Ostyr

Official Name: Ostyr

Demonym: Ostyrean

Languages: Ostyrean, Common

Population: Unknown

Capital: Ryynaever

Government: Timocracy

Head of State: Chief Craftsman

Leader: Smorrin Maslenni

Ambassador: None Currently

Relationship: No Relationship with Gateway

Description: The smallest nation on the Tyrean continent, Ostyr is also one of the least-known. Like Alness, it is a part of the Tyrean empire, a protectorate under Queen Sheridan's authority. Covered by forbidding mountains, few have traveled far into Ostyr, but those that do find a friendly, if reclusive people. They are best known for their stonework, used in many of the newer buildings in Tyrandel, and their gems, which Tyrean merchants have popularized throughout Ikol.

Details of Ostyr are currently being worked on.

Little is known of Ostyr's history. Native stories tell of gods crafting the first men out of snow to work their mines, and rewarding them with life after the discovery of a particularly impressive emerald. Actual history is scarce -- early records were chiseled onto cave walls, and lost over time to erosion, and damage from earthquakes and avalanches.

The beginning of Tyr's relationship with Ostyr is also somewhat vague, with various scraps of tales and records hinting at exploration into the mountains as long ago as three hundred years. The first fully documented trip was made some hundred and fifty years ago, by the adventurous son of a prominent merchant. Better funded than previous expeditions and better-researched, they made it all the way up into the mountains, to a village of yak farmers tucked in one of the nearer valleys. They were brought to the capital, and ended up waiting out the winter there, becoming well-acquainted with the people. They returned to Tyrandel bearing gifts that demonstrated the exceptional craftsmanship of the people, and plans for future trade.

For some years, the maps showing the route through the mountains to Ryyvaener remained closely protected by the family, but eventually the secret got out and a few other companies became involved in trade there as well. As the route became more traveled, a few hardy tourists and academics began to travel to Ostyr as well, though the difficulty of the journey has kept that number relatively low over the years.

Ostyr's most notable feature is, of course, its mountains. They are surprisingly, exceptionally tall: rumored, even, to be the tallest on Ikol. They rise somewhat abruptly out of large, rolling hills that fade into a dry, barren plain down to the sea in the north. To the south, the mountains drop in height somewhat as they reach the borders with Tolek and Alness, rain collecting on that side to create the lush jungles that cover both countries.

Up in those mountains, terrain is covered by snow for much of the year, and is dry and rocky the rest of the months. There are a few valleys situated fortuitously enough to be green and fit for cultivation during a brief growing season. Outside that period, there is just enough scrub brush, lichen, and dry grass sticking through the snow to support a few hardy species of wild goat, and the yaks that are Ostyr's second most famous feature behind the mountains themselves.

At the higher elevations, there are a multitude of streams and brooks, many of which spring up (and all swell) with the late-spring snowmelt. It is only in those lower hills where they finally combine into several powerful rivers that snake their way down towards the sea. Around these are the few green parts of that dusty plain, but they fade quickly when the water dries to a trickle in late summer and freezes shortly thereafter.

The coastline is easily navigable, rocky, grey, and uninviting but not problematic for most vessels. There are several small harbors deep enough for the large trading vessels necessary to transport stone, and roads towards those areas are being rapidly improved as trade grows.