Hasiran Oasis Town

A Hasiran oasis town is a key part of life in the Hasira. These towns function as small city-states.

Government
Oasis towns function as small city-states. Laws vary from town to town, and they are only enforced within the towns Hayit (walls).

Zaeims, the leaders of Hasiran towns, vary in how they are chosen. The largest towns usually have a system of governance composed of a hierarchy that democratically elects individuals at each layer above. Extended family groups will nominate someone, most often an elder, to speak for the family in governmental affairs. These representatives are called Almasnins. To choose higher leaders, the Almasnins will gather in a public space to vote on Rayiys for the Rayiy council.

Any Almasnin can nominate another Almasnin for Rayiy. There can only be a select number of Rayiys, and this number varies based on the towns size. All the Almasnins vote for the candidates they desire, and the Rayiys receiving the most votes win.

The Rayiy council will then vote on a Zaeim to oversee governmental affairs. This process is identical to electing Rayiys, however there can only be one Zaeim.

Smaller towns will simply arrive at a casual consensus on who the Zaeim should be. These are usually elders that are popular among the town. In this case, the Zaeim will appoint Rayiys to aid in governance.

Zaeims have absolute authority over governmental affairs, though will quickly be removed if they are unpopular. Zaeims thus maintain careful and amiable relations with the town's people.

Life and Culture
Desert towns are simple, with mud-houses ranging from 1 to 3 stories tall.

People tend to spend little time in their homes when they are not sleeping. Generally, inhabitants socialize in public spaces or restaurants.

The majority of Hasirans work as farmers. Apricots, dates, figs, and olives are all important crops. Larger oases with more available moisture can sometimes engage in wheat, millet, and barley farming.

Irrigation systems composed of small canals and tunnels are used to efficiently distribute water throughout the town from boreholes or sources of surface water. Qanats are underground channels used as underground aqueducts to transport water from aquifers into the towns. These qanats are build by a specific group of skilled laborers known as muqannis. This is a well paid and respected profession handed down from father to son. Used in conjunction with a windcatcher, they can also provide a natural cooling airflow to buildings.

Oasis towns and the Hasiran caravans maintain a critical symbiotic relationship. The towns provide sources of shelter and resources for the caravans journeys, while the caravans provide needed resources and luxuries from the coastal civilizations.

Hayit
A Hayit is a wall that signifies the border of a town. Outside of these walls is beyond the claim (and laws) of a given town. Outsiders are required to seek authorization to enter the walls, and unauthorized entry is considered a serious offense. Resources can be hard to come by, thus Hasirans are very protective of their towns and who has access to them.