Otisco

Otisco is a Urcean territory in northern Crona. It sits in the northern end of the Nysdra Sea and borders Venua'tino. The territory was acquired via the Otisco Purchase in the 2030s from the Owasco people and was established as a territory for the distinct purpose of foreign settlement.

Etymology
Otisco, also sometimes Ostisco, is the Owasco-language name for "". The application of this name is explained by most Owasco historians to describe the fact that this plant, which is functionally absent from the rest of Venua'tino, grew on Skanateles and the Martis Peninsula. The presence of this unusual plant became the most remarkable characteristic of the area, hence the name. Botanists believe the plant may have been inadvertently transported to the region during either the Quetzen or Varshani occupations, likely traveling as seeds in the dung of animals transported to the area.

Geography
The Otisco Rectory is comprised of two distinct landmasses separated by Phenic's Strait. South of Phenic's Strait is Skanateles, an island in the Nysdra Sea. Skanateles is relatively featureless, topographically speaking, and in terms of climate it is covered almost entirely by, with some coastal clearings where previous human activity took place during the period of Varshani domination. North of Phenic's Strait is the Martis Peninsula, whose coastal lowlands are similar in climate and appearance to Skanateles. Further inland, the Martis Peninsula area elevates to about 50-90 feet above sea level, gently sloping upward with a handful of rocky outcroppings giving the landscape some definition. Administratively, the Rectory is divided into the "Insular Area" and "Peninsular Area", covering Skanateles and Martis, respectively.

Otisco is sparsely inhabited and can be roughly divided into five distinct areas in terms of human geography. The derisively named "colonial zone" sits on the southern shore of Skanateles and is centered on Fort St. Francis, the Urcean-built settlement serving as cathedral city of the rectory. Fort St. Francis and the rest of the colonial zone is primarily composed of Varshani refguees as well as veterans of the Royal and Imperial Army granted land here as compensation for their service in the Final War of the Deluge. The second area, the "penal zone", sits on the northern end of Skanateles and is primarily centered around Arononia, a penal colony established for various participants of the Pachoy Rebellion. The third area, the "future area", represents the southern tip of the Martis Peninsula, a mostly uninhabited area which has been surveyed and parceled out into portions of future development. The fourth area is the "old area", representing the very northwestern and eastern periphery of the territory of the Martis Peninsula. The old area is still inhabited by small numbers of Owasco people, some of whom live on the land permanently in small settlements while most Owasco in the area are pastoral farmers who enter and exit the territory seasonally.

Venua history and the Owasco
For all of its history until 2032, Otisco was part of a larger region known as Venua'tino, and for most of recorded history it was a peripheral part of the tribal lands of the Owasco peoples. During its association with the Owasco, the territory now known as Otisco came under foreign hegemony twice: first, at the hands of the Quetzen during their northern hegemony from about 1440 to 1640, then; at the hands of Varshan, during its Polar Captaincy period which lasted from 1652 through 1964. During both of these periods, what Owasco peoples there were were displaced by the southerners, as the territory of Otisco provided useful harbors and an island from which to project power. Following the withdrawal of Varshan in the 1960s, its military installations in Otisco were abandoned, and ethnic Varshanis living in the area withdrew. The Owasco tribe reestablished limited political control over the sparsely populated area which was recognized by the new League Mandate for Venua'tino administered by Urcea. Urcea negotiated certain rights in the territory in the 2020s and began to resettle Varshani refugees, particularly those from the lower castes, in the area of Otisco. Applications for settlement were taken under the guise of "repatriation" - that is, the refugees claimed their ancestors were brought to slavery in Varshan from Venua'tino, though international observers and geneticists proved that most refugees were of varied origin and that Urcean officials did not diligently require proof of ancestry. By 2031, 2,000 Varshanis had been relocated to or were approved to be relocated to the territory.

In the 2030s, the Owasco negotiated a sale for the territory known as the Otisco Purchase. The Owasco negotiated the agreement in lieu of pursuing damages against the Urcean government; since the 2020s and before, Otisco had been the site of various Urcean operations and plans that were included in while also going beyond the agreed cession of rights from the 2020s. On several occasions, according to the Owasco, the Urcean government had asked for the right to settle Royal and Imperial Army veterans on the island of Skanateles or to place a Royal Navy base there or both. The Owasco leaders claimed these efforts, both attempted and realized, had become obtrusive to their affairs and planned to pursue damages against Urcea in the International Justice Court. Instead of going to court, the Urcean government offered to purchase the territory outright for $100 billion USD, an extremely large sum. The Owasco agreed, and the Otisco Purchase was concluded on 17 January 2032. In addition to the monetary compensation, as part of the purchase agreement, the Urcean government agreed to shift its nationbuilding responsibilities in Venua'tino towards the Owasco people.

Rectory established
The day the Otisco Purchase was signed - 17 January 2032 - it took effect. Accordingly, that day the Concilium Daoni approved the sale and also passed the Governance in North Nysdra Act, formally establishing Otisco's Rectory government. The first Rector, Ambrose Hartnett, was dispatched to Otisco in the early morning hours of 18 January. From 18 January until 20 February, Hartnett governed the territory from the Mandate headquarters in Shenendehowa Bay as the first major refugee settlement-city, Fort St. Francis, was still being assembled. The Rectory government moved into Fort St. Francis - a settlement on Skanateles of about a thousand Varshanis and four hundred Urceans in prefabricated structures and trailers - at noon on 20 February.

Government
Otisco is a civil rectory of Urcea; as such, it is governed as an overseas territory in accordance with the provisions of the Rectory and Overseas Territory Law. The territory is governed by a Rector appointed by the Apostolic King of Urcea by the non-binding advice of the Government of Urcea.

Demographics
As of the early 2030s, the current total population of Otisco is undetermined. Approximately 2,000 Varshani people had been relocated to the territory by mid-2032, primarily from the Seneca Islands. Many people from the Owasco peoples live on the periphery of the territory, though exact territorial boundaries and how they relate to extant communities (including grazing and nomadic groups) have not been precisely surveyed as of 2032. Besides the refugee population, several hundred ethnic Varshanis from the Polar Captaincy period which ended in the 1960s are thought to remain in the territory, either in small villages or living in isolated locations. Several hundred Urcean administrators and military personnel have relocated to the territory on a semi-permanent basis as part of their various assignments.

Economy
Otisco's economy is extremely rudimentary as of 2032, with the largest industries being construction, housing, and real estate largely done by the Urcean government in order to develop settlements in the territory. On the part of its inhabitants, beyond participating in the construction of the territory, subsistence fishing and basic level agriculture are the largest economic sectors in the country. A significant portion of the population was engaged in labor, as of 2032, related to construction of housing and infrastructure.