Dalmurran Campaign

At the end of an Age, Good and Evil met in a Final Conflict. The land was torn and reshaped. Countries were destroyed. The final battle consumed both sides.

The victors went to their glorious reward, the vanquished into crude holes in the ground, and the survivors were left in a ruined world.

One group of survivors, the remnants of an army, retreated into the mountains north of the Aluskin Empire and carved out a life cut off from the rest of the world.

They wove a magical barrier around the land, blocking scrying both ways. This barrier would be maintained by regular rituals.

About 300 years later…the campaign begins.

The Duchy of Dalmurran

The Duchy is a blend of several cultures as the survivors were a mixed lot. The retreating army was composed of:

· A chivalric army of horse and foot from the Kingdom of Orone

· The Order of the Gryphon, military arm of the Church of Dalendra (benevolent goddess of the Colmer Empire).

· A detachment of mages and troops from the Galmyr, a powerful mystic order that was deeply involved in politics and intrigue. They supplied advisors to many heads of state.

· Clan levies of archers, skirmishers, and foot from the Buradae Tribes, ancestor spirit worshipping mountain barbarians.

· A cadre of mages under the Arch-Mage Firehawk.

· A detachment of dwarven engineers and warriors.

· Other miscellaneous refugees and non-combatants (including some elves).

This collection was lead by Dalmurran Tosode, a warlord from Orone. He took them into canyons leading deep into the northern mountains, fighting a rear-guard action against demon and other fell creatures left behind after the war. A detachment lead by Norril the Grey stayed behind to fortify a narrow pass in order to delay pursuing monsters. Although they were to catch up with the retreat, no word of their fate has ever been learned.

No one really knew where they were after the war as troops were transported by arcane means across huge distances. Most of the combatants were far from home by the end and maps were useless after the land had been torn asunder.

Eventually the survivors came through a pass and into open land. Fierce battles were fought against the Frostborn, undead from the northern snows, and the orcs before the land was settled. During this time Dalmurran fell in combat against the IceWitch, although she was slain by Firehawk soon after.

They named the duchy after Dalmurran and the first city after Norril the Grey. The land was divided into baronies given to the major families of the various factions.

The land is cold and winters are severe. Those who live outside the walled towns and villages live in walled farmholds, multi-family armed communes. It is usually too dangerous for a single family to live alone.

The passes beyond Eastgate are impassable for most of the winter. Beyond them is a maze of valleys (supposedly) crawling with monsters that lead to a wasteland and the unknown.

Languages
Marric: Orone
Barannin: Buradae Tribes
Akaldu: Colmer Empire
Maerran: Elves
Thronnic: Dwarves
Icetongue: Frostborn, Snow Orcs, Ice Goblins

Religions
Dalendra, Urban and Urbane Guardian Goddess of the Colmer Empire
Gilandir, Patron God of Orone
Serrel, Goddess of the Fields
Eslevalle, Elf Goddess
Norlin, Dwarf God

Ancient Enemies
The opposing forces during the War were a mixed bunch. Not all are remembered.

The Aluskind Empire, an evil empire of demonologists who worshipped the Red Dancer, Goddess of Death and Slaughter.

Tarane, a kingdom from some harsh northern realm whose main industry was exporting mercenaries.

Dalinoth, an evil kingdom of slavers. They used a peculiar arcano-mechanical technology.