Olannbrook

Olannbrook
The name Olannbrook is a mixture of the Irish word for "sheep" and the English word "brook", which are the two defining features of the town's economy and prosperity.

Pre-History
The first inhabitants of Olannbrook were migrants from the pit-town, Reszal, to the south. The exact date of Olannbrook's first settlements are unknown, as there were little records in a burgeoning pastoral society. The location's proximity to a major fresh water river, as well as an abundance of grazing land and relatively fertile soil, made it an ideal spot for independent herders and merchants to settle down, as commerce with ships from the north and caravans to Reszal and other settlements were highly successful.

Caiorean Olannbrook
Just 61 years ago, Olannbrook officially received status as a recognized township, guided by the late Markus Caiore, a wealthy merchant from Resval. Caiore took advantage of the country's natural agricultural potential, and brought in migrant farmers and herders from all directions to work in the newly founded city. Under Markus, Olannbrook grew greatly in size and population, going from a simple conglomeration of huts and barnyards to a legitimate city.

The influx of new residents to Olannbrook was detrimental to her neighbors, however, as much of the youth from neighboring smaller villages was emptied, leaving smaller surrounding settlements empty and abandoned. The Caiore family's monopoly on the region's wool industry also hurt many freelance plains nomads and merchants, causing them to either lose their fortune, or simply join Olannbrook and work for the Caiores. The city's charm of independence and amassing of personal wealth, as well as it's rapid growth led to varied degrees of jealousy among some residents of Reszal, and there is a slight tension between the two states. For this reason, Olannbrook remains an independent nation, unlike other small towns in the region.

Within the past two decades, Olannbrook has been expanding it's maritime infrastructure, extending the city's limits both toward the river and the sea, and causing an influx of ship-building and fishing industries as well. The city's lack of nearby forests, as well as these ambitious building projects, make lumber a very valuable and common import into Olannbrook.

Now, Olannbrook is governed by a town council of the wealthiest elite, not completely a plutocracy, but certainly some form of primitive oligarchy. The town council chief, Peten Caiore, has the most influence in the city, as he has inherited his father's wool and textile industry. However, other rival merchants have been challenging the chief's authority and economic control of Olannbrook, causing a bit of tensions.