Darguun

Travel through the mountains is difficult; there are few established paths, and the mountain goblins are generally hostile to members of the common races. Travelers on authorized business can obtain a banner of safe passage from tribal leaders, but most tribes don’t recognize the authority of other tribes. A banner from the Lhesh Haruuc, whose stronghold is the capital of Rhukaan Draal, provides some protection, but even it doesn’t guarantee complete safety when traveling through the territory of the highland or Dhakaani clans. Many of the tribes keep slaves drawn from the common races, including humans and gnomes. These slaves are captives taken during the Last War, and the chieftains continue to look for new sources to refi ll their slave pens.

The northern plains of Darguun were once part of Cyre. Here, the goblins and hobgoblins have taken possession of cities and villages once occupied by the common races of Galifar. Many of the structures were devastated during the Last War and have been patched together according to goblin sensibilities. The net effect creates a society that appears ramshackle and shabby. The Lhesh Haruuc commands the lowland tribes, using kobold slaves to farm the land and harvest the food to feed his subjects. Tribal conflicts are still common, but travelers who hold a banner of safe passage from the Lhesh Haruuc are usually protected from aggression.

The southern reaches, including the Torlaac Moor and the Khraal rain forest, are wilder and less settled than the northern portion of the nation. Most of the goblinoid settlements in this region can be found along the Torlaac River, with few outposts deeper in the wilderness.

Industries

Between the mines of the Seawall Mountains and the plains of what was once southern Cyre, Darguun produces enough ore and grain to meet the needs of its population. It engages in relatively little trade with its neighbors, primarily exporting warriors through its deal with House Deneith. The dragonmarked house acts as a broker for the goblinoid mercenaries, selling their services across Khorvaire. The mercenaries, in turn, report back to their leaders in Darguun with news and information on the lands beyond their borders.

Government and Politics

Darguun is a volatile nation. The Ghaal’dar tribe makes up the majority of the population, and most of the clans in this tribe yield to the authority of the Lhesh Haruuc. They follow because they respect Haruuc’s leadership and military power. Should either of those factors change, Darguun could quickly collapse into chaos and anarchy. As it is, Haruuc has little control over the mountain tribes. The Marguul and Dhakaani clans usually ignore royal edicts, and even the Ghaal’dar clans often fight one another despite Haruuc’s orders to work together.

For his part, Haruuc seeks to reshape goblinoid society to match the model of ancient Galifar. Haruuc wants to create a stable realm for his descendants, but he fears that with his death the nation will fall victim to infighting and ambitious clan lords. He has established a great court at Rhukaan Draal, and representatives of all the clans and tribes can be found there. But despite Haruuc’s best efforts, military might remains the only force the goblinoids respect, and he frequently has to use this power to quell disputes and drive through his edicts.

Power Groups

The Ghaal'dar

The first culture to arise from the ashes of the fallen empire was that of the Ghaal’dar. Though the lore and glory of their Dhakaani ancestors remain lost to them, the Ghaal’dar are a stoic folk with a proud warrior culture. Hobgoblins dominate Ghaal’dar society, keeping the goblins in line through force and intimidation even as they manage the bugbears through superior numbers and intellect. The Ghaal’dar enslave other humanoid races, but slaves and lesser goblins can earn the respect of the hobgoblins through courage and skill at arms. It is not unheard of for non-goblins (primarily humans) to be inducted into Ghaal’dar tribes.

The Ghaal’dar are an alliance of tribes. The Lhesh Haruuc belongs to the largest of these, the Rhukaan Taash. The name means “Razor Crown,” and a line of scars encircles the head of each Rhukaan warrior, the result of a ritual marking when a hobgoblin becomes a soldier. The Lhesh Haruuc has greatly improved the lives of his people, but unless he finds a capable successor, the Ghaal’dar chieftains seem certain to turn on one another once he is gone.

The Marguul

The Marguul tribes of southern Darguun are dominated by bugbears. The Marguul keep members of other races (including goblins and hobgoblins) as slaves, and only bugbears can be full members of a Marguul tribe.

Despite their xenophobia, most of the Marguul tribes pay homage to the Lhesh Haruuc and the Ghaal’dar. However, the few exceptions can prove dangerous to travelers. The Kalkor are a Marguul tribe whose members worship the Mockery, and who delight in flaying their enemies alive. A veteran warrior named Morgaath rules the Kalkor, frequently leading hunting expeditions against outsiders who dare to venture into the Seawall Mountains.

