Hobgoblin
War is the lifeblood of hobgoblins. Its glories are the
dreams that inspire them. Its horrors don't feature in
their nightmares. Cowardice is more terrible to hobgoblins than dying, for they carry their living acts into the
afterlife. A hero in death becomes a hero eternal.
Young hobgoblins start soldiering when they can walk
and heed the mustering call as soon as they can wield
their weapons capably. Every legion in the hobgoblins'
entire society forever stands prepared for war.
Brutal Civility
Hobgoblins hold themselves to high standards of military honor. The race has a long history of shared traditions, recorded and retold to keep the knowledge fresh for new generations. When hobgoblins aren't waging war, they farm, they build, and they practice both martial and arcane arts. These trappings of civil society do little to conceal an underlying brutality that hobgoblins practice on each other and perfect upon other races. Punishment for infractions of hobgoblin law are swift and merciless. Beauty is something hobgoblins associate only with images of conflict and warfare. The iron grip their philosophy holds on their hearts blinds hobgoblins to the accomplishments of other peoples. Hobgoblins have little appreciation or patience for art. They leave little space for joyor leisure in their lives, and thus have no reserves of faith to call upon when in dire straits.Implaceable Gods
Hobgoblins revere two gods unique to their race, the only survivors of a pantheon that was decimated by Maglubiyet so long ago that hobgoblins don't remember the names of the fallen. Nomog-Geaya is the greater of the two and the more frequently honored. He is seen as a stoic, cold-blooded, and tyrannical leader, and hobgoblins believe he expects the same behavior from them. Bargrivyek is a god of duty, unity, and discipline, and he is thought to be pleased by displays of those principles. In the stories that hobgoblins tell one another, Bargrivyek serves as Nomog-Geaya's second in command. Nomog-Geaya would prefer the position were filled by someone more like himself, but Bargrivyek was all he was left with after Maglubiyet's conquest. Although both deities are ultimately beholden to Maglubiyet, the greater god allows them to retain a measure of their influence over the hobgoblins because their philosophies are in line with his own. Hobgoblins don't build temples to their gods, lest they displease Maglubiyet, but the few priests among them do tend small shrines and interpret the body of legends about their gods. Nomog-Geaya's priests always wield his favored weapons, a longsword and a handaxe. They are responsible for martial training as well as instruction in strategy and battlefield tactics. Bargrivyek's priests wield his symbol, a flail with a head dipped in white paint. They work as a police force in hobgoblin society, making judgments about honor, mediating disputes, and otherwise enforcing discipline.Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Hobgoblin personal names usually consist of a given name & the name of the band they were born into rather than a family name, even if that band has been disbanded or destroyed. This means that parent & child don’t always have the same family name & Hobgoblins born outside of a band have no family name.
Example Male Names: Aruget, Biish, Daavan, Dagii, Duulun, Fenic, Haruuc, Iizan, Jhezon, Krakuul, Kurac, Lhurusk, Mazaan, Muuka, Munta, Nasaar, Oraan, Okaat, Ruus, Saabak, Tasaam, Taak, Tariic, Thuun, Vanii, Vanon, Woshar
Example Female Names: Diitesh, Ekhaas, Jhazaal, Khaar, Kitaas, Mekiis, Razu, Reirie, Riila, Senen, Shaardat, Tuura
Example Clan Names: Baaz, Draet, Draguus, Gan’duur, Gantii Vus, Ghaal Sehn, Kuun, Mbar’ost, Mur Talaan, Nasaar, Rhukaan Taash, Shaart, Thaar, Uhl, Volaar
Major Language Groups and Dialects
You can speak, read & write both Common & Goblin.
Lifespan
80 Years
Average Height
5 Feet
Average Weight
200 Pounds
Related Ethnicities
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