Old Horse

Old Horse is the capital of The Isle of Chartequincy.

## Description

### Founding

Situated atop bluffs overlooking the majestic Chartequincian Strait lies the venerable capital city of Old Horse. Founded over five centuries ago by pioneering settlers who were guided to the fertile lands by an aged workhorse, Old Horse has flourished as the political and economic heart of the Isle of Chartequincy.

### Urban Development

As the capital expanded, Old Horse cam to boast elegant government buildings constructed in the classical Georgian architectural style. Residential neighborhoods spread with tidy row houses and leafy boulevards evoking the pastoral countryside. Suburban villages took on their own distinct characters, from affluent enclaves to working-class districts.

### Cultural Significance

Today, Old Horse is a metropolis of nearly six million residents and host to premier cultural institutions. World-renowned museums, theaters, and libraries thrive alongside bustling commercial districts and restaurant scenes. Traditional festivals also help maintain Old Horse's sense of history, such as the Annual Harvest celebration held in the Historic Downtown area.

### International Crossroads

Across the strait lies the skyline of Langstarrent, capital of the neighboring nation of Boywetsooty. Connecting the two coastal cities is the iconic Classic Bridge, facilitating trade and diplomacy over centuries. As the largest port cities along the Chartequincian Strait, Old Horse and Langstarrent have grown profoundly intertwined in their shared prosperity as sister trade partners.

## Demographics

### Ethnicity

* Chartequincian/Boywetsootling: 3 million (50% of the population) - Descended primarily from early Chartequincian pioneers and Boywetsootling immigants who settled the Chartequincian region over centuries.

* Cagneuxite/Solens/Saultalines: 1 million (17%) - Inhabitated southern Chartequincy since ancient times. Culturally integrated while maintaining traditions.
* Tessanese: 500,000 (8%) - With origins in Tessa, they have a large population in Old Horse.
* Lobevians: 400,000 (7%) - Immigrants and descendants from a quarter across the Olden World.
* Islenos and Mixed Islenos: 300,000 (5%) - With roots in Dalamatia and La Islas Celestiales, Islenos have a strong presence in Old Horse.
* Borogovians: 200,000 (3%) - Immigrants from Hargenland, New Acheson, and Borogovia tending to settle in trendy urban neighborhoods.
* Owandites/Habougans: 100,000 (2%) - Immigrants with growing populations of southern Owanda and northern Habouga.
* Mixed/Other - 100,000 (2%) - Descended from diverse intermingling minorities or unclassified backgrounds. Most are mixed Chartequincians or other Olden Worldites (Cagneuxites, Lobevians, and Borogovians) with Tessanese, but others are very populous.
* Jabalwis and Pessybakuites: 50,000 (1%) - Tracing roots to northern Peisybaku and western Jabala.

## Flora and Fauna

### Native Wildlife

The woods and coastlines outside Old Horse are home to an array of indigenous mammals, birds, and sea life. Over 5,000 tufted feral goats cling to rocky coastal bluffs, while swift river otters populate streams and estuaries in populations between 2,500-5,000. Seabirds such as black-crested gulls and rare stormwaders numbering in the hundred thousands nest along the shoreline. Pods of several hundred seals may be spotted offshore. In the forest, thousands of deer and foxes thrive alongside smaller rodents.

### Urban Fauna

Common urban fauna include opossums, squirrels, and rabbits that inhabit foliage-rich parks and backyards. Raccoons number over 10,000 citywide as adaptable scavengers. Small songbirds like finches and sparrows nest by the millions in leafy neighborhoods. Seagulls have also nested successfully in the urban environment.

#### Porcupines

In recent years, Old Horse has faced a peculiar dilemma - an explosion of the urban porcupine population among the city's green spaces. These nocturnal creatures, normally solitary denizens of the forest, have grown unusually abundant in parks and nature reserves throughout the metro area. With estimates now over 15,000 individuals spotted within city limits, porcupines have caused growing headaches for residents and park authorities. They can be found nesting in hollow trees and under porches and salt-scraping behavior on patios and playgrounds erode materials. More alarmingly, their sharp quills can seriously injure unwary dogs and cats, with over 200 reported cases annually of animals needing medical care for porcupine encounters.

#### Black-billed magpies

In addition, black-billed magpie populations within city limits have boomed. Where once a lone flock of a few dozen might be spotted in a suburban park, magistrates now estimate over 200,000 individuals inhabit the metro area year-round.

#### Northern cardinal

Old Horse's abundant parks provide ideal habitat for these vibrant songbirds. Over 50,000 residents nest and sing throughout greenspaces, becoming a signature sighting for locals.

#### Red fox -

Old Horse hosts some of the world's largest fox densities at 7 foxes per sq km. About 3,500 individuals thrive in the city.

#### Hedgehog

About 3,500 hedgehogs live in the city limits.

### Native Flora

Old Horse is surrounded by coastal evergreen forests dominated by towering hemlocks and firs reaching to the sky. Wooded uplands bear nut-producing trees like chestnuts and oaks. Flowing meadows and estuaries showcase wildflowers like lilies and irises during warmer seasons. Hard-branched shrubs like hawthorn and crabapple thrive. Kelp and eelgrass beds teem with life offshore.