Garl

Brown Goblins

The garl are a particularly nasty breed of feral Goblin that live in the remote river valley, known as Hoti Canyon, part of the northwestern region of the Areian Peaks, on the Thorn Horn of Tinjir. These creatures are the stuff of nightmares, even for the local Orc that control the region.

Garl are small for goblin kind, averaging at two feet tall. Some can stand at three feet, but they are often killed by the others out of jealousy. They have what some have called a 'cute ugliness' to them, and will play up this innocent appeance to get close to unwary prey. The creatures have no concept of shame or modesty, and will rarely wear clothing. Those that do wear garments should be the most feared. These garments are made from the remains of clothing or flesh ripped from victims. A trophy that the Garl wear with pride. Garl skin is near universally green. The goblins, however, will cover the skin in the mud and dust of the region to blend better with the rocks and dirt.

The most unnerving aspect of these goblins are their wide bulging eyes. Eyes that grow wider and unblinking when the see their prey. Once they have locked onto a victim, these eyes follow it unceasing until it is dead or they are.

These goblins have no social structure or hierarchy. They are individualist, selfish, and greedy, taking what they want, even from their own kin, if they have the strength to do so. Though they move around in family clusters, there is no loyalty between them. They will work together to take down a larger foe, but will quickly abandon each other if their prey looks to win the fight. This loose social structure only exists became they know they cannot survive on their own. A lone goblin will be easy prey for others of their kind, as well as predators of other species.

Though it has not ill effect on them, Garl hate sunlight, never coming out of their caves when the sun is in the sky. The one exception to this is when human meat enter their homeland. Their favored food, the creatures will rush into the sunlight to get a taste of that meat. Once the sun sets and the moons come out, hundreds of these monsters swarm out of their caves to hunt and eat. They can live on nearly any organic matters, including grass, leaves, and even wood. That said, meat in the preferable meal. This includes their own kind if the opportunity arises. Nights in Hoti Canyon often sees the river red with streams of blood flowing down to the sea.

Garls are a fast-breeding species with no mating rituals, if a male can get his hands on a female he will try to mate with it. This often leads to the death of one of them. Pregnancy almost guaranteed with a successful encounter. Births are nearly always twins or triplets, sometimes more. Garls reach what is considered their adulthood in two years. Most children will not make it to adulthood, however, killed by a hungry Garl when the mother is not looking, or sometimes even the mother herself if she is hungry enough. The birthrate is so high that some scholars have estimated the whole of the Farlands and maybe Ethae would be overrun with these creatures if they were not killing each other nearly as fast as they reproduce.

Garls have no fear and show a deep cunning. Add to this a near lustful joy in causing painful death and you have one of the most evil creatures that walks the lands of Ethae.