Caves of Dophert

As of mid-1261, the Caves of Dophert is a busy prison-city located within a mountainous desert region characterized by a complex array of guinea pig-made caves. The underground commute system and surface gates are heavily patrolled and fortified so as to ensure that no one escapes. The tourist trade is only getting busier, and the inmates are becoming increasingly comfortable with the legions of tourists that come to gawk and buy their wares. Humanoid inmates work and live outside of the caves, on the surface, while guinea pigs and other small inmates occupy the vast cave system. It is largely left alone, and functions like a regular city. The guards determine who goes in-and-out of the city and run the businesses and institutions.

Geography

This is a 150 kilometer mountain city characterized by a large natural and pig-made cave system. The heavily-fortified cave system is only accessible from a ravine made by a large river that lies in the middle of the mountains. This mountain range serves as the former base of the True Shadow Pigs, and while once a lush forest area, is now a dry desert due to years of fighting.

Ecosystem

This area is now a desert mountain range with little water left in the river that once created life into it. After the Civil war, it became known as a wildlife graveyard and is seen decorated with the bodies of the forest wildlife that could not escape in time. While some desert insects and reptiles have moved in, it is largely uninhabited.

Ecosystem Cycles

In the winter the region gets heavy snowfall, so the desert wildlife migrates to warmer climates in the fall, and returns in the spring. The spring cycle invites more familiar vegetation and wildlife to the area as the snow melts, but it returns to the arid desert come summer and the forest and plains wildlife migrate elsewhere. The fall cycle is largely characterized by increasing numbers of earthquakes and decreased sunlight.

Localized Phenomena

Sandstorms are common to this area. Mirages are common on the exterior of the mountains. The layout of the mountains and the dryness of the landscape give way to severe windstorms that are made extremely dangerous in the center of the mountain range as the wind flows in and out of the caves. The fall season is characterized by a large number of earthquakes.

Fauna & Flora

Rabbits, snakes, lizards exist. Other stuff too I guess. Moths, flies, wasps, tarantulas. You know, desert stuff.

Natural Resources

A small river divides the mountains through the middle. It gets smaller with each passing year. There are some trees and vegetation on the riverbank.

History

Once a lush forrest region, the True Shadow Pigs carved out the naturally-occurring cave systems in this mountain range to create a heavily fortified city that served as their base of operations from their declaration of war on the Federation of New Guinea until their defeat in 1260. Years of fighting with the Federation altered the ecosystem so drastically that the True Shadow Pigs could not keep up with the stark difference, specifically, the windstorms, which eventually led to their ruin. After the defeat of the T-pigs in 1260, the region was left abandoned for 6 months, until the new interim leader of the Federation, Shadow LXXXII, began the project to turn the area into a prison-city. Now, in 1261, the prison-city is home to 1100 inmates and their families, as well as 1000 guards, and the landscape is slowly recovering. Little time is spent on the surface by guinea pigs, though this is where humanoid inmates work. The underground commute system and surface gates are heavily patrolled and fortified so as to ensure that none escape.

Tourism

About 30% of the inmates work in the tourism sector, which has only grown since the opening of the prison-city. Guinea pigs come from all over the federation to see the state of the city and learn about the history of the region. Only humanoid creatures are permitted outside in the center of the city, due to the tumultuous winds, so a bustling underground commute system takes tourists throughout allowed areas in the city. Currently the tourism sector makes up 35% of the profits of the prison-city, but that number is expected to rise in the next few years.

Maps

Caves of Dophert level 1
This is the first level and the tourist sector of the Caves. This is where tourists and visitors can sight-see and buy wares and use facilities run by inmates. It contains several restaurants , a gym, an interpretive dance studio, a nail salon, a school, and various other shops. It also contains a sports arena, police station/officer headquarters, a Church campus. Outside of the Caves of Dophert lie several several hotels and inns that have begun to pop up with the tourism. This level is for tiny creatures only. Any guinea pig who brings an elven familiar must leave it at the door.