Ostad

The land of the Rising Lake.

At first glance, Ostad looks more like Zinato than Grara. There are many tiny little communities along the river banks and they have much in common with the peoples of Zinato. I suspect that the Ostan's ancestors came across what is now the well-established Twinpeak's Passage during the Time of Darkness.

— Takalia, Travels in Grara

The Corner County

Ostad is one of the outer counties of Grara. It borders Wysix and Fahraea but is mostly bordered by Breharan's Spine. This makes it one of the few counties that has no major roads, there is simply little reason for anyone without business there to pass through, it is faster to ignore it altogether.
Living near the mountains comes with many advantages but also many difficulties and risks. While mountains are defensively advantageous and may be a source of valuable metals, they also isolate Ostad and introduce a variety of environmental hazards. Avalanches are not unheard of during the winters while rockslides and mudslides are common in the other months but especially so in the spring as the thawing ice reveals new cracks in the stone and the melt and rain destabilizes particulate on the mountainside.
These disturbances also affect the water quality in the rivers, hindering the lives of the people who live along them. Strangely, the lake seems to have some unusual quality to it that keeps it mostly clear all-year.

Life Around the Lake

I would be remiss to ignore the largest feature of Ostad, the Rising Lake. It rises and falls with the seasons, as if it is breathing, and like the breath, it is the font of life for the entire county.
Nowhere else have I seen so much waterfowl, or bugs that can float on the water, or just flowers on the water as far as the eye can see.

— Takalia, Travels in Grara

The county of Ostad is home to many beautiful waterfalls, most of which - directly or indirectly - feed the Rising Lake. This body of water is one of only a small number on Breharan that do not feed rivers that run off the edge of the sky continent. Where the water goes is unknown but it is said that it is all consumed by a being at the bottom of the lake. Scholars hypothesize that the water slowly seeps through cracks in the island itself and drips out the bottom.
During the spring thaw, the lake rises, flooding much of the surrounding area. No people live that close to the lake, though there are many elevated fishing shacks that are used almost all year round. The fishermen paddle out to their shacks during the spring and summer, and walk out over the ice in the winter. This year-round availability makes fish a common part of the Ostan diet.
In some particularly wet years the lake expands even further, wreaking havoc on the settlements and wildlife. While some of the plants are adapted to the changing waterline - such as the trees that are elevated by their own roots or the bushes that have berries that float - this often floods the burrows of mammals and ground-nesting birds. Beyond the impact on the plants and animals, this flooding - which usually occurs every couple of years - makes it very difficult to maintain roads between the smaller settlements and can even damage the main roads of the county. As a result, most Ostans prefer boats as a method of travel.

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We may not have much,
when you look at our towns.
There's no culture as such,
it gives travelers frowns.
But we've got...
Rocks and trees and trees and rocks. And water.

— Traditional Ostan Song

Food Floods

In Ostad it is considered rude - and dangerous - to go out and get a prepared meal and transport it. The myth is an old one with unknown origins. Regardless of how it started, it has a distinct influence on the culinary and hospitality customs of the Ostans. They are quick to invite one for dinner and encourage everyone to eat everything that was cooked so that nothing remains to be taken elsewhere.

Undiscovered Talent

While Ostad may not be known for metals, wheat harvests, or much of anything really, the region is rich in clay. The people there have a long tradition of making goods from it but have had a limited ability to export it. Things are changing now and many Ostan artists are hoping that they will be able to make money selling their works throughout Grara and beyond.

"In many places people say that when people think of their homeland, they think of this or that. In Ostad, nobody says that because nobody outside Ostad thinks about it. Why would they when the crops are less likely to be lost to flooding elsewhere or a mine could actually be safely established on a drier mountain?"

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