Osten

Osten, the capital of Ouleme Canton, is a port city in the northern corner of Coreune nestled within a forest of mangrove and bald cvpress that stretches to the ocean. Though situated within the marshes, it is nonetheless a beehive of activity. Because it is located below sea level, Osten is also sometimes called the City of Stilts. Its buildings are built upon a series of metal and wooden stilts that suspend them above the murky waters of the swamp. Steamboats carry goods to and from the city on a daily basis. The bayous surrounding Osten are rich in coal, oil, and rare woods, and the marshy ground makes a rich seedbed for sugar, rice, and wheat. These products are shipped to many other locales, including Aveir and Turlona, both of which maintain steady trade relations with the city.
Osten has a haunted reputation, partly due to its age and partly to its environment - the city has existed in the misty shade of the bayou for over 1,500 years. Likewise, the humid, misty environment and the hanging moss that covers the city lend a decrepit air that does little to discourage dark rumors about the place. The bayous and waterways are home to dangerous creatures. In addition, the mysterious swamp-dwelling people known as the Juidam have lived in the bayous for untold generations. Until recently they had only occasional contact with Osten and are reputed to be witches and cannibals. True or not, the Juidam do make excellent guides if they can be convinced to assist outsiders and if one has the wherewithal to endure their strange language and behavior.
The isolated location of Osten and the difficulty in reaching it with larger naval vessels makes it a popular port for pirates and privateers who use smaller, shallower drafing vessels and prefer to avoid direct confrontation with the navy's clippers. Much to the chagrin of its more respectable, hard-working inhabitants, Osten has become a fairly bustling center of black market trade, and the local watch is either too corrupt or too busy fending off dangers from the swamp to do much about it.
Osten's Market Platform is a large construction of iron and wood at the city's center, and its most important gathering site. Other notable sites in the city include the Osten Church and the Rafted Slum.
Category:Small Cities
Category:Locations
Category:Locations in Ouleme
Category:Locations in Coreune
Category:Settlements
Category:Settlements in Coreune