Page 205 - Eberron -Rising from the Last War_Neat

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GATEK E E P E R C A M P A I G N TH M E S G O B L I N O I D S
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The Gatekeepers are the remnants f n ancient order. (HE I R S O F D H A K AAN)
Once they saved the world. Now they are all but forgot­
ten, and the world needs saving again. The surviving War drums are sounding in the depths beneath Dar­
Gatekeepers might not have the strength to win the fight guun. Bugbear champions hone their adamantine
alone, and that's where adventurers come in. Gatekeep­ greatswords, and hobgoblin dirge singers call the le­
ers can serve as patrons or advisors, providing crucial gions to battle. The warriors of Dhakaan are preparing
information or setting the adventurers on the proper to reclaim their stolen lands, and the nations of Khor­
path. They can also come to the rescue of adventurers vaire have no idea what's coming.
who are close to being overwhelmed by mind flayers or During the struggle with the daelkyr, some Dhakaani
dolgaunts. leaders saw the madness spreading among their people
At certain points in a campaign, the Gatekeepers and knew it would destroy their civilization. They led
might seem to be villains. The druids' mission to protect their forces into deep subterranean chambers and sev­
their seals and to oppose the rise of aberrations is of ered all contact with the outside world. In recent years
the utmost importance. Anyone who threatens a seal these ancient clans-who call themselves the Kech
or assists the machinations of the daelkyr, no matter Dhakaan ("bearers of [the traditions of] Dhakaan")­
how unwittingly, risks making relentless enemies in the have finally returned to the surface.
Gatekeepers. A simple shift in circumstances, such as The Dhakaani are utterly devoted to war, matched
the death of a noble that causes ownership of a trackless only by the Valenar elves in their devotion to the martial
parcel of land to change hands, could bring the charac­ arts. Their weaponsmiths and armorers know tech­
ters into sudden conflict with the Gatekeepers. niques that even the artificers of House Cannith cannot
duplicate. Throughout the Last War, no nation faced any
T
GA E K E E P E R ADVENTURE HOOKS other force that had the skill and resources of the resur­
gent Dhakaani.
Gatekeepers can be at the center of any number of po­
tential stories. The Gatekeeper Adventure Hooks table But there is one obstacle to their rise: the Heirs of
offers some options. Dhakaan have no emperor. The goblinoids are divided
into clans, and each clan, or kech, believes its leader has
the right to control all the others. And so the champions
T
V
GA E K E E P E R AD E N T U R E H O O K S
of Dhakaan continuously compete with each other to
d 8 Adventure Hook prove their right to rule. The Kech Sharaat (Bladebear­
While pursuing rumors of lycanthrope activity, the ers) believe that leadership is best achieved through
characters i scover a good-aligned werebear that is force of arms. The Kech Volaar (Wordbearers) believe
d
working with the Gatekeepers to stop an incursion that knowledge is the greater weapon, and they seek to
from Khyber. recover artifacts and weapons that were lost when the
2 A Gatekeeper seal in the form of a stone tablet falls empire fell. These and several less influential clans are
into the characters' hands. They must return the seal competing for overall leadership, while the spies and as­
sassins of the Khesh'dar (Silent Folk) remain neutral in
to the Gatekeepers before its magic fades. the struggle, gathering information on the modern world
3 A logging operation is moving close to the area pro­ and serving every clan.
tected by a seal, and the party must convince the At the moment, the Heirs of Dhakaan are maintaining
loggers to relocate before their work touches off a a low profile. They fight most of their battles under­
conflict with the Gatekeepers. ground, and occasionally dispatch small squads to carry
4 Working with an agent of the Chamber, the Gatekeep­ out missions on the surface. Humans usually don't know
ers are convinced the actions of the characters will enough about goblins to tell the difference between the
bring a daelkyr one step closer to freedom. Dhakaani and the people of Darguun. The truth of the
matter is gradually spreading within Darguun, but no
5 The characters discover evidence suggesting that the
one yet realizes the power of the force that lies beneath
rituals performed by the local Gatekeepers are weak­
their nation.
ening their seal, not empowering it.
6 Pilgrims traveling through a forest draw the attention THE H E I R S N D T H E W A R
A
of Gatekeepers, who think they are spies sent to sabo­ The Last War caused the Heirs of Dhakaan to finally
tage the nearby seal. stir and emerge from their deep vaults. They recognize
7 One of the kidnapped victims who was rescued from that humanity has been weakened by its self-inflicted
a marauding band of aberrations turns out to be a wounds. The rise of Darguun and the proliferation
Gatekeeper initiate. of that nation's Ghaal'dar mercenaries enables the
8 The adventurers are sent to the M r or Holds to investi­ Dhakaani to move around Khorvaire without drawing
gate the activity of Dyrrn the Corruptor and uncover a undue attention. And the Mourning, ultimately, demon­
daelkyr cult among the dwarves. strated that the races of the Five Nations could not
be trusted with ruling Khorvaire. It was time for the
Dhakaani to return and subjugate the other races to
their firm hand once again.

C H APTER 4 I BUILDING EBERRON ADVENTURES
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