Goblinoids
The various species of goblinoids are one of the three oldest races of mortals on Gaia. Together with the orcs and dwarves, they wrestled control of the world from the dragons.
They were the weakest of the first races, but the most numerous and cunning. While the orcs fought among themselves for dominance and the dwarves built their cities, the goblins spread through the caves and across the surface of Gaia. Countless smaller tribes and bands still roam the lands today. Goblins are usually led by the strongest or most ruthless member of the tribe. They have no private life, as they typically live and sleep together in very confined spaces. Goblins survive by attacking wanderers or villages and stealing whatever they can get their hands on. In rare cases they even attack towns. Their mass and sneakiness are their greatest advantage, and while their population is often reduced by their innate belligerence and vicious behavior, their large numbers can make them dangerous. Furthermore, their high mortality and low martial skill as individuals is offset by an exorbitant reproduction rate. Goblin tribes or communes living in an environment without natural enemies swell to a massive horde within a few years. When such a horde is united under the leadership of a chief, they can devastate entire regions like a mighty flood.
The Hobgoblins are the youngest of the goblinoid races and see themselves as the crowning achievement of their species' creation. Similar to their often chaotic relatives, they also have a desire to subjugate and dominate others. However, they tend to achieve this goal through strict hierarchy, military skill and politics.
They were the weakest of the first races, but the most numerous and cunning. While the orcs fought among themselves for dominance and the dwarves built their cities, the goblins spread through the caves and across the surface of Gaia. Countless smaller tribes and bands still roam the lands today. Goblins are usually led by the strongest or most ruthless member of the tribe. They have no private life, as they typically live and sleep together in very confined spaces. Goblins survive by attacking wanderers or villages and stealing whatever they can get their hands on. In rare cases they even attack towns. Their mass and sneakiness are their greatest advantage, and while their population is often reduced by their innate belligerence and vicious behavior, their large numbers can make them dangerous. Furthermore, their high mortality and low martial skill as individuals is offset by an exorbitant reproduction rate. Goblin tribes or communes living in an environment without natural enemies swell to a massive horde within a few years. When such a horde is united under the leadership of a chief, they can devastate entire regions like a mighty flood.
The Hobgoblins are the youngest of the goblinoid races and see themselves as the crowning achievement of their species' creation. Similar to their often chaotic relatives, they also have a desire to subjugate and dominate others. However, they tend to achieve this goal through strict hierarchy, military skill and politics.
Civilization and Culture
History
Together with the orcs and dwarves, they wrestled control of the world from the dragons. They were the weakest of the first peoples, but the most numerous and cunning. While the orcs fought among themselves for dominance and the dwarves built their cities, the goblins spread through the caves and across the surface of Gaia.
Due to their head start and initial wandering instinct, they had already claimed large parts of Gaia for themselves when the other mortal races awoke. Often unwilling to share the new world, they defended their land and expected the other races to live as their subjects. Because of this possessive nature of the goblins, early contacts with foreign peoples were often marked by conflict, bloodshed and displacement on both sides.
When the Aboleth attempted to establish their rule, many goblins joined their side. They hoped that with the help of these powerful beings they could reclaim or expand their old lands. This decision did not help the image of the goblins in the eyes of the other races and when the Aboleth were defeated, the remaining goblins were seen and hunted as traitors. Regardless of which side they had actually fought on.
Origin/Ancestry
Gaian
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