Darguun

Capital: Rhukaan Draal
Known for mercenaries services.
In ages past, hobgoblins and other goblinoids controlled Khorvaire. Over the course of thousands of years a host of goblinoid nations rose and fell. The greatest civilization of this age, the hobgoblin Empire of Dhakaan, bred goblins and bugbears as slaves and warriors. The ancient empire has returned, in a weaker, less influential form, in the new nation of Darguun.
Darguun, carved from what was once the southwesternmost borderlands of Cyre, contains a variety of environs. Nestled to the east of the Seawall Mountains, Darguun has fertile plains to the north, a dense tropical forest to the east, and a vast moor to the south. The mighty Ghaal River empties into the Kraken Bay and literally divides the nation in half, separating the battlefields of the Last War from the unexplored reaches of the southern shore. For thousands of years the goblinoids lurked in the shadows, hiding deep within the Seawall Mountains and venturing out only to engage in an occasional raid on Brelish or Cyran settlements. It was human greed that finally brought them back into the light. Lord Cail of House Deneith led an expedition into the Seawall Mountains one hundred twenty years ago (878 YK) to seek goblinoid recruits for his mercenary armies. He discovered more than a dozen tribes and clans scattered throughout the mountains. With clever words and a lot of gold, Cail won the trust of a few of the chieftains.
A host of hobgoblin warriors and their goblin slaves returned to Breland with Cail. These savage hobgoblins were seen as a novelty; it became prestigious for wealthy aristocrats to employ hobgoblin guards. Then the Last War began.
Both Breland and Cyre soon turned to House Deneith to supplement their armies, and Deneith in turn brought ever-increasing numbers of goblinoids out of the mountains. Deneith’s profits soared, but ultimately this reliance on goblinoid soldiers had disastrous results. After seventy years of war, tens of thousands of well-armed goblins and hobgoblins were spread across the Cyre-Breland border.
With the rise to prominence of the ambitious young hobgoblin Haruuc, all the conditions for the creation of the nation of Darguun were in place. A cunning tactician and charismatic leader, Haruuc realized that the human and near-human forces in the region were no match for the combined power of the goblinoids.
He arranged secret meetings with other chieftains, and through promises, threats, and appeals to racial loyalty he won most of the tribes to his cause. In 969 YK, the hobgoblins turned on the people they were supposed to be defending. Hundreds of humans were slain, while others fled into neighboring lands or were captured as slaves. Haruuc laid claim to the area, naming it Darguun and claiming the title of the Lhesh Haruuc Shaarat’kor — the High Warlord Haruuc of the Scarlet Blade — for himself.
Breland and Cyre were completely unprepared for this treachery, and neither nation could spare enough forces to reclaim the land. The King of Breland quickly made a deal with Haruuc, offering recognition in exchange for continued protection along the eastern front, but warfare between the goblinoids and Cyre continued right up until the Day of Mourning.
Eager to put an end to the war, Karrnath, Aundair, and Breland formally acknowledged the sovereignty of Darguun with the Treaty of Thronehold. With clearly delineated borders defining the new nation, Lhesh Haruuc swore to restrain his followers from future violence against the three nations. Thrane, however, has demonstrated disfavor with the Darguun accords, and the Knights Templar of the Silver Flame may yet seek to avenge those killed in the original uprising.
In general, most nations see the presence of Darguun as a necessary evil. Far more goblinoids were hidden away than most people thought possible, and since the rise of the nation many tribes have migrated from other parts of Khorvaire to claim a place in the new hobgoblin domain. Weakened by the Last War, the Five Nations have neither the energy nor inclination to battle the goblins. For their part, the goblinoids have abided by the terms of the treaty. House Deneith has reestablished relations with Haruuc and with a few of the tribes now residing within the nation and swearing fealty to Haruuc. Three questions remain:

• Will Haruuc be content developing the territory afforded him by the agreements of Thronehold?
• Can he actually keep the many goblinoid tribes that have flocked to his banner under control?
• Will he seek to reclaim the glory of ancient Dhakaan?

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.

Life and Society

Darguun consists of three regions: the Seawall Mountains, the northern plains, and the southern wilderness. Most of the nation’s population lives in the mountains and along the two major rivers, the Ghaal and the Torlaac. The nation is home to three major goblinoid tribes and the various clans associated with them. These tribes are the Ghaal’dar clans of the lowlands, the Dhakaani clans who rule the mountain depths, and the highland clans of the Marguul.
In the Seawall Mountains, goblinoid tribes and clans continue to live as they have for the last few centuries. They spend most of their time fighting each other, following the law of the strong survive. A powerful tribe made up of the Dhakaani clans hiding deep within the mountains claims to be the direct descendants of the rulers of the old empire, and it plots a return to goblinoid glory.
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 refill 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.

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.

Religion

Traditionally, the goblinoids worship either the Shadow or the Mockery. Over the last century they have been introduced to the other gods of the Sovereign Host. The Lhesh Haruuc follows the teachings of Dol Dorn and has done much to spread the worship of the Sovereign Host among the lowland tribes. Temples dedicated to Dol Dorn, Dol Arran, and Balinor can be found in the city of Rhukaan Draal.

Population: 800,000 (39% goblins, 29% hobgoblins, 13% bugbears, 6% kobolds, 6% humans, 4% gnomes, 3% other)
Languages: Goblin, Common, Draconic
Sovereign: Lhesh Haruuc Shaarat’kor
Capital: Rhukaan Draal
Major Cities: Volaar Draal, Wyvernskull
Climate: Tropical
Heraldry: None
Founder: Lhesh Haruuc Shaarat’kor
National Motto: None

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Interesting Things About Darguun

• House Deneith has a strong presence in Darguun. No one will employ goblin armies in the wake of Haruuc’s betrayal, but security forces value smaller units of goblinoid mercenaries for their ferocity and skills.
• Darguun is a frontier nation. Although recognized by the Treaty of Thronehold, it doesn’t abide by the common laws of the treaty nations. Law enforcement is unpredictable, and acts considered criminal in other nations are part of life in Darguun.
• A number of bugbear-dominated clans known as the Marguul inhabit southern Darguun. Some of the Marguul refuse to acknowledge the authority of the Ghaal’dar hobgoblins; these clans are especially dangerous and violent.
• Lhesh Haruuc united the Ghaal’dar clans and seized control of Darguun nearly three decades ago. If you are a non-goblin from this land, you may have been born in captivity. Were you forced into bondage, or did you adopt Darguul customs and earn a place in their society?

The Two Meanings of Ghaal’dar

Ghaal’dar is the Goblin word for “mighty people.” It has always been the Dhakaani term for the hobgoblins, just as the goblins are golin’dar (“quick people”) and the bugbears are guul’dar (“strong people”). When used in lowercase —ghaal’dar — it refers to a hobgoblin of the Kech Dhakaan. However, when capitalized — Ghaal’dar — it’s the name of the federation of hobgoblin-dominated tribes that dominate modern Darguun. The Ghaal’dar tribes are not Dhakaani (of the old empire they mimic some of their customs and are proud of their imperial history, but they were twisted by the Kapaa’vola (Daelkyr curse of Corruption) and differ from the dar in many important ways.
Likewise, dar means “people.” While common in the Goblin language, it’s generally used to refer to the Dhakaani goblinoids who were unaffected by the Kapaa’vola. Today, the Ghaal’dar and other Darguuls have largely adopted the human words for their kind — goblin, hobgoblin, and bugbear. Dar — the golin’dar, ghaal’dar, and guul’dar — are the original goblinoids who resisted daelkyr corruption.