Goblinoid Races

Overview

Goblins, along with Hobgoblins, were yet another experiment by the depraved Elven Emperor Derelan and his Queen-Mother Urgath over two thousand years ago. It is uncertain whether there was any rhyme or reason to their invention, but regardless of the intention, Goblinoids have wrought havoc upon the civilized lands of Orben, to a degree rivaled only by Orcs, their larger cousins.

"I order you to volunteer."

Lore

Hobgoblins are to their lesser kin as high elves are to other elves. They are the paragons of their kind, and they know it. Though still tribal in nature, they display a kind of discipline, organization, and even professionalism that puts the relatively disorganized orcs to shame, and may even be on par with the likes of humans and dwarves.

What sets them apart from the more "civilized" races however is their outlook upon the world. Rather than lay claim to vast territories and erect great works, their camps tend to be secretive and self contained, the better to go unnoticed until they spill forth into the world to raid and pillage for the resources and luxuries they are unwilling or unable to create themselves. To a hobgoblin mind, the civilized races are like free-roaming livestock, left to fatten in their cities like animals in a pen until they are ripe for slaughter.

Hobgoblins tend to be dour and taciturn, with a grim outlook on life centered upon survival in a world that they consider to be conspiring against them at all times. They harbor a particular resentment towards elves, whose ways they find repugnant and whom they have frequently waged war against. The history between hobgoblins and dwarves is no less bloody or embittered, but they have a grudging respect for their work ethic and industriousness.

Socially, hobgoblins are organized by their military rank, with no close family ties. Breeding schedules are organized to fulfill the needs of the tribe, not out of sentimentality or any sense of leaving a legacy. Even non-goblin captives are assigned a rank, though often that rank is comparable to the pack animals they may very well be sharing a pen with. Advancement through the ranks is accomplished primarily through the person ahead of you meeting a gruesome end. Though no hobgoblin would dream of stabbing a comrade in the back on the field of battle lest it weaken the command structure, conspiring to make your immediate superior seem weak and ineffectual in order to justify challenging them to a duel to the death for their position is quite common.

If there is a soft spot to be found anywhere among the tribes, it is in regard to their animal companions. Worgs are the most treasured of all, for their intelligence and ferocity, but it is quite common for hobgoblins to capture and train any animals they feel may serve their warlike ambitions. Their breeding programs to select for desired traits in future generations are perhaps the most sophisticated aspect of their otherwise crude and utilitarian design philosophy.

Quirks

Hobgoblins are the most organized of the goblin races and are actually frighteningly intelligent. For the sake of efficiency, much labor is relegated to their captive slaves and livestock, but unlike their smaller kin most hobgoblins abhor laziness, and any who neglect their work until it becomes a problem for those around them are punished harshly, whether goblinoid or not.
Can see perfectly well in the dark and are aware of other races limitations at night.
Some males may sport especially red or even blue noses, which is considered a sign of virility among their kind.

Core Characteristics

Size: Medium

Average Lifespan: 80 years

Physical Characteristics:

Hobgoblins typically have reddish-orange skin.
No bald hobgoblins, add hair.
Luminous, reflective eyes, of yellow or orange.
Can see perfectly well in the dark.
Hobgoblins have flat, cat-like noses and typically have orange, red, or yellow skin. However, shades between are not unheard of.
Skin splotches and blemishes are common.

"Rest is death."

Core Characteristics

Size: Small

Average Lifespan: 80 years

Physical Characteristics:

Goblins typically have green skin, but orange, red and yellow as well as shades between are not unheard of in some clans.
No bald goblins; add hair.
Luminous, reflective eyes, of yellow or orange.
Can see perfectly well in the dark.
Skin splotches and blemishes are common.

Lore

Goblin society is tribal by nature, and their leaders are generally the strongest and sometimes the smartest among a tribe. They have little concept of privacy, living and sleeping in large common areas; only the leaders live separately in their own private chambers. As such, Goblin lairs are often stinking or soiled, though easily defended when under assault. Many such lairs are layered with simple traps for such purposes.

Young Goblins are taught from an early age to rely only on themselves and that to survive, they must be aggressive and ruthless. To a Goblin, it does not seem logical to treat others as well or better than you would treat yourselves; rather, they believe in preemptively removing potential rivals before they can become a threat. Because of the violent nature of Goblin culture it is not uncommon for them to come under the domination of individuals from a larger, more physically powerful culture, most typically larger Goblinoids such as Orcs, Hobgoblins or Bugbears.

In fact, the race is often, though not always, dominated by other Goblinoids, most commonly Orcs and Hobgoblins. As such, Goblins have almost always lived, at best, as accessories to other races and cultures. But being bullied by bigger, stronger creatures has taught Goblins to exploit what few advantages they have: sheer numbers and malicious ingenuity. The concept of a fair fight is meaningless in their society, or what passes for society among them. They favor ambushes, overwhelming numbers, dirty tricks, and any other edge they can devise.

Goblin settlements are typically very densely populated and filled with young goblin children. This is in part because Goblin females are expected to birth as many children as possible to sustain a population constantly driven down by violence. However, young goblins do not outnumber adults because their lives are often at least as dangerous as those of older kin.

Male goblins, who are dominant in goblin society, sustain the community by raiding and stealing, sneaking into lairs, villages, and even towns by night to take what they can. If supplies get short enough, Goblins will even resort to eating members of other races, including other Goblinoids. They are not above waylaying travelers on the road or in forests and stripping them of all possessions, including the clothes on their backs. Goblins also sometimes capture slaves to perform menial labor in the tribe's lair or camp.

Most Goblins primarily worship Gresh, the patron god of Goblinoids, but as both hatred and fear rule their society in nearly equal parts, worship of Saultum and Doerlia has grown among them, sown by Human clerics hoping to harness Goblin activity to their own aims.

Goblins do not get along well with most other races, especially Gnomes and Halflings who, being a similar size, are not as easily dismissed by Goblins as beneath consideration. Goblins have a somewhat ambivalent relationship with Hobgoblins, Orcs and Half-Orcs, who they've worked with frquently, but usually only under the threat of force, and never seen to gain anything for their efforts in such alliances. The only true allies of the Goblin race are Worgs, monstrous wolves who often act as mounts and fighting companions for Goblins.

Individually Goblins - even among the Darkling races - are usually viewed as a nuisance beneath real notice, so that a single Goblin might reasonably be assailed by no more than a yell or as swift kick, as if a rat, if they come too close. Large groups of Goblins, however, are considered far more dangerous, and even the rumor of a gathering Goblin army in nearby lands is a grounds for pre-emptive war. Guards ritually hunt down Goblin nests like those of termites, to stave off this possibility.

Quirks

Goblins are not stupid; they are actually frighteningly intelligent, but a level of laziness engrained in their culture. Whenever possible, they prefer to manipulate or force others to do things for them with clan chieftains often having small hordes of servants or slaves (goblinoid or otherwise) doing everything from feeding them meals by hand to sharpening their weapons.