Growerth

Growerth (グローワース Gurōwāsū) is a large island under German jurisdiction and is located in the North Sea between the coasts of northern Germany and the United Kingdom. It is the primary setting of the Vamp! series.

Geography and Infrastructure
The center of the island sports many small mountains, which are covered in deciduous forests. The largest mountain, Mt. Wasserspitze, is located on the southern side of the island. Near the top of Mt. Wasserspitze is Waldstein Castle, a medieval-era castle that is viewed as the 'symbol' of Growerth.

There are several cities on the island, which have everything from medieval-esque streets to modern-day civic centers—everything save for skyscrapers; the tallest buildings dispersed throughout cities are five-story hotels. Cars are the main form of transport, though horse-drawn carriages are used for tourism purposes and transport animals are used by farmers in rural areas.

No cities or significant tourist attractions exist in Growerth's western region; its population dwindled after its main church burned down, and only a few residences remain to sparsely populate the landscape.

History
Growerth is remarkable for its long history of humans coexisting with vampires and other supernatural beings, though by the early 2000s the local human youth no longer share their elders' belief in the supernatural; most youths now assume the island has had an unusual centuries-old tradition of vampire worship. When exactly humans first came to inhabit the island is unclear; however, supernatural beings have existed on the island "since the beginning"—their presence on the island is considered a 'natural state' of affairs.

Vampires 'rule over' humans on Growerth until the island begins making frequent contact with the mainland, at which point vampires "exit the political stage." Waldstein Castle is built during the island's medieval era, predating Christianity's arrival on the island; a "commotion" ensues when a Christian chapel is later built underneath castle grounds. These underground caverns also serve as public execution sites centuries prior to the early 2000s.

Carnald Strassburg, the island's sole historical 'celebrity', is born on Growerth in the 17th century and serves in the court of the Lord of Waldstein Castle. This Lord is later directly succeeded by Gerhardt von Waldstein, who will serve as governing lord for centuries before passing on the title to his adopted son Relic von Waldstein.

Growerth enjoys a moderately successful tourism industry in the early 21st century due to several factors: the annual Carnale Festival, which honors the historical celebrity Carnald Strassburg; the island's rich cultural heritage and supernatural lore; and the tourist attraction that is Waldstein Castle.

Governance
The inhuman inhabitants of Growerth are overseen by Relic von Waldstein as of 2005, the year he succeeds Gerhardt as Lord of Waldstein Castle and informal governor of The Night.

The human side of the island is overseen by humans, whose most prominent politician is ostensibly mayor Watt Stalf—though his constituents remain unaware he is actually a Dhampyr. Initially the mayor of Rukram, Watt becomes the new mayor of Neuberg following a merger between Rukram and Mozartzungen in 2005. His long-term goal is to merge all of Growerth's cities into one megacity, which he intends to thereafter govern.

Notable locations

 * Waldstein Castle.
 * Mt. Wasserspitze, the largest mountain on the island.
 * Neuberg, a southern city.
 * This city is the result of a 2005 merger between the southern cities Rukram and Mozartzungen.
 * Neuberg features a large martial arts dojo with Japanese-style architecture, making the building stand out in the middle of the old-fashioned architecture. The dojo is run by Traugott Giessendörfer.

Trivia

 * Growerth is actively establishing sister cities overseas in countries like Japan, the United States of America, and Australia.
 * Rukram's sister city in Japan is Hagane City.
 * The official English translation of Durarara!! spells the island's name as 'Gloerse Island.