Kingdom of Damara

North of Impiltur and east of the Moonsea lies the once-mighty realm of Damara, now rebuilding from decades of war against its neighbors and the orcs and gnolls of the mountains. Tolerant of all races and most religions, the country is friendly to visitors, especially those who have skill in slaying monsters. Those interested in politics and adventure can find plenty of opportunities here.
Damara maintains friendly relations with its neighbors and has a thriving gem trade based on its bountiful chalcedony (known as “bloodstone” for its red flecks) mines. However, the leaders of Damara keep a wary eye on the neighboring land of Vaasa and stay prepared for any strange threat that may arise from there.

Life and Society

The hardy people of Damara have worked hard to rebuild their land. Although many are grim and bitterly lament the loss of their former way of life, the worship of Ilmater gives them strength in the face of hardship and high hopes for the future. Paladins of the Unbroken God (particularly from the Order of the Golden Cup) are a common sight, as are monks of that faith from the Monastery of the Yellow Rose near the Glacier of the White Worm.
Despite the travails of their recent history, Damarans are proud of their country, which is home to peacefully coexisting humans, dwarves, halflings, and half-orcs. Their mines produce enough metals and gems to pay for needed repairs, and the svirfneblin colony under Bloodstone Pass has recently opened a school for illusionist magic.

Major Geographical Features

Damara’s few roads are generally impassable in the wintertime, but rivers link the remote country with the capital. In warm months, keelboats and barges ply the cold, swift waters, and in winter, the river ice serves as a road for horse-drawn sleds and sledges.

• Bloodstone Pass

• Earthwood

• Galena Mountains

Important Sites

With a government still finalizing the bounds of its responsibilities after an invasion by the hordes of an evil lich, Damara is a land ideally suited for adventurers.

• Heliogabalus

• The Gates

• Trailsend

Structure

The Baronies

To understand the Bloodstone Lands, a Dungeon Master must have a grasp of where Damara stands among its neighbors, and the dynamics at work within the kingdom itself. Present-day politics in Damara have their roots in the past.

Although the Bloodstone Wars brought the armies of the land together, the people remain divided. Each barony fared a little differently during the recent wars, and therefore everyone has their own opinion about goings-on in the north, and of the rise of the new heroes. The selfish and deceitful rulers Zhengyi put in place have only served to aggravate the already-volatile situation.

Before the Witch-King, and from the days of its earliest origins, Damara was a single harmonious nation. An acknowledged, accepted king ruled all from Heliogabalus. The provinces existed as counties, all solidly behind the trusted decisions that issued from the throne. Each county was ruled by a noble house of long standing.

The counties were of two types: the city provinces and the supply provinces. The city provinces of Morov, Ostel, and Polten serve primarily as trade markets and launching sites for merchant caravans, and here dwell Damara's finest craftsmen. Farming is only on a small scale, and there is no raw mineral wealth here. These provinces are wholly dependent on the other regions to keep them from being more than simple trading communities suffering stoically in a cold frontier.

The supply provinces of Arcata, Bloodstone, Brandiar, Carmathan, and Soravia are less densely populated than the city provinces. These provinces support Damara's large-scale farmers and miners, the backbone supporting the cities' economies.

Zhengyi could not change economics, but he shattered the ruling class that kept everything working. After the bloody night in 1357 DR when the flower of Damaran nobility was slaughtered, Zhengyi began replacing the nobles, hand-picking his puppets, and he got some doozies indeed!

The Royal Family

King Gareth Dragonsbane and Queen Christine Dragonsbane

The Dukes

Duke of Arcata

Ruling House: Horgath
Present Duke: William Horgath, 8th Duke of Arcata

Duke of Bloodstone

Ruling House: Tranth
Present Baron: Connal Tranth, 5th Baron of Bloodstone (after King Gareth

Duke of Brandiar (Vacant)

Ruling House: Brandebury
Present Duke: None, currently represented by Dormythyrr, Steward of the Duchy

Duke of Carmathan

Ruling House: Devlin
Present Duke: Helmont the 15th, 22nd Duke of Carmathan

Duke of Sorovia (Vacant)

Ruling House: None
Present Duke: None

The Barons

Baron of Morov

Ruling House: Banacath
Present Baron: Dimian Ree, 27th Baron of Morov, Mayor of Heliogabalus, Presider of the Market, Overlord of the King's Road, Successor-in-line King of Damara

Baron of Ostel

Ruling House: Praka
Present Baron: Baroness Sylvia, 23rd Noble of Ostel

Baron of Polten

Ruling House: BelMaris
Present Baron: Donlevy (the Young), 20th Baron of Polten


Looking at the overall situation, Gareth and his friends have to be pleased with what they have accomplished in the few months since the fall of the Witch-King. Arcata is squarely behind them, and Brandiar and Soravia seem only one step from pledging their allegiance to the new kingdom. If the monks of the Monastery of the Yellow Rose prove rumors, the Duke of Carmathan is going to take a hard fall. With Polten slipping away from the three-province alliance, Ostel and Morov are on the verge of isolation from the rest of the kingdom— not a comfortable position for those that depend on the supply lines for their prosperity.
But Gareth is too farsighted to limit his plan to dealing with the internal politics of Damara. Damara is but one nation in the heart of a potentially prosperous, but often dangerous region. Rebounding from the devastating wars with the Witch-King will not prove an easy task for anyone.

