Dimayen is divided into three distinct circles defined by economics and how recently they were settled.
FIRST CIRCLE
The first families—the descendants of those who originally settled Dimayen—reside in the First Circle, a small fortified district surrounding the oasis. While the Whitewaters command the primary spring, the remaining first families control a number of secondary springs, and most of the city refers to these families collectively as the Water Gods.
Dimayen’s economic hardships have yet to impact the First Circle, and as the outer circles crumble, its relative wealth becomes ever more obvious. The Whitewater clan ostensibly governs the city, both by the satrap’s decree and by virtue of controlling the largest standing force of guards. However, the Whitewaters dabble in politics only enough to maintain a steady flow of gold.
SECOND CIRCLE
Those who came to populate the town later were forced to purchase water rights from first families, and settled farther from the Water Gods’ high walls and aggressive guards. The farmers and traders who made up the second wave of settlers created a neighborhood of modest homes and shops offering their services to travelers stopping for water, as well as catering to the ever-more extravagant demands of the town’s elite. An aggressive merchant council now runs the Second Circle and maintains monopolies in the oasis. More than one family has arrived with dreams of attaining quick profits, only to end up under the yoke of crushing debt.
As the largest circle, the Second Circle has the widest variety of buildings. Limestone and wooden structures dominate the neighborhoods. Nearly a third of the district has been abandoned, however, and those stubborn locals who remain behind are quick to scavenge what remains. Vacant structures, rubbish, and the abandoned possessions of those who have fled clutter the once-lovely streets.
THIRD CIRCLE
Those new to Dimayen, simply passing through, or devastated by the drought make their homes in the squalor of the Third Circle, a hodgepodge of tents, caravanserai, and mud-brick shanties. The luckiest get backbreaking work as water-carriers, but most beg, steal, or scrounge to survive. Those hardy enough to survive the dangerous, crime-ridden camps of the Third Circle occasionally find employment as mercenaries accompanying caravans and expeditions into the perilous Meraz. The town’s notorious Brotherhood of Thieves—a gang of thieves and extortionists—once controlled every aspect of life in the Third Circle, but as more and more of the town collapses, the parasites find fewer helpless citizens to exploit.
