Wyld Goblin

The progenitors of magick and all goblinkind.

"Their genius taught us that there is another side to us as a whole. We are as quick to act as we are to judge, but we are as quick to block fact as we are to entertain fiction. We may never know why they took those people, if they even stole them from us at all."

— Helter Sanswick, Krezmanic Knight-Captain.

Wyld Goblins were a diminuitive race of humanoids best known for introducing magick to the world of Oszmorthorn, and for their ability to live in harsh conditions, such as wetlands, barrens, and weirded lands⁣. The earliest recorded appearances of Goblins depict them as trickster-like archetypes in Human fables and mythology, either using their magick to help them prepare for a natural disaster, warding off evil entities, or tricking villainous families out of valuable possessions. Their emergence from their isolated tribes a decade following their initial arrival, to request the help of their most trusted confidantes in preventing the corruption that befell the Wyldinglands, lead to much confusion. Those who agreed to help were never seen again, sparking initial distrust in all Goblinkind that was ultimately solidified by the Cilithorian Elves' fear-mongering that they had 'stolen' hundreds of people for an unknown purpose.
Many other races saw - and continue to see - Wyld Goblins as threats and will capture or kill them on sight. Because of this, Wyld Goblins sightings quickly became a very rare occurence. They were forced to adapt and hide their presence, but eventually evolved into other species of Goblins, such as the Kruhlmaak⁣, Seureith⁣, and Wirven⁣ Goblins.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Wyld Goblins were short, greyish humanoids, with arms comparatively longer than other humanoids (going down to their knees). They had black beady eyes, long pointed ears that drooped behind their heads at the tips, a short black snout, long sharp teeth, and a slight overbite allowing their teeth to fit over their lower lip and jaw. They also had large clawed hands and feet, with thick pointed nails.

Genetics and Reproduction

Contrary to other races, Wyld Goblins reproduced by feeding off the arcane and empathic energies given off by other mortal races. When a Goblin had over-fed, the excess energy would create another Goblin. It is believed that this process was instantaneous.

Ecology and Habitats

There were seemingly no correlation of the 'best environments' for Wyld Goblins to thrive in, as they would adapt their repetoire of magical powers to live comfortably wherever they choose. It is easy to assume, based on the number of early folktales, that many early Goblins would follow travellers to their homes (villages, towns, cities, etc.), where they would hide and feed on the latent arcane and emotional energies in the area. The more populated an area, the more Goblins would thrive. Should a Wyld Goblin not have a source of emotional energy to feed from, they would use their magical powers to lure victims to areas with little to no activity (such as ruins, caves, or swamps) and feed on their emotional energy. In all of these instances, the Goblin would help their victim continue on their journey, following them until they arrived at a new source of energy.
Newly created Wyld Goblins required a short period for which they attuned to the world and their surroundings, and would develop magical powers best suited for their continued survival and methods of eliciting emotions to feed on. As these Goblins got older, they would learn more spells and pass on their strongest spells to others. A Goblin born in a wet environment may learn to control water, and may teach another Goblin this power in exchange for information on rich sources of emotional energy to feed on.
The death of a Wyld Goblin was a rare occurence, as they are, seemingly, physically ageless. The only way to kill a Wyld Goblin was to starve them or destroy their body outright. Their deaths would release their magical powers onto the land would weird⁣ it by distorting the immediate area and changing the metaphysical rules that affected it.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Wyld Goblins fed exclusively on arcane and emotional energies. Contrary to popular belief, the process of feeding does not harm the 'victim'; the process can temporarily depress emotions experienced by the individual, even easing trauma and stress. Once the Goblin has finished feeding, the individual experiences their emotions and any changes as normal.

