Damaran

In the aftermath of Narfell’s fall, scattered groups of Nars, Rashemi, and Sossrims struggled to survive as a wave of Chondathan emigrants settled in the lands of the Easting Reach. In time, these four populations gradually coalesced into a relatively new ethnic group known as Damarans, so named for the first human realm to be founded by this integrated population. After centuries spent battling the horrors unleashed by the ancient magics of Narfell and Raumathar, Damarans are proud and stubborn folk who refuse to buckle in the face of unspeakable evils and whose worldview leans toward moral absolutes.

Although Damaran folklore derives from the ancient traditions of Nar, Rashemi, and Sossrim tribal groups, Damaran culture evolved under the civilizing influences of Chondathan immigrants and dwarven traders, and primarily reflects the mores of both these influences. After centuries of ever-expanding settlement, Damarans now make up the primary racial stock of Damara, Impiltur, Thesk, and the Vast. Damaran settlers have tamed one land after another and form a significant fraction of the human population in Aglarond, Altumbel, the Great Dale, and the Moonsea region, and Narfell. Most Damarans make their living as farmers, loggers, or miners in a harsh and unforgiving land. They make indomitable foes when angered.

History
The vast forested territory between the Easting Reach and Lake Ashane are the traditional tribal lands of the Nars. First encountered by Mulhorandi scouts during that empire’s northward expansion nearly 1,500 years before the beginning of Dalereckoning, the Nars did not rise to prominence until after the Orcgate Wars of -1075 DR to -1069 DR. Like other tribal peoples to the east, the Nars were hired to fight in Mulhorand’s northern armies during the Orcgate Wars, and they returned home intent on building an empire of their own. Over the course of the next two centuries, the Nars established a series of petty kingdoms, the most prominent of which were Ashanath (along the western shore of Lake Ashane) and Tharos (at the head of the Easting Reach).

In -970 DR, the reigning Nentyarch (king) of Tharos constructed the great tree-lined fortress of Dun-Tharos in the heart of the Rawlinswood. Some claim he forged a pact with a powerful demon lord, possibly Orcus, in exchange for a fell artifact that came to be known as the Crown of Narfell, while others attribute his rise to a combination of fortuitous events and personal charisma. In any event, after donning the Crown of Narfell, the Nentyarch proceeded to conquer one petty kingdom of the Nars after another, the last of which was the kingdom of Ashanath. The Nentyarch’s army literally wiped out Ashanath’s capital city of Shandaular, reducing it to little more than myth and scattered piles of rubble long the western shore of Lake Ashane. By -900 DR, the empire of Narfell stretched from the uplands of Impiltur to Ashanath, and from the eastern slopes of the Giantspire Mountains to the northern bank of the River Umber.

In the centuries that followed, Narfell’s rulers set their sights on the Priador Plateau (now the Plateau of Thay), home only to nomadic tribes of centaurs and gnolls following the retreat of Mulhorand. The centuries-long struggle for control of the Priador Plateau between Narfell and Raumathar is recounted in greater detail in the history of the Rashemi. In brief, early successes by Narfell were reversed after -623 DR because of an ill-conceived invasion of Mulhorand and a surprise attack by Raumathar’s army. In order to reverse their empire’s decline, the rulers of Narfell turned to demonic aid to learn the art of sorcery, prompted by fell whisperings of the Crown of Narfell. In -150 DR, centuries of warfare culminated in a great conflagration that consumed both empires and left all manner of summoned beings to stalk the lands the empires once ruled. In the aftermath of Narfell’s collapse, the Nars retreated into tiny enclaves, sorely beset by the demons they had unleashed.

The reestablishment of civilization along the shores of the Easting Reach had its roots in the destruction of Jhaamdath in -255 DR (further detailed in the history of the Chondathans). A vast tide of Chondathan settlers sailed across the Sea of Fallen Stars to settle the lands that lay between the Dragon Reach and the Easting Reach. These early settlers founded such cities as Proeskampalar (later Procampur) in -153 DR, Lyrabar in -118 DR, and Chessagol (later Tsurlagol) in -72 DR. From Lyrabar, settlers advanced up the western coast of the Easting Reach into the uplands of Impiltur. Within fifty years of the settlement of Lyrabar, the first king of Impiltur had been crowned. Impiltur, led by the aggressive and newly enthroned Mirandor Dynasty, moved quickly to claim the vacant territory of fallen Narfell.

