Goblinkind

Goblinkind are one of the five Founder races that peopled Aerith in the beginning. Their birthright was the desert lands and they railed against their rotten luck. Seemingly lacking in resources and wealth the Goblins grew sullen and bitter. They determined early on that the only way to survive was to take what they needed from their neighbours. A race of warriors and pillagers; individuals that seldom live long enough to have an impact on the world around them.
Goblins, the youngest stage of Goblinkind, and the most prolific, are also the most weak and cowardly of the race. They are small, vicious, and selfish creatures, vying with each other to survive. They are short, reaching 3’- 4’ in height, with sickly green, mottled skin. Their eyes are dark and beady but strong. They have adapted well to life above ground and below the sands so they see very well in both types of light or darkness.
Hobgoblins grow in height to be about the same size as an average Human. They tend to be bulkier than a human, their hands and feet are a bit bigger than a Human of equivalent size. Their eyes get a bit more colour but they retain their good vision in both environments. Their nose becomes a bit more bulbous and can sometimes become blue or red. Their skin takes on more of a tanned colour, but with hints of orange, sometimes red. Their hair is usually straggly and unshaven, most typically black, brown, or grey in colour. Hair on their bodies become more coarse and prevalent.
Bugbears, the third stage of Goblinkind, become more feral than their Goblin or Hobgoblin counterparts. Their height increases to average about 7’ tall and they become much larger in body mass. Their hands and feet increase in size and their eyes become larger, able to take in more light. Their hair becomes more fur-like, covering most of their body. They keep their typical colours but brown is the most common of hair colour. Some Bugbears take to braiding their hair, wherever they feel like it. Some braid their arms, some their beards or scalps. Some tribes denote their status by the braids they display. In the latter stages of a Bugbear’s life their hair begins to fall off and they get mottled and patchy fur.
Ogres and Ogre Mages grow even taller than Bugbears, reaching up to 9’ tall or taller in some circumstances. Their eyes are larger and more bulbous and they can see very well in both day and night. Everything about an Ogre speaks of largeness. They are intimidating creatures that can separate brawn from brains. Their hair has almost completely fallen out, leaving them with bald heads and a tendency towards having short coarse hair over their bodies.
Goblinkind traits will mature as they do, and the differences in the stages can make them seem almost like separate races. Where Goblins tend to be mean, selfish, and petulant, easily distracted with shiny things, Hobgoblins have matured enough to take on a bigger picture. They develop more discipline, they follow rank more, and they are fierce warriors. They will frequently bully their younger cousins, or use them as fodder for their military campaigns but they don’t throw them away needlessly. They will utilize their surroundings, both in war and ‘peace’ effectively. As with their Goblin counterparts, they will always look for ways to take advantage of a situation. That is how they survived to be Hobgoblins, and then eventually Bugbears. When a Hobgoblin reaches the age where he becomes a Bugbear he has been fighting for a long time and has usually seen many victories and defeats. Bugbear captains rule their Hobgoblin units through fear, and intimidation, but they also engender a lot of respect for having lived long enough to become a Bugbear. While Goblins and Hobgoblins fear their Bugbear captains, they are fiercely loyal to any of their kind who last long enough to evolve. Bugbears tend to be more vicious than their Hobgoblin cousins and have learned to fight most effectively using their increased size and grip.
Ogres, and their rare magic-wielding brethren Ogre Mages*, have reached a near-pinnacle of evolution for their race. Their size having increased so much allows them to rule over larger groups of Goblins without much fear of losing their position. They have lived long enough to see the world as a larger picture and they look to see their race successfully navigate themselves through it. They treat their lesser cousins as a king does his subjects. They do not engage with the rank and file very often and they feel they are above petty concerns.
The Goblin lives for two reasons; to make war and to breed. They are taught the art of war by the age of six, and they are also trained to craft weapons and armour. They are fully capable of fighting at seven years of age and often form into small raiding bands for training. As the only stage of Goblinkind able to reproduce, the Goblin Hive, a network of underground tunnels, is well guarded from invaders. Their Hives range from one hundred Goblins to over ten thousand and extend to the north, south, and west of Starhelm.
All Goblin males are labelled Turglics or pawns, in the Common Tongue. They are the equivalent of the common soldier. As for the Goblin females, as they are the only ones capable of reproducing, they are well protected by their tribes. They typically gather food and care for the young and wounded. Once they reach beyond their breeding years they can evolve into Hobgoblins or even more rare, Bugbears, but very few of them survive that for long. Their tribes do not respect the female warrior heavily and will send them on dangerous missions, typically to their deaths. There have been some Goblin stories of brave and successful female warriors but they are very rare.
As a Hobgoblin is a Goblin that has reached its full maturity, there is never an opportunity for a Hobgoblin to breed. That is to say, no Hobgoblin children are born; they are simply Goblins that have grown and evolved. The female Hobgoblin has gone beyond their breeding years and will tend to either take the lead in teaching female Goblins their place, or they will join the ranks of the males in the military (but usually not for long - see above).
When reaching the Hobgoblin stage, they often become belligerent toward the lower ranks of regular Goblins and begin to separate themselves from their former comrades. They form friendships with likewise Hobgoblins and daily military rituals and procedures become their sole existence. A troop of Hobgoblins trains together, lives together, and fights together. They are usually ruled by a senior Hobgoblin sergeant or a Bugbear captain, and a great honour is bestowed on the ones chosen to be their leader’s personal guard. Usually four to six are chosen for this hotly contested title.
Seldom do Bugbears treat each other well and outside of military needs they do not interact with others of their kind very often or for very long. They are usually rivals that compete for troops and glory on the battlefield. Bugbears captains, called KatKuar, control large groups of forces and are responsible for the everyday well-being of the Goblins and Hobgoblins under their command.
Unlike Hobgoblins who often mistreat their underlings, a Bugbear is loyal to his troops and is a well-respected leader. Each Bugbear is out to advance his unit in particular, but is also strongly motivated by his own lust for power. The balance between the two can sometimes be a problem for them.
A Bugbear who has finally achieved his own personal power and managed to keep himself alive for long enough will evolve into an Ogre. Finally maturing beyond the narrow focus of the individual, the few Ogres in existence are concerned with the Goblin race as a whole. It is for this reason they do not compete with one another for power. Where Bugbears never interacted with each other, Ogres, being so few, recognize the strength in unity. They form bonds with other Ogres to help strengthen the Goblin race and meet a few times a year in an Ogremoot.
While they do meet and help each other in times of need, each Ogre is responsible for a section of Starhelm and bringing the Goblin agenda to bear on the area and races surrounding it. There are four known Ogre commanders, and they are treated like kings by their charges. There may be more Ogres in existence but these four have made the biggest name for themselves. Most races, at one time or another have called Goblins their enemy. However, some are more prone to war with Goblinkind. Dwarves and Humans in particular rile Goblins with their very existence. The Humans and Dwarves are constant reminders of what they lost or can’t have. The Humans of Starhelm City once traded with Goblin as often as they warred with them. Since the Fractioning and the Goblin lands have been reduced even further, the Goblins merely look at all Humans as the cause of their loss.
To make matters worse, they can’t even take over Starhelm City as much as they would like to since the Witch Queen and her Undead control the city and much of its surrounding area; an area that used to belong to Goblinkind.

