Damaran (dahm-ARR-an)
Found primarily in the northwest of Faerûn, Damarans are of moderate height and build, with skin hues ranging from tawny to fair. Their hair is usually brown or black, and their eye color varies widely, though brown is most common.
Damarans are an ethnic group of humans that were prominent in Damara, within the Bloodstone Lands, as well as several other regions in the Cold Lands and northeastern Faerûn as a whole. They are descendants from the integration of the Nars, Rashemi and Sossrim tribes that were scattered following the fall of Netheril, along with their migrating Chondathan cousins.
They also make up large portions of the northern and north-eastern realms of Impiltur, Thesk and the Vast.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Alethra, Kara, Katernin, Mara, Natali, Olma, Tana, Zora
Masculine names
Bor, Fodel, Glar, Grigor, Igan, Ivor, Kosef, Mival, Orel, Pavel, Sergor
Family names
Bersk, Chernin, Dotsk, Kulenov, Marsk, Nemetsk, Shemov, Starag
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Common, Damaran
Culture and cultural heritage
Lawfulness is prominent in nations with large Damaran populations, with the exception of Aglarond, with its significant elven influence, the Vast, whose population lean on the Chondathan side, and the city of Telflamm, home to its Shadowmasters. Save for these exceptions, those who were seen as having unscrupulous morals were often shunned from Damaran-centric societies. In contrast to their strong morality, or perhaps as a result of it, Damarans are seen as proud and stubborn folk.
While many individual Damarans have taken up their culture's passion for adventure, hearkening to their generational struggle to reclaim the Easting Reach from the demons of Narfell, they have, as a whole largely stayed put in the same region of Faerûn. Those that stayed in their ancestral home often chose lives as farmers, lumberers or miners.
Shared customary codes and values
They tend to view life as a series of challenges that have to be overcome. Trust and respect are never freely given, but earned, and life is meant to be spent in the services of a greater good. The history of their people iss never revered and nobles are not placed upon a golden pedestal; rather, the failures of their forebears served as lessons against the hubris of unchecked power.
True heroism and self-sacrifice are held in the highest regard among the Damaran people. People are judged by their actions rather than their birth, as was common within other cultures.
Average technological level
As a whole, Damarans have a strong affinity for divine magic and many choose the priestly life. Those that study the arcane arts largely prefer spells from the abjuration and divination schools of magic.
Few of their people are born with inherent sorcerous abilities, though those that did could likely trace their bloodline back to ancient Narfell.
Coming of Age Rites
Adventuring is more popular among Damaran youths, especially those of noble birth. Taking a few years to explore the realms and possibly claim new lands for their family's holdings is seen as a rite of passage to prove their worth in regard to their familial inheritance. These expeditions are often sponsored by the benevolent churches that are prevalent throughout the Easting Reach. This tradition dates back centuries before the Era of Upheaval.
