Dawindar was founded by Dawin some 1,700 years ago after a long and bloody war between men and elves. The religious zealots and human levies put down sword and mace and picked up pen and plow. The righteous founded many churches to Xeoz throughout the countryside and around these religious buildings small towns and villages grew.
The country was long ruled by a hereditary monarchy claiming decent from Dawin himself. The family was closely interwoven with the church of Xeoz. The oldest male heir would ascend the throne as king, while the next oldest heir (regardless of gender) was groomed to succeed the Herald of Xeoz, the highest office in the church west of Waymeet. The Council of Stewards assisted the king in ruling, with each steward appointed by one of the dukes.
After the Upheaval, King Davrin III and his immediate family disappeared. The Council of Stewards could not agree on a successor from the dukes. Overtime the Council of Stewards was subsumed by the Dukes themselves, with each duke splitting their time between their rural estate and their town house in Dawin's Landing. Within a few generations, folk seemed not to miss the monarchy and the Council of Dukes seemed sufficient.
The capital of Dawindar, Dawin's Landing, was established a top a mighty bluff over looking Bararis Bay. A top the bluff sits Cathedral of Clarifying Light, the most holy of places for the church of Xeoz. Flanking the cathedral to either side are vast city homes for the noble families of Dawindar, as well as the a royal palace. The wealthy and well to do make their homes high on the bluff, while the less prosperous make their homes on narrow switch backs that lead down to the docks below the bluff, where goods are shipped out of Dawindar to Tulan, Southern Radnerhoff, and the Sunset Isles.
Beyond the capital, the countryside is broken by three main roads.
The Norten Road in centuries past lead to the great gates of Ken'Taran, a dwarven trading town in the foot hills of Kaldar. The four estates along the Norten Road mill lumber in a permaculture lumber farms in the foothills of the Icewall Mountains. The ground is difficult to farm, but having been settled for many generations, a few farmers through grit and determination have cleared their fields and bring in harvests of heartier grains and root vegetables. Most commonly, folk raise sheep for wool and meat - both to use themselves and sell further south.
The Century Road, named for the time required to complete it, is paved by a continuous stretch of stone. The road curves unerringly straight along the path the sun takes in the sky on the equinoxes. Five vast holdings of high-yield agricultural communities span the countryside. Each holding's town center and lordly estates are on the Century Road somewhat evenly spaced. Each holding produces wheat as well as other specialty agricultural products. The pride of each holding is their beer and spirits, and it is said that for every cart baring a Kaldar-wrought plow, four carts bearing the local lord's spirits returned to the mountain in its place. If one continues following the Century Road, they eventually end up in Waymeet.
The Souten Road leads to a variety of smaller lordly estates. With Kaldar's absence in the regional economy, enterprising young lordlings began mining operations in the hills. Though no seams of precious metals were unearthed, a number of iron, copper, and tin mines were successful enough. Not content with just raw extraction, most towns now boast small manufacturies producing ingots and finished goods for trade. The Souten Road is oft refered to as a the Sooty Road by the more established lordly houses, but the smaller families of southern Dawindar take pride in their accomplishments over the last few centuries.