Durpar

The land of Durpar is comprised of the cities and surrounding lands that wrap around the bay of the Golden Water. It is protected from the intense storms of the Raurin to the northeast by the Giant's Belt and Dustwall Mountains, and separated from Estagund to the south by the Curna Mountains. The continent of Zakhara is located to the south of Durpar, on the opposite side of the Great Sea. Despite its hot and humid climate, Verdant farms surround the Golden Water, the shoreline of which was given to the mansions of the luxury-loving ruling merchant elite of the kingdom. 

The weather in the Shining Lands is hot almost all year. The area gets plenty of sunshine and most of the country, (with the exception of the Great Sea's coastline) experiences a mild rainy season. On most days, steady breezes blowing off the ocean cool the land along the coast, making the temperature bearable once the sun slips low in the west. Inland, the breezes gently billow through the waving wheat, making the land seem like a great, dun-colored ocean. During droughts, the winds in the plain occasionally stir up great dust clouds that hamper travel.

Mountainous regions of Durpar are notable sources of the animate plangent crystals used to make prosthetic limbs.

The Durpari people have lived along the shores of the Golden Water since before the rise of the Imaskari Empire. They never really established a national identity in their formative years as a people, since they were regularly enslaved, slaughtered, or abandoned to barbarism by various other groups around them - most notably the Mulan of Mulhorand. Thereafter, except for a brief period of conflict in which the Arkaiuns of Dambrath invaded and sacked much of the Shining Lands, the Durpari have been free and independent people. Out of their relative isolation, the Durpari have at last developed a national identity based on trade, respect, and structured law.

The government of Durpar wholly revolves around business. Everything from national defense to the national government is treated as some sort of financial transaction. The only ideal held in higher regard than the increase of personal wealth is adherence to tenets of the Adama or "The One", the philosophical ideal and societal code of honor that dictates how the Durpari people conduct themselves in business and their daily lives. Beyond these rules however, citizens of Durpar generally live free and open lives with little influence from the government, excessive taxes or extravagant bureaucracy. Inns in Durpar are worth visiting as there are nightly entertainments in every house. All foreigners are welcome, so long as they have wealth and know how to conduct themselves.

While the nation of Durpar remains a "merchant kingdom", terminology dating back to its old history, it is governed along with Var and Estagund for much of its history by the ruling body known as the Nawab Council of Durpar. It is composed of the heads of the eleven wealthiest mercantile houses or Chakas. The Grand Nawab serves as the head of this council, an individual that is included among the wealthiest people in all Faerûn. While a Chaka has to accumulate a great amount of wealth to earn a seat on the council, it is thought to be impossible without maintaining good and honest business practices, as laid out by the code of the Adama. The Nawab Council itself conducts their affairs with strict adherence to the Adama, and while they may scheme and act against their own rivals, service of the public good always takes precedence over individual financial interests. Individual communities each have their own eleven-seat council, upon which sits the heads of local, less-influential Chakas.

The Durpari hold very strongly to their belief in a code of conduct known as the Adama. This code affects every aspect of society, from trade practices to punishments for crimes. Both a religious belief and a way of life, the Adama dictates how citizens should conduct themselves in all aspects of life. Because so much of life in the Shining Lands centers around trade, however, the precepts of the Adama tend to focus on a person's conduct in business. In general terms, those who adhere to the Adama view all crimes as theft - whether the perpetrator has stolen property, life, or the trust of another. Thus, fraud is considered just as heinous a crime as murder, and unfair or dishonest business practices draw penalties just as harsh as those imposed for more traditional crimes. Few criminals receive second chances here, since tolerance for injustice is minimal.

In general, punishments for crimes in the Shining Lands fit the culture. Fines are effective deterrents in a society that Values commerce and wealth above almost all else. Even trying to pass substandard products off as quality workmanship can result in financially crippling punitive damages. Furthermore, since citizens are quick to abandon a Chaka that has been found guilty of underhanded business practices, the fiscal damage often far exceeds the mere fines levied. More than a few Chakas have lost both business and political clout when consumers registered their dissatisfaction with their coin purses.