As Impiltur’s population continued to expand, scattered tribes of Nars and migrant Sossrims from the southern tip of the Great Glacier were either assimilated into the settler population or driven north into the lands they hold today. With the backing of Impiltur’s royal family, lesser nobles not in line to inherit land of their own were encouraged to settle new lands. Successive waves of Impilturan emigration led directly or indirectly to the settlement of the Forest Kingdom of Cormyr in 1 DR, Altumbel in 163 DR, the city of Milvarune in 535 DR, and the Vast (after the fall of Rodilar, the dwarven Realm of Glimmering Swords) in 649 DR.

Impiltur’s eastward expansion was not without cost, for the settlers who blazed a trail through the Great dale inadvertently awakened a host of slumbering evils. Long-buried demons, half-fiends, and tieflings began to stalk the borderlands of Impiltur, and in 726 DR unleashed their waiting armies in a campaign that brought proud Impiltur to its knees. Many citizens of Impiltur fled the region, taking with them stories of horror and terror that moved many to action.

Over the next few years, noble knights from as far away as Amn and Calimshan heeded the call of the Triad Crusade proclaimed by the churches of Tyr, Torm, and Ilmater. The Crusade lasted two years before the last demon army, led by the balor Ndulu, was overwhelmed in a great battle at a site known as the Citadel of Conjurers. The battle turned in favor of the Triad’s followers after the paladin Sarshel entered the Citadel and shattered the Crown of Narfell within. Once Orcus’ power over the artifact was broken, the demon-led army was forced to retreat and the number of demons in the region finally began to decline. The heroic Sarshel was crowned king of Impiltur.

In the centuries that fallowed, Impiltur grew wealthy, ruled by a series of benevolent kings and protected from the buried horrors of the Demonlands by orders of fearless paladins. Settlement of the surrounding regions continued, and Impilturan settlers played a role in the found of Aglarond in 756 DR and Telflamm in 926 DR (followed by the other cities of the Golden Way). Impiltur’s golden age came to an end after a plague decimated the royal house in 924 DR. The ensuing struggle between the various noble houses of Impiltur plunged the kingdom into civil war and eventually reduced the once-great land to a handful of squabbling city-states.

The Year of the Spreading Spring (1038 DR) brought great changes to the Easting Reach. The Great Glacier began to retreat, uncovering the lands of what is today Vaasa, Damara, and northern Narfell. The glacier’s retreat prompted a vast northward migration from Impiltur, the Great Dale, Thesk, and Aglarond into the promised land of Damara (“Earth Under Ice” in the local dialect). It is from the time of this migration that scholars began to view the humans of the Easting Reach as a distinct ethnic group. Damara became a kingdom in 1075 DR, with the founding of Heliogabulus by a Sembian noble named Feldrin Bloodfeathers. House Bloodfeathers ruled Damara until the death of King Virdin Bloodfeathers in 1347 DR in battle with the armies of the Zhengyi, the Witch-King of Vaasa. The lich’s grip on Vaasa and Damara lasted twelve long years before he was overthrown by a band of adventurers led by the paladin Gareth Dragonsbane in 1359 DR. Gareth then assumed the throne of Damara and set about reuniting and restoring the kingdom.

The glacier’s retreat opened the way for a huge horde of hobgoblins to attack Impiltur in 1094 DR. Ironically, it was the threat of the hobgoblin invasion that enabled Imphras, War Captain of Lyrabar, to unite his forces with the human armies of Hlammach, Dilfur, and Sarshel, wood elves of the Gray Forest, and dwarves from the Earthfast Mountains. Once the horde was dispatched, Imphras was crowned King of Impiltur in 1097 DR, establishing the royal house that still rules today. Rilimbrar, the fourth son of Imphras II, died in 1338 DR, and the throne passed to Queen Sambryl, the widowed wife of Imphras IV (who never ruled).

