Burwood

Burwood
Subdivision type:	Council
Capital:	St. Joseph's
Population:	441,302
Largest Cities:	St. Joseph's
Local Leadership Title:	Exarch
Local Government:	Witan
Current leader:	Bernard MacGrath
Local language:	East Moorlandic
Local Religion:	Church of the Holy Lance

Burwood is a council territory of the Kingdom of Moorland. The region is the encompasses the majority of old Ostland. It was created following the Burwood Wildfires, which gutted most of the region's population and destroyed thousands of acres in Burwood Forest. The capital is St. Joseph's, a small city that was rebuilt following the destruction of Reichsborg a short distance to the east. The Burwood Restoration Initiative is a government-funded project to rebuild the region following the fires.

History

The region of Burwood was originally established by Nova England around 1500 AN, who began to rapidly colonize the area. But by 1551 the Nova English had been pushed back by hostile tribes towards their cores lands in the north. Eventually Burwood would be occupied by Sirocco, and later on Ergonia. Although Nova England would resurface again, they would never reassert control over Burwood before their eventual collapse. The arrival of Norse settlers from the east around 1700 caused a series of conflicts with the long-established locals, as the emergent state of Ostland began to forcibly convert the population to their culture. Lacking the firepower to resist, the locals were subjugated as Ostland's power radiated from Reichsborg to the shores. Ostland's colonialist policies would come to a halt with the start of the Burwood Wildfires. As Ostland collapsed, Moorland assumed authority over the region and restored the Council of Burwood. Reversing years of Norse colonialism, a new government was formed encompassing elements of the remaining Ostlandic people and the Nova English population. While a new capital was established as St. Joseph's, the gutted ruins of Reichsborg were slowly being rebuilt as the city of Kingsburgh.

Geography

The territory of Burwood is mostly rural woodland. It is punctuated by several large highland areas that are covered in evergreen forests, mostly Moors Pine. Four large lochs feed freshwater rivers, and it is along these and the coastline where most of the population is concentrated.

Map of Burwood, circa 1729

Government and Politics

Following the Burwood Wildfires, Moorland filled the vacuum left behind by the collapse of Ostland's government. While the destruction of Reichsborg and other major cities erased much of the Elder Nobility, it did not result in a complete elimination of noble peerage and lands within the region. Moorland was quick to adopt a new legislative body for Burwood that incorporated much of the old nobility, called the Folksthing. This legislature followed the same guidelines as other council governments, but guaranteed seats for the old Ostlandic nobility. This helped to quell unrest with the change in regimes and assure a smooth transition to the new monarchy. Unlike the previous system with three separate legislative bodies, which was held to be bloated and archaic, the Folksthing includes all landed nobles and common representatives. The titles and lands were retained by the lesser nobility of Ostland, while those lands and titles held by the Elder Nobility were disbanded and distributed among the lesser, or incorporated into the lands of some of the free cities. The use of Ehre as a tribute to the King was replaced by standardized taxation like the rest of the kingdom.

Seats of Nobility

Seat	Name
St Joseph's	Free City of St Joseph's
Eisenwald	Eisenwald Castle (to Hurmu)
Avens	County of Avenshire
Kingsburgh	Barony of Silverwood
Evesden	Altgravate of Glen Eve
Stonegate	County of Stonington
Ostkirk	Lordship of the Ost
Urdvegan	Earldom of Great Urd
Norsewood	County of Westwood
Overton	Margravate of Overmoor
Wells	Landgravate of Caeldoc
Portree	Free City of Portree
Wickham	County of Wick
Brewers	Burgravate of Brewers
Ellsmere	County of the Ell
North Haven	Free Port of Haven
Kilmister	Barony of Kilmister