Base Requirements

• Races: Human, Half-Orc, Half-Ogre, Kenku
• Classes: Any
• Ability Requirements: Fitness 14, Stamina 10
• Alignments: Any
• Starting Cash: 4d4 x10 gp
• Bonus Languages: Chardic
• Recommended Languages: Auld Cormanthan, Easting, Ulutiun, Naric, Tharian

Proficiencies

• Weapon Slots: +1 slot
• Non-weapon Slots: By class
• Available Categories: By class
• Bonus Proficiencies: Healing, Survival (arctic)
• Required Proficiencies: none
• Recommended Proficiencies: none

Overview: Damara is a ruined nation east of the Moonsea, which was destroyed by the attack of an evil army from Vaasa. All that remains now is a fragmented nation of petty domains and rural communities. Damaran’s warriors are all that keeps the country from completely disintegrating at the hands of either internal enemies or another invading army. The strife of recent times shows clearly on those who come from the region.

Description: Damarans are clad in very warm furs, cloaks, fur helmets, warm leggings, and heavy gloves and boots. Such measures are needed, for the Damarans need protection not only against the blades and claws of the enemy, but against the harsh elements as well. Often they wear animal skins as accents to give them a more macabre look, but the true mark of a Damaran is the elaborately carved bloodstone torc that encircles his neck or shaved head.

Role-Playing: Damarans are a grim, burdened lot. Their fathers, uncles, and brothers fought in the war against Vaasa twenty years ago. Some of them fought as well, in the later skirmishes. Each Damaran is keenly aware of the responsibility upon his or her shoulders to defend the people. They never go about unarmed and seldom trust strangers. Even close friends are constantly watched for signs of betrayal. No one is so well-known as to be above suspicion in the eyes of a Damaran. Suffice to say, they are not the most fun-minded or light-hearted of adventurers.

Many Damarans seem to have the same social makeup of Dalesmen. They believe in minding their own business, and are satisfied if outsiders return that favor. These people have a stubborn streak, an obstinate hard-headedness to survive and hide all signs of weakness. This trait, considering their hostile environment, has probably saved many Damaran lives on more than one occasion.

Damarans seem to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. In a way, they do just that. Whatever the case may be, they never whine or complain about their lot in life. They accept their fates quite stoically.

Special Abilities:

• Characters from the Cold Lands are very well adapted to their climate. They have a +2 bonus on any saving throw they must make to escape or lessen the effects of a cold-based or ice-based attack. Any damage they suffer from such attacks is made with a -1 penalty per die rolled.
• Damarans live in a war-ravaged society, where their skills are constantly called into service. Damarans learn to fight with many types of weapons, since they never know what they will have at hand if drawn into combat. As a result, they are considered to be familiar with all weapons (effectively halving their non-proficiency penalties).
• Damarans have also cultivated an instinctive readiness for battle. They are surprised only on a roll of 1 or 2 on a d10.
• Through long hours of research, spellcasters of Damara have gained the ability to channel a prepared spell into a living creature. The process of channeling their own spell energy serves to heal the affected creature two points per spell level channeled. A spell channeled in this way is lost from the character’s memory.

Special Disadvantages:

• Damara has little left that can be considered an organized nation. Among other things, the economy is devastated. To show this, initial equipment costs 20% more than listed prices in the DMG to account for black market prices, as are any other goods later purchased within the bounds of Damara.
• Characters of the Cold Lands suffer greatly from heat-based or fire-based attacks. Any saving throw made to escape or reduce the effects of attacks like this suffers a -2 penalty. These characters also suffer an extra point of damage per die rolled from any such attack whether or not they successfully save against it.
• In mastering the healing arts, the people of Damara have attained an affinity for all living things. In game terms this means they suffer a -2 penalty to their saving throws against spells from the Necromancy wizard school or Necromantic priest sphere.
• Life in the Cold Lands can be harsh and brief. As a result, most dwellers in these lands marry and produce offspring at an early age. Most Cold Lands folk are married at age sixteen, and have one child soon after that. Each starting warrior has a 50% chance of being married, with his or her mate “back home.” Fifty percent of those characters without a mate “back home” are widowed. If the character’s starting age is eighteen (or equivalent for non-humans), there is a 70% chance that he or she has a child. Roll again for every year beyond eighteen. A twenty year old warrior could start out a game campaign as the parent of three children!
  Unless the character is childless and widowed, he must set aside 20% of his earnings for his family’s welfare. Once every season (three months), characters who are married or parents must return to their land to visit their families, and bring them the money (or else risk transplanting their families with them).

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