Ostarna

Ostarna (ᛟᛊᛏᚨᛡᚾᚨ), officially the Grand City of Ostarna (ᚸᛡᚬᛄᛊᛏᚨᛑᛏ ᛟᛊᛏᚨᛡᚾᚨ Großstadt Ostarna), is the capital and second-largest city of the Kingdom of Nerotysia in the Zusian Empire, with a population of 2,131,117 people. Ostarna is also the center of the Ostarna-Eyba Megalopolis, the fifth-largest in Zusea, containing more than 2.5 million inhabitants.

Classical Ostarna was a powerful city-state, and the largest center of Zusian arts, learning and philosophy. It is widely referred to as the cradle of Zusian civilization and the birthplace of democracy, largely because of its cultural and political impact on the Amphian continent, especially through the enormous Classical Vordic Empire. Many important Zusian social and cultural phenomena originated or else thrived in the classical metropolis; the most famous of these would include traditional homosocial Zuvenderai. Though Ostarna lost prominence as part of the Vordic Empire, it remained an unofficial cultural capital. Despite turmoil during the early medieval period, the city experienced a second renaissance during the heyday of the Nerotysian Empire from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Ostarna became the largest Zusian-speaking city in the world: before Zusian reunification in 1818, the city had just over two million inhabitants.

Ostarna is located in the southern part of Zusea and is close to the borders of the Almia and Redon. In 2001, the entire city center was designated a World Historical Site. Ostarna is often called the "City of Music" due to its rich musical legacy: the renowned composer became a staple of the imperial court in Ostarna in 1781, where he famously met. Moreover, it is well known for having played a pivotal role as a leading Amphian music center, from the age of through the early part of the 20th century. Ostarna is also often called the "City of Dreams," as the birthplace of and its founder. The historic center of Ostarna is rich in architectural ensembles, including Baroque palaces and gardens, as well as the late-19th-century Ringstraßa lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks.

Today, Ostarna is known for its high quality of life. The city regularly hosts urban planning conferences, and often serves as a case study for urban planners. Between 2005 and 2010, Ostarna was the world's number-one destination for international congresses and conventions. It attracts more than seven million visitors annually as one of Amphia's top tourist destinations.