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_{*While there is no real difference between an Ogre and Ogre Mage, seldom do their race excel in magic enough to reach this level. Ogre Mages are rare but extremely powerful Ogres that have taken up some form of magic. They rule their kin in the same way Ogres do and look to better the Goblinkind race as a whole.}

Basic Information

Growth Rate & Stages

There are five distinct stages of a Goblin, relating directly to their age. The majority of their race is made up of Goblins and Hobgoblins, but there are still a good number of Bugbears leading armies. The Ogre, or spellcasting Ogre Mage (oni) are much fewer in number but far more memorable, and deadly. The final stage of Goblinkind, which has only been seen in legend and rumour, is the near immortal Troll; a creature of horror, strength, brutality, and blessed by the gods to be almost impossible to kill. Only a select few honoured by Golzect are allowed to reach this stage.
As the race evolves their physical characteristics change drastically. These changes can happen quickly or over a prolonged period of time. It is dependent on the individual and no two Goblins evolve at the same rate.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The social structure for the Goblinkind of Aerith is usually determined by the age and evolutionary stage of the Goblin in question. Goblins make up the lower rung and also the bulk of the race. They are constantly vying for power with each other so any long-lasting form of leadership is rare, but not unheard of. There have been instances of Goblins, who have not yet matured to be Hobgoblins, ruling over larger groups of their kin. Only in the most rarest and extreme of circumstances will a Goblin have any kind of authority over a Hobgoblin.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Desert; Undersands; Golzect's Throne; Oasis of Pestilence

Average Intelligence

Goblins can be very dull-witted and not very book smart, but they have excellent survival instincts.  As they evolve their intelligence increases and they are very canny

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Goblinkin speak, read and write Goblin and Common. Their speech can be high-pitched, gravelly, guttural, or sniveling, but it is never gentle or soft

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Worship:  Golzect

Genetic Descendants

• Bugbear
• Folkar
• Goblin
• Hobgoblin
• Ogre

Lifespan

Goblins can live to be as old as 350 years or more, but they are rare and typically quite powerful

Average Height

Ranging from 3' as a Goblin to as tall as 9.5-10' as an Ogre

Average Weight

Ranging from 40 lbs as a Goblin to as heavy as 1000 lbs as an Ogre

Average Physique

Ranging from small as a Goblin, to large as an Ogre

Geographic Distribution

• Golzect's Throne
• PuKtan Desert
• Steppes of Centos