Goblin
Grimmaw Goblins, Feywild Goblins, Goblin-kin
A subterranean folk, goblins can be found in every corner of the multiverse, often beside their bugbear and hobgoblin kin. Long before they arrived in Astrium, early goblins served in the court of the Queen of Air and Darkness, one of the Feywild’s archfey. Goblins thrived in her dangerous domain thanks to a special boon from her—a supernatural knack for finding the weak spots in foes larger than themselves and for getting out of trouble.
Goblins brought this fey boon with them to worlds across the Material Plane, even if they don’t remember the fey realm they inhabited before. Now many goblins pursue their own destinies, escaping the plots of both archfey and gods.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Goblins are small, bipedal humanoids with pointed ears, elongated limbs, and sharp, angled facial features. Their skin color ranges from mottled greens and dull browns to shades of blue-gray, a trait attributed to their fey ancestry. They have wiry, nimble bodies well-suited for climbing, hiding, and moving through rough terrain. Goblins possess sharp teeth and small, clawed fingers that aid in tunneling and handling tools.
Genetics and Reproduction
Goblins reproduce similarly to humans, with shorter gestation periods of around five months. They have high reproductive rates but face a correspondingly high mortality rate. Genetic traits related to strength, agility, and cunning tend to be dominant in each generation. Although they retain Fey ancestry, goblins in Astrium have lost much of the direct connection to magic, aside from specific fey-lineages or rare mutations.
Ecology and Habitats
Goblins are highly adaptive, preferring subterranean and mountainous habitats, especially around the Stronghold Mountains. This environment allows them to fortify their homes with natural barriers, defend against enemies, and remain connected to their fey origins. Goblins thrive in tight communities, tunneling and building networks within the mountains. Their societies place a high value on resourcefulness, using every natural advantage the terrain provides.
Behaviour
Goblins are cunning and opportunistic, inclined to form alliances with stronger entities for protection, but they are fiercely loyal to their kin. They exhibit highly organized social behavior within their own ranks, particularly in battle and territorial defense. Pragmatism governs most goblin interactions, though they are driven by a strong sense of pride and resilience in overcoming past biases. Community life is centered around Grimmaw Keep, where they work collectively on defense, trade, and crafting.
Additional Information
Average Intelligence
Goblins possess sharp, practical intelligence, often surpassing expectations in strategy, cunning, and innovation. They are especially adept at resource management and engineering traps or hidden mechanisms.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Goblins have keen night vision, with Darkvision allowing them to navigate darkness up to 60 feet. Their senses are fine-tuned for survival; they have acute hearing and a highly developed sense of smell, particularly sensitive to pheromones, which aids in communication and tracking.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Goblins favor single-syllable names for quick, efficient communication. Names are often rough and guttural, with additional syllables added to distinguish individuals within large groups. Some goblins take on “title names” like “Steelsnout” or “Darkstone” based on achievements or personal traits.
Beauty Ideals
Strength, agility, and resourcefulness are prized among goblins. Scars and rugged features are seen as marks of experience. Goblins also respect the bearing of enchanted or mystical items, as they often signify a connection to their fey ancestry or a personal triumph.
Gender Ideals
Goblins place minimal distinction between genders, viewing physical prowess, cunning, and loyalty to the tribe as paramount. Leaders can be of any gender as long as they demonstrate strength and wisdom. Both males and females are expected to contribute equally to defense, labor, and governance.
Courtship Ideals
Courtship among goblins is brief and pragmatic, with displays of strength, skill, and wit often forming the basis of attraction. Gifts of weapons or crafted items are common as symbols of respect, while hunting or sparring are typical bonding activities.
Relationship Ideals
Loyalty and cooperation are valued, as goblins live in close-knit groups that rely on each other for survival. Families are highly respected, though bonds are often informal, with the community serving as the primary support system. Romantic partnerships are celebrated but rarely prioritized over the needs of the clan.
Common Etiquette Rules
Goblin etiquette centers on efficiency and practicality. They respect silence during tasks and express themselves through body language as much as words. Eye contact is considered confrontational, so goblins usually keep their gaze averted unless challenged or addressing a superior.
