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, 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.
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 colour 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.
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.
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 along 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 favour 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 followed, 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 founding 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 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 1095 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 Grey 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 Grey Sisters. The Grey 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.
Outlook: 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 fervour. 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.
Characters: Damarans typically make strong paladins and monks, for the discipline and self-sacrifice required of both professions resonate strongly with Damaran morals. Many Damarans find their calling as clerics or, to a lesser extent, druids or rangers, for the appeal of serving a divine entity is strong. Fighters and rogues are less common in Damaran culture than elsewhere, for there is neither a strong mercenary tradition nor a strong mercantile presence along the Easting Reach. Notable exceptions do exist, including the city of Teflamm, where a strong thieves’ guild holds sway, and the Galena Mountains, where a secretive brotherhood of assassins is said to have a hidden stronghold. Arcane spellcasters of all sorts are rare in Damaran society, reflecting a long-held suspicion of magic powers that are not bestowed by a deity. While wizards are generally accepted, sorcerers are looked on with suspicion, for the sorcerous arts are thought to be a legacy of demonic heritage.
Prestige Classes: Like the Chondathans, Damarans are drawn to prestige classes with divine associations, such as the divine champion, divine disciple, divine seeker or hierophant. The Shadowmasters of Telflamm naturally include a number of rogues who take up the assassin and shadowdancer prestige classes.
Society: 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 Faerûn, 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 Faerûn, but those Damarans who do stray far from their homeland associate themselves with a local church of their faith.
Language: Most Damarans speak Common and Damaran, two closely related tongues. Damaran employs an alphabet of Dethek runes, a legacy of early cooperation between the inhabitants of Impiltur and the dwarves of the Earthfast Mountains. The exceptions are the inhabitants of Aglarond and Altumbel, who speak Common and Aglarondan, a tongue closely related to Damaran that incorporates many Elven words and uses the elven script of Espruar.
Common second languages in Impiltur include Chondathan, Dwarven, Aglarondan or Chessentan. In Damara and Vaasa, second languages frequently known include Chondathan, Dwarven, Orcish or Uluik. Many Nars can speak Rashemi or Uluik, and Tuigan is becoming increasingly popular. The inhabitants of the Great Dale are most likely to learn Rashemi, although some learn the Thayan dialect of Mulhorandi. In southern Thesk, Aglarondan is the most popular second language, while Chondathan and Turmic are the preferred second tongues along the coast around Telflamm. In Aglarond, most inhabitants also speak Elven. Other common second languages include Damaran, Chessentan, Sylvan or Mulhorandi.
All Damaran characters are literate except for barbarians, commoners and warriors.
Magic: Damarans favour 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.
Spells and Spellcasting: Damarans have a strong divine spellcasting tradition, particularly in the clerical vein. Because of their suspicion of the arcane arts, Damarans have few arcane spellcasters, the rare exceptions stemming from the buried legacies of fallen Narfell. Damaran bloodlines that give rise to powerful sorcerers tend to be demonic in nature and are often accompanied by a trace of tiefling ancestry. Damaran wizards are usually abjurers or diviners, with the study of necromancy or conjuration strongly reviled.
Spellcasting Tradition: Damarans favour spells that ward off the forces of evil or drive them from this plane, although spells that assist survival in a harsh climate are common as well. Commonly favoured spells include banishment, dismissal, magic circle against evil, protection from energy, protection from evil and resist energy. Spells that call extraplanar creatures, such as planar ally and planar binding, are met with suspicion even when they’re used to call obviously good creatures. Good-aligned Damaran clerics often take the Lightbringer feat.
Unique Spells: The widespread suspicion of arcane spellcasting in Damaran culture has ensured that few arcane spells of Damaran origin have become commonly known. In contrast, the “common cause” mentality of religious institutions in Damaran culture has ensured that divine spells of Damaran origin have quickly become widely known. A few paladin spells are uniquely Damaran, including lawful sword.
Magic Items: Damarans favour magic items that provide protection against the harsh natural environment or the unholy horrors of the Demonlands. Swords and daggers are commonly crafted with outsider bane, defending, holy or lawful special abilities. Maces are commonly crafted with disruption, holy or lawful special abilities. Armour is typically crafted with cold resistance, ghost touch, invulnerability and warming special abilities.
Common Magic Items: Boots of the winterlands, candle of invocation, horn of goodness, phylactery of faithfulness, quiver of Mielikki (Ehlonna) and ring of warmth. Due to the prevalence of these items in Damaran lands, they may be purchased at a 10% discount from the normal price in any large city in Impiltur or Damara.