The Heirs of Dhakaan

In the wake of the Xoriat incursion, the Dhakaani Empire collapsed into civil war. However, even before the empire first began to fracture, the leaders of a handful of goblin clans predicted the dark future that lay ahead. Rather than fall with the empire, these clans retreated to places of isolation, from the depths of Khyber to the heights of impassable mountains, severing all connections with the outside world. For thousands of years, they remained hidden in these sanctuaries, holding fast to the true traditions of the Dhakaani.

With the collapse of Galifar and the rise of Darguun, the Heirs of Dhakaan have emerged from hiding. The clan leaders intend to rebuild their ancient empire and reclaim a continent stolen by humanity. First, however, they must unite behind a single leader, a process that has proved to be a bitter struggle so far.

Although the Dhakaani goblins are physically identical to their Ghaal’dar cousins, a number of important cultural differences divide them. The Dhakaani are dedicated to war, and beyond that, to strict order and discipline. Though they are few in number compared to the armies of the Five Nations, the Heirs of Dhakaan are superb soldiers and exceptional smiths and combat engineers, producing arms and armor of unparalleled quality.

Among the Ghaal’dar and Marguul, tensions between goblin, hobgoblin, and bugbear run high. Among the Dhakaani, however, each species serves a distinct role in society. Goblins are crafters and skilled laborers. Bugbears are shock troops and drudge workers. Hobgoblins are warriors and leaders, with those roles further divided by gender. Male hobgoblins traditionally serve as soldiers, while female hobgoblins pursue the diplomatic, spiritual, and healing paths.

The Dhakaani are an agnostic folk dedicated only to the ideals of their ancient empire. As such, the divine classes are rare among them. Their spiritual leaders are the duur’kala, or dirge singers. These bards preserve the lore of the empire and inspire soldiers in battle with tales of the past. Aside from bards, members of arcane classes are rare among the Dhakaani, but some clans (notably the Kech Volaar) are working to master the arts of magic.

A few of the most powerful Dhakaani clans are described below. Countless others remain hidden across Khorvaire.

The Kech Shaarat (Bladebearers) are the keepers of a mighty artifact known as the Sword of the True King. Their warlord Ruus Dhakaan believes that he cannot rightfully wield the blade until he has united the Dhakaani clans under his rule. Fueled by his ambition, the Kech Shaarat is the most aggressive of the Dhakaani clans, having already conquered and absorbed three lesser clans. If Ruus Dhakaan can unite the clans beneath his banner, he plans to conquer the Ghaal’dar as the first step toward reestablishing the empire of old. If he succeeds in this dream, the Heirs of Dhakaan would pose a potent threat to all of Khorvaire.

The Kech Volaar (Wordbearers) have gone to great lengths to preserve the lore of the Dhakaani Empire. The leader of the Kech Volaar is Tuura Dhakaan, the most gifted dirge singer the clans have seen in a thousand years. Unlike Ruus, Tuura hopes to unite the Heirs of Dhakaan through inspiration and diplomacy. To this end, she seeks to acquire artifacts of the Dhakaani Empire—ancient symbols by which she might prove her right to rule.

The Khesh’dar (Silent Folk) is a clan of goblin spies. Members follow one of two paths: the scouts of the taarka’khesh (silent wolves) or the assassins of the shaarat’khesh (silent knives). The Khesh’dar sell their services to all the Dhakaani clans, remaining steadfastly neutral in the absence of a clear leader. In addition, they seed spies throughout the Five Nations—agents that blend in with local goblin populations. The Khesh’dar occasionally admit outsiders into their ranks, most often changelings or foreign goblins.

House Deneith

Though the rebellion of its goblin mercenaries in 969 YK was a terrible blow to Deneith, the Lhesh Haruuc managed to repair relations with the house. Goblin mercenaries remain a valuable resource to the house, and Haruuc enjoys the legitimacy an association with Deneith brings to his people. House Deneith occupies a large enclave in Rhukaan Draal, as well as maintaining the Gathering Stone—a fortress that serves as a staging area for goblins interested in selling their services to the house.

House Tharashk

The prospectors of House Tharashk are eager to take advantage of the untapped resources of southern Darguun and the Seawall Mountains, but their racial heritage works against them. Throughout the history of Dhakaan, orcs and goblins were mortal enemies, and the Darguuls still harbor strong prejudices against orcs and their kin. Nonetheless, Tharashk has established an outpost in Rhukaan Draal, and its agents work hard to find allies in Darguun.

History

The goblins of Darguun are the descendants of Dhakaani—a great empire that once covered much of Khorvaire. The war against the daelkyr shattered the Dhakaani Empire some 9,000 years ago and reduced the once-mighty goblins to savagery.

