swimming around in my mind for seven or so years, but it was As Darkness Falls that really let me explore that place.  With three sets of heroes going off in their own directions, there was a lot of ground to cover, from Kaos and his roundabout search for dragons to Steel Tip, taking the first steps into Blacklehn.

What really jumps out at the end of that book was everything in western Raleigh, courtesy of Christopher, Holklund, Adelia and the newcomer, Hector.  Fostervilla was a magical, if tragic, city.  It was surrounded on all sides by either mountains or desert, and yet… somehow it thrived.  That is in no small part due to Deep Oasis, which Dena Helmi illustrated for us.

This version that we show here was the foundation for the piece.  It’s got a very gothic style temple in the background, which the people of Fostervilla would pray to Hudorian, the god of water, for life and fauna to grow and provide sustenance.

While that was all well and good, Dena went an extra step and gave us a version that would better depict the greek/roman style architecture that inspired the Tellest pantheon.  She also added the hellish deathwinds for good measure.

Enjoy this last environmental piece of the year.  We’ll be back with more in the middle of January!

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Geography and Environment

South of Fostervilla, a great oasis stretches through the sand.  It is thought to be the widest oasis on Draconis.  The people of the city use it to provide water for drinking and sewage.

It is also a small, self contained ecosystem.  Birds of the desert frequent the area, as well as several different species of rodents and insects.  One of the only known creatures to endure the vile deathwinds outside of Fostervilla, the yulik, also calls the oasis home.

Entymology

Visitors to the oasis have taken to calling it the Deepwater Oasis for centuries.  The sultans of Fostervilla have always deemed it a crime to place a boat within the sacred place, and as such, the depth of the place has never been proven.  Still, various people have attempted to swim to the bottom, and none have found success.

Mythology

The Deepwater Oasis is thought to be a gift from the god Hudorian.  It is said that he took pity on the people of Fostervilla, and blessed them with the reprieve of water and shade.  As such, the citizens built a temple to Hudorian in the sand that faces the oasis.  It stands just outside of the walls of the city, and can be accessed via a subterranean passageway.

It is also thought that the oasis may hold healing properties.  Some even believe that the malignant illness that affronts those affected by the deathwinds could be remedied by the waters of the oasis.

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