The Caverns of Tamagan

The Hobgoblins have an ancient tale told around the campfire on the darkest of nights. After the feasting, and boasting, and drinking are done. After the Varg have drifted off into their canine slumber. The war-band's Shaman will spit in the fire and begin to tell the tale of Tonkek and the Caverns of Tamagan.

"Once, long ago, before the now, and even before the was, there, in the green-time lived a hob known as Tonkek. As with all hobgoblins who lived in the green-time, Tonkek served the Orcish masters of the Ulugen Empire. This was the time when the unspoken still walked the world, and the villainous elves had not yet committed their heinous betrayal.

Tonkek bristled under the yoke of servitude, and swore to the darkness of night that he would see the hobgoblin peoples free from their bondage. The night heard his boastful lament and answered on a breeze blown in from the sea. It whispered to him to leave the steppe and go west, through the Baruun Woods (what humans foolishly call the Elfwood), and find the sulfurous caverns of Tamagan. There, the night whispered, is where power to free the hobgoblins from their torment can be found.

So, Tonkek left his home on the Narrow Steppe and went west into the foreboding Baruun Woods. There he fought fey-hounds, and faeries, and even the very trees. Long did he struggle, but he found his way free and out the other side into a land made of many multitudes of hills.

These rolling hills Tonkek found himself in seemed to go on forever. Tonkek became lost looking for the caverns that the night whispered into his ear. He wandered through the hills for 46 days. Twice, while the wicked moon hid its face from the world, the night came and whispered disappointment to Tonkek. It burned like venom in his ear. All this while Tonkek fought and struggled against the beasts that called this land home. 
 He tricked the Pyraus Bull into breathing fire on its own tail, which sent it running off to another land. 
 He talked a young dragon into trading its forelimbs for a new name, making the very first wyvern.
He taught a manticore how to dance to the rhythms of the war-drum.
All this and more did Tonkek do as he wandered the western hills looking for the Caverns of Tamagan.  And late on his forty-sixth day in the hills, Tonkek found the caverns.  The stench of sulfurous death filled the air around the entrance to the caverns.  Tonkek went down into this foul place to retrieve the gift of power promised by the night.  Many where the denizens of the deep places that he fought and defeated. 
As the air grew hot and heavy deep within the caverns, Tonkek found himself facing off against two massive wolves.  Wolves greater than any Tonkek had ever seen.  Tonkek had exausted nearly all his resources to get to this place.  All he had was a thick walking stick, a ball made from a scorch salamander's hide, and the remains of a corpse crawler that he had barely defeated the day before, and had not yet cooked up.  With these tools, he set to tame the magnificent wolf beasts. After eight days of struggle, the great wolves bowed to Tonkek, and recognized him as their pack leader.  Together the three of them went to speak with the master of Tamagan.
In the deepest chamber of the caverns, far beneath the surface, where the walls drip with magma, there is a throne of red-hot stone.  Here sits the master of Tamagan. Here sits the Erlikahn.  The Erlikahn demanded to know what had brought Tonkek so deep into his realm.  The force of the Erlikahn's will drug forth an answer from the depths of Tonkek's very being.  Tonkek told of the promise of power that the night had made to him. The Erlikahn laughed and said that Tonkek had won the affection of the Varg.  There was no greater gift the Erlikahn could give.  Tonkek bowed and left the overpowering presence of the Erlikahn. He was satisfied with his reward.
On their trip back to the narrow steppe, no creature bothered them, or hindered their travels.
With the power of the Varg, Tonkek and the Hobgoblins threw off the shackles of the Orcs, and claimed the Narrow Steppe as their own.  Never again would we bear the yoke of servitude to another species as master!"

You are bothering me to ask about Hobgoblin origin stories? Clearly your duties are too light. I will need to speak to someone about that.

— Loremaster Rovert Ornald

Date of Setting

Before the first stars shone in the sky.

Related Species

• Hobgoblin

Related Locations

• Hauteur Hills
• The Elfwood
• The Narrow Steppe