Oates

Obanya

Oates, called Obanya prior to its assimilation into the Republic of Lakorth in the Lakorthian Age, is a small mountain town in the Eastern Petty Kingdoms region of the Heartlands of Novyum, on the major continent of Ethae. The town sits in a remote valley in the western hills of Oate Mountain base, and, as the names imply, has long been connection to the mountain and the Iron ore within.

Oates was a major mining town with over a five thousand documented citizens during the reign of Lakorth and was one of the Republic's primary sources of iron. In the Dark Era that followed the decline of Lakorth, Oates was largely abandoned. Its population moving west into the Heartlands to escape the growing dangers in the Plashin Range. With the rise of the United Kingdoms of Novyum the town found a new population, and the mines were open once more. This new town also established forges in the old Lakortha castle, now called Forge Keep, for the production of Steel. As useful as this was for the economy of Oates, however, the United Kingdoms have many sources of steel production by this point. Oates was just one of many, and it would never achieve the prestige of the former settlement.

In the modern-day Oates stands as an independent city, controlling a small city-state known as the Kingdom of Oates. The kingdom is rarely found listed on any maps. It is usually clumped in with the whole of the Petty Kingdoms area. Some expensive, detailed maps will list Oates the town, though standard maps rarely do. While it does fall under the umbrella of being part of the region of the Petty Kingdoms, with its citizens being Lithic, it has remained the regions lone stable state through the century long Novyum Civil War. This has more to do with its isolated location than its citizens keeping out bandits and neighbors. When conflict does arise, Oates has a small militia army that can be mustered. Along with this is the adventuring group known as Walker's Wardens, that dwell in Walker Castle, built on the cliffs above the town.

Remote, and often difficult to travel to, a warband would be hard pressed to find, the town, let alone trek through the rocky hills of the Plashin to attack it. Fanciful tales of adventurers stumbling upon a town of steel in the mountains are favorite in Petty Kingdom taverns. Largely forgotten by the general population of the continent does not mean isolated, however. Oates trades its steel and has for centuries through merchants across the Northern Reach. Some travel to Oates, other send messengers with orders.