Anthropology of Kerse, Druma.


Lost Omens Campaign Setting General Discussion

Grand Lodge

Running a campaign and it starts in Kerse. I'm just trying to get a real good feel for the setting of that city, so I'm looking to start a discussion about it and get some good ideas for nice descriptions and temperaments of the people there. So, what do you think?


Wall St?

Grand Lodge

Thats a good start, actually. An arabian sort of wall street? Russian/Arabian type citizens

Liberty's Edge

So, as far as I can tell, Druma was settled by Taldan pioneers, albiet not as a part of the empire. They may have been seeking the freedom to pursue their odd philosophy, which originated with an eccentric mystic in the early days of the Age of Enthronement.

Prior to the arrival of Taldan settlers, the area was apparently claimed by the dwarven rulers of the Five Kings Mountains, and for a long time the Drumans were subject to Dwarven rule. When the prophets of Kalistrade managed to negotiate a peace during a devastating war between the five kings (the Kerse Accords), they were granted sovereignty as a reward. Druma has been independent ever since, thanks to their feared army of mercenaries.

So, based on that history, a few things stand out:

1. Druman society has probably been greatly influenced by the dwarves living in and around the Kalistocracy, and vice versa. Dwarves and humans live side-by-side and likely have a shared culture, neither entirely Taldan nor entirely dwarven, but a unique fusion of the two.

2. The Prophecies of Kalistrade dominate the nation. Most of the citizens (or at least the urban elite) organize their lives according to the prophecies. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to an obsession with bodily purity; the Drumans dress almost exclusively in white, and cover as much of their body as possible in order to avoid becoming befouled. They also observe strict dietary and sexual rules, though the details are sketchy.

3. Money is everything. Because the nation's wealth is based on trade and their philosophy emphasizes *becoming* wealthy through spiritual purification, there's no stigma attached to coming from "new money." It's pretty much a free-market utopia/dystopia fueled mostly by the export of precious metals and stones and high-quality crafts.

4. It's the mercenary capital of the Lake Encarthan region, if not the entire world. In Kerse, or at least in parts of the city, it might be hard to *find* a native Druman among all the sell-swords and other fortune-seekers. Characters in Kerse, particularly adventurers, could therefore be from almost anywhere: Cheliax, Andoran, Ustalav, Varisia; even far-away places like Kelesh or Tian Xia.

Hope some of that helps! It's mostly based on cannon, though some of those points are extrapolations, since there hasn't been much written on the nation, as far as I can tell.


I'm not sure if the Kalistrade already existed amongst the Taldan settlers before they came to the area, of if it developed after they were settled there (living under the sovereignty of the Dwarven Kings). The Taldans were originally a mix of Kelesh and Azlanti. Previous human inhabitants of the area are unclear, some sort of Kellid presence is highly likely... it's unclear if any other distinct ethnicities once existed in the area. Being an area affected by Orcish wars, some Half-Orc population is likely to have existed at some point.

Liberty's Edge

Quandary wrote:
I'm not sure if the Kalistrade already existed amongst the Taldan settlers before they came to the area, of if it developed after they were settled there (living under the sovereignty of the Dwarven Kings). The Taldans were originally a mix of Kelesh and Azlanti. Previous human inhabitants of the area are unclear, some sort of Kellid presence is highly likely... it's unclear if any other distinct ethnicities once existed in the area. Being an area affected by Orcish wars, some Half-Orc population is likely to have existed at some point.

That actually reminds me; Druma is known for being unusually accepting of races that are shunned elsewhere. The prophecies teach that a person should be judged according to their worldly success, and some Tieflings, Half-Orcs, and the like, have become respected citizens by virtue of their financial acumen.

Grand Lodge

Thank you Gnoll Bard, that is quite useful in fact

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