A Study of Alternative Civilizations With A Focus on the Droaam Region and it's History, and the Rise of The Great Crag

This is a lengthy treatise on the Droaam region and its history since the War. The author, Simon Twoorb , has collected countless stories from residents and travelers from the Droaam region, though notably has not left the University himself in years. Nevertheless, the sheer amount of research lends a certain credence to his assertions.

While most of the information is mundane (shipping and trade, demographic shifts, speculation on city planning, etc.), Dr. Twoorb uses the information to draw a few key conclusions:

• The alternative civilization is growing, and growing rapidly. Despite being sparsely populated and having fledgling infrastructure, the Droaamites started importing a massive amount of food. That number has levelled off in the last year or so, but signs of a rapidly developing agricultural sector suggest they have simply begun growing more of their own food. Dr. Twoorb acknowledges this assertion has been dismissed out of hand by other academics and political leaders, who assume the reduction in food is is due to a population decline- meaning they've fought and killed each other. The idea of orcs farming is simply not realistic.
• The Droaamites have been intentionally hiding their successes. Dr. Twoorb believes this is to keep Breland and the other nations from considering Droaam a threat. He posits the other nations, already preparing and expecting another war, will look at Droaam and see nothing but savage monsters. This explains why so few outsiders have made it past Graywall.
• In Droaam, certain occupations are treated with high respect- farming and blacksmithing especially so. Working in these fields is prestigious, and doing anything to impair their work will earn you the ire of the any Droaamites in the area.
• Dr. Twoorb believes certain luxury items- paintings, jewelry, spices, and others recently gaining popularity in Sharn- are actually Droaamite in origin. He believes there are a few newer companies that are secretly shells for Droaamite goods, passing them off as being made by the traditional races. Dr. Twoorb pointedly does not give any indications as to which companies he thinks these might be. 

A few other racial-specific items of note:

• Medusas consider direct eye contact a threat from strangers and an act of supreme trust from close friends. For everyone else, both the medusa and whomever they're speaking with will typically look just to the left and slightly down when talking to each other.
• Singing in front of a harpy is considered extremely bad form.
• A gnoll traveling alone is either in grave danger or has done something particularly heinous. 
• Touching a tieflings tail, or even asking to, is incredibly rude.
• Hill giants, while often dim-witted and cruel, understand work and payment. Dr. Twoorb details several stories of hill giants carrying massive amounts of stone from quarries to worksites, as long as they had a sizable meal waiting after each trip. 
• Goblins are not truly respected in this society, having been seen as "going over to the other side". Dr. Twoorb notes this puts the goblins in a particularly difficult place, since they are still considered "monsters" by the residents of Sharn. 
• Beholders and mind flayers seem to have a friendly rivalry, though their disregard for the lives of others is occasionally problematic.
• Kobolds have taken well to agriculture.

Type

Guide, Generic

Medium

Paper

Authors

• Simon Twoorb