Dragonmarked houses and others are heading to the Western Frontier. House Orien is extending the lightning rail toward Graywall. But this is no story of Brelish colonialism. Breland isn’t expanding across this frontier—it’s being driven away from it. Throughout the history of Galifar, the people of the Barrens were divided. The medusas of Cazhaak Draal, the changelings of Lost, and the tieflings of the Venomous Demesne were isolated city-states, which avoided contact both with Breland and with one another. These cultures were all but unknown in the east, so the dominant impression of the region was of the chaotic chib culture. The Daughters of Sora Kell brought these diverse factions together. Force was a factor in the creation of Droaam, and fear of Maenya’s Fist still plays an important role in keeping the old chibs in line. But the common depiction of Droaamites as squalid villages of goblins dominated by slow-witted ogres is driven by ignorance and Brelish propaganda. Under the Daughters of Sora Kell, each of the cultures of the region is a thread of a growing tapestry. New villages and towns are rising up from the Barrens, their construction driven by ogre strength, goblin enthusiasm, and the brilliant architects and masons of Cazhaak Draal. Magewrights from the Venomous Demesne are implementing an arcane infrastructure that could in time outshine the everyday amenities of the Five Nations. Droaam is a very young nation, still finding its footing and establishing traditions. But it is growing stronger every day, and it’s only a matter of time until its great cities—like Graywall and the Great Crag—rival Wroat and Fairhaven. And it is this that is drawing the influx of travel and trade from the east; the glimpse of opportunities as Droaam grows and prospers.
With that said, it is largely in the great cities—such as Graywall, Vralkek, Cazhaak Draal—that this renaissance is occurring. The Droaamites who dwell on the Western Frontier are remnants of the old system of chib rule, where a family of ogres or minotaurs would dominate a community of goblins and kobolds. Under the leadership of the Daughters, Droaamite workers are assured food, shelter, and security. Today, the chibs are expected to protect their people, not to oppress them; a modern chib serves as both mayor and sheriff. The Daughters are likewise encouraging the spread of Droaamite species into all communities. Though goblins may make up the majority of a village’s population, there could be a harpy songbird in the inn, a tiefling magewright teaching a class of kobold sorcerers, and the old ogre chib may have been replaced by a wise medusa. So, at first glance, a Droaamite village in the Barrens might seem primitive… but look closer, and you’ll see a well-fed population, working together to improve the conditions of the community. But again, this system is new and the idea of Droaam is still finding its footing along the border. The old chib system still lingers, especially in the villages around Turakbar’s Fist; Rhesh Turakbar and his reavers still enforce order with force and fear.
When dealing with a Droaamite community—or envisioning the background of an adventurer from Droaam—keep these things in mind. Droaam has only existed in its current form for a decade, and any villages along the Border Road will be younger than that. Because of this, a village will have been built for a reason—taking advantage of water, a manifest zone, mineral deposits identified by House Tharashk, or something else that makes the spot worth building on. And more so than in the typical Brelish village, Droaamties often have a sense of hope; they are working together, and their nation is on the rise. The exception to this is in the vicinity of Turakbar’s Fist. Here the villages are older, as Turakbar’s Fist has dominated the region since before the rise of Galifar. And many of those villages are ruled by tyrannical chibs and weighed down by despair.
Droaam has a few institutions that play a vital role in the nation, and whose agents can be encountered on the frontier.
Katra’s Voice is the diplomatic arm of Droaam, and Voices are envoys, entertainers, diplomats, and mediators. Their task is to maintain morale and lines of communication, and to help resolve disputes before they get out of hand. Agents of Katra’s Voice are usually changelings, medusas, tieflings, or harpies. Many highlight their role as entertainers, sharing stories with the common folk and painting tales of the bright future that lies ahead. Others focus more on mediation, especially if there is unrest between the local chib and the inhabitants of the community. Katra’s Voice also includes wandering magistrates, who typically travel with two soldiers of Maenya’s Fist. The current fashion is for medusas to serve as magistrates; if they consider a plaintiff’s complaint to be frivolous, they petrify them. However, there are a few changeling magistrates with exceptional telepathic abilities who excel at unraveling difficult situations.
Maenya’s Fist is the personal army of Sora Maenya, which acts to defend the nation and to enforce the rule of the Daughters when Katra’s Voice fails to resolve an issue. The foundation of the Fist is a corps of armored war trolls and skullcrusher ogres that are fanatically devoted to Sora Maenya; a single war troll can scatter a band of insubordinate ogres. However, over the last decade, the Fist has expanded to include a broader range of forces, including centaur cavalry, air support from gargoyles and harpies, rangers and scouts drawn from the Dark Pack, and more. As a general rule, warlords are expected to use their own forces to maintain order in their domains; near Turakbar’s Fist adventurers are more likely to encounter a band of minotaurs than a squad of Maenya’s Fist. Fists are either dispatched directly by Sora Maenya to deal with known threats, or found in the company of a Voice or an Eye whose mission they are supporting. Consider them Droaam’s answer to the Westwind Riders—or in the case of a large company of Maenya’s Fist, the equivalent of Breland bringing Argonth into play.
Teraza’s Eye gathers information for the Daughters, and its members serve as sages, inquisitives, and chroniclers. Droaam is a new nation, and the Daughters need to know if their experiment is working. Often, Eyes simply travel and observe, gathering information without interfering; if they uncover dangerous situations, they will call on the Voice or the Fist. However, they can be tasked to investigate intriguing mysteries—typically supernatural threats, as diplomatic or judicial matters will be handled by Katra’s Eyes.
The Znir Pact is another force adventurers on the Western Frontier will come to know. These gnolls are mercenary soldiers. Half of the Pact has been hired by the Daughters to serve as general peacekeepers, supplementing the forces of the local warlord and dealing with troubles that don’t require the full power of Maenya’s Fist. Znir gnolls can also be found serving a local warlord. So Znir patrols can be found on the Border Road or on the old roads, but they will generally ignore adventurers unless there is a threat that needs to be dealt with.
So, new villages are springing up along the Border Road. Graywall is expanding. The lightning rail is heading west. And a squad of Maenya’s war trolls showing up should be legitimately frightening. Droaam is on the rise.