The Heirs of Dhakaan are devoted to war, with an
unmatched focus on sheer martial skill. Their weap
onry and artillery are of the highest quality, and they
place their trust in strength of arms, not on magic. The
Dhakaani don't worship gods, and no clerics or paladins
are among them. The Kech Volaar have picked up some
of the elven traditions of wizardry, and all clans have
bards known as duur'kala (dirge singers), but in general
the Dhakaani don't rely on magic on the battlefield.DHAKAANI FORT
All across Darguun, the Heirs of Dhakaan are reclaim
ing surviving remnants of their fallen empire, and they
even cautiously range out into surrounding nations. You
can use Map 4.3: Ruined Dhakaani Fort as the basis for
a fort that has been reclaimed by the Heirs, which would
be in better repair and guarded by competent troops.DHAKAANI FORT ADVENTURES
The Dhakaani Fort Adventures table describes some
tasks that could bring characters to such a place.DHAKAANI FORT ADVENTURES
dlO Adventure Goal
Steal an ancient magic weapon from the fort's
commander.
2 Bring a treaty proposal to the fort, in hopes of having
it conveyed to the leader of the occupying kech.
3 Gather intelligence about the force occupying the fort
in preparation for a raid.
4 Rescue prospectors who were taken prisoner and
held in the fort's dungeons.
5 Steal the fort commander's notes on troop move
ments in the surrounding areas.
6 Lead a strike force against the fort to drive out or de
stroy the occupying Dhakaani.(^7) Rush to support a small squad besieging the fort
before Dhakaani reinforcements arrive and break the
siege.
8 Assassinate or kidnap the advisor to the fort's
commander.
9 Work with the occupying commander to discover the
spy from another kech in their ranks.
10 Break a siege by Darguun goblinoids that has trapped
the characters' Dhakaani allies within the fort.
GoBLINOID NPCs
Characters who approach the Heirs of Dhakaan expect
ing a ragtag band of goblinoids are in for a rude awaken
ing. The Heirs of Dhakaan are well equipped and fight
with precision and efficiency, coordinating their efforts
to eliminate spellcasters and other obvious threats.
Dhakaani squads are utterly devoted to their kech
leaders and their empire. All are bound by the principles
of muut and atcha (honor and duty), but they believe
that humans and their kin don't deserve to be treated
with honor. All the goblinoid races work together among
the Dhakaani, and all are convinced of the superiority
of their culture. When forced to fight other Dhakaani,
they will usually spare the lives of their opponents, but
against all other adversaries-including other gobli
noids-they are ruthless.
GOBLINOID NPCs
d8 NPC
A hobgoblin bard of the Kech Volaar leads an elite
team of dungeon delvers to recover Dhakaani arti
facts from ancient ruins.
2 A remarkably intelligent goblin studying at Arcanix
or Morgrave is actually a Khesh'dar spy identifying
tomes of arcane knowledge worth stealing.
(^3) A Dhakaani strike force assaults a museum or a
noble's private holdings, reclaiming goblin artifacts
"pillaged" from ruins. These relics could be part of
an eldritch machine, or could simply have important
ceremonial value.
(^4) A goblin spy stirs up trouble among the city goblins in
a major city, using tales of their former glory to incite
them to violence.
5 A string of mysterious bombings are actually the work
of Dhakaani sappers testing the strength of modern
fortifications.
6 A Dhakaani strike force attacks a Deneith outpost
built atop a goblin ruin. Are the goblins just angry
about the desecration, or is something hidden be
neath the outpost?
7 A bugbear of the Kech Sharaat, to test the mettle of
the adventurers, engages them in a series of guerrilla
attacks as they are traveling through the wilderness.
8 A hobgoblin warlock seeks to harness the power of
the daelkyr or the fiendish overlords to win the impe
rial crown for her kech.
GOBLINOID CAMPAIGN THEMES
The Heirs of Dhakaan are a substantial military
threat. The goblins can clash with adventurers while
they are exploring ancient ruins, or they can launch
strikes against outposts or vaults the adventurers are
guarding. Whatever the Dhakaani do, it should be part
of a mission objective. Is the goal to strengthen their
kech? Gather information about the enemy? Recover
Dhakaani relics?
Initially the Dhakaani should be mysterious: remark
ably skilled goblins that fight to the death or disappear
into the shadows. The characters might logically as
sume that they are Darguul mercenaries. Over time, the
adventurers should learn more about them and realize
that they are the advance force of a great army.
The Heirs of Dhakaan can remain an enigmatic
foe, encountered only when they attack. But a group
of adventurers could come to earn the respect of their
Dhakaani foes and learn more about the enemy. Per
haps a group of adventurers chooses to respect the
Dhakaani's claim to an artifact, surrendering it willingly.
If they do so, they could find out more about the goblins
and the struggle for leadership among the clans. Of all
the goblins, the Kech Volaar are the most interested in
CHAPTER 4 I BUILDING EBERRON ADVENTURES
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