New Fantasy Setting Seeds.

[Astromancer]

The Citadel of the Doors

The short route through the desert isn't that old. The Citadel of the Doors has created a city where nameless rocks once were a mere landmark in a waterless waste.

The Wizards of the Esoteric Doors built the Citadel and the city walls in a week. Then they opened a sluice gate and water flowed out.

It took a while, but caravans, desperate to avoid the bandits and ghouls of the Western route and the high tolls and sudden unpredictable wars of the Eastern route, soon came to this new canvaserei. The city in name became a city in fact.

The Wizards of the Citadel built terraces to grow crops in. Watered by the cold waters flowing from their citadel. Farmers were soon hired and paid a reasonable portion of their crops. Some say portion claimed by the Wizards is unfairly high. But the farmers point to the rich soil, unfailing waters, and endless sunlit days. They do not want.

Rich in food, well protected by strong walls and rugged hills, rich from trade, the Wizards' city inspires deep jealousy and vast greed.

But how do you lay siege to a city that is the only source of water in a desert?

Basically, this is espionage in an Arabian Nights setting. The PCs are traveling with a caravan to a vital market city whose rich supplies of water, food and fodder make it the lynchpin of the desert caravan routes. The rivals of this short relatively safe route across the desert want the secrets of the ruling Wizards. Either to build their own oasis cities, or to close this route and force the traffic back to their lands.

Beware, spying on wizards on their home ground is notoriously dangerous.