Under Dhakaani tradition, the golin’dar—goblins—are traditionally laborers and artisans. While the guul’dar and ghaal’dar train for war, the golin’dar maintain the hearth. But there is a force that stands outside this tradition, lurking in the shadows of the Dhakaani Empire. These are the Khesh’dar— the Silent Folk—golin’dar who use their speed and cunning as spies, scouts, and assassins.
While the Khesh’dar are part of the Uul Dhakaan, they have always remained separate from its traditions. They have always served the emperor and their warlords, but they do so in their own time. Their refuges have always been hidden, even before the Kapaa’vola. The ascetic Khesh’dar aren’t compelled by money or power; they choose when to offer aid, and set a fair price on their services. The Khesh’dar take no sides in disputes between clans, and they do not seek to rule; in the present day they serve both the Kech Shaarat and the Kech Volaar. However, they don’t accept missions that they see as threatening the empire itself; as a result, they rarely accept a charge to kill a warlord or a duur’kala.
Because of this long tradition of secrecy, even the warlords of the Kech Dhakaan don’t know where the vaults of the Khesh’dar are located, or just how many of the Silent Folk are out there. Goblins are spread throughout Khorvaire and most of the great cities of the Five Nations have significant goblin populations, and this provides an easy opportunity for the Khesh’dar to move freely throughout the modern world without drawing attention. The Khesh’dar have been active throughout the last century, spying on the chaat’oor and building up resources and safe houses across the Five Nations. They’ve recruited many eyes among the modern city goblins and the goblins of Darguun, though these contacts rarely understand exactly who they are dealing with. The Khesh’dar likewise have spies and agents among the golin’dar of every Keeper clan, ensuring that there are few secrets hidden from the Silent Folk.
The Khesh’dar are split into two primary traditions. The Taarka’khesh (“Silent Wolves”) are swift scouts, experts in wilderness reconnaissance and targeted strikes. The Taarka’khesh typically rely on worg cavalry; many develop an unusual primal bond with their worg companions, and the golin’dar view the worgs as partners, not beasts. Though worgs don’t have an innate tie to the Uul Dhakaan, the Beast Master rangers of the Taarka’khesh can summon their worg companions to them while dreaming.
The second Khesh’dar tradition is that of the Shaarat’khesh (“Silent Blades”), spies and assassins trained to operate within cities. Both usually operate covertly, disguised to blend in with the local goblin population. However, each order has a distinctive half-mask that is worn over the lower face during formal interactions.
It’s up to the DM to decide just how widespread the Khesh’dar are. They may have a single deep vault and only a few hundred operatives, or it could be that they are the largest of the Dhakaani clans, with outposts hidden across Khorvaire. They may have been building networks for thousands of years, simply waiting for the Keepers to rise before putting these resources to use. But are they truly content to serve any emperor? Or do the Khesh’dar have a hidden agenda of their own? Is it possible that they’re tied to the Lords of Dust . . . or even to the dragons of the Chamber?
The Khesh’dar could serve as an espionage agency patron for a group of golin’dar adventurers. More likely, a single character could be an undercover operative of the Khesh’dar, either pursuing a deep, long-term mission or simply gathering intelligence while waiting for specific orders. It’s not unusual for the Khesh’dar to seek to cultivate useful allies among the gath’dar. It would be unusual for one of the Khesh’dar to explain their traditions to an outsider, but it’s not impossible that a Khesh’dar could form a bond to a gath’dar comrade over the course of their adventures.
Source: Exploring Eberron
The Khesh’dar (Silent Folk) is a clan of goblin spies. Members follow one of two paths: the scouts of the taarka’khesh (silent wolves) or the assassins of the shaarat’khesh (silent knives). The Khesh’dar sell their services to all the Dhakaani clans, remaining steadfastly neutral in the absence of a clear leader. In addition, they seed spies throughout the Five Nations—agents that blend in with local goblin populations. The Khesh’dar occasionally admit outsiders into their ranks, most often changelings or foreign goblins.
Source: Eberron Campaign Guide