Isle of Sky

[History]

What is our history compared to that of the Elves...or that of the Humans... Lives among the trees and the ever-expansive skies. We know not of such charmed lives. Ours is that of smoke and fire. The volcanic ash doesn't cease, the lava that flows ignites our towns and villages with ever-increasing fury. What goblin could believe in such a world, in gods who would see us perish amidst the sulfur. No. We should not be so callow as to trust that we shall be delivered by a righteous leader. No, instead we shall rise of our own resolve, dauntless in our pursuit, avoiding the pitfalls of the faint and feeble-minded. Swearing allegiance only to the prosperity of our people. We shall never be bowed, never contrite. No Gods, No Kings, No Debt.

-Larscone E. Hatchetwink

The ash clouds roll down the peaks of the isle as the fog washes in from the sea.  Leaving the entire island a wash with an ethereal haze as if stranded amongst the clouds and island of the sky.  This was the report the first human who discovered the island brought back to Alttanes.

Life on the Isle of Sky was difficult. A constant grind of warring tribal chiefs, and natural disasters that repeatedly decimated the Isle of Sky, combined with famine kept the population of goblin population artificially low. However, prior to Larscone organizing the goblin population exodus from the Isle of Sky, his father Philfer E. Hatchetwink brought an end to centuries-long skirmishes by uniting the goblin people as one tribe. Though this cost him his life, his legacy lived on in his progeny.
Even today, the Isle of Sky the most volcanically active place in Espen. But where some saw an island incapable of being tamed, the goblins saw an opportunity. The slurry that is created when flooding from the Espen's aggressive tides mixes with the silt and volcanic ash forming a mixture that when fired in the heat of volcanic fissures creates bricks that are known to stand the test of time.

[Culture]

Politics: The goblin governments of Hatchetwinks and Nattan Mal are a mix of Strict Bureaucracy and Nepotocracy respectively. Hatchetwinks is known for its strict adherence to its bureaucratic institutions, specifically its roles of High Appraiser, Master Trade Executor, Regional Executor, and HGIC (Head Goblin In Charge). The High Appraiser handles the trade and exchange rates between Goblin territories and other cultures. Master Trade Executors handle exchange rates at Hatchetwinks Outposts while regional Executors handle trades of goods and services, and the Head Goblin In Charge is responsible for Bank of Espen Operations within a given city.
Motto: No Kings, No Gods, No Debt. A remnant of the policies that have shaped Goblin culture since its inception, the Goblin people pride themselves on avoiding that which requires fealty. No kings ensure the people are never beholden to any leader that may lead them astray. No Gods ensures that Goblin politics are not dictated by Gods of any origin or discretion. No debt ensures that the Goblin people will never be beholden to any other culture in Espen.
Religion: A group of people, widely known as "faithless" the Goblins have no desire ot interest in converting or partaking in the faith of other cultures.
Banner: NGKD

[Locations]

The north end of the Isle of Sky was once the property of the Dead Ember Tribe; before signing the aPriori their tribe was responsible for the firing of a majority of the bricks on the island. Following the signing of the aPriori their role shifted, tasked with novel weapons research and development, Dead Ember is rumored to have an untold but formidable weapons cache.
With much of the volcanic activity and earthquakes constantly causing fissures in the land a rather unfortunate instance happened in the town of Nawater. A quiet goblin village that made its name in creating a number of dyes, paints, and abrasives. This was until an earthquake released a number of toxic elements into the town's water supply. This choked off the growth of the village and after an 89% drop in population, the village has renamed No Water and is now mostly abandoned. No Water, as the third village to commit to the aPriori, and in desperate need of resources found members of their villages working within the Bank of Espen and eventually working their way up to the H.G.I.C. role.
Limestock, is a village known for its namesake. Limes, a particular varietal native to the island, the trees of which grow substantially higher than other standard varietals. The wood from the trees is remarkably easy to work with and makes for strong barrels. The limes native to the area are also said to have a somewhat medicinal quality. As the second to last village to commit to the aPriori, many of the citizens of Limestock opted to remain out independent and profit from the local industry rather than commit to the goblins' new power structure.
The Nadin Nation is considered the oldest tribe and village on the Island of Sky and they purport to predate both the Dwarvish people and Genasi. Though their tribe is among the oldest dating back to the first days, the Nadin Nation was renowned for their pottery. Clay made from volcanic ash excels at heat retention and is remarkably durable. As the oldest tribe, they were the most resistant to the aPriori, many of the Nadin Nation broke away from the group that established Hatchetwink instead, settling in northern Espen, eventually becoming part of what is now Nattan Mal
Smoke Pont, known for its proximity to the most active volcanos on the island, Smoke Pont is also subject to the Westerly Winds that blow across the island deposing soot across the majority of the village and habitually covering the area in thick smog. While this has led to a number of oddities within the village such as the residents all having substantially deeper voices, and their clothing all having a unique level of heat resistance. As the second village to commit to the aPriori, many of the first Regional Executors were from this village.

Type

Conurbation