The goblins of Darguun are divided into a number of distinct cultures and tribes. The leader of the nation is a hobgoblin warrior called the Lhesh Haruuc Shaarat’kor—the King of the Crimson Blade. His people, known as the Ghaal’dar, are the dominant force in lowland Darguun. Other powerful groups in Darguun include the Marguul bugbears of the south and the Heirs of Dhakaan, a league of goblin clans spread across Khorvaire. The two largest Dhakaani clans in Darguun are the Kech Volaar and the Kech Shaarat. The Dhakaani are a secretive folk, and they have little interest in the affairs of the Five Nations.

During the Last War, House Deneith began to recruit vast numbers of goblins from the southwestern borderlands of Cyre. Three decades ago, those mercenaries turned on their masters and seized their homelands from Cyre, claiming them as the nation of Darguun. Those Cyrans not driven north were enslaved or killed. In 996 YK, the nation was formally recognized under the Treaty of Thronehold.

Major Settlements

Gorgonhorn (Fortified Village, 650)

Once a prosperous crossroads village called Taran’s Crossing, Gorgonhorn lies in a patch of fertile land close to the western edge of the dead-gray mist of the Mournland. Renamed by the goblins that raised its walls, the fort is Darguun’s first line of defense against whatever monsters might emerge from the Mournland—and the last stop for adventurers bound there. Limited goods are available here, and customers pay a 25 percent premium on supplies.

Rhukaan Draal (Capital City, 28,000)

The seat of the Lhesh Haruuc and his Razor Crown clan, Rhukaan Draal is the largest city in Darguun—a sprawling, ramshackle settlement built on the ruins of a Cyran market town. Wyvernhide tents stand alongside the rough stonework of the Ghaal’dar. The most impressive structure is Haruuc’s palace, designed and built by House Cannith artisans. A ten-story tower of crimson granite, it is known as Khaar Mbar’ost—the Red House.

Rhukaan Draal is a hotbed of commerce and intrigue. Representatives of every hobgoblin clan can be found here, along with war criminals, thieves, deserters, dragon marked excoriates, and merchants dealing in goods prohibited in the Five Nations. It is one of the few places in the nation to find imported goods, and it has the widest selection of shrines in Darguun. The Lhesh Haruuc has taken an interest in the Sovereign Host, but his faith has yet to spread across the nation he rules.

Shae Joridal (Besieged Feyspire, 2,600)

This otherworldly eladrin citadel stands as a vision of rare beauty in a savage land. Gleaming green orbs drift lazily around its high towers, giving it the name of the Spire of Emerald Lights. Its iridescent, whorled walls are reminiscent of a vast seashell, but despite its beauty, Shae Joridal is a settlement in peril.

The long conflicts between goblins and the Valaes Tairn of Valenar (both during the Last War and in ancient times) inspire a hatred of the elves among the Darguuls—a hatred extended, through ignorance, to the eladrin. As a result, Shae Joridal has endured a long siege by local clans and warlords.

A few of the fey of Shae Joridal have fled to other lands, but most are unwilling to leave their ancestral home. Though they are outnumbered by the Darguuls, the inhabitants of Shae Joridal include a number of powerful wizards and warlocks whose power has helped the eladrin hold their own. Though these folk clings to the hope that the feyspire might return to Thelanis once more, their long-term prospects remain grim.

The spire is ruled by Taranel Tanaer, who inspires optimism even in dark times. Tanaer has dispatched envoys to foreign lands seeking allies, but no nation is willing to risk Darguun’s wrath. As the feyspire grows increasingly desperate, it has come to depend on adventurers willing to aid its defense.

Volaar Draal (Dhakaani Citadel, 7,300)

Though few in number compared to the Kech Shaarat, the Kech Volaar include the best masons and combat engineers in Khorvaire. Blunt and functional where it stands carved into the mountainside, this Dhakaani fortress is said to be impregnable—a claim that has been put to the test on numerous occasions.

Foreigners are allowed to enter Volaar Draal only when invited by a trusted member of the Kech Volaar. The subterranean citadel is a grim place, filled with troops undertaking combat drills and the echoing songs of the duur’kala. Volaar Draal is a primary source for Dhakaani arms and armor, and its vaults hold thousands of scrolls and tomes detailing the Age of Monsters, as well as artifacts from the war against the daelkyr.

Wyvernskull (Goblin Port Town, 1,100)

Perched at the mouth of the Torlaac River, this port serves as Darguun’s gateway to the Thunder Sea. The Darguuls shun sea travel, and few legitimate traders take this route. As such, the town is a grim and hungry place. The only significant trade to pass through Wyvernskull is Darguun’s singularly unsavory resource: slaves. Unscrupulous merchants from Stormreach and other settlements not bound by the Code of Galifar come to Wyvernskull seeking slaves, and the trade grows with each passing year.