Interestingly enough, Durpari society views capital punishment as an offense against the Adama. Thus, people found guilty of capital crimes are restrained, usually as indentured workers in mines or on farms, instead of being put to death. For most offenses, such enforced servitude lasts only a few years, but the criminal must begin again with nothing upon release - a secondary punishment in itself. Those not rehabilitated after an initial sentence are restrained for the rest of their lives.

As of the late 15th century, rulership of Durpar was taken over by the powerful Datharathi chaka, which had emerged triumphant over the others after years of conflict.

When a man is among his friends, he should enjoy his wealth. When a man is trading, he should trade.

Maxim of Jeradeem

While public displays of wealth is a common tradition among the Durpari people, exhibiting riches that are not truly theirs is unacceptable, as is hiding away that which rightfully were. Durpari fashion, such as their coral jewelry and style of decorative fillet, can be found in realms beyond the kingdom's borders. It is made available to people of the Heartlands by means of the Aurora's Emporium retail company and their expansive catalogue.

Literacy and multilingualism is considered very important among the Durpari people. Most merchants of Durpar can converse in common, Thorass, Akalan, Midani, Dwarvish, halfling and several others. Folk in the Shining Lands speak Durpari, which has its roots in Draconic, Mulhorandi, and Rauric. They employ the Thorass alphabet, which was imported from the west.

Though the dominant ethnic group of the Shining Lands is the Durpari, the open, welcoming nature of the natives has ensured that every recognizable race and ethnic group - is represented here. The average Durpari stands only 5-1/2 feet tall and has dark, mahogany colored skin and black or gray eyes. Their hair is usually dark and thick, though once in a while, a child with deep reddish-gold hair is born. Historically, traders and merchants who came from distant lands often chose to spend extra time in one or more of the three countries to enjoy the favorable climate and the hospitality. Some settled down and intermarried with the natives; others simply visited for a short time and took their leave.

Other than Humans and Kenkus, halflings are the most prevalent humanoids in the Shining Lands, and they have established sizable populations in Estagund. Most of these Hin have migrated from Luiren, either to establish trade or simply to partake of the delights offered by another culture. Dwarves congregate in both the Dustwall and the Curna Mountains, and many have established powerful chakas, or merchant houses, based on the mining of gold and gemstones. More than a few half-elves live in the urban centers of the Shining Lands because they are accepted and valued as individuals. Few elves live in or visit these countries, however, since most of them find the strong focus on trade and wealth distasteful. In recent years, more and more gnomes have begun to settle in the region, because their talents as craftsfolk, (particularly gemcutters) are in great demand.

Goblinoids of the Iron Eye tribe dominate the armed forces of Vaelen. All manner of monsters able to assume human form are assumed to lurk among the population. With rare exceptions, visitors hail only from Delzimmer, Estagund, or High Imaskar. Natives of Durpar nominally follow the Adama, a strict code of honesty and personal conduct, over individual gods. As a practical matter, however, most hope just to survive. Commerce still forms the backbone of the Durpari economy, though the chakas are much diminished in wealth and influence. The inhabitants of Durpar view the outside world with a mix of bitterness and longing. Most feel abandoned by the rest of Faerûn, yet they seek a better life far from the encroaching menace of the Beastlands.

Religion

The Adama pervades all facets of life in the Shining South, just as mainstream religion does in many other parts of Faerûn. The major difference is that the Durpari people are extremely tolerant of other religions, since their belief system accepts the multitude of deities followed in other parts of the world, rather than competing with them. Thus enjoying the label of being one of the most tolerant lands in all the Realms.

In the strictest sense, the Adama, also known as "the One," is the embodiment of the spirit found in all things humanoids, animals, plants, rocks, and even the gods. Therefore, all creatures and objects on Toril, including deities, are considered manifestations of the Adama. In principle, the Adama is so far-reaching that worshiping any deity is effectively paying homage to it.

