Daask

Crime Syndicate

Khorvaire was a land of monsters long before it was home to humanity. The Dhakaani Empire of the goblins thrived for thousands of years, and it took the horrors of Xoriat to tear it down. When humans first came to Khorvaire, they enslaved the weakest creatures and drove those they couldn’t control to dark places and wild frontiers. Most of the greatest cities of the Five Nations have always had a goblin underclass, but as of a century ago the typical Brelish citizen had never seen a minotaur or a gargoyle.

The rise of the nations of Droaam and Darguun has drawn the monsters out from the shadows. Yet it is House Tharashk that has brought these creatures to the Five Nations. During the Last War, House Tharashk used its connections with Droaam to broker the services of monstrous mercenaries—a lucrative business that gave the young house an edge against rival House Deneith. Not all of these hirelings were sent to war. Gargoyles are wonderful couriers in a city of towers, and ogres’ strength is an excellent tool for hard labor. The Daughters of Sora Kell receive a share of Tharashk’s revenue from this trade, and most of these laborers are assigned a term of service by the hags; whether driven by national pride or fear of their distant leaders, they are often more reliable than local human workers. As these honest monsters have become more common in the cities of the Five Nations, this trend has opened the door for their dishonest cousins. The cartel known as Daask first appeared in Sharn in 988 YK. Over the last five years it has spread to Wroat, Passage, Starilaskur, Ghalt, and Lathleer, and a cell is laying down roots in Fairhaven.

Over the last decade, the Daask syndicate has carved out a bloody niche in the criminal underworld of Aundair and Breland. Its members are monsters, ranging from goblins and ogres to more exotic creatures. Daask primarily operates in slums, ghettos, and other areas where the law is lax and its monstrous forces attract less attention.

Source: Eye on Eberron: Daask (Dungeon #194)

Daask is an aggressive criminal organization with cells across Khorvaire. Led by monstrous immigrants from Droaam—gnolls, harpies, medusas, minotaurs, ogres, trolls, and others—the group is ultimately under the command of Sora Katra, one of the rulers of Droaam. Physical violence is its specialty, but Daask also dabbles in illegal drugs.

Operations

Daask has three primary rackets: protection, loan sharking, and illicit alchemical substances. When people think of Daask, the protection racket is what generally comes to mind. A sly goblin arrives at a merchant’s shop with an ogre towering over him. The goblin laments the constant threat of violence in the area and offers peace of mind in exchange for a weekly fee. Strangely, Daask often delivers on its promises. Most of the violence perpetrated by Daask is directed against other criminals. Rival gangs are met with brutal force, while burglars and thieves are tracked down by gnolls and worgs. Because Daask operates in relatively lawless areas, there are those who appreciate this harsh justice.

Daask’s loan sharks have stores of raw gold from the mines of Droaam, and are quick to offer it to those in need. Collateral is required, and the most infamous practice is the “stone loan.” A Daask medusa petrifies a member of the borrower’s family, and a shattered toe or similar trophy is sent to the borrower for each missed payment. There are stories of medusas shipping unclaimed victims back to Droaam to be auctioned in the markets.

The alchemical trade has put Daask in direct competition with other criminal gangs. In addition to dreamlily and other narcotics, Daask has one unique product: dragon’s blood, a mysterious and highly addictive substance that enhances arcane powers.

Daask makes its home in the depths. The largest cities of the Five Nations are built on Dhakaani foundations, and Daask’s bases are renovated subterranean fortresses. Outsiders are rarely invited into these havens; instead, a city will have a location where a Daask spokesperson can always be found. In the city of Sharn this is Shamukaar in Khyber’s Gate, a combination tavern and butcher shop for Droaam refugees. It’s rumored that Daask’s carnivorous soldiers bring their kills to Shamukaar to be prepared according to the customs of their homeland.

The composition of Daask cells varies by location. The Sharn cell has strong flying support, while the Passage cell has an unusual number of worgs. Generally gnolls, shifters, and orcs make up the bulk of Daask’s forces. Ogres, worgs, minotaurs, tieflings, and gargoyles are found in smaller numbers. More powerful and exotic creatures—harpies, war trolls, lycanthropes, medusas, trained basilisks or cockatrices—are kept in reserve for special occasions, though the threat that they might be available is an effective tool of intimidation. Leaders of Daask cells are exceptional individuals regardless of species. The Sharn cell is directed by an oni named Cavallah, an expert in aerial combat. The medusa Askhora leads the Wroat Daask, while the forces of Passage are commanded by a werewolf named Fell.

