Tashri Desert (Past Chronicle 2017)

Ometta Outpost Location Guide - By Brad Kellestine and K. Johnson v.1.1 2017

The bulk of the Outpost itself is a massive three-storey square structure, which consists of dozens upon dozens of rooms facing inwards, forming the four walls surrounding a central courtyard large enough to accommodate the myriad caravans that pass through the area.

The caravansary essentially contains a small town within its walls, including Careb’s Hookah Bar and House of Pleasure, an infirmary, a bathhouse, a supply store, a shrine house, and a number of small kiosks, as well as the merchant carts in the courtyard that are permitted to set up shop and sell their wares (for a humble fee.) The Caravansary is accessed via the South Gate, where the Sengaardian Nonnative Assembled Infantry Legion - a special unit composed of undesirables from Sengaard - are placed to guard. Careb’s Caravansary may also be entered and exited through the West Gate, which leads through the Grand Stables.

The first floor of the Caravansary consists of the businesses and other non-residences, such as the Infirmary or the Shrinehouse. The second and third, with the exception of Careb’s Hookah Bar and House of Pleasure, are rooms for rent. Each room is decadent, well-maintained and fully furnished, and more like an apartment at a whopping 816 square feet in size. Careb offers rooms at daily, weekly and monthly rates. Careb has spared no expense to make sure that his (often very wealthy) guests are well cared for, and runners from the kitchens will even deliver room service (not to mention, other services) from the restaurant for a little extra coin.

Careb's Hookah Bar and House of Pleasure

Sitting on the North 'wall' of the Caravansary is the Hookah Bar and House of Pleasure, personally operated by Careb himself. This section of the structure encompasses all three floors - the first floor the Hookah bar itself, which features Tashrani Dancers and Doxies for hire, the second the Restaurant, and the third the Kitchens. The basement contains the storeroom and a barred, hidden door that Careb restricts access to.

If the rooms of the caravansary are decadent, then the first floor of Careb's Hookah Bar and House of Pleasure is excessive. The bar itself is stationed as an island in the main room, rimmed with high stools possessing plush cushions. A number of stout, ovular tables are scattered about the room, each with a three-chambered hookah pipe fixed as the centerpiece. Instead of chairs, soft pillows rest on the floor surrounding the tables.. Along the perimeter are booths; quarter spheres worked into the walls themselves that have thick curtains, for privacy.. At the rear are gambling tables, and a door leading to a private meeting room. The meeting room contains a long central table and wing-back chairs, as well as its own mini-bar and counter for hors d'oeuvres .

The second level - the restaurant - extends onto a balcony with a patio, and is decorated much like the lower level, though with less internal floor space as it is mezzanine to the first floor, overlooking it from each of the walls. This loss of space is mitigated, however, by having a balcony that overlooks the rest of the Caravansary. Careb's restaurant serves all manner of unique cuisine and employs the greatest Chefs he could acquire, coming from all over Tal'Rah.. At the rear of this floor is the door to Careb's offices, where he's (rarely) seen tending to his business affairs, or more often with a group of his 'private girls.' The third floor serves as the kitchen, which delivers meals via a series of techno-magically powered golemized delivery lifts, known colloquially as "smart" waiters.

Mme. Sehilie's Bathhouse

This building can be found in the center of the Carvansary's courtyard, a small yet elegant structure of Shei marble. Most of the building is open, accessed by walking through archways on each side of the building, directly into the public bath. This bath is actually placed atop a natural hot spring; Careb and Sehilie saw this as an opportunity to make profit with little to no overhead.. Corners of the Bathhouse are each home to small saunas as well, though it is difficult to simply walk in and use them; often they have to be reserved up to weeks in advance.

Mme. Sehilie herself is a stunningly attractive Tashrani woman, with wings of white in her ebony hair. Though just into her middle years, she's aged well and time has only served to make her more beautiful. Her dark skin shows barely any sign of weathering, with but a few smile lines at the corners of her mouth, and her dark eyes carry a glint of wisdom beyond her years. 

Infirmary

The Infirmary sits on the eastern wall of the Caravansary and is one of the smaller locations in the outpost. As far as infirmaries go, it is relatively humble. Housing little more than a dozen beds, it is otherwise a fairly standard setup, if on the small side. It is maintained by Doctor Selmik, an experienced surgeon considered by his peers to have an remarkable understanding of anatomy. It remains impeccably clean and sanitary at all times. Dr. Selmik, a grave man with little bedside manner, has no tolerance for foolishness in his Infirmary, and troublemakers will be ejected to fend for themselves, treated or not.

Shrinehouse

The Shrinehouse, in comparison to the other parts of Ometta, is understated. It holds a station or shrine dedicated to all of the major deities, though the furnishings for each of the shrines dedicated to the gods vastly differ between each area.. The individual shrines and dedications were paid for by donations from worshippers as they either enjoyed the lush surroundings of the Caravansary or passed through onto other areas.

