Despite their numbers and antiquity, they have never been major players on the world stage of Zyem. The Udank migration of two millenia ago left them relatively untouched: the Udank westward thrust had played itself out by and large by the time they reached the mountains of Central Europe; the Ranamemi passed by on the South. Only the Kadanë actually entered Dunnek lands, and they eventually passed on through again. The Dunnek were content to hold on to what they had.
Dunnek society is primarily agricultural. Animal husbandry is extensive in the mountainous regions. They are divided into many small nation-states, but consider themselves ethnically one people. Industry is lightly developed. Their deposits of natural resources are usually exploited by Ranamemi or Udank firms contracted to do so. Most industry and manufacturing is done in support of their agricultural base.
The Dunnek are a religious people, who practice the monotheistic worship of their deity, the Good God, The Good God revealed Itself to them at the dawn of history in the Golden Tablets. They gave this worship to the Kadanë during their sojourn among them, although the Kadanë did not abandon their polytheism in the process.
The Dunnek language is a complex one. Words are formed through a process of vowel mutation similar to Arabic. Verbs are inflected through the use of auxiliary preverbs. While the vowel system is simple, several of the consonent sounds of Dunnek are difficult for other speakers. They use an alphabetic script derived from the syllabic Ranamemi writing system.
© 1997, Terrence Donnelly