Volaar Draal, the Wordbearers, and the Sword

Olarune, 998 – Dravago, 999 YK

Volaar Draal is a small city of under 10,000 inhabitants. It is carved into the Seawall Mountains and has been here for thousands of years. It is here that I finally meet Jhazaali’s clan, Kech Volaar, or the “Wordbearers.” Kech Volaar are the keepers of the lore of the ancient Dhakaani Empire, and though one of the smallest Kechs, its armorers and stonemasons are unmatched in all of Darguun, and possibly all of Khorvaire. This great skill has allowed their fortifications to hold against more aggressive clans.

Again, the Dhakaani clans have isolated themselves from the rest of the world for thousands of years, but they see the rise of Darguun as the first sign of a restored Dhakaani Empire.

Led by Tuura Dhakaan, supposedly the strongest dirge singer the clans have seen in over a thousand years, the Wordbearers keep the memory of the ancient goblinoid empire alive. Instead of seeking conquest through military victory, Tuura intends to prove her right to rule by gathering the lost artifacts of the ancient empire—both to serve as a symbol and to provide her with enough magical power to overcome her foes. Kurac Thaar, the clan’s warlord, is as fanatically devoted to Tuura and her vision of the restored empire as the rest of Kech Volaar. That goes for Jhazaali and the others I’ve previously met as well.

Kech Volaar goblinoids often venture beyond Darguun in search of Dhakaani ruins, but they do not work as mercenaries unless it can serve to directly bring them information that will lead them to Dhakaani artifacts. They rarely interact with other races except in the pursuit of a mission. Symbols depicting important events are often tattooed on members of the clan; those who read Goblin can learn much about an individual through the study of these markings, and indeed, I do learn much in my time with them.

Volaar Draal is the stronghold of the Kech Volaar clan and is hidden deep beneath the peaks and crags. Its vast underhalls contain fungus fields that produce food for the city, forges for armorers, libraries and vaults to house the relics of the empire, and a great cavern in which Kech Volaar troops perform battle drills. The stonework supposedly matches, or betters, the best the dwarves of the Mror Holds can produce (though I’ve yet to visit the Holds so this is conjectural information). Few outsiders are allowed to visit these wondrous vaults and I feel blessed to be one of them.

I can go into great depth here, but I’ve written a book about all of this—Kech Volaar and the Ancient Clans of Darguun. If you’re truly interested in more, please read that. And yes, I know the title is not as exacting as it could be but Darguun was of great interest when it was being published and the University insisted that it would help increase sales across a wider base. That being said, I’m not going to go into a ton of cultural stuff here (I guess I kinda’ have above but the book is currently printed at 390 pages, so trust me, I could go into it a lot more.

Upon entering Volaar Draal we were immediately taken before Tuura Dhakaan. Jhazaali had me unwrap and present the sword, Daelkesh Toreshk, for Tuura to inspect. She seemed to know what might happen if she made a grab for it and she kept a little more than an arm’s length away. After a few seconds, she dismissed all from the room but Jhazaali and me. She then had me sit in the middle of the room with the sword on my lap. After a few words with Jhazaali about a ritual of some sort (arcana ain’t my strong suit), they begin to pace around me while singing. It starts slow and low and builds. There are a number of people who have said they find the goblin language a bit harsh with its hard consonants and whatnot. I disagree but I think anyone who heard the voices of Tuura and Jhazaali during this ritual would be hard-pressed not to admit that it was one of the more beautiful sounds they had ever heard. It continued for nearly ten minutes when they both stopped their pacing and turned to me. They continued the song while Tuura stepped toward me, bent down and placed her hands upon my shoulders, and then promptly kissed me on either cheek. Normally I would flinch some at the sudden closeness, but I was so transfixed by the song that I just sat there, motionless. She then kneeled down, took hold of the sword, and walked away. Jhazaali stopped her singing and told me to follow her to what would be my main quarters for the next year or so. Abrupt? Yes. They’d done what needed to be done and that was that. Kech Volaar was now one artifact stronger. The Dhakaani were now stronger. Goblinoids were now stronger and that was that.