Skittertongues
The Skittertongue Clan is a nomadic and silver-tongued goblin clan that survives not by strength or savagery, but through secrets, trade, and deception. Found across the Icy Wastes and beyond, Skittertongues are known for their remarkable linguistic skills, their obsession with gossip and information, and their uncanny ability to strike deals even with enemies mid-battle.
They are physically slight, with larger eyes and ears than most goblins, giving them a wide-eyed, ever-listening appearance. Skittertongues are dressed in layered patchwork garb sewn from flags, scrolls, parchment scraps, and stolen noble sashes—trophies of the knowledge they’ve acquired and the people they've tricked.
Structure
The Skittertongues are led by the Whisperskein, a figure chosen not for age or power, but for their ability to speak any known language and recite the entire Web from memory.
Other key roles include:
- Tongue-Weavers – Linguists and code-makers
- Echo-Fangs – Stealthy spies trained to mimic voices
- Tradebinders – Diplomats and contract-enforcers
- Knot-Lores – Goblins who craft magical speech-knots to store or obscure information
Culture
The core tenet of Skittertongue life is "information is power." Their societies revolve around oral tradition, coded speech, and language games, and young Skittertongues are taught to eavesdrop before they can walk.
Key beliefs:
- A Word Well-Used Can Change a War – Skittertongues believe assassination is crude; ruining someone with blackmail or deception is far more elegant.
- Truth Is a Tool – They are not inherently dishonest, but wield truth and lies as interchangeable weapons.
- The Web Remembers – Every clan member is expected to contribute to the “Web,” their collective oral history and secret-lore network.
They do not build permanent settlements, instead living in roving trade-caravans hauled by woolly dire-goats and frost lizards. These caravans often appear after battles, sieges, or disasters—ready to barter food, medicine, or information in exchange for secrets, artifacts, or future favors.
History
One legend says that the first Skittertongue learned to speak from a dreaming god, and in doing so stole a fragment of the divine language. Others whisper that the Web itself is sentient, and that old Skittertongues who “fade into silence” are devoured by it to keep their secrets preserved.
Among the Windcloaks and certain noble courts, there’s an old saying:
“If a Skittertongue knows your name, it’s already too late.”
Foreign Relations
- Ash-Ears: Tolerated as volatile clients—often bartering weapon blueprints or powder recipes in exchange for gossip
- Frost-Nibblers: Respected for their traps and quick wit, often allies in joint sabotage
- Mawgrin Kin: Feared and avoided. Skittertongues claim the Mawgrin's god "eats voices"—a fate worse than death
- Dwarves & Elves: Somewhat accepted, especially those who value trade. Dwarves find their talk maddening, while elves find them amusing
Trade & Transport
The Skittertongues are expert haggling merchants and information brokers. Common trade goods include:
- Rare gossip, blackmail, or troop movements
- Forgotten arcane phrases, lost languages, or translation services
- Stolen ledgers, diaries, or command orders
- Minor enchanted trinkets bartered from careless mages
In conflict, they avoid direct violence. If forced into battle, they rely on:
- Confusion Bombs – Alchemical concoctions that cause hallucinations, mimic whispers, or scramble spoken commands
- Mimic Masks – Shifting masks that imitate the voices of leaders or loved ones to disorient foes
- Babelknots – Magical knots tied from speech-threads that can mute, translate, or garble language
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