Goblins

Basic Information

Anatomy

Goblins are small mammalian humanoids. They have large heads and eyes, long ears, sharp teeth and small noses, but beyond that they range widely in physical appearance. Some goblins are bald, others have thick fur that can grow in a wide range of colors.

Genetics and Reproduction

Inexplicably, like platypi, goblins are hatched from eggs. The eggs are about the size of a mango and vary in color. As a cultural side effect of this biological quirk, goblin families differ quite a lot from other creatures. A clutch of goblins rarely has any kind of relationship with their biological parents, and are instead incubated, hatched, and cared for by the community as a whole. Therefore, a goblin's siblings - or clutchmates - serve as their closest family. A goblin may form a particular parent-like bond with a caregiver, but its not a necessary part of their development.

Growth Rate & Stages

Goblins mature very rapidly, reaching adulthood at only 5 years old. They can reach up to 50 years old, but the average lifespan is closer to 30 years.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Goblins are primarily piscivores and insectivores, but can (and often do) eat anything else that is edible.

Additional Information

Average Intelligence

Compared to all the other sentient species, goblins have precious little time to live and make their marks on the world. For this reason, they waste absolutely no time. They act quickly, efficiently, and can often come across as brusque in their ignorance of tradition or etiquette. They are also ruthlessly intelligent, devouring any knowledge they can with ravenous speed and no apparent limit to their cunning memory.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Goblins have excellent hearing and eyesight, but their other senses are distinctly lacking. A goblin sense of smell is notoriously poor, which has led to some issues with sentient creatures in the past. Now, most goblins are aware of this shortcoming and take extant efforts to smell pleasant when in the presence of non-goblins.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Mono and bisyllabic names are most common and consist of a first name and a clutch name. The first name is chosen by the goblin once they come of a certain age, and the clutch name is determined in collaboration with their siblings.

Beauty Ideals

Since they don't live very long, goblins value the marks of the time they have spent experiencing as much as they can. A goblin is considered beautiful especially if they are visibly old and visibly scarred. Since their ears are very delicate, they have a tendency to tear, and for much older goblins holes can form in the thin skin there. A pair of artfully torn-up ears - often pierced - is a beautiful sign of a life lived with vigor.

Average Technological Level

Goblins are the most technologically advanced of all sentient creatures, but most others wouldn't be caught dead actually operating one of their contraptions. They're well-known to be dangerous to use, and they're sort of made that way on purpose. After all, putting in more safety measures than absolutely necessary is a total waste of time. And making it safe to use by anyone other than a goblin? Why bother!

Common Etiquette Rules

Goblins are very brusque and to the point with each other. They consider it deathly impolite to waste someone else's time with unnecessary pleasantries.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Interspecies relations are common and not stigmatized by goblins in the slightest. Although, many goblins get frustrated by other creatures not spending their time as efficiently as they should be. Due to their biology, it is impossible for there to be a half-goblin (foregoing some kind of magical intervention).

Hi there! If you want a visual reference for what goblins look like in Eclipseworld, here are a couple of ideas to build off of: The way this specific artist (bramblebee) draws goblins, such as Grizzop from the Rusty Quill Gaming Podcast. Example here. Also: the goblins from Pathfinder. Vibes-wise they're not really similar, but visually they're comparable.

Lifespan

30 years

Average Height

3' - 3'6"

Average Weight

25-35 lbs

Geographic Distribution

• Goblintown
• The Material Plane

Related Technologies

• Airships