Damara Damara was a sparsely populated kingdom in the Cold Lands of Northeast Faerûn . In 1357 DR it was ruled by King Virdin . Later ruled by King Gareth Dragonsbane as of 1371 DR , and , with Vaasa , formed the Bloodstone Lands . In 1479 DR , it was under rule by King Yarin Frostmantle . Major geographical features . Forests . The Earthwood forest was a small forest known for its resilience , with trees growing back extremely quickly . Mountains . The Galena Mountains were a jagged range of icy mountains that were largely inhabited by goblinoid s and giant s , but were also home to dwarves who mined the bloodstone , iron and silver deposits . Bloodstone Pass was the only pass through the Galena Mountains that was large enough for significant trade , linking Damara with neighboring Vaasa to the west . Climate . The people of Damara were generally hardy , and the winters were harsh . During the summer , the farming season was short . Politics . From its earliest days , Damara was divided into counties ruled by noble houses but united under the throne of Damara . These provinces were baronies , or city states , with craftsmen and trade centers , and duchies , or supply provinces , with farming and mining communities . These counties were : History . Early History . Damara ' s capital , Heliogabalus , was founded by Feldrin Bloodfeathers , the first King of Damara , in 1075 DR . It had a long line of monarchs until the death of King Virdin in 1357 DR by Zhengyi . During this time , Damara thrived on foreign trade , particularly through caravans to Ilmwatch in Impiltur and to the settlements on the Moonsea , through the gap between Rawlinswood and the Earthspur Mountains known as Merchants Run . Shipments of bloodstone were made throughout Traders Bay , and in Sarshel . Trade was also made through the Bloodstone Pass in the Galena Mountains , through the sparsely populated Vaasa , and through Garumn ' s Climb and beyond . The Witch - King . In just one night in 1347 DR , Castle Perilous was created on a crag in northern Vaasa by the lich Zhengyi , and he claimed power in Vaasa , garnering the support of the goblin s , giant s and orc s , as well as creatures from other planes and the undead , and the Grandfather of Assassins . In the same year , Wolf Winter struck Damara , in which the harvest was destroyed by early frosts , leading to widespread starvation , and dire wolves , some lycanthrope s , spread into northern Damara . This coincided with an evil creature infesting the Bloodstone Mines , halting the mining operation that was responsible for almost half of Damara ' s bloodstone revenue and killing hundreds of miners . In 1348 DR , the armies of the Witch - King Zhengyi occupied Bloodstone Pass and swept into Damara , massacring many Damarans and plunging the nation , along with Vaasa , into a decade of war . Narfell and Impiltur offered no help with the conflict on the grounds that they had their own problems to deal with . A stalemate was reached in 1357 DR when King Virdin ' s Damaran army was involved in a standoff with Zhengyi ' s forces across the Ford of Goliad on the river of the same name . The stalemate lasted throughout the month of Kythorn ( the source material gives " June " as the month but this is not on the Faerûnian calendar ) until Virdin used a magic wand , believed to have been given to him by his chief lieutenant Felix , which he believed would allow his army to safely cross the river . It was a deception and Zhengyi ' s army had been waiting for this moment . They struck while much of Virdin ' s army was in the river , laying the decisive blow . Virdin , who was watching from a nearby hill , was assassinated by a dagger used by an unknown assassin , believed to have been Felix . Due to their failure in the Battle of Goliad , Damara came under the power of the Kingdom of Vaasa . The northern provinces of Damara were deserted and the refugees fled to the south of the kingdom . During this time , the Kingdom of Damara was non - existent , as it became a land for a few dukes and barons independent from each other . These independent leaders were forced to pay tribute to Vaasa and acknowledge the power of their northern neighbor . Damara restored . Gareth Dragonsbane and a group of intrepid adventurers eventually managed to break the Witch - King ' s rule after a number of adventures , culminating in the defeat of Zhengyi himself in 1359 DR . In this same year , Gareth Dragonsbane was crowned King of Damara . In the years since King Gareth Dragonsbane ’ s rule in the late 1300s , the fortunes of Damara waned . As of 1479 DR , Damara is ruled by King Yarin Frostmantle , considered by many to be a petty , incompetent , and oppressive tyrant .