Although the first wave of Impilturan settlers reached Aglarond in 756 DR, it was not until 870 to 880 DR that a wave of adventurers cleared the Yuirwood of its most dangerous monsters. In the decades that followed, the Yuir elves intermarried with humans who came to their aid in battles with drow and trolls. Their descendants began skirmishing with the humans of the coastal kingdom of Velprin, culminating in the Battle of Ingdal’s Arm in 1065 DR. The victorious half-elves crowned their war-leader Brindor Aglarond’s first king. Those humans who refused to make peace with the folk of the Yuirwood migrated to Altumbel.

Philaspur, grandson of Brindor, died fighting the Thayans in the Battle of Brokenheads, in 1197 DR. He was succeeded by his twin daughters Thara and Ulae, more commonly known as the Gray Sisters. The Gray Sisters died within a few days of each other in 1257 DR and were succeeded by Ulae’s son Halacar, the first full-blooded Damaran to hold the throne of Aglarond. Halacar mounted an invasion of Thay and paid for his folly with his life in 1260 DR at the Battle of Lapendrar. Halacar’s sister Ilione succeeded him, and ruled until her death in 1320. As Ilione had no heir, she left the throne of Aglarond to her apprentice, known only as the Simbul.

Physical appearance
Damarans are of moderate height and build, with skin hues ranging from tawny to fair. Hair is usually straight brown or black, although sandy blond is not unknown. Eye color varies widely, with brown being most common. Damarans who dwell south of the Earthfast mountains more closely resemble their Chondathan cousins, while those who inhabit. Vaasa have a significant Sossrim heritage. Along the eastern shores of the Easting Reach, Rashemi heritage predominates, except in Aglarond proper, where builds are slighter thanks to a significant amount of wood-elven heritage.

Psychology
Damarans see life as a series of unending challenges to be overcome, many of them legacies of the hubris of long-fallen empires. For a typical Damaran, there can be no compromise with the forces of evil even to serve a greater good. Trust must be earned, and only those deserving of trust are to be respected. Even those who inherit titles of nobility must prove themselves worthy of their inheritance. History is not something to be cherished or exalted, but rather it is an object lesson as to the folly of unchecked power.

Damarans respect those who demonstrate heroism and self-sacrifice and stand unflinchingly in the face of evil. Damaran society is intolerant of weakness or selfishness, viewing deeds in stark black or white. The moralistic nature of their society strongly shapes Damaran youth. Most youngsters follow in the path of their parents, subscribing to their strong moral fervor. Others rebel against the strictures of Damaran society and flee its constraints. The latter path accounts for the neverending tide of settlers emigrating to the borders of human settlement, the large numbers of Damarans who have made their way west into Chondathan-held territories, and the small number of Damarans who turn to the worship of demons.

Damarans have a long adventuring tradition, reflecting the generations-long battle to reclaim the lands of the Easting Reach from the demonic legacy of Narfell. Many youths, particularly those of noble blood, take up adventuring for a few years in order to prove themselves worthy of their titles. Those not in line to inherit great estates also do so in hopes of winning new lands and wealth for themselves, or in response to the crusading zeal of Damaran society. The good-aligned churches of the Easting Reach have a long tradition of funding expeditions into the mountains or the depths of the great forests to smite some ancient evil or another.

Culture
Damaran society is lawful, except in Aglarond, where a strong elven influence plays a role, and the Vast, which is much more in line with Chondathan mores. Religion plays a central role in Damaran life, yet there is by no means a universality of belief. Although religious fervor is admired, individuals are judged by how they conduct themselves and the strength of their personal moral code. Class divisions are less noticeable than elsewhere in Faerun, but those who have been judged morally unfit are strongly shunned by their peers.

