Ostenam

Geography

Coniferous trees paint the landscape of Ostenam, with rocks and the forest floors covered in thick coats of lichen.  The air is thick with fog that rolls through almost year round, only breaking when the Flame reaches the highest points in the sky.  The landscape of the region begins to slope into a lowland when pushing further East away from the Godspine Mountains and the Galehorn Mountains that give Ostenam its sturdy Western backbone.  Strong waterfalls off the Godspine fall into the province and form the many rivers that cut through the middle of Ostenam, making their way South by Southeast and forming many of the lakes on their Southern border, including the famous Lake Volg. While mostly unsuited for large-scale agricultural use, the region of Ostenam is important to the Republic primarily for its’ mass production and easy transportation via. waterways of lumber. The majority of Ostenam’s population hubs are situation around the shores of Lake Volg, but other notable cities can also be found at the base of the Godspine as well.

History

Ostenam is one of three nations that, until the arrival of the Decusian Faith and the Venerated Republic, was embroiled in constant skirmishes and raids to establish itself the rightful power within Vitaveus among its rivals: Volgen and Drolund.  Though not concerned with establishing an outright Empire, the nations of Ostenam, Drolund and Volgen all conspired to exert exclusive rights of rule throughout the region, with their key goals being to establish a form of taxation for both currency and valued good, along with rights to land claims and wild game within the regions.  This drive originates from an ancient period of warring tribes that once converged to a singular people, and for many who first visit each of these Midland provinces, the vestiges of these ancient cultures seem one in the same at face value.

The ancient people of Ostenam were a pale skinned and dark of hair and eyes folk.  They remain among the tallest people within Vitaveus, and their frames are usually bulky and big boned, and native Osteins still retain much of their pale skin and dark hair identifiers.  Their size however should not dismay someone from thinking they are no more than mere cumbersome bulls, as the people of Ostenam have a rich history of being some of the best hunters and trackers to stalk Eden.  Their ancient culture is one of seldom words, and to share such tongues with folks even if a mere single word is a sign of respect in their eyes; “No prey hears its stalker,” as the Osteins (Aws-tee-nhs) say in regards to their shortness from outsiders.

When the Republic entered the Ostenam during the Reckoning, they had their hands full in dealing with the local populace as their guerrilla tactics proved to be a nuisance to their larger forces and their garrison positions, harassing them at every cost.  What seized the region for them was not just their enduring presence or their might in large scale battles, but a single military stroke of luck that saw the thane of an area known as Tills brought to the sword by a small group of Legionnaires who sought revenge for their brethren in battle after being displaced from the bulk of the Legions forces in Ostenam.  By breaking through the sentries in the dead of night and slaying the thane in his sleep, the Osteins took this as a sign that they had become prey to an apex predator, the Republic, and agreed to bend the knee to the conquering Decusians on their war path. To this day, the near mythical tale of how Ostenam’s armies of thousands were brought to heel by but a handful of Legionnaires is cited ad nausea in basic training of all the branches of the Republic’s military programs.

Post-assimilation, Ostenam found a niche within the Empire quickly.  Their capability for conducting quick and brutally effective raids, along with their gifted talents in tracking, saw to their people as being highly regarded among the Legion and Templar. Ostenam itself never possessed a true religion of its own, and thus were able to be adopted into the Decusian faith with little resistance. As such, little of traditional Ostenam beliefs remain today.

Torment

The Torment is an interesting beast when it comes to the territory and provinces of Ostenam.  On one side, the fringes of the territory are being slowly encroached upon by its manic death and destruction from the farmlands of Drolund.  On the other, near Volgen, the Lake is showing signs of Torment, where schools of fish are washing ashore in malformed and misshapen husks.  Tills, for example, is now being supplied most of its waters through aquifers produced by runoffs of the Galehorn Mountains, however, the disease has shown up in pockets around Tills, where some of the outlying villages have been quarantined or outright eradicated. Despite this, Ostenam remains strong and more than 80% of the region is still inhabitable. Yet while the Torment does not claim this land, another menace does. Reports of neopaganistic activity, situated mostly in the western edges of Ostenam, are commonplace. Some even believe that the uncanny prosperity Ostenam has seen in resisting being wholly consumed by the Torment is due to the dark and ancient magics perpetrated by these blasphemous heathens.

Points of Interest

Tills

Along the rivers that feeding into Lake Volg and the Goodsea, Tills is a major logging and ferry junction for the bulk of the Republics lumber production throughout the Midlands.  Along with serving as the home to countless lumber mills and ferries, Tills also claims to be the base of operations for one of the most important military academies for the Venerated Republic, the Republic Citadel. It is here that many of Inquisitor and Templar forces whom operate in more clandestine operations on behalf of their Empire hone their skills and temper their wit, far from the distracting influences of the Eastern Baronies.  The training here is brutal, and it is not uncommon to hear of countless deaths occurring due to it, as troops here can often spend years within Tills and the surrounding regions learning advanced survival skills and training in tracking techniques often taught by the descendants of local Ostein peoples.

Inspirations and Influences

Tarkine Forsest, Australia. Traditional example names such as Isaac, Arlo, Harper and Evie are common for those hailing from Ostenam.