Oosterhof

Overview

The city of Oosterhof is the capital of Sherpburg and the largest city in the province. The city is home to approximately 100,000 people. While the city is quite large for the standards of the Eastern portion of Grouce, it is the 11th largest city in the entire country. The city is located in the south east of Sherpburg and is the closest population center to the Forest of Rhofan. Oosterhof is also the largest economic region in the province and is the primary cultural center of the surrounding region.

One of the oldest cities in Goruce, Oosterhof was originally settled by Grein Ooster as a home for his clan. The city grew in size and became instrumental in Kain Ooster's Conquest of Sherpburg. The city served as Kain's base during his conquest and became the location of the Council of the Final Hunt after his conquest was completed. The city was also home to both the Treaty of the First Hunt and the Three Moon Council. As Sherpburg grew in importance to the rest of Grouce more people began to flock to the city to start a new life, making it the most diverse in all of Grouce.

Oosterhof is home to the Morbach, Lorelei, Bergen, Karte, Rupercht, and Rhonin adventuring guilds. The city's heavy guild presence has given it a reputation for having the lowest crime rate in all of Grouce due to having the high average strength of it's inhabitants. The city is the only location where vendors are able to join caravans heading to the Forest of Rhofan and the Elven city of Clairhof.

History

Settlement

Oosterhof was settled in 2162 BU when Grein Ooster settled the land as a home for his tribe. Grein saw settleing as a way to grow the might of his people, and give them stability over the nomadic life style they lead. The location was chosen for access to clean water and fertile land. Grein started the settlement in a clearing up hill from the a fresh water river that flowed from the east. Grein named the river the Talish River after the scout that first found the clearing. Grein and his tribe settled the land and created a small walled city to denote their home. While the area was prone to the occasional monster attack, the citizens were well prepared and the cities defenses protected them from major threats. Within three hundred years of settling the land the tribe had grown nearly ten fold.

While Grein's original family home would eventually be burned during his descendants struggle to unify the land, the foundation of the original home and the original wall that surrounded the town were preserved and eventually used as the cornerstones and outer wall of the Morbach guild hall. During the cities initial growth, it was originally constructed almost entirely of wooden buildings, with Grein's home and the original town meeting hall being the only two exceptions. As the tribe grew in population the city spread both larger and tighter and as streets became crowded concerns of flammability and structural integrity became a major sticking points. The close spacing of buildings increased the risk of fast spreading fire and the tight streets made response difficult. Eventually stone foundations became the norm and most of the original city was rebuilt to allow for better constructed walkways and buildings. As the city continued to grow it moved north leaving the original city to become known as the old southern district.

Pre-Unification

Nearly a millennia after the city was first established Kain Ooster declared Oosterhof the capital of the new unified land that he had conquered in the year 1227 BU. Kain's Conquest started in Oosterhof as it was the area he grew up in and when he finally united the 4 tribes of the region it was where he chose to seat the power of the land. A new building was constructed in Oosterhof to act as a central point where Kain hoped his vision of the government and guild systems established after the signing of the Treaty of the Grand Feast would rule from.

Eventually Kain's vision for the region, the people, and the city came to fruition. When Leati Reigns created peace with the elven tribes during the Treaty of the First Hunt. The elves created Clairhof as a sister city to Oosterhof. With the treaty came the abolishment of the government Kain left behind and a full adoption of the guild system of life. The Council of the Final Hunt took over Kain's capitol building left and used it as their meeting place once again reinforcing Oosterhof as the seat of power for the region.

As time went on and tensions on the other side of the area of Grouce grew, Oosterhof populace readied themselves for coming conflict. The city acted as the home of the Three Moons Council where Sherpburg officially became a member of the United Provinces of Grouce.

Post-Unification

In the time since Sherpburg became part of Grouce, Oosterhof remained the primary hub for the region. The city is the permanent home for not only the Council of the Final Hunt, but also for several adventuring guilds and the diplomats who control all of Grouce's relations with the Forest of Rhofan. Since the province has increased its trade with the rest of the nation in the time since unification it has become even more of a cultural hub. The city would later act as one of the largest blends of different races on the continent, and is the only major city where both Followers of the Ode and Servants of Heiliger are equally common.

Geography

The city is located in the south western corner of Grouce. Oosterhof is just north of the Talish River and is the end of the Road of Gold. The city experiences a warm temperate climate with mild winters. The majority of the precipitation it experiences comes from the Beresto Mountains, although the occasional coastal storm does occur.

Administration

Oosterhof is governed by The Council of the Final Hunt. The various guilds of the province preform different duties to keep the city running in good order. A portion of all tax collected is used to maintain infrastructure and pay for the various provided services.

Infrastructure

The administrative infrastructure of Oosterhof is handled primarily by two guilds with support from the Council of the Final Hunt. The guild of Bergen act as guards and administrators for many of the city and provinces interactions with the rest of Grouce. An elite group from the guild is chosen to act as an honor guard for public ceremony and to escort diplomats. Lorelei provide the other half of the bureaucracy for the city. They work in conjunction with the religions organizations and guilds to handle tax collection, record keeping. Lorelei make up the majority of government positions, even if they are primarily support roles.

Rupercht maintains the physical infrastructure of Oosterhof and will often use other guilds to supplement their own labor. The guild Hamelin is employed most often, primarily for underground work. Any of the cities assets that are not explicitly owned by another guild are maintained by Rupercht.

Social Programs

The various religions in the city work primarily with Lorelei to provide social services to the people of Oosterhof. Lorelei oversees the mandatory education required by Grouce for the whole province. Oosterhof, and the other major cities of the province are the only areas that utilize devoted public schools instead of using community buildings to hold the classes. The churches work in conjunction with Lorelei to provide medical services to the people of Oosterhof in order to ensure the populous remains safe and healthy.

Law Enforcement

The hunting guild, Belap provides the bulk of the cities law enforcement. While Bergen hold the majority of judge positions it is the hunting guild acts as the city guard and do the majority of the foot work to keep the streets safe. Once a criminal is arrested they are held in a small prison along the eastern edge of the city. When the time for their trial comes they are taken in front of a judge, who will question both the accused and the arresting officer with the assistance of a clergyman to ensure the truth via magical means. Many of the judges in Oosterhof come from Bergen, with Lorelei providing support to the courts.

Demographics

Of those who reside in Oosterhof approximately 75% were born in the province. The city is home to the second largest blend of different races in Grouce. Residents of Oosterhof rarely have racially pure heritage, as interracial parentage is common.

Economy

The cities economic resources come from the guilds that make up the cities foundation. The tax collected from the guilds is used to help maintain the city and keep it hospitable. The city is also the regions major trade hub. Both the Rhonin and Karte guilds call the city home and do the majority of their trade from within or near by to the city. The city is also home to Morbach which as the largest adventuring oriented guild has brought a high number of custom and renown smithing and crafting businesses to the area, further stimulating the economy.

Culture

The culture of Oosterhof has become so blended with the various inhabitants it is hard to pick out an individual cultural identity in the city. This lack of traditional identity itself has become something of the cities identity, as it has with the province as a whole. The guilds are a constant driving force in the city, which has led to many of the cultural practices of various peoples and religions becoming tied to the culture of the guilds. This mixture has created an environment of unity with the people of the city as a lack of unique culture has allowed them to more readily accept new trends from other areas and become something of a leader for the rest of Grouce in terms of new trands.

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