How can monsters engage in violence in the Five Nations without being brought down by the law? Few watchmen are willing to throw away their lives facing a war troll or a medusa; if it has to be done, let the King’s Citadel or some elite unit do the work. Beyond that, by staying in the wretched parts of town and focusing its aggression on other criminals, Daask has little obvious impact on upstanding citizens. Beyond this, Daask is surely using some of its ill-gotten gains to bribe the authorities, as the Boromars and others have done for centuries, and Daask has the additional lever of dragon’s blood. Quite a few noble wizards and dragonmarked heirs have developed a taste for this mysterious serum, and Daask is the only source.

Source: Eye on Eberron: Daask (Dungeon #194)

June 25th, 2019 July 17th, 2022

The Truth

At the moment, law enforcement is looking at Daask only on a local level, seeing its members as monstrous brutes. A clever individual who studies Daask’s activities on a larger scale will find evidence that contradicts this image. The actions of the cartel show discipline and foresight. A seemingly random attack might cripple an enemy’s resources months after the fact or hurt an opponent in a different city. There is a single entity guiding Daask: Sora Katra. The hag is a legendary schemer, and Daask is her hand in the east. Each cell leader owns a scrying crystal that allows Sora Katra to communicate with that individual at any distance. As a result, all Daask cells are guided by a single vision. Sora Katra knows who is using dragon’s blood and who owes gold. With her guidance, her agents are crippling the established criminal guilds. The authorities have little sympathy for the Boromars and their counterparts, but once Daask dominates the underworld the forces of the law might wish they had acted sooner.

The forces of Daask are elite soldiers of Droaam trained to operate in foreign lands. The trolls and ogres might play the roles of brutes, but they have been carefully selected for their intelligence. When dealing with common criminals, raw force might be all that’s required, but when there is real danger, Daask troops will pull together. The defining elements of a Daask strike team are its racial diversity and its tactical precision. In Sharn, a troll might serve as a decoy to lure opponents onto a bridge so that the harpy lurking nearby can call them to their doom. A medusa might place petrified beasts around Daask territory that can be released from stone bondage with a word of power. In addition to this brute force, Daask excels at manipulation. The innkeeper who tries to poison the party has been compelled to do it, or else his petrified daughter will be shattered. The sorcerer addicted to dragon’s blood will do as Daask wishes, or he’ll never taste that nectar again.

The connection to Sora Katra allows Daask to pose a threat to characters at any tier. Aside from the diverse range of monsters they can bring to bear as threats become more significant, Daask soldiers can have access to boons, powerful magic items, or even artifacts drawn from the hoard of the Daughters of Sora Kell. Given the cunning of Sora Katra and the oracular powers of Sora Teraza, an encounter with Daask might be staged purely to place an artifact in the hands of a particular player character to serve some future goal.

Source: Eye on Eberron: Daask (Dungeon #194)

June 25th, 2019 July 17th, 2022

Adventure Ideas

At its simplest level, Daask is a way to justify the presence of monsters in the city. Want to have an encounter with werewolves and a medusa? Figure out how it ties to the goals of Daask. Soldiers of Daask will be more disciplined than random bandits, but not every encounter has to tie into Sora Katra’s grand plans. If you want Daask to play a more significant role, consider the following ideas.

Friends & Family: A player character isn’t likely to take out a loan from Daask, or to be running a tavern in Lower Dura. However, no character should exist in a vacuum. Encourage your players to develop the backgrounds of their characters, and see what you can do with this information. Did any of the characters fight in the Last War? Then it’s an old war buddy—the company cook—who started that tavern. Where did the rogue learn her skills? Her mentor is working for the Boromar Clan. The wizard’s nephew is experimenting with dragon’s blood, while the cleric’s cousin has been petrified and sent to Droaam—can you track him down? Adventurers are equipped to battle monsters, but there are surely some people among their supporting cast who aren’t. Use them to create the foundation of a Daask campaign.

