Oxos

A walled city built further inland along Zoephis’ River that empties along the Starling Bay. It is surrounded by flat, irrigated farmland, in a large river basin. Some of this land is forested, but much of it is not. Oxos is self-sufficient and does not spend much. It is a city built where it stands by migrants upriver from the Wildespan, around a prophesied holy site. Oxos is ruled by a democracy, wherein all landed citizens may weigh in on decisions in accordance with law. They possess no head of state or military, making it difficult to truly grasp their intentions or personality. They do, however, have something no other city-state possesses: the College. The College of Oxos is a center of philosophical, religious, mathematical, and historical knowledge, and one of the few places in the known world which keeps detailed records of observations and proceedings. The College is open to all foreigners who impress their gatekeepers with their own understanding. It is, however, worth noting that magical secrets are forbidden from being discussed within its forums. Other states tend to prefer to leave Oxos alone, finding them difficult to reason with on account of their mass-decision-making.