In practice, however, not every deity is acceptable. Some are favored because they embody the core values of the Adama better than others. In particular, Zionel (Gond), Curna (Oghma), Lucha (Selûne), Torm, and Waukeen represent the broadest aspects of day-to-day life in the Shining Lands, and thus their followers are welcomed above all others. Other deities - specifically those that require human sacrifice, and Mask, who represents thievery - are rejected because the tenets of their faiths are at cross-purposes with those of the Adama. This seeming contradiction does not bother the inhabitants of the Shining Lands. The opposite of a cherished principle might be a philosophical necessity, but that doesn't make it appealing.

Following the Adama is more a matter of everyday bearing and conduct than ceremony and ritual. The Durpari believe that the Adama exists in all things they do, and if their dealings with others are fair and just, then they honor the Adama. The laws that govern the people are based on the Adama's tenets, which for all practical purposes are the same as the principles espoused by the five Faerûnian deities who best exemplify it.

Life in the Shining Lands is surprisingly free, with none of the heavy-handed interference from the power structure so common in neighboring lands. As long as the citizens follow the way of the Adama, they can generally pursue their business affairs as they see fit. Because it pervades so many of the day-to-day activities in the Shining Lands, the Adama allows the people to govern themselves, effectively negating the need for a central authority. Durpar, where society revolves around business, serves as the best model of this arrangement.

Trade

The business of-the Shining Lands is business, or so the popular saying goes. The Durpari people have long practiced trade as a way of life and they have become exceptionally good at it. Durpari like to claim that their focus on commerce came about as a more peaceful means of competition than warring with one another - a practice that long held the various nomadic tribes back from advancement as a people. With the recognition of the Adama, the Durpari turned from killing one another to trying to outdo one another in the marketplace. The resulting devotion to material gain spawned a people so skilled in bargaining that they rival even the people of Amn. For many years, the nation received and traded in goods from all across Toril, traveling across lands in great caravans as far away as the towns of Delbyl and Zindalankh in the Endless Wastes, settlements in Zakhara across the Great Sea, and even the far-western continent of Maztica beyond the Trackless Sea.

It was historically possible to find a much wider selection of items in Durpar than virtually anywhere else in Faerûn. The nation exports a variety of goods that are considered exotic in other founds, such as beans used for brewing Kaeth, and delicacies that are made from Maztican imports.

Since trade is the center of life in the Shining Lands, the Chaka, (trading house) is the most prominent kind of organization in the region. Most Durpari identify a citizen by his Chaka before even his family, though in most cases, family and Chaka are one and the same. A small Chaka might operate only a single business, such as a laundry or a cheese shop, while the most powerful might actually have a number of smaller Chakas under its wing. These larger Chakas are usually diversified and self-supporting, managing a number of businesses and trade routes. Often, they set up shops in other lands to sell the same goods they export from their own countries. Unlike many countries, the nations of the Shining Lands welcome any kind of coinage minted elsewhere. A Durpari merchant doesn't care whether a gold coin came from Cormyr or Calimshan, as long as it is gold. Though they examine coins carefully to ensure that they are legitimate, they happily accept them at face value.

The countries of the Shining Lands export a number of natural products, the most important of which is grain. Durpari farmers harvest acres of wheat from the endless stretches of open plains to sell in the markets of other lands. Gems of various types, coffee, fish, and a few kinds of fruit and vegetables are also shipped from ports in the Shining Lands to other parts of Faerûn. Manufactured goods are gradually becoming important export commodities too, as are trade goods from other lands. Durpari Chakas specializing in exotic goods bring products from distant Zakhara and Maztica to the Shining Lands, where they are sold to both the local people and the merchants who wish to ship them to far-flung Amn, Waterdeep, and Thesk, among other places.

Following its lengthy decline, the last cities of Durpar only manage to trade with nearby Estagund and the returned empire of High Imaskar.

