The Scrap Tribes

Placeholder Giblin by Katy Smith

A lesser known goblin tribe is that of the scrap goblins. They primarily live in regions below other, much larger settlements out of sight and range. Scavenging in the waste spewed out from the sprawling cities above. These goblins have the fastest rate of reproduction out of all the tribes. This can largely be attributed to the increased knowledge of surgical procedures which result in less infant deaths or deaths of goblin litter mothers.
The tribe frequently makes use of crude technology. Basic mechanical principles and steam-powered contraptions are commonplace. One such example is the tunnel scraper which has a basic steam powered engine mounted on a rough hewn and reinforced fungalplank base. Featuring cogs on the front axle which drive a larger, bladed barrel. Speeding through the abandoned tunnels of ancient dwarven civilisations. Being caught in the path of one of these death traps would be almost a certain death sentence. They’re capable of running down even the most quick footed of dwarves that ventured outside of their usual areas.
The surgical aspect to the tribe has come about after the proliferation of a disease colloquially named “fuelling” in which the afflicted members lose parts of their bodies over time. In order to combat this lack of functionality in the tribe, they looked to replace lost limbs with prosthetics fashioned from the scrap piles at the centre of their settlements. Although the disease rips through large swathes of the population on a regular basis, the replacement rate is still able to out-strip the mortality rate. A goblin of the scrap tribe can expect a shorter life span than those of the other major tribes but being a member does have its benefits.
A cure for the disease isn’t even something that crosses the mind of the goblins. They just want to be able to function, kill and maim as they usually would. Working towards a cure feels like a waste of time compared to enjoying the fragment of time that they find themselves in. Keeping it at bay feels like a much more preferable solution.

This is a submission for my first ever Summer Camp in 2024 - I hope you enjoy my writings and I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback!