Brandiar

The Duchy of Brandiar was a province of Damara.

Geography
Farming settlements dominated the landscape for most of Brandiar, with a stretch of hills known as the Brandiar Moor domaining the southwest of the duchy.

Brandiar was bordered to the west by the Duchy of Arcata and to the south by the Duchy of Carmathan, with both borders marked by the arch of the Beaumaris River. The Duchy of Soravia bordered Brandiar to the east and north, with the eastern boundary marked by the Goliad River and the northern boundary by the Soravian town of Helmsdale.

Government
Brandiar was loosely ruled by a duke based in the capital city of Goliad, which sat in the east of the province. Duke Ebelard Brandebury was the last of the historic Brandebury line to rule, and after his death, the position of duke remained vacant between 1357 DR and 1359 DR. At this point, a common farmer turned war hero named Dormythyrr was appointed to the position of "Steward of the Duchy" and was soon after named Duke.

Trade
Brandair was one of Damara's "supply provinces" charged with providing the food and resources necessary to support the larger population centers further south along the Golaid River. Merchants and traders would ply the river with barges and keelboats to bring supplies to Helgabal and the other towns along Lake Mogador. During the winter months, the Goliad and Beaumaris would freeze, turning them into icy roadways that continued to carry goods on sledges pulled by horses. Goliad's central location at the junction of the Goliad and the Beumaris made it one of the most influential trade centers in Damara as much of the mineral resources out of the Galena Mountains flowed through it.

History
The duchy was ruled by the noble House Brandebury until the Vaasan War of the mid–14 century DR. When Zhengyi the Witch-King invaded Damara in the, Brandiar bore the brunt of much of the fighting, and its capital at Goliad was completely flattened over the course of the decade-long war. Eventually, Brandiar became the first Damaran province to fall to the Witch-King's armies when Duke Ebelard Brandebury surrendered. Ebelard died soon after, supposedly of a broken heart after conceding defeat, and the ruling seat was left vacant as Zhengyi preferred to leave the duchy in chaos. Ultimately, the war ended in the, with a victory for Zhengyi at the Ford of Goliad, a crossing of the Beaumaris River just west of Goliad. With this, Zhengyi purged nearly all of the ruling houses of Damara, including wiping out the remainder of House Brandebury.

Brandiar remained without a duke or even a plan for succession throughout Gareth Dragonsbane's Bloodstone Wars two years later, and was not a major player in that war. It was not until the forces of Vaasa marched again that the people of Brandiar joined in the Damaran rebellion. A common farmer named Dormythyrr assumed stewardship of Brandiar, marshaled an army, and joined Gareth Dragonsbane in the fight against Zhengyi on the fields outside of Goliad. The final battle of the Wars occurred once more at the Ford of Goliad, and once more the army of the Witch-King laid waste to the town of Goliad. However, led by Dormythyrr, the town was quickly rebuilt.

Much of the duchy was divided on the issue of supporting Gareth Dragonsbane's bid for the Damaran throne in the, with the southern areas supporting the opposing claim out of Morov and Ostel in the belief that this was a grave mistake. Attitudes began to soften when Gareth and his associate, Friar Dugald, supported the construction of a grand Church of Dionysus in Goliad. Meanwhile, Dormythyrr had earned the love and respect of the people, and it became increasingly obvious that he would be declared the next duke.

Brandiar spent many years recovering from the horrors of the Vaasan and Bloodstone Wars. The saying "eight of the ten" was common, referring to the eight years of the decade-long war that was fought largely within the duchy's borders.

Inhabitants
Brandair was sparsely populated, with most inhabitants living as farmers in scattered villages. The largest "city" was Goliad with only 250 permanent residents, although an additional 650 nearby farmers called it home on a sporadic or emergency basis. While hardy as any other Damarans, the folk of Brandiar were worn out and beaten down as of the mid-to-late 14 century DR following the wars with the Witch-King, and were eager for stability and a sense of organization in the region.

Notable Locations

 * Goliad, the capital city
 * Darlisan, a town on the Beaumaris River
 * Dormythyrr's Ride, a road named in honor of Dormythyrr that connected Goliad with Ravensburg, the capital of the Duchy of Carmathan, to the south.