Currency

Durpar mints its own variety of trade bar, known as the Durpar Vellim.

Defenses

Like all other matters in Durpar, national defense is treated as a business proposition and contracted out to the private sector. Thus, instead of maintaining a national standing army, the country entrusted it's defense to a collection of privately operated mercenary companies, each based out of whichever city funds its operations. The Nawabs of the various communities handled the hiring of the defense Chakas, but the execution of the local defense is generally left up to the heads of the Chakas that receive the contracts.

Every city and town in Durpar collects sufficient taxes from the sale of goods to pay a contract for defense. The larger ports typically hire Chakas that specialize in naval defense, but even the tiniest town usually hires a defense Chaka, though it might be no more than an extended family of traditional soldiers. More than a few adventuring groups have chosen to retire in Durpar, form a Chaka, and accept a contract to defend the community they call home. As of the late 15th century, the remaining cities of Durpar are defended by the Goblinoid army commanded by the dominant Datharathi Chaka. Bands of adventurers are now hired on as well to keep at bay the monstrous armies of the nearby Beastlands.

For the most part, adventurers are treated the same as any other visitors to the Shining Lands - neither sought after nor scorned. While sellswords and wandering wizards have ample opportunity to explore the edges of civilization and unearth treasures from the ruined remains of the past, the Durpari do not want such activities to interrupt the flow of business. Thus, adventurers who get in the way of commerce, (or worse yet, violate the laws of the Adama through their actions) are dealt with just as quickly and harshly as any local citizen might be.

This general ambivalence toward adventurers does not, however, mean that the folk of Durpar have no use for them. On the contrary, Durpari merchants are quite happy to conduct business with any newcomers who have coins burning holes in their pockets and need specialized - and expensive - equipment. Likewise, they are quite willing to bargain with adventurers who return victorious from distant places with wondrous - and often magic - treasures to exchange. Beyond the opportunity for profit, though, the citizens of the Shining Lands recognize the need for brave outsiders who can rid their lands of foul beasts that would otherwise prey on their cities, disrupting both lives and livelihoods.

Veldorn is the obvious exception to this attitude, since the beast-chieftains of that land hold adventurers in the lowest regard. As far as these monster lords are concerned, anyone who comes storming into their territories spoiling for a fight is fair game for a little retributive amusement, and monster-hunting heroes automatically go to the top of that list. Few who strike out to tame wild Veldorn realize just how united the beast-chieftains are when it comes to repelling invaders, and fewer still return to warn others of their unusual level of organization. Occasionally, the foul creatures of Veldorn do more than send the would-be heroes packing - they also mount a counterattack, usually along a trade way, to reinforce the concept that they are not to be trifled with.

Dormant Plangent. The Datharathi chaka continues to experiment with physical modification, replacing limbs and other body parts with a magically animate, violet-hued substance known as plangent crystal. Members of this chaka refine their techniques on criminals, who trade their bodies for a reduction in their sentences, and volunteers, who submit out of a desperate need to feed their families. Although a few subjects of these experiments gain new powers, the majority die or are permanently crippled.  Those that get these modifications do not trust their own body, and feel vulnerable to magical control. They do their best to conceal the modification, fearing the reactions of those who might see them as little more than a mindless automaton.

Betrayed. Despite their noble ambitions to defend their homeland against the monsters of the Beastlands, many now believe that Durpar is already secretly under the sway of the Beast Lords and that they were deceived by those who claim to appreciate their efforts. Lacking proof of their suspicions but convinced of their accuracy, they have fled the reach of Vaelan’s Chakas before they can be silenced. Durpari are slow to trust any people in authority, fearing that they reached their positions through an accommodation with the monstrous denizens of Faerûn.

Exploration: The Durpar’s once-wealthy merchant houses hope to stem the rising tide of brutality that threatens their homeland by forging new trade ties with the outside world. The first step is to travel, seeing what the rest of Faerûn has to offer and what they might offer it. They have an entrepreneurial spirit, finding opportunity in every unmet need and value in every scarce resource. Their first instinct is to barter, for everyone has his price.

