The Doom of Kings: Legacy of Dhakaan - Book 1 (56 page)

JEAN RABE

THE STONETELLERS

“Jean Rabe is adept at weaving a web of deceit and lies, mixed with adventure, magic, and mystery.”

—sffworld.com on
Betrayal

Jean Rabe returns to the D
RAGONLANCE
^®
world with a tale of slavery, rebellion, and the struggle for freedom.

V
OLUME
O
NE
T
HE
R
EBELLION
After decades of service, nature has dealt the goblins a stroke of luck. Earthquakes strike the Dark Knights’ camp and mines, crippling the Knights and giving the goblins their best chance to escape. But their freedom will not be easy to win.

V
OLUME
T
WO
D
EATH
M
ARCH
The reluctant general, Direfang, leads the goblin nation on a death march to the forests of Qualinesti, there to create a homeland in defiance of the forces that seek to destroy them.

August 2008

V
OLUME
T
HREE
G
OBLIN
N
ATION
A goblin nation rises in the old forest, building fortresses and fighting to hold onto their new homeland, while the sorcerers among them search for powerful magic cradled far beneath the trees.

August 2009

D RAGONLANCE , W IZARDS OF THE C OAST , and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the U.S.A. and other countries. ©2008 Wizards.

They were built to display might.
They were built to hold secrets.
They will still stand while their builders fall.

THE CITADELS

N
EVERSFALL
ED GENTRY

It was supposed to be Estagund’s stronghold in monster-ridden Veldorn, an unassailable citadel to protect the southern lands … until the regiment holding Neversfall disappeared, leaving no hint of what took them.

O
BSIDIAN
R
IDGE
JESS LEBOW
Looming like a storm cloud, the Obsidian Ridge appears silently and without warning over the kingdom of Erlkazar, prepared to destroy everything in its reach, unless its master gets what he wants.

T
HE
S
HIELD OF
W
EEPING
G
HOSTS
JAMES P. DAVIS
Frozen Shandaular fell to invaders over two thousand years ago, its ruins protected by the ghosts and undead that haunt the ancient citadel. But to anyone who can evade the weeping dead, the northwest tower holds a deadly secret.

S
ENTINELSPIRE
MARK SEHESTEDT
The ancient fortress of Sentinelspire draws strength from the portals that feed its fires and pools, as well as the assassins that call it home. Both promise great power to those dangerous enough to seize them.

Stand-alone novels that can be read in any order!

F ORGOTTEN R EALMS , W IZARDS OF THE C OAST , and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the U.S.A. and other countries. ©2008 Wizards.

Aram:
see
Wrath

Aruget:
A hobgoblin warrior in the service of Haruuc, assigned first to accompany Tariic’s mission to Karrlakton, then to guard Vounn and Ashi in Rhukaan Draal.

atcha:
The goblin concept of personal honor, something which is earned and carefully protected. Compare with
muut
.

ban:
Goblin expression of non-commital agreement, roughly equivalent to “yeah, alright” or “your funeral.”

Battle Called Life, The:
A famous treatise written in approximately 625 YK by Karrnathi philosopher Falko Gergus. Gergus drew wisdom from everyday life to create a work still regarded as a key text of military philosophy.

Blood of Six Kings:
An oath of sincerity among goblins.

Bloody Market, the:
The largest market in Rhukaan Draal, the Bloody Market
(Khaari Batuuvk
in Goblin) is a chaotic mass of tents and stalls in a milling sea of bodies. Because the laws of Rhukaan Draal and Darguun are lax, nearly anything can be found for sale in the market, including slaves.

Breland:
One of the original Five Nations of Galifar. Breland is a tolerant country with a keen interest in trade and commerce.

byeshk:
A rare metal, hard and dense with a purple sheen.

Cazhaak Draal:
An ancient Dhakaani city. Its ruins are located in the country of Droaam and are now known as the Stonelands.

chaat’oor:
Goblin term for any species not native to Khorvaire, especially humans, but with the exception of elves. It is often loosely translated as “defiler.”

Chetiin:
A goblin and an elder of the
shaarat’khesh
. Chetiin carries two daggers sheathed on his forearms, one of which (the dagger named Witness carried on his right arm) is a dangerous “Keeper’s Fang” weapon capable of capturing the soul of a slain enemy.

chib:
Goblin for “boss” or “big man.” Used colloquially by goblins outside of Darguun to refer to any taller humanoid, including hobgoblins, humans, and dwarves.