Common Dress Code
Goblins wear simple, durable garments suited for their rugged environment. Leather armor, furs, and patchwork clothing are common, often accessorized with trinkets or tokens from past battles. They also wear tribal markings, dyes, and occasionally fey-inspired charms as protective symbols.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The Night of a Thousand Sparks (28th Thundralis) - a raucous and joyous holiday celebrated by goblins within the Stronghold Mountains. This festive day honors the ingenuity, mischief, and survival instincts of the goblin people. As night falls, the goblins light up the mountains with countless small, improvised fireworks, alchemical flares, and glowing lanterns, creating a dazzling display of light across the darkened peaks.
The holiday begins with goblins competing in games of trickery, invention, and pranks, where the most creative and cunning are awarded with treasures and bragging rights. As the night progresses, the goblins gather for feasts and storytelling, recounting tales of cleverness and daring exploits. The culmination of the holiday is the grand fireworks display, where goblins unleash their carefully crafted pyrotechnics, filling the sky with bursts of colorful flames and sparking embers.
The Night of a Thousand Sparks is a celebration of goblin wit, resourcefulness, and chaotic brilliance, and serves as a reminder of their vibrant spirit in the face of the often harsh world they inhabit.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Goblins hold a mixed heritage of fey customs and pragmatic traditions developed in Astrium. They celebrate cunning, strategy, and survival, often incorporating fey symbols into their structures and rituals. The Queen of Air and Darkness still holds a place in goblin mythology, though few remember her directly.
Observed Traditions / Common Customs:
- Bloodsworn Day: An annual celebration where goblins honor their survival and unity with the other goblinoid kin. It includes feasts, sparring matches, and storytelling of their past victories.
- Lesser Offerings: Small, symbolic gifts of food, trinkets, or scavenged metal are offered at shrines around Grimmaw Keep, honoring fey ancestors.
Common Taboos
Breaking Loyalty: Betrayal of the goblin kin is seen as the ultimate disgrace.
Interference with Ancestors’ Rest: Disturbing burial sites or disrespecting fallen kin is strictly forbidden, believed to bring curses from the Feywild.
History
Originally monsterous beasts, goblins were savages running around through the country and were an unbiased plague on the world that attacked either armies in the Pandora War, often having each side abandon a battleground with the sheer numbers of the force the goblins brought along.
During the Aurora Coven's plot to overthrow Astrium, brought something unexpected, the Goblins of the Feywild that had been subservient to the Queen of Air and Darkness and underground for so long. These goblins are distinct in nature from the monstrous golbins of Astrium.
Over the years, the goblins have worked hard to seperate themselves from the monsters of the past to try and make a foothold for in the politics of Astrium to try and make a name for themselves, taking out the Astrium golbins that dare venture into the stronghold mountains that some fey creatures call home.
The Goblins have formed an alliance with the hobgoblin and bugbears to make a settlement for themselves hoping to build it big enough for it to be a named settlement under the name - Grimmaw Keep.
Common Myths and Legends
The Shattered Path: A legend about goblins who venture too far into the Feywild, encountering a path that fractures reality, leading some to turn into shadowy figures or gain unpredictable powers.
The Queen’s Gift: Stories of the Queen of Air and Darkness who gifted goblins with “Fury of the Small” to help them survive the Feywild’s treacherous landscape, even after being cast out. The myth serves as a reminder of goblin resilience and adaptability.
Scientific Name
Goblinus Feywildi
Lifespan
40-60
Average Height
3-4 feet
Average Weight
40-50 pounds
Average Physique
Small and wiry, with lean muscles adapted for agility over brute strength. Goblins are adept climbers and diggers, with a hunched posture that makes them hard to spot in low light.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Goblins’ skin tones include various greens, browns, and occasionally blue-gray hues. They may have mottled or speckled markings, which serve as camouflage in their natural environments. Their eyes are typically yellow or orange, aiding in low-light vision.
Geographic Distribution
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