Lance's Dúnamhar Campaign

Welcome to my Dúnamhar campaign setting. If you are unsure, it is pronounced (Doon-uh-vhar).

To learn more about the lands of Dúnamhar, we look to the mysterious Tome of Ages.

‎

We are the watchers eternal, the silent observers of this world. We alone witnessed the birth of this place, standing by as its various races sprang forth into existence. We have watched their steps as they grew, learned, and spread across the lands. We welcome you, dear reader, to the world of Dúnamhar.

The world of Dúnamhar was born of chaos, and so chaos dwelt upon it. The first of the primordial races to emerge were the gigantic Jotuns, the Ogres (change to Buggane), and the multitude of the smaller Bòcan (BOH-can). They set about shaping the raw world, but being born of upheaval, chaos remained deeply rooted in their nature. They worked stone and rock, wood and weed.

Then came the elven Shide (Sheed), bearing the gifts of order and harmony. Tall, elegant, and ethereal, they lived in perfect concert with the land, their skin and hair shifting color with the passing seasons. They possessed a longevity that far outlasted the Jotuns and their kin.

Alongside the Shide came the Creidne (CRANE-ya), a diminutive race of unparalleled ingenuity. As they populated Dúnamhar, they claimed the low hills, riverbanks, and deepest mountain caverns. For the Creidne, creation was a sacred, reality-bending rite. This absolute devotion to their trades eventually split them into three distinct cultures: the Korrigan, who carved out lives in the subterranean depths; the Abcán, sharp-witted, obsessive master artisans who wove magical alloys; and the Lúchorp (loo-horp), the nimble, resilient, and masterfully stealthy keepers of the valleys and hidden hollows.

Then, slowly, the race of the Humans stepped forth. Much smaller than the Jotuns, the Ogre, or even the Shide, but taller than any of the Creidne. They tended more toward order and harmony, but a streak of chaos still lived within them. They lived shorter lives than those of the Shide or the Creidne, and perhaps because of that, they populated the land quickly. They tended to be intelligent, creative, and industrious, but perhaps not as talented as the Creidne.

Other races also slowly came into existence and found their places in the world. The Lupin are a tall and powerful race of lupine humanoids that tended to settle deep in the woodland forest or the rugged, vertical crags of the various mountain ranges of Dúnamhar. The powerful bear-like Ursians who tend to settle in the colder northern climates, though some of the darker-furred cousins will settle further south. The lizard-like Slíogach (SHLEE-gukh) who settled in the southern swamps and marshlands. The draconic Nathair (nah-hair) of the more volcanic regions. The Selkies, a robust, fiercely boisterous race of semi-aquatic humanoids who rule the outer islands and rocky promontories. The ill-tempered Odovhar brutes are a race of massive, semi-aquatic walrus-like humanoids. Where the Ursians carry the forest's patience and the Lupin the pack's fierce loyalty, the Cathach carry something closer to the forest's silence itself—feline humanoids built for solitude, precision, and a self-possession that other races often mistake for arrogance, though the tome suspects it is simply the honest confidence of a people who rarely need help finishing what they start. Where the Bocans take without malice, as unremarkable to them as breathing, the Racán take with a flair that borders on performance; raccoon-like humanoids whose reputation for mischief precedes them into every settlement they pass through, and whose talents, the tome must admit, generally justify that reputation in full.