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Mars’ Oasis has a very brief history within my campaign. It is a monarchy founded by Romans who traveled around the dark side of the flat world. After the city’s founding the people of Mars’ Oasis fought the other desert inhabitants for space, notably the blue dragons, the undead of the Lich Shade, and formian ant people. This section covers the founding of the city. I drew on the already existing myths surrounding Romulus.
716BCE: A whirlwind absorbed Romulus, taking him to Olympus by the side of his father, Mars. The Roman Senate ruled in Romulus’s place until a successor was chosen.
715BCE: The Roman Senate selected Numa Pompilius as Romulus’s successor. Numa enacted a series of reforms to make Rome a more pious and peaceful city. His first act was to discharge the 300 Celeres cavalry that served under war-loving Romulus. The Celeres left Rome in anger, heading northward out of Italy.
714BCE: Proculus Julius, the tribunus celerum and leader of the Celeres, took the cavalry group over the Alps and westward through Gaul. As they traveled they raided settlements for supplies.
713BCE: The Celeres arrived in Erytheria. Proculus Julius sought advice from the Hesperides on what their company should do next. The nymphs prophesied that the Roman cavalry should continue heading west to gain glory.
712BCE: Proculus Julius led the Celeres aboard six ships and sailed into the Atlantic. A ship was lost in the ocean storms before the group reached Atlantis. The Celeres dined with Oceanus and Tethys. Unfortunately the Titan couple’s hospitality was violated when the Celeres slept with the Oceanid daughters of Oceanus and Tethys. The Romans fled to their ships with their Oceanid lovers. The men and nymphs sailed westward towards the edge of the world.
711BCE: The Celeres’ fleet reached the edge of the world. They beached their ships and trekked out over the edge. They found that the side of the world was as easy to walk on as the top. Proculus led his people down the side, going further west as the Hesperides instructed. Along the way they encountered fiendish monsters that the soldiers slew.
710BCE: Proculus Julius, the Celeres, and the Oceanides accompanying them arrived at the bottom of the world. They continued “west” towards the eastern edge of the surface. They continued to fight monsters every step of the way, slaying the beasts and claiming treasures from their corpses.
705BCE: While on the dark side of the world the Celeres encountered Remus. He instructed them to continue their journey until they saw six vultures just as Remus had before his deadly conflict with Romulus. At that site they should found their city. Proculus Julius thanked Remus and the Celeres continued on their way.
700BCE: The Celeres reached the eastern edge of the world after ten years on the dark side of the world. Only half their number survived the journey. Fortunately no monsters bothered them as they went up the side of the world.
699BCE: The Celeres reached the eastern shore of the Pacific Ocean. Without a boat they prayed to Mars for salvation. In response a wind picked up pushing the soldiers to the south. In a few miles they found a small forest. They built boats for their sea journey with the aid of the Oceanides.
698BCE: The Celeres got to dry land. They continued to travel west, scanning the sky for vultures.
697BCE: Proculus Julius spotted six vultures at an oasis on the northwestern corner of the Shacklack Desert. The Celeres and Oceanides celebrated for their long journey was finally over. The Oceanides consecrated the ground at the oasis. Those whose husbands had died joined hands and danced around the place of the vulture sighting. As they danced the 125 nymphs turned to water. They flowed into a newly formed pool of amber liquid, creating the Dythalid Pool. The remaining men and nymphs declared Proculus Julius the king of their new town, Mars’ Oasis.
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