Monstrous Lineage: There is an increase in children of the Beastlands, counting at least one “monster” among their ancestors. Many are unwelcome in either the civilized world or the realm of monsters, seen variously as a savage beast or easy prey. These children find little difference between the civilized and uncivilized races and regard both groups with suspicion. They are quick to defend themselves and even quicker to take offense at those who would judge them based on appearance.

Early History

During the Age of the Proud Peoples, approximately 6000 years before the erection of the Standing Stone, the lands of Durpar were considered a mere territory of the ancient Imaskari empire. When the empire fell in the −2488 DR, the people of the Durpari subject-state fell to chaos, a state that would continue for millennia. Eventually, nearly all of the Durpari barbarians were slaughtered by the invading Mulhorandi empire.

Fortunately the remaining Durpari, the lands across the Golden Coast were united as the singular Kingdom of Durpar in the Year of Clipped Wings, −623 DR, under the leadership of Maharajah Udandwi. The strength of the grew as centuries progress, as it formed alliances with Veldorn (Beastlands) and Gundavar, and opened up trade with Mulhorand to the north. As the philosophical teachings of Satama became widespread across Durpar and the southern realm of Var circa the Year of Able Warriors, −256 DR, a collective shift took over the region, and it came to be known as the "Lands of the One".

As a sign of what would plague the region for many centuries to follow, growing hordes of monsters overwhelmed the coastal cities of Veldorn (Beastlands) throughout the 2nd and 3rd centuries DR. Despite the best efforts of the Durpari armed forces to hold these armies at bay, the city of Vaelan was sacked by a force of monstrous werebeasts in the Year of the Dun Dragon, 245 DR, and upon thousands of refugees fled into the cities of Durpar for safety.

Years of Prosperity

When the heirless Maharajah Waileen V died in the Year of the One's Tears, 428 DR, the nation's first high council was established to steward the kingdom until one could be named. After decades of conflict between numerous chakas vying for power and control, the High Council was officially named the governing body for the mercantile monarchy.

The nation was briefly invaded by Dambrath in the Year of the Gnashing Tooth, 553 DR.

In what has been celebrated as one of the greatest feats of commerce in the nation's history, the exalted Jeradeem Seltarir successfully negotiated the acquisition of the royal throne of Estagund in the Year of Crimson Magics, 1026 DR, for a price of 24 gems, approximating 1,000,000 gp in value. The celebrated union of the two nations led to new military victories against the monstrous occupying armies to the south, taking back the cities of Vaelantar and Assur from a collective of beholders, and seizing Ormpé from the clutches of demons in the first years of the 12th century.

Despite these successes, Durpari forces remained unable to wrest control of much of Veldorn (Beastlands) to the northwest, leaving closed the trade routes leading to Mulhorand. A second failed attempt was made in the late 13th century DR, but it too failed after a mere three–days trek into Veldorn (Beastlands). Following this defeat, the leaders of Durpar swore to never again force their armies to march upon the bestial creatures and horrific monstrosities of Veldorn (Beastlands), the country that came to be known as the Beastlands.

Great Decline

The 15th century saw a stark turn in the fortunes and fate of the Durpari kingdom. Some time following the Spellplague, the monstrous of the Beastlands, as Veldorn had come to be known as, march south upon the Shining Lands. Many of Durpar's cities were ravaged by the assault, and lay in ruin as of the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR.

To help stem the destruction and chaos, the influential Datharathi chaka banded together with several lesser merchant houses and allied themselves with the Iron Eye goblins from the Curna Mountains. When some of the Durpari chakas broke with their treaty, the Merchant Wars broke out throughout the nation, with the Datharathi emerging victorious. By that time, only the city of Vaelen remained as the only thriving city in Durpar, and the kingdom as a whole remained in a precarious state of existence.