Tribal Goblins

The first goblin nations

They are hardly more the mere beasts. Brutal, crud, cruel and savage.
To them those whom kill rule, and you keep what you kill. Those a chieftains murderer rules after his foal deed.
They are as a pack of savage beasts, hunting, killing and stealing as they see fit. Those whom bring meat or loot to their tribe are seen as heroes.
Yet there is noting so craven as a lone goblin! They are vermin, and I say that they are the gods only true mistake in this world!
I say we slay them all!
/Prince Aldamir medi Henadra

Mainstays of the Culture

The tribal goblins are in many ways a very primitive culture, yet this goblins are skilled blacksmiths, miners and warriors. As a people they believe in the right of might, those whom are stronger rule the weaker leaving no room for higher forms of diplomacy. The life of a tribal goblin is more often then not brutal and short, whit only the most brutal living to see old age.

The role of women

Among tribal goblins all women, goblin or other wise, are seen as little more then possessions. A goblin man may take any women owned by the tribe as his own. Tribal goblins do not have marriages like most other cultures. Instead a women belongs to the man whom has taken her. Those all a goblin man need do to claim a women is to have sexual intercourse whit her. Her feelings and even violent protests mean noting. Unless she succeeds in killing the man whom tries and take her.
Such women are seen as part man and is granted some respect. Only this women and the shamans, whom are chosen by the elder shamans of the tribe. That has some semblance of freedom. And all tribal shaman are in fact women. Then work as spiritual adviser's to the tribes and preform all the rituals that this culture uses in everyday life. As such shamans must be virgins for the whole of their life's. Giving themselves fully to their holy work.
If a man tries to take another mans woman the two men will fight one another. More often then not to the death. Tho there are cases of goblin brothers or close friends shearing their women whit one another. Regardless it is the will of the men, not the women whom are often forced into this relationships, that rule the fate of the tribal women.

The Packs

A goblin pack is a collection of family groups. Every goblin family group is headed by a dominant man, whom is often the father/mate of all other goblins of the group. Just as goblin family's are dominated by a brutal father figure so are the packs ruled by a pack master, or ghaaz. The ghaaz has his position because of his strength and brutality. As most tribal goblin rulers this are more or less bully's. If questioned by any member of their pack a ghaaz will try to kill whomever dares to talk back. If the goblin whom did talk back wins however he, or in extremely rare cases her, be comes the new ghaaz.
Most packs are part of a tribe. In part because most packs are only between 5 to 9 family's big*, but also because most packs are specialized to handle one task. Such as mining, metalworking, hunting or building. All tribal goblins are also taught how to fight, as it is seen as the most important skill to know. Of all the different types of goblin packs those whom work metal are seen as the highest of goblins. To the goblins metal of all sorts, but above all iron and steel, are seen as holy.

The Tribes

Tribes are basically bigger packs. Each tribe are made up of between 10 to 35 packs*. All the ghaaz of this packs follow a singel leader, the ghuul. A the word ghuul, means chieftain. And among the tribal goblin his, or in extremely rare cases her, will is law. The ghuul is most often a blacksmith and always the strongest warrior of the tribe. As most internal conflict is resolved by the two whom are in conflict fight each other to the death a ghuul seldom needs to take on the role of arbitrator.
Instead most of the ghuuls times is spent organizing the packs. It is the expected duty of the ghuul to make sure that all of the tribes members get food, tools, weapons and other resources. The ghuul does this by commanding the hunter packs to gather food and give said food to the other packs. And then he commands the blacksmith packs to arm the other packs. And so on. Any pack that does not pull it's own weight could become exiled from the tribe or simply destroyed and eaten by the rest of the tribe.
In war, the whole of the tribe follows the ghuul into combat. Giving any goblin tribal horde the advantage of numbers. But should a tribes ghuul be killed by an outsider one of two thing will happen. If the slayer of the tribes ghuul was himself a goblin he will now become the new ghuul, regardless of his former status. But if a non-goblin slays a ghuul in combat, the tribe will fall into infighting. As the ghaaz fight for the honor to become the new ghuul most tribes fall to pieces as this internal conflicts tend to leave only one overly large pack in its wake. This in turn led to more infighting and so on until the tribe and the last pack of said tribe is shattered.

Pack less goblins

A pack less goblin are often welcome to a new pack and tribe when they find one. Most pack less goblins are survivors of a conflict of accident that saw them separated from their own. And among tribal goblins the skill to survive is seen as a highly valuable skill. Even those whom are exiled are seen as welcome additions to the tribe.