Biological Cycle

Wyld Goblins were highly social creatures, and would often roam in large groups in order to find suitable tracts of land they could best use their powers to live comfortably in. When they had found an area everyone was comfortable with, they would establish themselves in that area, using their powers to disguise their homes as overgrown wilderness. For this reason, Wyld Goblins who could manipulate the elements were highly desired to build their homes, and would sometimes be employed from other tribes to assist in developing the surrounding lands to their needs.
Wyld Goblins were not affected by seasonal changes as other Oszmorthornian beings; in fact, many folktales and legends heavily imply that the more magically attuned Goblins were responsible for strange changes in the world's ecosystems. Wyld Goblin leaders were often shaman-like healers or powerful magick tricksters, depending on what the tribe needed.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Hierarchy in a Wyld Goblin tribe followed a loose form of meritocracy, where the most able of Goblins performed necessary roles while the most feeble or weak assisted however possible otherwise. However, unspoken ideals within a tribe lent the perspective that certain roles were far more respected, such as the shaman and healers. However, as long as the tribe was able to care for everyone as a whole, outside observations concluded that Wyld Goblins considered this the best possible situation regardless of social ranking.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Although Wyld Goblins are a very rare sight even now, many races will often go out of their way to track and even capture live specimens to harness magical energies from; as magic bloodlines stemmed from an alliance or friendship with Wyld Goblins, they are seen as an invaluable resource for magical essence.

Facial characteristics

Wyld Goblins had light-greyish skin and black hair. They had short snouts and long, jagged teeth jutting out over their jaw. Unlike other races, Wyld Goblins had different coloured eyes which could be almost any hue.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

There were no preferable countries or environments for Wyld Goblins to live in, as many different races had their own stories recounting their encounters with Goblins. The first recorded instance of their appearances were around Humankind, followed closely by Dwarves.

Average Intelligence

Wyld Goblins were believed to be exceptionally intelligent and wily people, able to weave arcane energies with ease. As a comparison, many magically gifted beings require at least a decade to study a basic assortment of spells. Wyld Goblins harnessed even the most complicated of spells in months.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Wyld Goblins were known to have a supernatural range of senses that could develop further at any time due to their latent magical energies. Such abilities included hearing high and low pitched noises undetectable to other races, razor-sharp eyesight and reflexes, and the ability to sustain and heal themselves by feeding off arcane and empathic energies.
Early myths suggest they had advanced forms of magic, able to turn invisible, teleport vast distances, and put people to sleep. It has become increasingly difficult to determine whether or not there was a limit to what spells a Wyld Goblin could develop. They could also grant magical ability to other races, most notably Humans, Dwarves, and Elves.
Wyld Goblins were also able to understand and translate any spoken language. However, following their disappearance, this ability has slowly changed so that their descendants can understand other Goblinkind languages, but learn others as 'normal'.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Wyld Goblins gave themselves names based on the things they like the most, experience first, or what their preferred job in a tribe was. This is considered an extension of a Goblin's personality, a belief commonly referred to in different Goblin cultures today. The names of notable Wyld Goblins are also chosen by their descendants in honour of their ancestor's deeds.
Unisex Names Appleplanter, Eelwatcher, Floodbringer, Lakehealer, Riverflow, Treeclimber, Windcaller.
Wyld Goblin tribes were named by the two most distinguishing features in the area they settle in, followed by the name of the leader. The tribe's name would change from time to time, such as when a new leader was chosen or if their home grounds had changed.

Relationship Ideals

Courtship between Wyld Goblins was closer to a platonic bond, and extended to other races. Wyld Goblins did not find others physically attractive, but rather are attracted to one another by their personality and abilities. For example, a Wyld Goblin who creates a beautiful shrine in honour of the tribe's deities is attractive for their ability to realize beauty.
Wyld Goblins would bond with a being that interests them the most; the more a potential partner knows - whether it is intrigue, their set of skills, or otherwise - the more desirable they became. Once a bond had been established, the Wyld Goblin would share as much information as they know, and would expect the same. This included spells and magical powers. They would treat their partner as part of their tribe and, if their partner had a family outside of the tribe, regard them as part of the tribe as well. If the bond was broken, the ex-partner was still considered part of the tribe.
Mutual trust and transparency in a Wyld Goblin bond was paramount. Those who hid information from their partner were considered undesirable partners, while those who share with them were considered to be very respectable. Broken bonds could still end on amicable terms if both partners were open and transparent with each other.

