Goblin Directions

The Goblinkind as well as those living with and around them usually do verbally communicate when they are together, in a group or recognize each other on the road. They'd speak the Common language in public unless they have something to share in secret - or Goblin - if they do.

However when they travel in bigger groups in larger distances - mainly as merchants or when looking for materials for their crafts or inspiration - they have a special "language" to communicate directions. It's not the most complex, even some smarter humans might be able to understand what the scribbles say, but to goblins more information is revealed when they find one of those on a tree, rock or made out of flowers in the middle of a field.

This note for example has three main sections: a number, a place and what's there. The three lines with the foot next to them signify "three days on foot". The tree next to them is the place - imagining that this note was found carved on a tree on the outskirts of a forest, the meaning becomes more than obvious. And then the two figures - a big and a small one are there to say "a village".

< - Should the one leaving the message decide they want to complicate it and make it harder to understand by random travelers they'd throw some of their writing in there. The message above is the same you see on the left.

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When finding and reading a message like this a goblin can smell the unique scent left by the "sender" and understand in this way where that individual was from. They can also see and decipher a hidden meaning or two in what might look like overlapping spots in the paint, a chip inside a certain symbol or letter or petals of a flower in a given spot missing.