Östervallen
Östervallen is the capital and largest city of Vittmark. It is located on the north coast of Stoldavia at the Bay of Shields. The city is one of the most historically important places in Anaria, being founded over 2500 years ago and serving as capital for the Orkanan Realm, Greater Stoldavic Empire (summer capital) and now Vittmark.
Etymology
Östervallen derives from "Östomvallen" which literally means "east of the city wall". This refers to the new fortification built east of the medieval town of Kungsvik, a government complex that was built to function as capital for the Greater Stoldavic Empire in XX. Gradually, the Old Town, government complex and New Town built east of the fortification all were indicated by the name Östervallen.
Inhabitants are usually referred to as vallbo, meaning "people living inside the city walls". This term is slightly misguiding, since the New Town never had any city walls but was defended by fortifications on top of Klippan instead.
For languages that don't use the "ö" as a letter, the official spelling is Oestervallen, with the proper pronunciation being Usterwallen. The older Hallish name Oswald is hardly used these days, but can still be used as synonym.
History
There is an ongoing debate if the foundation of Östervallen can be set before the foundation of the Orkanan Realm in 5056RH. At the end of the Realm age, the capital was destroyed completely in order to prevent it from playing a future role as a focal point for Orkanan and Stoldavic culture. It is unclear if there has been a continuous settlement in this area, or that the fishing hamlet of Kungsvik that was first mentioned in chronicles in 6456 was a new settlement.
The remnants of the Realm Capital of Skiöldavik can be found in an unbuilt archaeological site called Heligas just south of the Old Town. Rubble from the ancient capital has been used to construct the Old Town and its city walls, when Kungsvik was granted staple port rights withing the Union of Skara in the 6600's. Kungsvik was a so-called lower town, located on the shore plains, while Skiöldavik and Heligas are located on top of Klippan. The foundations of the Dämmanö fortress, including water mills and drinking water facilities, date back to the Orkanan Realm.
In the early 6900's the first effort was made to build a fortification on nearby Lövön. After the marriage of Prince Råger of Mellanhand with Princess Caroline Varen of Ostburg in 6934 and the association of the Kingdom of Thronreich in 6940, the Greater Stoldavic Empire (or Second Realm as it was called at the time) needed a capital for the northern half of the nation. A planned government center with an imperial palace, surrounded by earthen walls, was constructed from 6941 on. East of the complex, a modern military base and some merchant harbors were built in the so-called New Town, stretching itself out towards the fortresses of Borgö in the east and Söderporten in the south. The river Fyrirå became the city's outer border.
After the fall of the empire in 7204, Östervallen became a city state in the border region between Ådalen and Liden, benefiting from the trade between these rival nations that only could take place here. Vallbo were seen as neutral parts, since Lidenites and Ådalers didn't want to trade directly with each other. City management was headed by the Av Kulla family, but most often outsourced to a local board of trading stims and land owners. However, the conflict between the three main post-imperial kingdoms of the region (besides Ådalen and Liden also Hagen) regularly took its toll on the city when one of the parts tried to gain control over the merchant city state.
It was in this difficult setting Östervallen entered the Pan-Anarian War involuntarily. While shipyards in nearby ports and harbours started building naval vessels for the different beligerents in the conflict, Östervallan manufacturers wanted to become a part of the lucrative market. It meant that the shipyards and docklands became a target, resulting in Östervallen being shelled through maritime attacks four times in the 7520's to 7540's. The situation deteriorated when Ådalen and Liden both tried to gain control over the city, firing artillery at each other from opposite parts of the city. It became clear that the defensive structures around Östervallen, dating from the late 7100's, were no match for modern warfare of the early 7500's.
Even after the Pan-Anarian War ended in 7554, the hostilities between the neighbouring states continued, damaging buildings and facilities in Östervallen in the process. The conflict ended in 7564 with the signing f the Treaty of Nisipari, gathering the fighting parties in a loose economic confederation with a thin layer of central administration being located in Östervallen. The first elected monarch, King Karl av Kulla however turned the confederation into a federation within two years, but opponents of the process assassinated him and the crown prince on the stairs of Borgö Palace, seat of the city government in 7566.
The city underwent a reconstruction period with the New Town being modernised, railway lines getting connected through the city, harbour development and the foundation of two garden cities on the Lidenite and Ådalish side of the city, Åstunda and Källby respectively. Horse drawn tramways were replaced by electrically powered cable cars, providing connectivity through the entire city with its demanding geography.
In the early 7600's, the shantytowns on top of Klippan, forming aboth half of the built-up area of the time, gradually got replaced with modern buildings following a blueprint master plan for a new infrastructure network. Eleven highrise constructions called "The Eleven Sisters" provided links between the lower and upper city parts, which until then had been limited to 3-4 roads and some donkey paths.
TBC