Goblinoids

Goblinoids are five closely related species of a very singular class of plants,

Basic Information

Biological Traits

The life expectancy of Goblinoids is about 60 years outside of violent death and diseases. However, in practice, living up to 30 is considered a very long life. The one exception is Trolls. Baring violent death, no diseases affects them and they never seem to age. Like trees, they can live hundreds of years.

Genetics and Reproduction

The life-cycle of all goblinoids follows the same model. During the first stage, seeds deposited in fertile grounds grows into a patch of surface vines and leaves. Individual plants are very aggressive to their immediate neighboring plants and within a few weeks, a single individual organism will grow to about 3 to 5 feet in diameter, choking most other plants out of that patch but otherwise stopping its expansion once it reaches that threshold. Beneath the ground, a large bulb will develop into a humanoid shape. After a period of six to twelve months, the goblinoid will break out of a thick shell and emerge from the ground as a 2-3 feet tall humanoid. The amount of time to maturity depends on the fertility of the soil, the amount of sunlight and the outside temperature. In fact, the goblinoid will not emerge during, or immediately prior, to the cold season. After emerging from the ground, the goblinoid can walk, run and forage for food instinctively within a matter of minutes.

Goblinoids lack any obvious genitalia and are actually hermaphrodites. Goblinoids continuously emit a small amount of pollen from their which travels through the air to fertilize any other individuals. Goblinoids will then grow seeds, about the size of acorns, which will drop to the ground and begin the cycle anew.

Dietary Needs and Habits

In principle, Goblinoids can survive from water and sunshine alone, thanks to their capacity for photosynthesis. In practice, this leaves all but the smaller Goblins in a lethargic state, and will completely halt the growth of individuals that have not reached maturity.

Goblinoids can draw sustenance from most types of plants and animals. Their base requirements is about half of what could be expected from a creature of similar size but their appetite is not so easily sated. Individual still maturing, will essentially eat as long as food is available. Trolls never quite grow out of this habit.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

In addition to an admittedly crude verbal language, Verdant, Goblinoids also communicate through pheromones. This form of communication operates at a mostly subconscious level and can convey the emotional state of an individual. In practice, this means that it is fairly difficult for Goblinoids to effectively deceive each other. It also means that Goblinoids can detect each other by smell and identify each other’s tribe quite easily.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Goblinoid are extremely social creatures and will seek out other of their kind immediately after emerging from the ground. Even in harsh food shortage condition, goblinoid groups will always accept and integrate new members. Which doesn’t mean that the new member will be well treated. Goblinoids are also very status conscious and a new member means that the omega of a group has just been promoted. Having joined a tribe of Goblinoids, new individuals will continue to grow until maturity within a single year for Goblins, up to five years for Trolls. It is possible to tell which subspecies an individual will grow to become from “birth” but it requires a trained eye and the opportunity for a close examination.

Goblinoids organize in small, tribes either nomadic or sedentary. An average tribe will consist of about a thousand individuals. Nomadic tribes will generally be smaller, with about two to four hundred individuals while sedentary tribe can grow to a couple thousand. Some particularly sophisticated tribes have built cities with a few tribes cohabitating in relative peace. However, the most typical result of tribes meeting is bloody conflict. Conflict and war seems to be core tenet of Goblinoid culture. In most cases Goblinoid tribes see non-goblinoids settlement as sources of food, slaves and resources. An ambitious Goblinoid (generally an Orc or Hobgoblin) will often take a small warband to raid neighbouring territories. The gold, slaves and food they bring back improving the status of the participating Goblinoids.

While not a common occurrence, Goblinoid do sometimes resort to cannibalism. Most often, this happens when two tribes clash over scarce resources and that circumstances prevent one tribe from migrating away, thus exacerbating the conflict. The losing tribe ends up being absorbed by the victorious one, partially by joining the later, partially by feeding it.

Origin/Ancestry

Proper Species

Lifespan

60