Mob War: Daask is engaged in a ruthless war with other criminal forces in Breland and Aundair. Although the adventurers might have no sympathy for Daask or the cartel’s enemies, they or their friends could easily be caught in the crossfire. This can be an easy way to start a session with a bang; the adventurers are relaxing at their favorite bar when Daask forces smash down the door.

The Tharashk Connection: House Tharashk is the youngest of the dragonmarked houses, and one of the most ambitious. Not content with its footholds in prospecting, bounty hunting, and the inquisitive trade, House Tharashk is using its ties to Droaam to challenge House Deneith’s long-running stranglehold on the mercenary business. Its connections to Droaam extend further, as the house has acquired lucrative prospecting contracts to help exploit Droaam’s natural resources. How far do these connections go? Is Tharashk letting the Dark Pack turn its trackers into werewolves? Is the house intentionally bringing in Daask soldiers and placing them as laborers? If the adventurers have ties to Tharashk, this mission could be a matter of exposing a single corrupt clan within the house; if their ties are to House Deneith, it could be the prelude to a war between the houses.

Dragon’s Blood: When House Cannith tasks the adventurers to solve the mystery of dragon’s blood, can they track it to its source and discover its true nature? If it does indeed bind souls to Sora Katra, can they find a way to break the hag’s connection to her victims?

The Eye: A shifter, half-orc, or changeling character receives an unexpected package: a magical amulet of considerable power. If the adventurer dons the necklace, a voice speaks in his mind. Sora Katra has been watching him, and she wants him to take control of the local Daask cell. She says that the character has a blood tie to a warlord of Droaam, and she believes that he is destined to be a leader of his people. She can guide him, but first he must prove himself in the Five Nations. What does the party do? Daask’s enemies are criminals. Will the adventurers take over the local cell and fight these thugs? Could the hag be telling the truth?

Source: Eye on Eberron: Daask (Dungeon #194)

June 25th, 2019 July 17th, 2022

Sharn Cell Overview

Sharn

Source: Sharn - City of Towers

Daask, an aggressive criminal organization led by monstrous immigrants from Droaam, has been building its power in Khyber’s Gate (in the Upper Cogs) and Malleon’s Gate (in Lower Dura) for over ten years. But over the past two years, Daask has burst out of the Cogs and into the lower wards of the city. Daask has primarily been engaging in swift guerilla attacks against the operations of the Boromar Clan. However, Daask places great emphasis on physical violence, and armed robbery, muggings, assassination, and protection rackets are its stock in trade. The presence of these monsters is making Lower Dura a considerably more dangerous place to live, and adventurers who spend considerable time in the lower wards will probably encounter Daask forces.

While Daask uses violence and the threat of violence to expand its influence and fill its coffers, the organization is starting to diversify its interests. Daask has begun selling dreamlily and heartflow in the Lower Wards, and Daask is also the only source of the mysterious drug known as dragon’s blood. Daask also sells the services of its monstrous agents, both as assassins, bodyguards, and laborers.

In general, Daask is a fluid, mobile organization, and this has made it hard for the Boromars to fight. The majority of its members live in Khyber’s Gate, often shifting homes every few days. The group has established a base at the Temple of the Six, but this is a well-fortifi ed position protected by signifi cant forces, and Khyber’s Gate is too narrow to allow the Boromars to bring vast numbers of mercenaries to bear. Of course, a small group of capable adventurers might succeed where an army of Royal Guards would fail.

On the surface, Daask appears to be a simple criminal gang engaged in a battle for territory and power. The truth is somewhat more complicated. The ultimate leader of Daask is Sora Katra, one of the three hags who rule Droaam. Sora Katra has been establishing Daask cells across Khorvaire, building a monstrous power base in the shadows of the greatest cities of Khorvaire. But the motives of the hags are mysterious and subtle, and gold is the least of Sora Katra’s concerns. And then there is dragon’s blood, the true nature of which is another mystery. Is there some sinister side effect to this drug that has yet to be seen? Sora Teraza is said to see the future, and if her sister is acting on her advice, Daask may be playing a very elaborate game. On the surface, Daask appears to be a violent criminal organization working to increase its power. But occasionally it may inexplicably act to help the party, or take some other action that seems contrary to its criminal interests.