The space within the shrinehouse is shadowy, with light limited to a couple of windows bored through the outer wall high up near the curve of the ceiling, or at night by a the lanterns or candles on some of the altars. At the center of the room lies a pedestal with a basin of water with soft linen towels for drying of hands after they are dipped. Around the room niches provide individual spaces for one or two worshippers to kneel side by side on pillows before the items placed on each altar, allowing for a small amount of privacy. 

Grand Stables/Animal Hospital

The West gate of the Caravansary leads directly into a massive stable, meant to handle exotic and mundane mounts alike, of all shapes and sizes. A newer addition, it is capable of housing steam and diesel vehicles, such as dune-buggies and steam-cycles, the use of which has increased in the Tashri Desert over the last decade. Within the stables is also an animal hospital, operated by a Ranger/Druid named Vota Karm, an expert veterinarian and botanist.

Ammir's Smithy and Workshop 

Ammir's workshop is set to the northeast of the Caravansary, operating out of a small shopfront on the first level. The back room of the store serves as a workshop, housing gunsmithing and machining tools of high quality and superior make. Ammir Dhavri and his wife, Bitte, operate it, selling most mundane tools that aren't found among the caravans themselves, as well as higher quality weapons and armor. An eastern exit from the back of the workshop leads to where the smithy can be found, in a covered, walled shelter just outside of the Caravansary walls, featuring a power hammer, masterwork forge, sintering, tempering and annealing furnaces, as well as quench tanks.

Bitte is a petite, matronly Tashrani woman, with salt and pepper hair and a sweet personality that quickly grows into a fierce, outspoken Tahsrani bearing when pressed or showed discourtesy. Quick of wit, honest, and opinionated to a fault, Bitte is a no nonsense woman who is otherwise pleasant to be around. She is primarily responsible for the business aspect of the operation while Ammir is the craftsman.

Ammir, in contrast to his wife's small size, is a hulk of a man, tall and barrel chested, with arms that have the girth of most men's legs. He speaks relatively poor Common, but is always smiling, laughing and joking - often at his own expense. With a polished, bald head and a full, dark moustache that is waxed at the tips, he is certainly an approachable individual; one that is always willing to teach his trades to other craftsmen, though he can be gruff when someone is rude or overbearing (or, more often, when his wife is displeased with someone.)

Dharan's Supply, Taxidermy and Cheese Shop

A peculiar supply shop, accessible from both outside of the Caravansary and within, Dharan's is on the south wall of the Caravansary. Dharan Vie deals in general travel supplies - preserves, canvases, wagon and steam sedan parts, dried meats - as well as many types of unique cheeses that cannot be found anywhere else on Imarel. Most notable is the old Vie family recipe for Macadamia Nut Cheese, a non-dairy alternative for regular cheese. The interior of the shop can be described as eccentric at best:with rustic wooden shelving, stuffed animals, and mounted animal heads of all varieties littering the shop. It is not uncommon to hear a customer shriek as they turn a corner, and end up face-to-face with a stuffed beast. Many of the travellers through the Caravansary have questioned Careb as to why he would have such a place at the Outpost. This usually results in a long, drawn out rant on the importance of friends and family, and how all debts must be paid.

Dharan himself is an elderly Tashrani - likely pushing 70 years- gaunt and skeletal, with more hair poking from his ears and nose than sits atop his leathery head. A crotchety old man, Dharan is full of stories about the "good old days," and he frequently comments on how "adventurers these days don't appreciate how good they have it."

Sengaardian Nonnative Assembled Infantry Legion Barracks

The Sengaardian Nonnative Assembled Infantry Legion, or the SNAIL as they are less than affectionately referred to, are an assembled legion of criminals and undesirables deported from Sengaard after the Oruthun incident on Ishaela. Low risk criminals are given a choice - to serve their sentence in Sengaardian labour camps, or to be sent to Imarel, specifically to Tashran, where they are enlisted into basic training with the SNAILs. They serve a term no less than half of their sentence, though in the case of some of the Ex-Patriot terrorists and captive pirates, this still means serving for 10 years or longer. On completion of their service, they have a choice - remain with the SNAILs, where they will receive a regular salary and may retire with a full pension, or be set free but be considered an exile from Sengaard.

Officially serving as a mercenary company, the SNAILs still answer to the Barons of the Sengaardian Commonwealth, if only loosely. The Baron's representatives appoint and promote officers within the unit, and approve of jobs that they take. The SNAILs cannot act within Sengaardian borders, except with a majority agreement signed by the Barons of Sengaard. If a member of the SNAILs is seen within Sengaard's borders, the punishment is the choice of the soldier - they can either be returned to the SNAIL barracks, where they will face a punishment of the Commander's choice, or be executed.

The barracks itself is large, housing the entire legion, and possessing a mess hall that can serve the entire unit in shifts. Further, they possess the only thing resembling a prison near the Caravansary. As such, captured nonmilitary personnel may be contained there, per an agreement between Careb and Captain Reese, however this is only rarely exercised as Careb's Caravansary is a mostly lawless place.