History

Regional History

Damara was founded almost three hundred years ago under the Bloodfeathers dynasty. Formerly a wealthy trading kingdom enriched by its iron, silver, and bloodstone (traded in 25-gp value trade bars now regarded as unlucky “cursed money”) Damara fell from greatness in a twelve-year war against invaders from Vaasa, the land to the northwest.
Vaasa’s Witch King led armies of giants, goblins, orcs, and undead into Damara and eventually triumphed over King Virdin Bloodfeathers at the Ford of Goliad. The fell creatures of Vaasa occupied northwestern Damara, but fled and scattered after the Witch-King’s power was broken by a local band of adventurers. Gareth Dragonsbane was able to cement key alliances with lesser nobles through the support of the common folk, and was crowned king of Damara in 1359 DR.
Since the unification of Damara, King Dragonshane (LG male human Pal 20/Clr 5 of Ilmater) has worked hard to rebuild his nation’s economy and strength of arms. Damara has recovered from the war with Vaasa and watches at the Gates to guard against future invasion from its northern neighbor. Trade relations with Impiltur are positive, and acceptance of the bloodstone tradebars is increasing.
King Dragonsbane is trying to attract adventurers to his land by building upon Damara’s reputation for adventuring. His agents cite mineral rich mountains, proximity to monster-heavy Vaasa, the deep gnomes’ school of illusion magic, and opportunities for land grants. Dragonsbane has even offered minor noble titles to folk of law and good who are willing to build homes and swear allegiance to Damara. These incentives are working, and there is now a steady flow of adventurers into Damara.

Plots and Rumors

Heroes can find plenty of opportunities in the monster-infested mountains and northern lands. Those who come here can earn prestige for themselves in the aftermath of this nation’s political turmoil

Legacy of the Witch-King: Bandit activity in the Galena Mountains and northern Damara may be tied to the Citadel of Assassins, the evil organization that supported the Witch-King. Bolstered by spells cast by the evil wizard Knellict, the bandits have been hard to track and very effective in their raids. Capturing some of the bandits could lead to a break in discovering the location of the Citadel and rooting out the last vestige of Zhengyi’s power.

Underground Connections: Recently miners in the Earthspurs broke through to a previously unsuspected section of the Underdark. The large cavern they discovered contains an icy lake and is thought to connect to several known evil cities underground. Parties of adventurers are assembling to explore these areas and chart the myriad passages and caverns below.

Capital: Heliogabalus
Population: 1,321,920 (humans 87%, dwarves 6%, halflings 4%, half-orcs 2%) Humans (Damaran (70%), Chondathans (20%), Nars (5%), Vassans (2%), Rashmeni (2%)
Language: Damaran (Dethek Alphabet)
Government: Monarchy
Religions: Ilmater (The Triad), Silvanus (House of Nature), Tempus (barbarians)
Imports: Food, livestock, wood
Exports: Bloodstone, gems, gold, iron, silver
Alignment: LN, N, NE

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Capital

Heliogabalus

Demonym

Damaran

Head of State

Gareth Dragonsbane

Government System

Monarchy, Crowned Republic

Official State Religion

Church of the Triad

Subsidiary Organizations

• Barony of Morov
• Barony of Ostel
• Barony of Polten
• Duchy of Arcata
• Duchy of Bloodstone
• Duchy of Brandiar
• Duchy of Carmathan
• Sorovia

Official Languages

• Damaran

Controlled Territories

• Heliogabalus

Notable Members

• Christine Dragonsbane
• Gareth Dragonsbane

WHAT THE NEIGHBORS THINK

The events in Vaasa and Damara have not gone unnoticed outside the two countries. Of the other nations in the area, only Impiltur and Narfell seem likely to directly affect Vaasa and Damara.
Northern Impiltur and western Narfell are also considered "Bloodstone Lands," though their mines produce nowhere near the quantities taken from either Vaasa or Damara. But Impiltur in particular plays a major role in Damara's economy. Both Gareth Dragonsbane and Dimian Ree understand the roles that Impiltur and Narfell might play in their struggles. So far, Gareth has made a better impression.