Wirven Goblin

The vicious tricksters of the forests.

"We were so sure that they weren't hiding there! ... Every night before the attack, we went on patrols, and never heard anything. Then one night, the gate to the town had been opened, and one of those things lead an entire family of Ogres inside. We had to evacuate everyone immediately, and when we came back, the Ogres had smashed everything and left! We chased the last of the Goblins out, and spent months rebuilding. Then just last night, those Goblins leapt out from beneath the villagers' homes and lead the Ogres inside again!"

— Alfranza Gerfault, Militia-Captain of Sorden-Kreisse, Krezmany.

Wirven Goblins are descendants of Wyld Goblins⁣. They live in caves and ruins across the Krezmanic wilderness, often converting and repurposing abandoned locations as their own settlements. They are feared tricksters and will use a vast array of tactics against their enemies. A favourite tactic is to raid towns and driving their victims away from them, then hiding under the foundations of the buildings and tempting their victims to move back in, only to spring back out at night and take the humans' new supplies for themselves once more.
They are perceptive and intelligent, able to pick up new skills and languages simply by observing body language. For this reason, information spreads quickly between Wirven tribes.
Wirven also act as mediators and diplomats between other 'monsters' and of Oszmorthorn, such as Ratfolk and even clusters of giant Spiders and colonies of Arachnae. Ogres in particular see goblins as cute and will go out of their way to 'adopt' them. Once a Goblin has been adopted by an Ogre, the Goblin will lead it back to the tribe so the leader can initiate the Ogre into it as one of their own.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Wirven are short, green humanoids with long, pointed, droopy ears. Their eyes look like red dots, though the eyes of the more magically-gifted among them have been observed to change colour to match the colour of a spell they are casting or concentrating on. They have sharp, jagged teeth, that grow back when lost. They have extended arms that reach to their knees, and clawed hands and feet, each with sharp, rounded nails.

Genetics and Reproduction

Wirven pregnancy lasts three months. They are considered children at the age of five, an adolescent by the age of ten, and an adult by the age of sixteen.

Ecology and Habitats

Wirven tribes prefer to live closely to humans and are not bothered by the initial conditions of a location they choose to settle in. They will physically rectify any concerns they may have with their chosen location. They have been observed digging and living under the foundations of buildings, mining deeper into caves and hiding the entrance under shrubs and rocks, or in Goblin-made grottos beneath trees or near lakes.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The structure of a Wirven tribe closely resembles feudal court systems of old Krezmany, where the leader of the tribe, the 'kriegmaster', will appoint 'verstakke' to other trusted 'reckoners' in exchange for their protection and services. The Goblins beneath the reckoners help maintain the verstakke in exchange for its use, or go on raids with the reckoners to prove their worth.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Wirven are primarily located across Krezmany, with some straying as far as Iys'myria or Sin-Hallodri.

Average Intelligence

Wirven can adapt surprisingly well to any situation and despite their chaotic nature, and have been proven to outsmart Krezmanic armies with a seemingly endless array of unpredictable, unorthodox tactics. They have also mastered the act of diplomacy, able to incorporate almost any kind of species into their ranks as members of their tribes.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

A Wirven's senses are slightly better than the average humanoid's. They are able to pinpoint the location of a hidden target by hearing alone, and can see three times as far than a human's. Wirven are also sensitive to magic essence, and can feel detect lingering magical essence on their skin.
Wirven are also capable of communication on a pseudo-telepathic level. Though they cannot submit thoughts between one another, they have been observed almost working with a hivemind mentality. Wirven raids are mostly unplanned but are co-ordinated entirely through watching each others' movements and body language (save for one instance where plans to raid a small settlement were found with the only thing written on them being 'what would be funny this time?' followed by several suggestions made by other Wirven leaders.)

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Wirven speak Wirvenic and Krezmanic, though the latter of the two languages is usually unnecessary.

