Goblin
Torgar – Day 4, Fifthday, Firstmark, The Crimson Moon, 534 AC
We have trudged through these blasted mines for four days now – eternally in velvet darkness. My eyes, however, seem to have adjusted well to the shadows of torchlight. It’s my ears that do not fare well. The quite howl of wind through the tunnels was disturbing at first, but now it seems to have faded into the background – like the cry of street vendors do in Karradone. I’ve even gained immunity to the yowls of pain echoing from below – prisoners being tortured by the denizens of these mines – or perhaps the damned lamenting their fate. No, it’s the scurrying to which my ears cannot adjust. The pitter-patter of tiny feet and the scratching of plague-ridden claws. Rats. Thousands of them. Writhing in the filth of the mines – feeding of the wastes of larger predators.
I suppose that these noises to could fade into the background – written off as one writes off the birds singing along the Selkirn River on a spring day. Except, of course, that it is not always the rats making the noise. Too often the scurrying is followed by the twang of a bow string and the wet thud of that Goblin’s arrow striking flesh. Not just one arrow – either. They come in volleys. They have since we entered these cursed mines. In the entrance way, not ten minutes after entering the mines, he felled Wesley, our mage. Appeared from nowhere, dropped four poisoned arrows into his chest, and vanished. Oh – we killed his comrades that day – any others – by the score. But he is immortal. Lao-Tsi threw him from off the cliff. That day – yet he lived. It’s not the damned of Torgar that curse this place – its HIM. Perhaps he is one of the damned himself – but I doubt it.
On the second day he slew the Elynthi. While I admit, Reshni was not the most pleasant companion – with his dark rituals and foul sounding prayers – he was handy with a sword. Yet Reshni never save him. He simply opened a door, stared down the darkness of the stairs, and watched as three arrows struck him in the eye. The door slid shut behind him and no one moved. No one dared to open it again –even to retrieve the body.
It was then that Mwangangi swore he would kill him. Archer to archer. The greatest challenge to his century of youth. The feat that would make him a man. Thrunk, the hulking monstrosity of an Ork agreed. He died on the third day. Enraged, he charged the goblin spearmen as they fled. I yelled for him. Even though he was an Ork – he was the best warrior we had. I knew it as soon as he turned the corner. I knew it before the twang filled the air. Three hundred pounds of charging Ork turned into a pincushion. Mwangangi called out to him. A challenge. He demanded his name. A cackle echoed down the tunnels – shrill and arrogant. “Sliver,” it said. Sliver. That is what I call this curse. Sliver’s Curse.
Today is Day 4. Lao-Mi, the brother of the silent Lao-Tsi has located the entrance to the Goblin city. We plan to assault them after my watch. Like a band of blood thirsty brigands – all anyone can think of is a massacre. If we kill them all – we are bound to get him.
— From the last entry from the journal of Agarin Firebeard, Khadric Spelunker
Personality
Goblins are selfish, lazy creatures. Coupled with their natural cowardness and paranoia, it is amazing that they have survived as a race, let alone build a culture. In fact, there are a few key traits that have led to their success on Tarien. First, Goblins are clever. Despite the fact that most other races consider Goblin’s as stupid, they are quite clever in their schemes to avoid work, avoid trouble, and fill their belly. Secondly, Goblin’s are selfish, to extreme. While an Ork will follow orders to protect a tribe because he understands that it is his job, and the tribe is his home, a Goblin will just as soon backstab his tribal leader and make a new home elsewhere than follow any sort of dangerous directive. In general, Goblins value wealth, food, and power. As untrustworthily creatures, they will use guile, violence, and bribery to achieve these goals. They rarely fight when outnumbered, though are fond of ambushing lone or small parties of travelers to relieve them of their loot.
A Goblin tribe has little structure or law. In general, the bigger goblins are employed by the smarter ones, who use them to bully the weaker goblins into doing their bidding. Power changes hands constantly, with the deposed suffering gruesome punishments and often left to grovel publicly, while privately plotting a revolution of their own. Goblins do not mate for life and children are not typically reared by their parents. Instead, female goblins take turns looking after the flock of young goblins whether or not any of them are their own. Males have little presence in the child-rearing process and feel no empathy for their own children.
Physical Description
Goblins are short creatures, averaging four feet in height, with gray-green skin. They have large golden eyes almost bat-like ears. They are, however, muscular and wiry for their size. Typically, they walk in a slouch, with their long arms and slender fingers almost touching the ground.
Goblins wear whatever they can find. While they appreciate finer clothing, few goblins have the skills to make it. Instead, they often piece their wardrobe together from their plunder – mismatched outfits and armor are common.
Goblins are not clean creatures, and often have mud, dirt, and dried blood on their faces and clothing. The smell of goblin is generally enough to cause a human comment, and over powering to races with more sensitive noses.
Relations
Goblins don’t get along particularly well with any of Tarien’s races. Elynthi and Orks will use goblins as slaves form menial tasks.
Given a history of violence, most races will attack Goblins on sight – considering them more of a vermin that a sentient creature.
Alignment
Goblin society is chaotic and selfish. Most goblins tend toward chaotic evil. Those with differing views rarely have the cutthroat ideology to survive in tribal life.
Goblin Lands
Goblins occupy the foot-hills and low mountains across Tarien. They migrate from place to place often, building their homes in caves. Tribes constantly bicker and splinter, leading to new Goblin outposts in nearby and far-flung places.
Religion
Goblins, like Orks, worship the god Grashua. They often feel as if their deity favors their Orkish brethren, however, and do not hesitate to curse him for the misfortunes.
Language
The Goblin language is coarse and base. Derived from Orkish, it has dozens of words for torture and none for friendship (the closest is ally). Written Goblin is generally not used and its pictographs are limited to simple concepts, objects, and names.Names
Goblins have short, foul-sounding names like Grzzt, One-Eye, Jax, and Sliver.
Adventuring
Goblins adventure to gain power and amass wealth. Those that venture into the civilized world face the prejudices of their race, regardless of their true personalities. Their suspicious characters often make them difficult companions.
The worst part of the siege was not lack of food or water or even defending the walls. It was the constant slow beat of their drums every night. From sundown to sunup it never ceased, a low, constant reminder of death echoing in the darkness.
An Goblin Watches from the Trees in the Hinterlands
Related Organizations
Goblin Racial Traits
- Ability Scores: Goblins have a +2 to Dexterity and +1 to Intelligence. The are agile and cunning.
- Size: Small.
- Speed: Goblin base speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision: An Elynthi can see up to 60 feet in dim light as if it were brightlight and in darkness as if it were dim light.
- Always On Edge: Life toward the bottom of the civilized food chain has taught Goblins to be aware of their surroundings and they gain the Alert Feat.
- Goblin Luck: Goblins generally survive by their wits, but a little bit of luck doesn't hurt. When they roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, they can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
- Natural Riders: Goblin ride wolves, lions, or any other creature that might give them an edge in battle. They gain advantage on any skill check made while riding or handling a mount.
- Nimble Escape: The goblin can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.
- Small Combatant: Goblins are adept at dodging larger creatures and can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than themselves.
- Sneaky: Keeping to the shadows keeps Goblins alive. All goblins have the Stealth proficiency.
- Automatic Language: Goblin
- Bonus Languages: Choose two of the following: Azermathian, Eldorian, Flind, Galencian, Giant, Orkish, Yatian, Zennonaize. A Goblin may elect to spend one of these slots to learn to read and write one of their languages instead.