Editing Oteslia


{{infobox location
 | name          = Oteslia
 | image         = Oteslia-by-Enuryn.jpeg
 | imagecaption  = By [[Fanworks/Enuryn|Enuryn]] (Comissioned by [[Pirateaba]])
 | ruler         = [[Shaerrha Brasswing]]
 | location      = [[Izril]]
 | affiliation   = [[Drakes]]
 | inhabitants   = [[Drakes]], [[Gnolls]]
 | first appearance =
}}
'''Oteslia''', also known as the '''City of Growth''', is one of the [[Walled Cities]] of [[Izril]].

== Overview ==
Oteslia's most distinguishing feature is the gigantic World Tree growing at its center.

Oteslia is famous for having the best agricultural products in Izril's south,<ref name="6.11">[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/04/27/6-11/ Chapter 6.11]</ref><ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/05/18/6-17-s/ Chapter 6.17 S]</ref> and many parts of Oteslia's culture involve gardening and agriculture. They have excellent animal breeds, rich harvests, the best [Gardeners] and a great knowledge when it comes to growing plants, even plants from all around the world.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/07/13/6-30/ Chapter 6.30], [https://wanderinginn.com/2019/08/17/6-38/ Chapter 6.38]</ref> This fame also extends to Oteslian [Chefs] and their cooking.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/07/20/6-32/ Chapter 6.32]</ref> And the city doesn't use coffins for burials, letting the bodies decompose in soil to grow plants from [[Noelictus]] in their graveyards.<ref name=":0">[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/14/9-28/ Chapter 9.28]</ref>

The city is governed by a "Grand Gardener", or First Gardener. Oteslia is also host to one of the biggest [Druid] Circles in Izril.<ref name="a_meeting_of_druids">[https://wanderinginn.com/2020/07/01/interlude-a-meeting-of-druids/ Interlude – A Meeting of [Druids&#93;]</ref> Their chosen representative is called the Earthspeaker.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/05/04/8-21-l/ Chapter 8.21 L]</ref>

Oteslia is known for being "soft" and having more care for its residents. It is one of the only Walled Cities with [[Salazsar]] with a formal institution for taking care of its senior citizens, where they form communes that garden and help care for animals.<ref name=":1">[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/07/04/9-51-z/ Chapter 9.51 Z]</ref> It is one of the only Drake cities that allows its convicts to go outside, instead of keeping them in a cell for the duration of their sentence. Prisoners can tend to gardens in the prisons, though they are not allowed gardening tools they might use as weapons.<ref name=":0" />

Oteslia is considered to be lacking financial resources; this is only in comparison with the other five Walled Cities who are even richer. While it has many job opportunities related to plants and animals, the space they require means that it's harder to do so in the city, and bonuses are given to those willing to work outside the walls grazing animals or tending to farms.<ref>{{VERef|Patreon Poll - Mini-Chapter}}</ref>

Oteslia has the highest Gnoll-to-Drake ratio of all the Walled Cities.

One of the biggest crime organizations in Southern Izril, the [[Earthtenders]], operates from Oteslia.

By law, every child in Oteslia attends school until they are thirteen.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/11/27/9-25/ Chapter 9.25]</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Coats_of_Arms_Oteslia.png|thumb|200px|Coat of Arms for Oteslia in tower shield format, by [[Fanworks/Enyavar|Enyavar]]]]
Oteslia was founded 43,000 years ago, during the reign of Empress [[Sheta]] of the Iltanan Empire. She demanded seed after seed from the Great Forests and from Irvoryth, the City of the Branch, until a sapling was found that had begun to sprout. This went on to become the Great Tree of Oteslia, the only one in the south of Izril at the time and in the present day. 

At one time Oteslia fought off 6 Adult-Stage [[Crelers]]. Manus’ reported on the battle claiming that if two Elder Crelers had attacked the city, it might have fallen.<ref name=":6.67">[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/12/29/6-67/ Chapter 6.67]</ref>

Two centuries ago, General [[Ironscales]] from Oteslia lost the [[Heartflame Breastplate]] in a battle against [[Humans]].<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2018/09/01/5-17-s/ Chapter 5.17 S]</ref>

In the time of the storylines of books 5 and 6, Oteslia fights in a dispute with [[Zeres]]. Supported by the [[Liscorian Army]], Oteslia was besieging the other Walled City.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2018/08/21/5-13/ Chapter 5.13]</ref> That "defense contract" was concluded as the Election in Liscor happened.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/10/15/6-49/ Chapter 6.49]</ref>

Oteslia and Salazsar were the staunchest supporters of Liscor in the dispute of the Walled Cities whether or not to answer [[Liscor]]'s call for help against the human/goblin invasion of [[Tyrion Veltras]]/[[Reiss]].<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/01/22/5-54-2/ Chapter 5.54 (Canon version)]</ref> Oteslia then committed its Winged Raiders, which didn't arrive in Liscor in a state ready to fight,<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/02/19/5-61/ Chapter 5.61]</ref> after forced marching of six days.