Chit guulen pamuut ran:
A goblin expression. “There is strength in honoring a sacrifice.”

cho:
Goblin expression of informal agreement with or acknowledgement of a statement made, roughy equivalent to “yes” or “okay.”

daashor:
A goblin artificer, especially one from the time of the Empire of Dhakaan. The secret knowledge of the
daashor
has largely vanished, but at one time, they were capable of creating wonders. Most
daashor
were male.

Daavn:
The hobgoblin warlord of the Marhaan clan.

Dagii:
A hobgoblin warrior in service to Haruuc, but also the warlord of the small but highly honored Mur Talaan clan.

dar:
Goblin for “the people. It is the ancient collective term for the hobgoblin, goblin, and bugbear races.

Darguul:
A goblin inhabitant of Darguun. Non-goblins living in Darguun are not generally recognized as citizens.

Darguun:
The nation of goblins, founded in 969 YK by the hobgoblin warlord Haruuc of the Rhukaan Taash clan in a swift campaign that seized territory held at the time by the human nations of Cyre and Breland. Darguun was officially recognized as a sovereign nation in the Treaty of Thronehold in 996 YK. Translated, it means “Land of the People.”

Dark Six, the:
Deities representing the violent and threatening aspects of the world, typically shunned in more civilized nations, but widely worshipped in Darguun. Once numbered among the Lords of the Sovereign Host, myth holds that they were cast out for their evil ways. The Six are: The Devourer (god of the ocean and destruction), The Fury (god of violence and madness), The Keeper (god of death and decay), The Mockery (god of treachery and murder), The Shadow (god of dark magic), and The Traveller (god of deception and change).

Davandi, Midian Mit:
A gnome, a field researcher of the Library of Korranberg with a specialty in the history of the Empire of Dhakaan.

d’Deneith, Ashi:
A former hunter of the Bonetree Clan of the Shadow Marches, Ashi turned her back on the clan after discovering her descent from House Deneith. She wields a ceremonial honor blade granted to her ancestor by House Deneith. She bears the Siberys Mark of Sentinel, a powerful dragonmark that patterns her entire body.

d’Deneith, Vounn:
A dragonmarked heir of House Deneith, Vounn is a skilled diplomat with a distinguished career serving as the liaison between Deneith and its most important clients. She
holds the title of Lady Seneschal, indicating her special responsibilities within the House.

Deneith, House:
A dragonmarked house bearing the Mark of Sentinel. House Deneith operates services offering various forms of protection, including the mercenary companies of the Blademarks and the law enforcement services of the Sentinel Marshals.

Desperate Times, The:
The dark ages of chaos after the fall of the Empire of Dhakaan. Particularly conservative members of the Dhakaani Clans might argue that the Desperate Times extend into the present, but most goblin historians agree that the Desperate Times ended with the domination of Khorvaire by humans, somewhere between 3,000 years (when the human Karrn the Conqueror established Karrnath) and 2,000 years (when Galifar I united the Five Nations in a single kingdom) before the present.

Dhakaan:
An epithet claimed or given by popular acclaim among the Dhakaani clans to indicate allegiance with the ancient Empire of Dhakaan.

Dhakaani Clans:
Clans of goblins, primarily hobgoblins but incorporating other goblin races, devoted to keeping alive the glories of the Empire of Dhakaan. Although they claim territory in the mountains of Darguun, they do not pledge allegiance to Lhesh Haruuc, nor do they hold any particular alliance among themselves. The Dhakaani Clans include the Kech Draguus, the Kech Nasaar, the Kech Shaarat, the Kech Uul, and the Kech Volaar.

Dhakaani Empire:
see Empire of Dhakaan

d’Orien, Pater:
A dragonmarked heir of House Orien, Pater is Viceroy of his House in Darguun, in charge of his House’s operations in the country.

duur’kala:
Among the Dhakaani Clans, particularly the Kech Volaar,
duur’kala
preserve the history and knowledge of past ages.
Their music is the most common form of magic among the clans.
Duur’kala
means “dirge singers.” Because the magic manifests mostly in females,
duur’kala
are often called “daughters of the dirge” and elders are referred to as “mothers of the dirge.”

Ekhaas:
A hobgoblin woman and a
duur’kala
of the Kech Volaar, Ekhaas spent many years travelling southern Khorvaire before returning to Darguun with tales of her adventures with Geth and Ashi.

Empire of Dhakaan:
An ancient empire ruled by hobgoblins, the Empire of Dhakaan strecthed across southern Khorvaire millenia before the arrival of humans. Dhakaan was weakened by the Daelkyr War and collapsed about six thousand years before the present.

Fenic:
A hobgoblin warrior (deceased), formerly warlord of the Mur Talaan clan and one of Haruuc’s three
shava
. He was the father of Dagii.

