Ni-ko Oasis
Although it is a lush, green copse and has a charming-sounding name, Ni-Ko translates as “Mud Pit Hollow,” an apt description for this treacherous sump. The Ni-Ko Oasis is not a blue, shining pool, but a thick tract of bogs and fens. Here water rises up from the surface to turn the soil into a quagmire. Trees and bushes grow thickly with stretches of marshy bog in between. Still, the bog is inhabited. A small tribe of korobokuru lives here, safely protected from the nomad horsemen by the swampy ground. These curious little men (see Oriental Adventures) for the most part live hidden away in the thick brush and trees. From time to time, however, small knots of them appear to trade with merchants, share stories, and learn the news of the world. A few have even been known to join caravans bound for distant parts of the world.
Traditionally, the oasis is considered the boundary between the Oriental Lands and Western World. To the west are Almorel, Hallstatt, Keltoi and Nathoud. To the east is Shou Lung. Even the caravan route changes name here, from the Golden Way to the Spice Road. Caravan masters regard the oasis as a halfway point of their journey.
Although there is a caravan road through the oasis, travel is difficult at best. Animals sink in mud, sometimes up to their bellies. Wagons and carts can disappear in mud over their axles. The only solution is to use muscle power or magical spells. (For example, a reversed transmute rock to mud is effective for a short period of time,) indeed, so difficult is this part of the journey, some caravan masters avoid the oasis entirely, risking death by thirst later on. When moving through the oasis area, use the swamp movement rate instead of normal forest rate.