The Clan Kings

The thygln, or clan kings, are goblin leaders that have impressed their own kind so much that many ghuuls swear them loyalty. Most thygln do this by becoming a ghuul over a massive tribe and showing a extrem amount of personal strength. Both physically and mentally.
Under the leadership of a clan king tribal goblins create small kingdoms. Often no bigger then a lesser province in the eyes of most humans. But a great piece of land in the eyes of tribal goblins. This kingdoms often grow fast as the reputation of the thygln grows, and the goblins under his** rule multiply in numbers.
In modern times this happens very seldom, in part because their are few tribal goblins left, but also because other more advanced civilizations don't let it happen. It is rumored that the deep dwarfs put down one or two of this clan kingdoms each year. And if the dwarfs of the upper kingdoms are to be believed the deep dwarfs where once in constant war whit such goblin kingdoms for their very existence.

The Dark Spirits

Tribal goblins believe in a from of Ancestor worship. The tribal goblins believe that only those whit goblin blood have souls. It is also their belief that the dead do not at once leave the world of the living. Instead the dead live as dark spirits in the world for a number of centuries. This dark spirits can summon illness and other calamity's if they are angered. Those all goblin faith is focused on pleasing the dark spirits.
Both whit rituals created to honor and please the dead, as well as following their will. Tho a goblin leader is not forced to follow the will of the dark spirits, most do. As they all believe that the dark spirits will take their vengeance on those whom ignore them.
After the centuries have past it is believed that a dark spirit has spent all of its power and is then reborn as a new goblin.
* There are of course exceptions to this. There have been known cases of packs that had as many as 35 family groups and tribes that had as many as 77 packs in it. This overly large groupings seldom hold together for very long. The reason being that goblins, tribal goblins especially, don't like being bullied. But love to bully, which has the result of them always trying to better their own status at the expense of others.
** In rear cases women have shortly held the titel of clan king. Something that they could do only because they killed their first would be man. And where those seen as part men themselves.

Ethnic Features

See: Goblins

Non-Goblin Integration

Tribal goblins see other races as food or slaves noting more noting less. Only orcs are seen as something of any true value. As tribal goblins refer to orcs are "Goblin Gigants". Orcs are seen as full members of the packs and tribes their born into.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Goblin women have short names as they are seen as lesser them goblin men. Some examples of this are:
Qhan, Tymla, Mla, Wyn, Gyn, Lym, Whan, Awyn and Dia

Masculine names

Goblin men have names are longer then goblin women. Some examples of this are:
Qhagumlu, Thuugal, Mlaagun, Wyngarn, Gyngrak, Whaarguz, Awyngark and Diagarmgool

Family names

Tribal goblins do not have family or surnames as such. Instead some tribal goblins have honorary titels that work more or less as names. This are more often then not some sort of description of said goblin, or a commemoration of some great deed or deeds. Some examples of this are:
Elf-slayer, One-eye, Red-hands, Red-teeth and Big-foot

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

(Coming soon)

Culture and cultural heritage

(Coming soon)

Shared customary codes and values

(Coming soon)

Common Dress code

(Coming soon)

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

(Coming soon)

Birth & Baptismal Rites

(Coming soon)

Coming of Age Rites

(Coming soon)

Funerary and Memorial customs

(Coming soon)

Common Taboos

Their are few true taboos among tribal goblins. But male homosexuality is the one that is most known. A goblin man that is attracted to other men is seen as a woman soul born in a mans body. And are killed if they are found out.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Tribal goblins see pale skin as beautiful. The paler a goblin or person of another race is the greater their beauty.

Gender Ideals

Tribal goblins see men as greater then women and those nearly all positions of power in their tribes are held by men. Even so goblin women are expected to preform the same tasks goblin men preform whit a few exceptions.
Goblin women may not become blacksmiths or carry swords. Goblin women, whom become warriors, must therefor only use spears, axes or maces in close combat. On the other side of the coin goblin men are forbidden to become shamans, a role that can only be given to a chieftains daughter.

Courtship Ideals

Among tribal goblins courtship is short, savage and brutal. If a goblin man wants a goblin women he most only take her virginity. How he does this is irrelevant and rape is not punished at all. Once said goblin women has been taken she is his until his death or her death. Those many goblin men are slain by their own woman. Such women are sees whit some measure of respect and are often asked to become warriors.

Relationship Ideals

A perfect tribal goblin relationship between a man and a women is one where the women is ready to serve her man at any time. She must cook for him and his children, regardless if said children are her's or not. As well as, keep his cloths, weapons and tools in good order. She shall also accept any other women he brings to his home as part of their family.
Goblin men can have as many women as they want, but a goblin women whom is unfaithful are killed by the tribe as soon as she is found out. Even if she was force to have sex whit another man.

Diverged ethnicities

• Night Traders
• Pale Helms

Encompassed species

• Goblins
• Orcs