Flayed god’s skin!:
An oath to the Mockery

gaa’ma:
Goblin pejorative term for changelings. Literally translated, it means “wax babies.”

gaanu duur:
“Daughter of the dirge,” an alternative term for
duur’kala
.

gaa’taat:
A highly insulting Goblin term suggesting that someone is less than a child.

gaeth’ad:
An orcish herbal tea, most common in the Shadow Marches, that can be brewed with a variety of effects. Generally brewed and served by a
gaeth’ad
master.

Gan’duur:
“Eaters of Sorrow,” a rebel clan of the Ghaal’dar, originally an off-shoot of the Gantii Vus. Their banner is yellow with a crest of a snarling dog.

gath’atcha:
Goblin for “without honor.” In most cases used by the speaker as a means of showing contrition and offering apology, but a serious insult when said of someone else.

Gathering Stone, the:
The primary stronghold of House Deneith in Darguun, located at a major crossroad two days ride from Rhukaan Draal.

Geth:
A shifter veteran of the Last War, rediscovering his worth after fleeing from deeds done in the past. He wields a great gauntlet, a magewrought gauntlet that is both shield and weapon, and then ancient Dhakaani blade named Wrath.

ghaal:
Goblin for “mighty” with specific connotations of prowess in battle.

Ghaal River:
A mighty river in central Darguun. It is navigable from its mouth at Kraken Bay to the city of Rhukaan Draal, almost two-thirds of its length. Above Rhukaan Draal, the first of several cataracts breaks the river into dangerous stretches of white water.

ghaal’dar:
The ancient name for the hobgoblin race, it means “mighty people.” In the present time, Ghaal’dar is also the name of the loose confederacy of goblin clans living in the lowlands of Darguun, especially in the broad area around the Ghaal River. Notable Ghaal’dar clans include the Gan’duur (“Eaters of Sorrow”), the Gantii Vus (“Hungry Flame”), the Ja’aram (“Bright Anger”), the Mur Talaan (“Horned Shoulders”), the Rhukaan Taash (“Razor Crown”), the Marhaan, the Ghaal Sehn, and the Pin Galaac.

Giim Astra:
A spectacular cleft mountain peak marking the headwaters of the Torlaac River in the Seawall Mountain range. The site of extensive Dhakaani ruins.

goblin:
A term that causes much confusion as it applies both to the small-statured goblin race and to the three related races of goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears (as well as other less well-known races).
The longstanding tradition of referring to the related races by the term “goblinoid” has been abandonned by forward-thinking scholars of Wynarn and Morgrave Universities, an attitude that is slowly spreading among the general population.

Goblin cuisine:
While often unrecognized by more “civilized” races, goblins have an ancient and well-established culinary culture. Typical goblin cuisine varies by region (that of Darguul is more “pure” and exotic, that of city goblins more influenced by human cooking) and somewhat by race. Food tend to emphasize a chewy texture, and sour and bitter flavors—a preference carried over into wine and beermaking. Buns and starchy balls of
noon
are common staples and pickling is a favorite form of both preservation and seasoning. Boiling and steaming (often in flavored liquids) are the most common cooking methods. All food is relatively simple, hearty, and portable once prepared; goblin food sticks closest to this, while high class hobgoblin food can be varied and labor intensive. Bugbear food is the least finicky, often along the lines of meat on a stick or a pot over the fire. Surprisingly, goblins also have a remarkable sweet tooth and desserts such as
shaat’aar
have found popularity as street snacks in Sharn and other southern cities.

golin:
Goblin for “quick.” Among hobgoblins and bugbears, it refers only to speed, but goblins use it to refer to intelligence as well.

golin’dar:
The ancient name for the goblin race, it means “quick people.”

guul:
Goblin for “strong.”

guul’dar:
The ancient name for the bugbear race, it means “strong people.”

Haata:
A dynasty of the middle Dhakaani Empire.

Haluun:
A hobgoblin warrior (deceased) of the Rhukaan Taash clan, Haruuc’s younger brother, and one of Haruuc’s three
shava
. He was also the father of Tariic.

Haruuc:
Properly Lhesh Haruuc Shaarat’kor (“High Warlord Haruuc of the Red Blade”), founder of Darguun. As a charismatic young warlord serving as a mercenary of House Deneith, Haruuc saw an opportunity to bring the goblin races out from under the shadow of humans and give them a homeland. Finding allies in other warlords of the Ghaal’dar, Haruuc hatched a plan to turn on the nations that employed Deneith’s goblin mercenaries and seize power for himself. His plan culminated in a lightning swift conquest of southern Cyre (including areas claimed at the time by Breland) in the summer of 969 YK and the subsequent founding of Darguun.

Heroes of Dhakaan