Insurba
Geography
Insurba is a river island in the River Lar. The island is in the lower course of the river, some 10 miles from its mouth into the Seezhin Ocean.
History
Insurba lies entirely within the city of Larfleur and is closely connected to its history. The Ghasscari settlement of the region did not touch Insurba, but they named it as such. Their records suggest the island was inhabited by fishermen who would row across the river to trade with the Ghasscari settlement on the south bank.
The Ghasscari settlement was abandoned after the Fall of the Ghasscari Empire and its ruins were picked clean for stone, metal, and coins. The ruins show few signs of conflict, suggesting the town was left empty rather than attacked or sacked. The River Lar was one of the few safe passages across Quentar after the Fall of the Ghasscari. The Corporate Dominion of Velaire settled on Insurba to trade with the burgeoning settlement of Larfleur on the North Bank. They fortified the island and used it as a keystone harbour for their wider trade network in Akemar.
During Dominion control, the island was populated and formed the nucleus of the growing city of Larfleur, but the Dominion settlement was resented by the people of Landward Larfleur. A colony of monks of the Order of Cl. Cellian were established on the island by the Dominion to serve their religious needs. These monks came to own large tracts of land on the island and mainland, providing them a consistently large stream of income as the city expanded.
During the @397 AT War, the Dominion's power was greatly weakened and @Rophrenum split off from the wider Dominion. Larfleur executed the Dominion officials and took control of the Insurban settlement. Ever since, the island has been under the control of the Senate of Larfleur. The island was divided into three vicaries, Cl. Adain Vicary, Cl. Arius Vicary, and Cl. Calaus Vicary.
The people of the island are stereotyped for their sense of superiority and arrogance. The island has remained very wealthy, with its riverside terraces and promenades catching the attention of painters from across Quentar. The islanders maintain their primacy in all matters of interest, from religion (as the Ekattanery of Cl. Arimea Retributor was built to contain the influence of Insurban monks of Cl. Cellian), to finance (the Counting House and Guild Hall were only superseded by landward institutes due to Senatorial decrees), to fashion, consumption, and even toilets (the island had indoor plumbing 100 years before the Senate House of Larfleur of Larfleur did).
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