Average Technological Level

Wyld Goblins did not rely overly on the development of physical technology, but their magical prowess was unmatched. Theoretically, as they had taught the mortal races how to use magic, the theoretical cap of arcane knowledge was first named after them: 'Wyld-like'.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Strangely, some off-hand accounts of Wyld Goblins note that their history extends far beyond their appearance in Oszmorthorn; that they had lived for a much longer period of time in the Wyldinglands. They are best known for introducing magic to the world, and for being instructors to the mortal race. To be as 'smart as you are wyld' was a play-on-words complimenting magic users. They are heralded as the 'progenitors of magic', depicted as wily and uniquely smart.
Many Wyld Goblin tribes were once closely linked with the major empires and domains of the world before their uniting under the Majesty Cross, teaching their people how to harness and use magic and arcane power. The Wyld Goblins that survived the betrayal, culling, and capture of their kind harbour a deep grudge against the Majesty Cross. However, centuries of information pertaining to the periods in which Goblins were not at odds with other races has been erased from the libraries and archives of many large cities, making information on the Wyld Goblin's cultural heritage and significance difficult to obtain.

History

Arrival in Oszmorthorn

The exact moment Wyld Goblins came into existence is a subject for debate among the scholars of the major powers of Oszmorthorn, as there are numerous conflicting reports (especially from the perspective of the Humans. They arrived in Oszmorthorn in the tenth decade. Many early Wyld Goblins ventured out and fed off the energies of small towns and villages before moving onto larger cities. Following their discovery, many Wyld Goblins quickly befriended the races they had been watching; they offered their knowledge to the most trustworthy among them, while tricking their enemies or anyone who would attempt to harm them.
Many years would pass, and connections between Wyld Goblins and the races of Oszmorthorn flourished. Research into the arcane began, and many Wyld Goblins were at the forefront, guiding their allies and their neophyte initiates. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, however, a serious cataclysmic event struck the Wyldinglands; though exact knowledge of what the event was is scarce and at best circumstantial even in the dozens of archived diaries and notes about Wyld Goblin encounters. The two years prior to the Wyld Goblins’ withdrawal from Oszmorthorn is considered the ‘peak’ of the arcane research from this period.

Retreat to the Wyldinglands

In a bid to find more hands to save the Wyldinglands, many Wyld Goblins offered their closest allies and confidants a choice: to come to the Wyldinglands with them; or to stay in Oszmorthorn. Many chose to go to the Wyldinglands to help, never to be seen again. The Wyld Goblins that stayed behind did so to allow passage between the Wyldinglands and Oszmorthorn. But the disappearance of these people bred distrust in the perceptions of Wyld Goblins. Many thought that these people had been kidnapped. Among the most active were the Cilithorian Elves, the Dwarves of Erd-Honn, and the Humans of the Krezmanic Empire.

Impact

These three factions banded together to hunt the remaining Wyld Goblins, capturing and forcing them to grant their magical powers to their soldiers so that they could use them to take their people back. The Wyld Goblins that were captured were killed once they were no longer useful. Their success was short-lived, as many Wyld Goblins went into hiding, slowly ‘devolving’ into the prominent Goblin subspecies that live in Oszmorthorn. These new Goblins fight to avenge their ancestors, believing that the Empires of the Majesty Cross do not deserve their magical powers.

Genetic Descendants

• Kruhlmaak Goblin
• Seureith Goblin
• Wirven Goblin

Scientific Name

(Elven: de'os Wyldir Ievernus)

Origin/Ancestry

Wyldfolk

Lifespan

Ageless.

Average Height

1m - 1.5m

Average Weight

25kgs - 40kgs.

Average Physique

Physique, agility, and overall health among Wyld Goblins scaled wildly between recounts, so it is generally accepted that like other races, these attributes varied depending on their role in a tribe.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Males and females had darker and lighter skin respectively, and rash-like patterns covering their abdomen and stomach.