Assam

Assam, sometimes referred to as "oasis in the plains," was a small city and a caravan center on the northern side of the Shining Plains.

Description
Assam was a wallless town on the endless wide plains, drowning in circling packs of herd animals and numerous caravans. The city smelled of tanneries and slaughterhouses, appropriately for its main trade. Assam's streets were rough and wide to accommodate many traders and merchants that frequented it. All businesses in the city catered to caravans, from the largest store to the dingiest tavern.

Geography
While Assam was the northernmost city in the Shining Plains, it was still several leagues south of the northern edge of the plain. It was located on the southern bank of the Wet River where the road from Ormath crossed the river at a wide ford. Assam had no walls to speak of and relied on its ruling cities for protection. That is not to say Assam was defenseless though, they had a sizable standing militia that kept fights and violence within the city to a minimum.

Government
The city-states of Lheshayl and Ormath ruled Assam together. Delegates were sent from both city-states to make up the ruling council. In 1372 DR, Honlinar Tempest was the mayor, and he kept everything running smoothly. Honlinar served both city-states and worked hard to keep them happy by dealing with any business interruptions swiftly.

Merchants were allowed to run free by the local government, so much that visitors often assumed that trading companies were the rules of Assam. This freedom was the reason for Assam's popularity with trading caravans. However, the city was far from lawless. Assam had a strong militia that was capable of repealing invaders and keeping the streets peaceful. The judicial system of Assam was comprised of three judges appointed by the cities of Lheshayl and Ormath. The most common dispute for the judges to rule on was over the intermingling herds of cattle surrounding the city.

Trade
Assam was a town of merchants and was dedicated to its trade. The town was surrounded by caravans, wagons, and herds of animals. The government gave merchants virtually free run over the city, so much so that travelers commonly felt that the merchants were in charge of the city. Assam, along with Ormath, produced horses; however, the trade was dwarfed by the Lheshayl's steed numbers and quality.

Hunting was a popular pastime in Assam, attracting ambitious hunters from other regions during its many "official" hunting seasons, enforced by the Emerald Enclave. The hunting seasons usually were scheduled for late summer and autumn with an emphasis on Eleint, Marpenoth, and Uktar. Occasionally, depending on the winter, spring hunting seasons were announced to cull the population of herd animals. Individuals who violated the hunting seasons were themselves hunted by the local druids and non-human tribes of the Shining Plains.

Culture
Assam, Lheshayl, and Ormath jointly attended the annual tribal gathering at the Hill of Memories, also known as the Field of Tears, commiserating the bloody battle with the wemic Ten-Paw Tribe of 326 DR.

History
Assam was founded in by the two cities of Lheshayl and Ormath, following centuries of feuding and tensions. For the next 300 years, Assam, Lheshayl, and Ormath were locked in skirmishes with the non-human tribes of the Shining Plains: centaurs and thri-kreen. The brought the Rage of Dragons on the three cities of the Shining Plains. Assam's lack of walls provided no defenses against flying wyrms. The flight lasted for more than 15 years. Most dragons flew past the small cities, while others swooped down to wreak havoc and destruction. By the the dragonrage subsided, and the Shining Plains reached relative peace.

In Tarsakh of the, an army of drow attacked Assam. The drow forces were repelled, but both sides suffered heavy losses. A mercenary group called the Fellowship of the Spiked Fist was hired by a wealthy trader of Ormath who had business interests and warehouses filled with goods in Assam. The Spiked Fist pursued and routed the drow out, ending the immediate threat. However, the news of the drow attack sparked worries of an incoming invasion in the cities of Westgate and settlements in the Vilhon Reach and the Dragon Coast, forcing them to increase the defenses.

Circa the gold shipments that moved from Assam to the coffers of the lord of Ormath started mysteriously disappearing en route. The lord was searching for someone competent to investigate the hijackings.

Facts & Trivia

 * Assam was a common male first name mong the Bedine humans of the Anauroch.