Members

Daask includes approximately 260 active members, though this number can fluctuate on a daily basis. Sora Katra can always send additional forces from Droaam, and Daask can also recruit members of the local population. The lower ranking members of Daask are mostly goblins, humans, and shifters recruited in Sharn, along with a handful of changelings. The core organization includes 100 gnolls, 25 ogres, 12 minotaurs, 8 harpies, 6 trolls, and 5 medusas, along with a few worgs, horrid wolves, displacer beasts, cockatrices, and basilisks. Daask has gone to some effort to conceal the true extent of its forces from the surface world. It is very unusual for Daask to commit more than ten creatures to a single task, and the magical beasts are hardly ever used beyond Khyber’s Gate.

July 17th, 2022 July 17th, 2022

Sharn Cell Details

Sharn

Source: Rising from the Last War

Founded by monstrous immigrants from Droaam, the criminal organization known as Daask has been building its power for a decade and has recently begun an aggressive campaign of expansion. Daask engages mainly in violent crime, including armed robbery, assault, arson, and murder. As its reputation has grown, it has added extortion to this list.

If you have a contact in Daask, you might know someone on the Daask Contacts table.

Daask Contacts

d6	Contact
1	Whyhyr (gnoll), a talented tracker, loves a good hunt and finding people who don’t want to be found.
2	Ralscar Shal (goblin) is a fence and information broker, who is happy to be paid in gold or secrets.
3	Kar Bloodhorn (minotaur) is an enforcer who leads raiding parties in Callestan. Kal is rough and loud but well liked in the organization.
4	Ash (kobold) is a sorcerer with talent in fire magic, who specializes in arson and assault.
5	Cask (changeling), an artificer and alchemist, supplies Daask with drugs and explosives and likes devising new concoctions and finding people to test them on.
6	Teller (human) is one of the few humans with a position of influence in Daask. A grifter, Teller serves as a spy in the upper levels of the city where monsters aren’t able to move around freely.

Formed by monstrous immigrants from Droaam, Daask has been building its power in the Khyber’s Gate and Malleon’s Gate districts of Sharn for the last decade. It is most infamous for its monstrous enforcers, but the organization also draws members from the destitute populace of Sharn—largely goblins and shifters, but also humans, dwarves, and any other humanoid who feels that the current system has failed them. Daask makes its money through acts of violence, from mugging to armed robbery to outright pillaging. The group has diversified in recent years, building an extortion racket—threatening violence if tribute isn’t paid—and entering into the drug trade, selling both dreamlily and a mysterious substance called dragon’s blood.

From the outside, Daask appears to be interested solely in fomenting violence and chaos. The monstrous nature of its members reinforces this impression; most people consider the members of Daask to be savage beasts. The truth is more complicated. The Droaamites who make up the core of Daask aren’t merely criminals; they are elite soldiers of Droaam working for Sora Katra, and part of an operation that is taking root in larger cities across Khorvaire. The seemingly random attacks by Daask are part of a larger plan that, if it succeeds, will eventually give Sora Katra a foothold in the heart of Khorvaire.

Over the last two years, the Daask cell in Sharn has been waging a slowly escalating war against the holdings of the Boromar Clan. The Boromars were surprised by the violence of these attacks and have suffered significant losses. Daask prefers guerrilla tactics, using only as many combatants as necessary to get a job done, never staying in one place too long, and quickly retreating back to their turf. Though the Boromars still control much of criminal activity in the middle and upper parts of Sharn, Daask is gaining ground in the lower level of the city and controls crime in the Cogs.

Daask Operations

Violence and intimidation are Daask’s most used tools. Rather than using bribery, Daask manipulates the Sharn Watch through displays of force and brutal reprisals against officers who dare to stand in the way. Coupled with the fact that Daask primarily targets businesses with ties to the Boromars, this means that many of the Watch officers of the lower wards will step aside and allow a Daask raid to run its course.

As Daask has seized territory from the Boromar Clan, it has also begun taking over a few of the clan’s traditional businesses. In addition to dreamlily, Daask sells a highly addictive drug called dragon’s blood.

Daask has another, perhaps surprising area of operation: religion. The organization has brought priests of the Dark Six to Sharn and has restored a ruined temple to the Dark Six in Khyber’s Gate. Followers of the Dark Six have few other opportunities to practice their faith, and providing this new facility for them has made many allies for Daask across the city.

