Goblin

Goblins are angry little monsters, usually eking out an existence raiding and stealing from the fringes of civilization. Each goblin is a tight wound little ball of spite and menace that lives for petty cruelty and selfish indulgence. But they have reason to be so angry. Goblins as a race are the butt of the joke and the runt of the litter and in a real cosmic sense the goblinoid people were left holding the short straw. Not all goblins seek petty revenge for their lot in life though and many goblin heroes have risen above their squalid origins.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Goblins are short and wiry goblinoids with flat faces, red or yellow eyes, bulbous noses, pointed ears, and sharp teeth. Their appearance isn’t helped by their lack of hygiene and they’re usually dressed in dirty leathers or tattered rags. Their skin color ranges through various shades of yellow, orange, and red, occasionally verging into green. Goblin tribes usually have a strong familial link, and most goblins of any given tribe usually share the same skin color. Goblins adore status symbols, and most goblins will bear some item or mark that in some way elevates them in goblin society. This could be anything from a piercing or tattoo, to some precious accessory pilfered from the outside civilization.

Civilization and Culture

History

In the eyes of most civilized races the goblins are on a borderline between person and vermin. They are perceived as savage thieves and opportunistic slavers, sadly, the goblins often reinforce this perception. Goblins are often enslaved by larger, smarter, and more cunning rulers, even their patron deity was enslaved making their souls forfeit from their ancestral afterlife. In turn, goblins take every opportunity to gain the upper hand, and relish every opportunity to enslave those weaker than themselves. Goblins test defenses by stealing objects, and when they find weakness, they start stealing people. Goblins perceive themselves as perpetually at the bottom underfoot, and they grasp tightly to any scrap of status or power they can find. Outsiders are usually surprised to learn that goblin tribes are made up of a rigid caste system. At the top of each tribe is a boss, often a cleric to a goblinoid god or a cunning raid leader whose success has earned them respect, or a cunning backstabber who grabbed control when the last boss died.

Lifespan

50 years