Ostroven Island (ah-stroh-vinn)
Ostroven is one of the most prosperous areas in the known world, with a variety of crops and natural resources that are exported elsewhere. The entire island is covered in dense jungle, except for a lone massive volcano in the center of the island. The volcanic ash and nutrients have, over time, turned the jungle into a lush place of many crops and opportunities. Bananas, coconuts, pineapples, mangoes, limes, and oranges all grow wild in this place, and a good amount of land has been converted to farms for sugarcane, which is also well suited to the island's ecosystem.
Underneath the volcano, the citizens of Vurothil mine for ore and smelt some of the world's greatest weapons and tools, using ancient forges heated by the magma of the semi-active volcano. Though it has never fully erupted, lava rivers form every couple years, sometimes intersecting the jungle roads or threatening the settlements. The outer walls and gates of Vurothil are made of dense basalt and obsidian, which have resisted being destroyed by the lava on a few occasions. Most on the island grow up fearing Mount Dubliina, knowing that if it ever truly erupts, it will likely kill everyone on Ostroven.
Fauna & Flora
The island of Ostroven is very diverse in both its plants and animals. It is home to many native tropical plants such as bananas, pineapples, mangoes, and coconuts but also to some transplanted crops like sugar cane and oranges. The wild areas of the jungle are dense with these tropical fruit trees and plants, and many farms and plantations have been set up to harvest and control their growth.
To match this abundance of plant life, the island also has several species of small animals, from tropical birds to smaller monkeys and primates, and even a few jaguars lurking in the darker parts of the jungle. Many druids come to Ostroven to study its balanced ecosystem and variety of plants and animals, hoping to take the lessons from this island and apply them to other ecosystems across the world.
History
For as long as history has recorded, this island was named Ostroven by the first sailors who found it, sailing southeast from mainland Ayndrinor. It has always had a few small settlements, taking advantage of the lush jungle that supplies all manner of fruits and other crops. Sometime during the fourth century of the First Age a group of dwarves came to island to explore the volcano and see if they could find valuable minerals underneath it. They found these in abundance, as well as several subterranean plateaus ringed by magma that would make excellent forge locations. They sent word back home to Gel Morgran and convinced dozens more dwarves to join them on Ostroven, and thus Vurothil was founded, known as the Third City among dwarves.
The port town in the northwest of the island was the launching point for many ships carrying goods to the island, as well as the ores and smithed products out of Vurothil - this point was the closest to Ayndrinor, so it made sense to set up a port there. Over time, this port began to grow as more and more farmers and other entrepreneurs came and needed a main place to import and export goods. Many of these "second wave" were halflings who were excited by the prospect of owning land and growing different crops, as well as the simple aspect of eating a tropical diet, which few on the continent had experienced.
The subsequent place names were taken from the halfling language, except Port O'Connor which was named after a famous merchant captain Merric O'Connell - who was also a halfling. The name of the large central volcano is a halfling word, which is why the alternative name for the island is Dubliina, though this name is only used by those who speak Halfling.
Alternative Name(s)
Dubliina
Type
Island
Included Locations
Included Organizations
Owning Organization
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