Damaran city-dwellers are usually educated in church-run schools, while itinerant priests minister to those who dwell in wilderness regions. Many Damarans learn their trade during an apprenticeship at a church-run school before setting out into life, while others join a religious order, directly pledging themselves to the service of the church. As they grow old, Damarans often return to the church of their youth, tithing much of their wealth to its coffers and living out their last years in service to their patron deity.

Damarans retain strong cultural ties to their Chondathan forebears and easily integrate themselves into Chondathan-held lands. There has been little Damaran migration elsewhere in Faerun, but those Damarans who do stray far from their homeland associate themselves with a local church of their faith.

Magic and religion
Damarans favor magic that discerns between friend and foe, and spells that protect the good from the evil. In the north, magic that affects the weather takes increased prominence, as do fire effects that are especially damaging to the cold-adapted monsters that haunt the wilderness.

Damarans honor the deities of the Faerunian pantheon. They favor lawful and good deities, except for cultists who turn to the worship of chaotic evil demon princes. Along the Dragon Reach, commonly venerated deities include Chauntea, Eldath, Mystra, Tempus, Torm, Tymora, Umberlee, and Waukeen. To the east in Impiltur, favored deities include Ilmater, Selune, Tymora, Valkur, and Waukeen. In addition to the church of Chauntea, Thesk’s reliance on trade along the Golden Way has brought the churches of Shaundakul and Waukeen to prominence. Likewise, the church of Mask has grown strong in Teflamm preying on that same caravan traffic.

In Aglarond, Chauntea is venerated by farmers, while fisher-folk venerate Valkur and Selune. Although Umberlee is acknowledged, she is widely held in great disdain. Aglarondans also pay homage to the Seldarine, particularly in their guise as the gods of the Yuirwood elves. The Great Dale has long been home to followers of Silvanus the Oakfather, locked in bitter conflict with the disciples of Talona. The church of Ilmater dominates Damara, while Vaasa has long been home to the cult of Orcus. Tempus is venerated by barbarians dwelling along the edge of the Great Glacier and among the tribes of Narfell.

Of all the deities, Ilmater represents the enduring spirit of all Damarans and occupies a central place in Damaran culture. Ilmater’s church is effectively the state church of both Impiltur and Damara, with paladins of Ilmater proving to be regular occupants of both thrones. Most Damarans along the Easting Reach pay at least token obeisance to the Crying God or one of his many saints on a daily basis. Most churches of Ilmater are dedicated to at least one of his saints, with the followers of Saint Sollars the Twice-Martyred being most prominent in Damara.

Relations with other races
Damarans have long and abiding ties with shield dwarves and are favorably include toward the Stout Folk (with the notable exception of the Duergar). Halflings are rare in Damaran lands outside Impiltur, but are viewed quite favorably by most Damaran communities. Gnomes are regarded similarly to dwarves, although they are less well known in Damaran lands. Elves and half-elves are almost unknown outside Aglarond and the Gray Forest, and are regarded with some amount of suspicion. Dark elves are not unknown in the Galena Mountains, and have earned the enmity of those native to the region. Half-orcs are regarded with a great deal of suspicion, although their numbers make them a tolerated minority in Vaasa.

Damarans have long struggled with the evils unleashed by Narfell’s sorcerers, leaving them quite hostile to the progeny of demons such as tieflings. Fire genasi have long been associated with the Red Wizards of Thay and are thus equally disliked. Other planetouched are rare in Damaran lands, and hence viewed as objects of wonder.

Among human cultures, Damarans get along best with Chondathans and Turami thanks to extensive trading contacts. Nars and northern Rashemi are tolerated, if looked down upon to some extent, while Mulan and Thayan Rashemi are viewed with a great deal of suspicion. Lingering memories of the Horde prevent the establishment of good relations with the Tuigans. Finally, due to the notorious Bloodstone Wars of a few decades back, most Vaasans are regarded as demon-worshiping reavers, even those who happen to be of Damaran racial stock rather than Vaasans.

Regions
While the folk of Impiltur are comfortably mercantile and sophisticated, from Vaasa to Thesk the typical Damaran lives in a frontier town guarded by a lord’s keep or fortified abbey, surrounded by vast tracts of dangerous wilderness.