(A painting of what Osteinior might look like; Picture from Deviantart by jbrown67)
By Iohn Meddoy
As pilgrims travel north to visit the Baien, they will first arrive at the County of Doreinior, gateway to the Duchy of Sommerlund and the Kingdom of Aequitas. Some pilgrims will choose to disembark on the island town of Black Ivory, buying the necessary supplies or a Cardinal Poppy before continuing their journey towards the Baien or the Apovital Point. Others, as I have, will instead take the opportunity to travel east, along high cliffs and rocky shores until they reach its ancient capitol, Osteinior, where legends tell of its founding after The Burning.
Arriving at the port of Osteinior, travellers will first notice the many trade ships that came with them. Dock workers busily unload various goods from faraway shores into the warehouses along the piers, and as you go past the busy waterfront a bustling market appears. Traders from different lands and local merchants ply their wares in beautifully decorated shophouses, designed to attract the attention of potential customers. Here, the pilgrims continue to find the many different kinds of pilgrimage supplies such as the Bough Cake and Caudle. Scholars are also seen here, sifting through the exotic books that the traders have brought from renowned sages or hermits from the Southern Kingdoms, hoping to gleam some obscure wisdom or knowledge from it.
The fame of the market, however, comes not from its goods from overseas nor its local produces from its neighbouring towns. It's claim to fame comes from a fish market stall that is famous for their habit of hurling customers' orders across the shopping area. The performance that these fishmongers showcase often attract crowds in the hundreds, bringing many curious tourists, improving the business in the area. Local hawkers, taking advantage of the crowd, would often push food carts near the crowd to sell beverages and takeaways, creating a small separate crowd.
Osteinior itself, being the administrative centre of Doreinior, primarily produces the paper it requires for its administrative work. It also produces enough for it's students and teachers for its two academies, namely Kegwehn's Management Institute and the Hotin Military Academy. Surges in paper usage do occur however, and Osteinior often look towards the Hamlet of Little Hillock to supply whatever shortfall that it has.
Moving north of Osteinior and further inland into the Lower Montane Forest proper, pilgrims and travellers will find a lush land filled with the Jeffery and Ponderosa Pine. The forest of Doreinor are filled with game such as deers and rabbits, and even canis rabbits and otter bears for intrepid hunters. While Doreinior has strict rules regarding its Nature Reserves, the villages of Stormspider, Inner Night and Green Angel provide good hunting grounds in its surrounding area, attracting many aspiring hunters and trappers to come and try their luck.
While Stormspider, Inner Night and Green Angel provides game meat for the region, the breadbasket of Doreinior is actually the town of Warward. Its rich soil and extensive farmlands produces much of the apples, plums, pears and whitehart cherries enjoyed by the rest of the county. It also grows the cereals that feeds the very much saturated capital of Osteinoir. Many pilgrims and much of the trade caravans travelling along the north-south road will stop to restock supplies and have a rest in one of Warward's homely inns.
The city of Raven Hill boast the second largest in Doreinior. Being close to mines and skilled craftsman from the village of Umberworth, Raven Hill is also the industrial centre of Doreinior. Many an adventurer will make their way to the City to have their equipment repaired or replaced. If you are willing to take a detour from the land route to the Baien, Raven Hill will surely be worth a visit.
Finally, before we exit Doreinior, and continue our journey through the hinterlands of Sommerlund, we must restock at the last homely house east of the sea, at the Town of Nightgrave. While it primarily supplies textiles to the surrounding region, Nightgrave is also a religious centre where Virtorian pilgrims can rest their spirits and make their confessions to the priest in Nightgrave's church.
Follow me in my next chapter, as I explore in my travelogue, the hinterlands of Sommerlund. My next stop, the very centre of Sommerlund, the County of Cragcross.
This is a story entry