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By Root 1018 0

before humanity had arrived, and a charismatic warlord was determined to use the fall of Galifar as a stepping stone for the future of his people. He managed to win the loyalty of many of the other mercenary chieftains, and at a critical point in the war the soldiers turned on both sides and laid claim to the territory they were supposed to be protecting, proclaiming the new nation of Darguun. With the Last War at its height, neither Breland nor Cyre could afford to retaliate. Both still needed goblin troops, though the commanders were considerably more cautious about the concentration of such forces. Even now, with the war winding to a close, the remnants of the five nations lacked the resources or resolve to move against Darguun. Representatives of the hobgoblin king were seated at the Council of Thronehold, debating the future of Khorvaire. A number of former and current mercenaries had settled in Sharn, and they naturally gravitated towards the greatest concentration of their own kind. But where the city goblins of Sharn tried to avoid conflict with the human citizens, the Darguuls viewed humanity with disdain. The Sharn Watch had long ago abandoned the Gate, and any human or elf who entered the district was on his own.

But the hobgoblins were not the only creatures to emerge from the shadows of the war. All manner of monsters—harpies, ogres, trolls, and even more terrible things—filled the lands around the Byeshk Mountains. Even the knights of Galifar had avoided the haunted woods and wastes of this land. While it had always been a place of dark legend, the horrors of Droaam never reached into the lands beyond—until the Last War. Over the last century, three terrible sisters—each hag a legend in her own right—seized control of the region and began to reshape and transform it, creating a nation from raw chaos. Over the last two decades the creatures of Droaam began to appear in the eastern lands, selling their services. Gargoyle scouts and couriers could be invaluable, and many businesses could use the raw strength of an ogre laborer. The monstrous population of Sharn had grown over the last few years, and while most of these creatures preferred to live in the tunnels beneath the city, a fair number had settled in Malleon’s Gate, adding to both the color and danger of the district.

Over the course of the war, Daine had fought many Darguul warriors, and he could smell the aggression in the smoky air of Malleon’s Gate. On his command, the group drew weapons as soon as they entered the district. With an arrow nocked in his massive longbow, Pierce took up the rear. Lei was resplendent in green leather vest studded with gold; this was an heirloom of her house, and the golden rivets were especially receptive to the temporary enchantments she could produce. She held the darkwood staff at the ready. Jode was a healer by trade, but he had served as a scout and could fight when he had to. Though his sword would be little more than a knife in the hands of a man, it was finely-crafted and razor sharp. Daine had his dagger drawn, the adamantine blade catching the guttering torchlight, and for the hundredth time he cursed sword-pawning halflings.

Malleon’s Gate, one of the oldest districts in Sharn, had served as a ghetto since the earliest days of Sharn, and its age was obvious even to the casual observer. The stonework was rough and angular in comparison to the smooth curves of Tavick’s Landing and Menthis Plateau. Mold and mildew covered the walls, inside and out. If there had ever been cold fire lanterns in the district, they had been shattered or stolen long ago. Most of the denizens of the Malleon’s Gate could see in the dark, and outsiders had to find there way by the light of a few smoky torches.

The narrow streets were full of noise and chaos. Goblins were everywhere—haggling, arguing, or simply shouting in the harsh Goblin tongue. A massive bugbear forced its way through a pack of goblins, flinging the smaller creatures left and right. By contrast, when a trio of heavily armed hobgoblins emerged from a dingy tavern,