Damara

Historically Damara was a nation of power and importance that rivaled Impiltur or Sembia. It maintained strong trade relations with other nations of the Moonsea and Inner Sea, and its trade banner and bloodstone trade bars were found throughout the Realms. For a time, Damara's influence spread into Thar and also into the mysterious east.
In 1341 a force from Vaasa invaded and occupied Bloodstone Valley and parts of Damara. The war between these two nations lasted a decade, until the Witch King defeated King Iejir Virdin of Damara at the Ford of Goliad (in 1350) sweeping the last remnants of organized resistance from his path and freeing his warriors to slay the cream of the Damaran nobility in the capital (known as Heliogabalus at that time).
The Vaasan invaders renamed the city Helgabal and captured and ruled the northern portions of Damara while the southern portions of what was once the extended Kingdom retreated variously into their defended duchies, quarreling isolationist communities and fortified city-states (Ironfang Keep being the most interesting example). Puppet rulers made up of Warlocks (from Telos) and Hierophant Monks (from Palischuk) were installed across many cities. In an effort to legitimize their title claims many of them sired children with surviving widows of the noble families of Damara, who became known as the "Weeping Women".
This nightmarish existence was reality for Damarans until 1356 when a young Paladin named Llysander Garwin began his campaign to help the people of Arcata defeat their goblinoid enemies who ran rampant over the lands. His troupe, who quickly became known as the Heroes of Bloodstone, eventually battled through Damara and into Bloodstone Valley exploring the notorious mines and liberating as many of the Damaran people as they could. Finally the heroes successfully defeated the Witch King and with the help of The Bloodstone Host pushed the surviving Vaasan Horde back into their dark lands.
The plots of the Grandmaster of Assassins were uncovered shortly thereafter and after he was killed in late 1366 peace seemed to rule the day. Llysander briefly served as Regent of the lands while the smashed noble houses of Damara started to rebuild. During this time some would-be despots (The Rooster) and challengers to the throne (Count Elishell "Virdin", the sorceress Mercurial) appeared and were defeated. When a rightful Damaran descendant of the Virdin bloodline was found in 1384, Llysander crowned her Ascendant Queen Hayli Virdin at age 15. She now rules a diminished Kingdom of Damara that has absorbed all but three of the surrounding Duchies into a single state. Arcata, Carmathan and Soravia remain independent (see sub-section Provinces as does the fortress outpost of Ironfang Keep who now answers to none but its own council of advisors.
Her first official act as Queen was to rename the capital Helio'Qytet, incorporating the word for the deepest region of the lake used by its reclusive inhabitants (who rumors say are led by a peaceful Aboleth, could that be?). The capital trades raw materials and substances that can only be obtained from mountains with the lake dwellers who in exchange provide that which can only be found in the depths of the lake. She reorganized the holdings of the surviving noble families into Baronies all under the banner of Damara, and forged alliances with the Duchies of Arcata, Carmathan and Soravia.
For the next 5 years Llysander and the surviving knights from The Bloodstone Host served as her advisors and protectors. At her 20th birthday celebration where she was made full Queen, and after a disagreement with one of Llysander's most trusted commanders, she unceremoniously released Llysander and The Bloodstone Host from their duties. In her proclamation address she highlighted that she, and the noble houses of Damara, were now fully capable of rule. The response was thunderous applause and toasts to the Queen.

Today Damara is prosperous, her main cities are once again bustling with rich commerce, her fields are being worked and tended. Under Queen Hayli Rybis Virdin a mixed class of Bourgeoisie Nobile has developed who are honestly more self-interested than nationalistic. The lands are peaceful but inefficiently governed. The people are determined and hardworking but feel they are unevenly ruled. Some soft corruption has taken hold and the great families of Damara who have either rebuilt or returned to the nation have fallen into political games at court that consume most of their time. Troubles stemming from the questionable title claims of children of the Weepeing Women are common. Frequent are the disputes over land and treasuries. Many suitors pursue the young Queen and she entertains all offers as she seeks a mate that will be strong (but not too strong) so that she can continue the Virdin line.
Most recently Queen Virdin has approved a request from Simquat Vlethe (Mayor of Bloodstone) to have expanded authority over the critical pass and fortresses. She is not concerned with how the trade and commerce is handled so long as the money continues to come into the royal coffers. Her focus is on events in the capital of Helio'Qytet and playing games of intrigue.
Damara's Provinces
The unified Damara of today was not always so. Historically the great Noble Houses of Damara controlled their own provincial lands directly. These provinces were variously baronies (essentially city-states, with craftsmen and trade centers) or duchies (supply provinces, with farming and mining communities). Before the invasion, these areas were:

• the Duchy of Arcata *
• the Barony of Bloodstone *
• the Duchy of Brandiar
• the Duchy of Carmathan *
• the Barony of Morov
• the Barony of Ostel
• the Barony of Polten
• the Duchy of Soravia *

* indicates that this territory still exists today
During the occupation of Damara by Zhengyi's Vaasan horde, these political lines were destroyed and the order was completely upturned, each city was on its own and directly controlled the lands immediately attached. As Zhengyi's false vassals were eliminated or routed the surviving noble families began reasserting their control.
Queen Virdin's decision to keep most of the lands under the direct control of her court did not sit well with the families of Arcata and Carmathan. The two Duchies felt that Helio'Qytet was was too far away to effectively manage their lands and declared themselves independent, but tightly allied. Seeing an opportunity for more direct control, the opportunistic Grilnacht Sorav (the half-dwarf Duke of Soravia) immediately followed suit. Only the Duchy of Brandiar folded into Damara as there were no living descendants of the Brandebury family line to speak for its independence. The territories that remained part of Damara proper were declared Baronies of Damara and the heads of each family made Baron and/or Baroness.
Bloodstone is still technically a separate Barony of the Damaran crown, but there is no Baron of Bloodstone. The Mayor of the City of Bloodstone reports directly to the Queen and controls the territory on her behalf. The idea of the "Barony of Bloodstone" is antiquated and infrequently used, but is still occassionally found in historical writings.

"Our blood flows from the stone."

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Demonym

Damaran (DA-mer-AN)

Controlled Territories

• Bloodstone Valley
• Breaking Bluff
• City of Bloodstone