NozamaNozama is the third-largest ocean on Gaia. It is both the only island hosting a metropolis (the City of Nozama) and the only island hosting an academy of magic, the Lyceum?. Nozama is a hot, dry place, primarily consisting of wind-swept dunes dotted by the occasional oasis. Many old cities and fortresses remain on the island, remnants of the period just before and just after The Fracturing?. The constant shifting of the dunes reveals new ruins even as old ruins are lost beneath the sand. Despite its forbidding climate, there is a sizable population on Nozama even outside its main city. Most oases have at least a town surviving around them, and many caravans travel between them trading goods from other islands. There is a contingent of horse breeders on the island (perhaps the only significant amount of horses in the world), though the preferred mount is the dromedary. Nozama's best real-world analogy is the ancient Persia of myths and folklore, a msytical desert paradise full of scheming viziers, horse-riding bandits, and turban-wearing, shamshir-wielding heroes in search of genies' lamps, gems, and other precious treasures. The standard currency on Nozama is the rupee, which is equivalent to one silver piece. Copper, gold, and platinum coins are seen only infrequently, brought in by foreign trade, but are accepted at their standard values. Back to Geography |