Common Dress Code

Wirven styles are not dissimilar to the trends seen in Krezmany. Males will try to find clothes or accessories that highlight their masculine qualities and could be considered 'handsome', while females will wear clothing they deem elegant enough. However, unlike Krezmanic styles, Wirven prefer clothing that is also innovative and practical. Examples include dresses made of leather and rags with compartments that can hide small weaponry, or vests that allow males to comfortably sling bows over their shoulders and hold them in place.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Wirven also create shrines and 'Londhetters' to mark significant areas of land. Interestingly, Wirven that have ventured as far as Iys'myria and found oramkoti (see Seureith Goblin⁣) have made londhetters surrounding them, earning the respect of the Iys'myria based tribes.
Each tribe has its own cultural heritage and memes that it passes onto new generations. These might include additional changes to naming conventions, a socio-political ideology, or a codified system and/or philosophy of martial combat.
Entertainment and the appreciation of culture is important among Wirven tribes. Each tribe will assign a 'zalinner' to record and recount significant happenings. These include alliances, raids, and parties. Zalinners are often instructed to embellish their stories or spread rumours if they are sure their enemies will hear about them as well, to provoke and demoralize their enemies. Furthermore, many tribes create their own forms of entertainment. In one tribe, the art of arena 'comedy fighting' is a popular genre of entertainment, wherein actors pretending to be fighters enact outlandish combat scenarios with the aim of making the audience laugh as hard as possible.
The appreciation of culture goes further than a Wirven tribe's own. Many Wirven tribes will spend large amounts of time studying their friends' and their foes' societies, marking culturally, politically, and socially significant elements to use later. It is not uncommon, therefore, for a tribe to adopt an ally's customs as a means of appreciating the values of their diplomatic ties. A tribe's enemies, however, will often see their own cultures turned against them. In one case, the city of Hreld fell victim to an infamous Zalinner's ruse of spreading rumours that maintaining impossible body images was considered high fashion (which lead to several casualities), and some now outlawed poems, jokes, and limericks (including the infamous 'Man Like No Other' limerick that the secretive queer communities of Krezmany have adopted as their own).

History

Time During the Krezmanic Revolution

Before the Krezmanic Civil War that drove the empire’s to revolt against the nobility for their ‘inexcusable delinquency’, the Wirven Goblins were seen as nothing more than a minor threat to the local towns. Occasionally, local Wirven tribes would pass through and barter their skills in exchange for supplies, but were more commonly fought against and were openly disliked by the Krezmanic people. They began to play pranks on the people - or, in some cases, whole towns - if they were slighted in any way.
A year before the Civil War erupted, the Lord-Knight of Kisselock, John Kratherholdt, began capturing and imprisoning Wirven in his castle. In response, the Wirven began to search for their missing companions, becoming much more aggressive against the people of Kisselock when none of them could give them a good answer. Battles broke out over Kisselock, forcing a stronger military presence in the local area. People began leaving Kisselock in large groups, but were forced back into the town by the Krezmanic military and ordered to pay higher taxes. Upon hearing this, the Wirven tribes stopped their violent altercations with Kisselock and formulated a plan to draw out the Lord-Knight of Kisselock.
The Wirven targeted the Krezmanic military, raiding and stealing their supplies. This prompted the military to depend heavily on the people, occupying their homes and forcing them to serve them hand-and-foot. Next, the Wirven started stealing weapons and armour from the armoury, notably the guardsmen’s shields. They blunted their swords and damaged the grips, then painted obscenities over them and placed them back into the people’s houses. The mass confusion that ensued saw many of the guards and civilians sentenced to death for mockery, and to dispose of the ruined weapons.
On the day of the mass execution, Kratherholdt had arrived to oversee the executions. The Wirven ambushed Kratherholdt, killing his guards and forcing him to publicly admit where he had been taking the Goblins. Kratherholdt admitted that his wife, Ariane Kratherholdt, had been selling them as 'pet' slaves to rich families. The people of Kisselock, angry at the Kratherholdt house and at the Wirven, retaliated in force. John Kratherholdt was killed in the town square. Word reached Hreld, capitol of Krezmany, and tensions rose between the common people and the nobility. The events at Kisselock became the tipping point of revolution following accusations of criminal conduct. The Krezmanic commonpeople eventually took to rioting in the streets, kidnapping and butchering the nobility. In the mass panic, several captured Wirven escaped.
Meanwhile, Wirven tribes across Krezmany staged a siege on the Kratherholdt manor, freeing their imprisoned companions. They also imprisoned Ariane in her cellar, tying her to a chair. The Wirven watched in silent victory as the manor was burned to the ground. Although the events that took place sparked war between Krezmany and Goblinkind, many Wirven (and other monster races) agree that the humans have too many differing opinions about other races to be trusted.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Wirven tribes are not restricted to just other Goblins, and have been described as large hordes. Wirven are known to incorporate other foreign and exotic beings into their tribes, most notably forest ogres who find Goblins cute and treat them as they would a pet. Other potential allies include ratfolk packs, domesticated wolves, and the rare clusters of giant spiders or arachni. The extent of the perspective the Wirven have of other species in their tribes varies depending on past alliances and/or experiences.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Wyld Goblin

Scientific Name

(Elven: de'os Wirven Ievernus)

Lifespan

100 - 150 years.

Average Height

0.5m - 1m.

Average Weight

30kgs. - 60 kgs.