The First Gardener saw fit to declare war on [[Belchan]] in [[Chandrar]] after several Gnoll Tribes had been slaughtered there. As both nations are landlocked on their respective continents, that declaration of war is symbolic.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2020/03/01/7-11/ Chapter 7.11]</ref>

A conference was convened in Oteslia, that involved important Drake figures such as [[Navine Gemscale]],<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/10/19/6-50-i/ Chapter 6.50 I]</ref> and later [[Ilvriss Gemscale]], and [[Rafaema]]. [[Magnolia Reinhart]] was invited, and [[Lyonette du Marquin|Lyonette]] also attended.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/11/19/6-58/ Chapter 6.58]</ref>

== Military ==
Oteslia is known to be the weakest of all Walled Cities when it comes to pure military strength. Word from Manus is that Oteslia is waiting to be burnt, even.<ref name="6.33">[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/07/23/6-33-e/ Chapter 6.33 E]</ref> The military is also strong enough to fight off six Adult-Stage [[Crelers]] simultaneously, and is supposedly capable of taking on an Elder-Stage Creler as well. Still, they might lose against two or more Elder-Stage Crelers.<ref name=":6.67" />

However, they have elite groups, and they are known to use various animals in warfare, such as summoning swarms of insects.<ref name=":1" /> Known elite groups include the Winged Riders, an [[Oldblood Drakes|Oldblood]] Battalion who can lift their horses mid-run into the air. At least one of the riders in each company also rides a [[Pegasus]], which are incredibly rare animals and currently only bred in Oteslia on Izril.<ref name="5.60">[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/02/16/5-60/ Chapter 5.60]</ref> The city's Named Adventurer, [[Mivifa Selifscale|Mivifa]] the Oldblood of Feathers, is also known for riding a Pegasus. Another elite group, the veteran scouting group called the Wildfriend Scouts, can use birds as eyes, letting them react quickly and in a unified manner.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/02/13/interlude-hectval-pt-2/ Interlude - Hectval (Pt. 2)]</ref>

Oteslia's Peacekeepers are the city's covert agents, and are made up of [Druids].<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/11/19/9-65/ Chapter 9.65]</ref> Oteslia's military ciphers, which use flower symbology and scent-based codes, is considered the hardest to decrypt out of the Walled Cities.<ref>{{VERef|10.43 – RNG (Pt. 1)}}</ref>

Another military unit is Oteslia’s Second Infantry.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2018/12/08/5-44/ Chapter 5.44]</ref>

The Oteslian battle standard shows a view of the Walled City, and a huge tree in the background. Their colors are white and bright green.<ref name="5.60" />

== Residents ==
* [[Baiss]] - famous Oteslian Drake courier<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2018/10/30/5-33-b/ Chapter 5.33 B]</ref>
*[[Cirediel Anvi’dualln Olicuemerdn]] - [[Dragons|Dragon]]
*[[Ecleeif]] - Earthtender Face
*Eforte - Druid<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/10/26/9-21/ Chapter 9.21]</ref>
*[[Ironscales]] - General (''Deceased'')
*[[Mivifa Selifscale]] - Named Adventurer
*[[Nerverwhine]] - Earthtender Face
*[[Poruniv]] - Second Gardener, leader of the Earthtenders
*[[Rickel]] - Earther, [Trickster of Fortunes]
*[[Shaerrha Brasswing]] - First Gardener
*[[Shassa Weaverweb]] - [Spiderweb Druid]
*[[Zanzeil]] - Earthtender Face

== Trivia ==
* Oteslia has a supply of small beans that make you alert when chewing them - an import from [[Baleros]] which has been cultivated by the [Gardeners].<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/07/02/interlude-embria/ Interlude - Embria]</ref>
* One of the students of [[Niers Astoragon]] comes from Oteslia<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/06/04/6-22-d/ Chapter 6.22 D]</ref>
* Oteslia rarely purchases secret information,<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2018/10/16/5-29/ Chapter 5.29]</ref> but however, they share information with [[Magnolia Reinhart]].<ref name="6.33" />
* Oteslia's World Tree is described to be "stunted" after the Drakes leeched its energy to hatch [[Cirediel Anvi’dualln Olicuemerdn|Cirediel's]] egg. According to the Gladefolk, this had rendered it soulless and prevented it from blooming.<ref>{{VERef|The Grove – Interlude}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Oteslia_youngerTree_by_mg.jpg|Impression of Oteslia, city of growth<br/>by [[Fanworks/mg|mg]]
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Refbox}}
[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:Cities]]
[[Category:Walled Cities]]
[[Category:Izril]]
[[Category:Oteslia|*]]