Daask NPCs

Daask’s lower ranks are made up of goblinoids, humans, shifters, and other humanoids recruited from the population of Sharn. The Droaamish soldiers that make up the core of the organization include changelings, gnolls, harpies, ogres, minotaurs, medusas, trolls, and other monstrous beings. Basilisks, cockatrices, death dogs, displacer beasts, and similar monsters are kept by Daask, though these creatures are usually used only within the Cogs.

Some of Daask’s most important members are these individuals:

Sora Katra is the ultimate leader of Daask, but as one of the Daughters of Sora Kell, she remains in Droaam. The hag stays in contact with all of her main subordinates by magic and keeps a detailed ledger of the group’s activities.
Cavallah is a disciplined female oni and the current leader of the Daask cell in Sharn. She is the mastermind of the organization’s machinations against the Boromar Clan, a scholar obsessed with studying Sharn’s manifest zone, and a devoted servant of Sora Katra. The oni wears a hag eye (see “Hags” in the Monster Manual) that enables Sora Katra to both see and hear what occurs in her presence.
Harash, a male medusa, is Cavallah’s right hand. He is a specialist in diplomacy and intimidation whom Cavallah trusts to monitor the members of Daask and maintain morale.
Ash is a female human priest of the Shadow. As the most powerful and beloved of Daask’s priests, she runs the Temple of the Six. Some worry that Ash plans to challenge Cavallah for leadership, which could cause a rift in the organization’s membership.
The gnoll Keshta commands a small unit of elite gnoll commandos. Disciplined and ruthless, these soldiers are often called upon to carry out retaliatory strikes against those who defy Daask.
Zaeran, an elf werewolf, is a recent arrival to Sharn. He’s one of the sons of the Droaamish warlord Zaeurl. Zaeran has come to the city with a small group of wererats and werewolves, and has an agenda known only to himself and Sora Katra.

Cog Hub

Daask members congregate in safe houses that are hard to find and easy to defend or escape from. The most popular gathering location is a Cog hub. The dark, twisting halls of these underworld hot spots are familiar to Daask members and confusing to their enemies. A Cog hub’s tight passages have plenty of choke points, forcing one-on-one confrontations in which Daask’s powerful monsters often have the advantage. Daask also uses Cog hubs to stash bodies, drugs, or prisoners.

Trying to find a Daask hub in the Cogs is an adventure in itself. Most members are understandably tight-lipped about the location of their meeting and hiding places. Once the characters know a hub’s location, they still must navigate the mazelike Cogs to find the place.

Cog Hub Features

The Cog hub shown in map 4.13 could be a Daask location, or it could be any Sharn underworld location you need it to be. Several crafted and natural labyrinthine passages no more than 10 feet wide lead to the main chamber. Many of these passages connect with stairs, ladders, and wells that lead higher or lower in the Cogs, in addition to small chambers that could be ambush points, temporary quarters for criminals or squatters, or places to lay a trap or place an alarm trigger.

These passages converge into a single large chamber that can hold a large group for meetings and serve as a temporary safe house or a place to stash contraband. When criminals occupy the area, at least one guard is always on duty, and typically there is one guard at every entrance to the chamber.

Smaller rooms with heavy iron doors adjoin the largest chamber. These rooms can serve as holding cells for captives, vaults for valuables, or hiding spots.

Map 4.13: Cog Hub

View Player Version

Cog Hub Adventures

The Cog Hub Adventures table offers reasons why your characters might need to visit such a location. In addition, the characters could meet with a Daask patron in a Cog hub.

Cog Hub Adventures

d10	Adventure Goal
1	Obtain samples of dragon’s blood hidden in the Cog hub.
2	Infiltrate a Daask meeting to discover the next Boromar Clan holding they plan to target.
3	Capture a Daask worg and replace it with a worg loyal to the Boromar Clan.
4	Sniff out a traitor among Daask lieutenants.
5	Escape the Cog hub after being captured by Daask forces.
6	Kick out squatters to get the Cog hub ready to serve as a Daask safe house.
7	Assault Daask members meeting in the Cog hub to disrupt the organization.
8	Defend a Daask Cog hub from a Boromar Clan attack.
9	Rescue an injured Daask soldier hidden inside a Cog hub that has been taken over by the Boromar Clan.
10	Place a lethal trap in a Cog hub, to be triggered the next time Daask forces enter the place.

