Ostwind

# The Free City of Ostwind

The Free City of Ostwind, or just "Ostwind" is a merchant republic in the [Northeastern Landmass]. It was formed after a peasant rebellion deposed the original monarchy. Ostwind is a very rich but small state. Known for its many beef and venison dishes as well as their variety of foods made with cabbage. Despite it being a maritime state, there is a distinct lack of domestic fishing industries. This is due to their closely shared borders with the Lizardpeople of the Dark Basin.

## History

During [insert dates when more information becomes available] Ostwind was a despotic Monarchy, ruled by the tyrannical King Zigward II. Zigward II was of course the son of King Zigward the good. Who had plans to exterminate the Lizardpeople of the north and expand into the Dark Basin, hypothesizing that the swamps could be reclaimed into livable land. Zigward I is also remembered for his pragmatism as well as establishing the long lasting trade relationship with The Duchy of Eternus.

Zigward I's reign came to an abrupt and early end after he fell ill with pneumonia during a particularly bitter winter. The statesman Albrecht Himmel acted as regent for the late king's son at this time. During this time Albrecht oversaw the completion of the Great Northern Wall as well as maintaining and improving diplomatic relations with Eternus.

However, despite the kindness and renown of his father, Zigward II grew to be a corrupt and sadistic ruler. During his reign a cabal of noblemen was formed with himself at the head. He was responsible for a depression of the Ostian economy as well as widespread famine throughout the kingdom. After five years of starvation, a great plague broke out across the kingdom. Ostwind castle was heavily fortified and locked down, leaving only the nobles and the royal family therein.

The citizens of Ostwind City had had enough, and began to besiege the castle with what rudimentary weapons they had. Word had spread all over the kingdom, and non noble aristocrats began to fund and equip peasant militias. The resulting siege of Castle Ostwind only lasted one month. Zigward II, his nobles, and his family were cast into the northern wilds, and a new government was birthed.

The Aristocrats formed a council to determine the future of the small nation. Vowing never again to allow a single man so much power over anyone. Thus, the Landtag was born. Peasants would elect local aristocrats to represent them in the Landtag at Ostwind City and the Landtag would meet to vote on matters such as Legislation, Trade, Taxes, and The Military.

During the [amount of time since the revolution] Ostwind's economy has boomed through regional trade efforts. Allowing for a surplus of food and spices from other regions of the world.

## Ostian Cuisine

    Ostian cuisine is regionally known for its savory dishes, usually based around Beef, Lamb, and Venison. Fish is usually thought of as poverty food, and is considered sacrilegious in the eyes of Pescataricals. A handful of famous Ostian dishes are as follows:

* Wildkohl - Minced venison mixed with onions, peppers, and wild rice wrapped up in a boiled cabbage leaf and baked.
* Würste - Ostian cuisine has a wide variety of sausages in its cuisine, some are even completely vegetable based. A more complete list can be found here[Insert Ostian cuisine redirect to main page link]
* Curry - Curry is the official food of Wildnis province. This is because Wildnis produces the highest amount of tropical fruits and vegetables, resulting in a wide variety of curries.
* Schnitzel - The most common dish found in Ostian households is Schnitzel. It is usually served with Sauerkraut, Kimchi, or Mashed Potatoes. A cultural anomaly among Ostians abroad, is that even when served whole potatoes at a meal they will mash them before eating.
* Alcohol - Ostwind city is world renown for its brewery. This is where they produce large amounts of honey mead, dark beer, and dessert wines. Historically, during economic prosperity, the brewery will even begin to sell and produce limited runs of refined liquors and infused spirits.

## Government

Although historically a monarchic society, Ostwind has transitioned into more of a representative democracy. Every two weeks the Ostian Landtag meets to discuss a variety of matters from a communally selected agenda. Both landed and unlanded aristocrats are able to hold seats in the landtag, so long as they are elected within the laws of Ostwind. Seats in the Landtag change every four months, so a chairman's responsibilities to his community being upheld is paramount to his continued placement in the Landtag. This has, however, lead to certain chairmen creating and solving problems in their respective communities every quarter. Despite this, the Landtag has quite a few veteran politicians whose main goal is to take care of their communities and Ostwind as a whole.

Although individuals are elected into seats within the Landtag, they must either represent one of Ostwind's political parties or an independent party of some sort. As of yet, however, no independent party has ever held a chair in the Landtag. Even so, there are many political parties that have also never held a chair within the Landtag.

### Ostian Politics

Ostwind has a small number of political parties that are traditionally a part of the Landtag. While there are many political parties in Ostwind, many of the ideas presented are too radical, taboo, or pose a risk to the state's security and are thus never recognized or voted in to any position. The current sitting parties in the Landtag are:

* The Blume Party (Purple) - The Blume Party, sometimes known as "The Collars" are the majority party in the Ostian landtag. They are a relatively authoritarian party that seeks limited government reform, more military and naval spending, and annexation of the Dark Basin. They're referred to as "The Collars" because of their frequent use of high, stylized collars which feature a small flower.
* The Peasant Party (Red) - A Radical group of aristocrats who have divorced their wealth in favor of a more egalitarian lifestyle. They are considered to be very progressive and come to the Landtag wearing the clothing of laypeople. Despite these being incredibly forward and impudent actions, the Peasant Party has gained a small following among the poor and wretched of Ostwind City. Almost none of their votes come the outer provinces.
* The Koffer Party (Green) - The Koffer Party is the political wing of Ostwind's Merchant Guild. If the Peasant Party represents the laypeople, then the Koffer party represents the interests of capitalists and entrepreneurs inside Ostwind. They are particularly vocal regarding Ostwind's expansion as a trade power, and are currently seeking approval from the Landtag to acquire foreign assets for the propagation of international trade.
* The Pescatarical Party (Blue) - The Pescatarical Party represents the religious within Ostwind. Most religious people in Ostwind are not very politically active, and actively choose not to vote during quarter elections. Although small in number, the Pescatarical Party votes for what they deem to be the most morally just option available at the time. All other parties in the Landtag have courted them for favor at one time or another, and they are the most influential votes during meetings. Historically, they have been the tie breakers in many very close sessions.
* The Royalist Party (Yellow) - The Royalist Party is a coalition of Ostian nobility and royalty that was subsequently deposed during the Ostian revolution. Although nearly two hundred years in the past, many of these unlanded families seek to reinstall some kind of monarchy over Ostwind. They hold as many seats as they do now because of a fast growing number of Ostian citizens who only know the luxuries of modern Ostian life, and were not a part of rebuilding from the Revolution. Among more contemporary groups, this party is the butt of many jokes. It's commonly called the "Chamber pot" party, after Zigward II's special office, "Master of the Chamber pot".