Iconic Magic Item: Fiendhunter two-bladed swords, though rare, are identified strongly with Damaran heroes who ride from place to place, battling demons and devils wherever they may be found.
Religion: Damarans honour the deities of the Faerûnian pantheon. They favour 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, favoured deities include Ilmater, Selûne, 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 fisherfolk venerate Valkur and Selûne. 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: Damarans have long and abiding ties with shield dwarves and are favourably inclined toward the Stout Folk (with the notable exception of the duergar). Halflings are rare in Damaran lands outside Impiltur, but are viewed quite favourably 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 Grey 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-worshipping reavers, even those who happen to be of Damaran racial stock rather than Vaasans.
Equipment: Thanks to extensive trade across the Sea of Fallen Stars, Damarans share much in common with Chondathans, including commonly employed forms of weapons and armour. As such, the equipment lists found in the Player’s Handbook can be seen as reflecting the Damaran norm.
Arms and Armour: Damarans favour medium armours that combine good protection with a reasonably low weight, and weapons that can fend off feral beasts or bloodthirsty demons armed with tooth and claw. Favoured weapons include spears, longspears, glaives, halberds and greatswords. Commonly employed forms of armour include studded leather armour, chainmail, breastplates and splinted mail.
Common Items: Chainmail, splinted mail, longspear, halberd, greatsword.
Unique Items: Perhaps the most unique weapon in Faerûn is the heavy aspergillum, found only among the Ilmaterans of Impiltur.
Animals and Pets: Damarans favour large canines as pets, particularly in mountainous and arctic regions. Most breeds are working dogs, bred to serve as pack animals or sled dogs. Since the retreat of the Great Glacier, Damaran working dogs have been bred to serve a variety of other uses, including herding and hunting. Most retain a distinctive thick coat. Horses also play an important role in Damaran society. More exotic mounts include griffons, employed in Damara and Vaasa.
Regions: Aglarond, Altumbel, Damara, Impiltur, The Moonsea, Narfell, Thesk, Vaasa, The Vast
Note: The 4 skill points at 1st level are added on as a bonus, not multiplied in.
Source: Races of Faerûn (Page 88), Player’s Handbook (Page 12), Player’s Guide to Faerûn (Page 11)
Your character can be either male or female.
Every player character starts as an adult. You can choose or randomly generate your character’s age. If you choose it, it must be at least the minimum age for the character’s race and class (see Table: Starting Ages). Your character’s minimum starting age is the adulthood age of his or her race plus the number of dice indicated in the entry corresponding to the character’s race and class on Table: Starting Ages.
Alternatively, refer to Table: Starting Ages and roll dice to determine how old your character is.
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 years | +1d4 (16—19) years | +1d6 (16—21) years | +2d6 (17—27) years |
1 This category includes barbarians, rogues and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, fighters, paladins and rangers.
3 This category includes clerics, druids, monks and wizards.
With age, a character’s physical ability scores decrease and his or her mental ability scores increase (see Table: Aging Effects). The effects of each aging step are cumulative. However, none of a character’s ability scores can be reduced below 1 in this way.
| Middle Age1 | Old Age2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 years | 53 years | 70 years | +2d20 years |
1 -1 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
2 -2 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
3 -3 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
When a character reaches venerable age, the DM secretly rolls his or her maximum age, which is the number from the Venerable column on Table: Aging Effects plus the result of the dice roll indicated on the Maximum Age column on that table, and records the result, which the player does not know. A character who reaches his or her maximum age dies of old age at some time during the following year, as determined by the DM.
The maximum ages are for player characters. Most people in the world at large die from pestilence, accidents, infections or violence before getting to venerable age.
Choose your character’s height and weight from the ranges mentioned in the appropriate race description or from the ranges found on Table: Height and Weight. Think about what your character’s abilities might say about his or her height and weight. A weak but agile character may be thin. A strong and tough character may be tall or just heavy.
Alternatively, roll randomly for your character’s height and weight on Table: Height and Weight. The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character’s extra height beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character’s extra weight beyond the base weight.
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 4’ 10" | +2d10 (5’ 0"—6’ 6") | 120 lbs. | ×2d4 (124—280 lbs.) |
| Female | 4’ 5" | +2d10 (4’ 7"—6’ 1") | 85 lbs. | ×2d4 (89—245 lbs.) |
Source: Player’s Handbook (Page 109), Player’s Guide to Faerûn (Page 32)