Daask Villains

If Daask villains want something, they take it, and they destroy anything that gets in their way. Though some members of the organization are brutes, many are more cunning than they appear. Often what seems to be random violence might be motivated by something other than greed and cruelty.

Examples of Daask villains appear on the Daask Villains table.

Daask Villains

d6	Villain
1	Several harpies travel to the upper wards and use their luring songs to make rich people fall to their deaths. The harpies pick the corpses for valuables.
2	A pack of gnolls rampages through the lower wards, killing any halflings they come across. The gnolls take the halflings’ ears as trophies.
3	A shifter priest of the Devourer wants to crash Skyway by performing a ritual to create a cataclysmic storm. Sacrifices to the Devourer fuels the ritual.
4	A changeling agent of Daask seeks to frame the Tyrants for attacks on the Boromar Clan, driving a wedge between the two organizations.
5	A wererat priest of the Mockery starts a cult in Lower Dura, teaching its followers the arts of assassination.
6	A gargoyle sharpshooter continually finds new vantage points in the upper wards from where it can assassinate targets in the middle and lower wards.

Daask Campaign Themes

On the surface, Daask appear to be nothing more complicated than a gang of violent monsters wreaking havoc in the worst parts of the city. If you want, this can be the only role they play in a campaign: a ready source of sudden violence. Low-level characters might work with the Sharn Watch or the Boromar Clan to curtail Daask muggings and raid dreamlily houses. This crusade against Daask will escalate as the adventurers become more powerful; Daask will unleash ever more powerful monsters, and its forces might start targeting the adventurer’s allies and loved ones. Those attacks won’t end until the adventurers delve deep into the Cogs and defeat Cavallah herself.

Another option is to delve deeper into the motives of Daask, to explore the idea that these monsters aren’t as savage as they appear. The elite members of Daask are spies, soldiers, and saboteurs using their criminal activities as a cover for their true agenda. What is Sora Katra really trying to accomplish in Sharn? This question ties to how you decide to use the Daughters of Sora Kell, described earlier in this chapter. Do the Daughters simply want to ravage their enemies? Or, guided by the oracular visions of Sora Teraza, are they actually working toward some greater good? For instance, Daask agents could break into the vaults and workshops of dragonmarked houses and discover secret projects forbidden by the Treaty of Thronehold. They could clash with spies of foreign powers in Sharn, or pursue ancient artifacts in the ruins below the city to keep them out of others’ hands.

Dreamlily is relatively safe; dragon’s blood is not. Its effects are intentionally unpredictable, and you can take this idea wherever you like. Could drinking dragon’s blood cause someone to develop a dragonmark? Could it turn addicts into crazed, draconic creatures? Is Daask simply selling it to make money, or is the drug’s introduction part of a grander plan? Neither the Boromar Clan or the dragonmarked houses have been able to learn anything important about dragon’s blood.

Daask can also serve as a group patron for a party of adventurers, as described in chapter 1. The Daask Assignments table provides objectives for adventurers working with the organization, and the discussion of crime syndicates in chapter 1 includes additional ideas for parties with a crime syndicate patron.

Daask Assignments

d6	Assignment
1	Convince several new businesses in the lower wards to pay protection fees to Daask.
2	Cause as much death and destruction as possible inside a Boromar-owned establishment.
3	Guard a priest of the Dark Six as he preaches the word of the Mockery on the street.
4	Assassinate a member of the Boromar Clan.
5	Convince a dragonmarked noble to offer the house’s services to Daask for free.
6	Mug someone to steal a magic item in their possession.

Daask Adventure Hooks

The Daask Adventure Hooks table presents ideas for additional adventures themed around Daask.

Daask Adventure Hooks

d4	Adventure Hook
1	Daask harpies raid a Skyway mansion and tear the place apart looking for a Boromar Clan member.
2	People who take dragon’s blood begin turning to stone, and no one can figure out why.
3	Cavallah announces a contest within the organization, promising a valuable magic item to whichever Daask soldier kills the most members of the Boromar Clan.
4	Ash challenges Cavallah for control of Daask, creating a schism that erupts into a violent gang war.

July 17th, 2022 July 17th, 2022

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