Hobgoblin

Hobgoblins live for war. The glories they attain in this life live with them in the eternities meaning that cowardice is feared more than death and glory in combat is sought ahead of all other endeavours. Their young will learn the art of combat as soon as they can walk. Every legion of hobgoblins stands forever ready for war.

Hobgoblin culture

Hobgoblins hold themselves to the highest levels of militaristic standards. This military tradition is passed down from generation to generation with the arts of war and tales of epic battles preserved through this method. The art of war is also maintained through these teachings, with hobgoblins teaching one another both martial and arcane arts of war.
Hobgoblins maintain the highest standards of militaristic law with swift brutality. Infractions are quickly and harshly punished. The art of war is practiced ruthlessly on the legions of hobgoblins in preparation to execute their methods upon their enemies. The only artistry that hobgoblins recognise is that found in combat, the finesse of wielding a sword acrobatically or the powerful majesty that comes from the casting of a devastating spell.
Hobgoblins obtain honour and glory by following their racial code.7 4 The lowliest of legions can attain great status by bringing victory to their race, though in practice, the greatest legions will position themselves in places where they can have the greatest military accomplishments, therefore, perpetuating their position in hobgoblin hierarchy. Other acts can also bring honour to a hobgoblin (though not as much as bringing glory in combat). Discovering a rich vein of ore, an item of magical power, writing a ballad of some victory or constructing impressive defences all contribute to the honour held by hobgoblins.
All hobgoblins follow some general precepts of honour within their code. These include:
Follow orders – The punishment for disobeying orders is death and orders are considered crucial to the discipline required to gain victory.
Honour the gods – Hobgoblins ensure that they always pay respects to their gods, petitioning them for victory in battle
Suffer nor give insult – Respect is given to others both within hobgoblin society and outside of it. Even a foe is treated with respect. But an insult should never go unanswered with relations often quickly deteriorating when incivility occurs towards hobgoblins
Reward glorious action – Those that deserve honour and increased rank should be granted it. Hobgoblins will rarely deny those that have earnt increased status
Uphold the legion – The legion is more important than the individual. Often legions will fight each other out of pride or feuds over territory or resources

Hobgoblin combat mastery

Some hobgoblins have mastered a form of unarmed combat called the Path of the Iron Shadow. Those that master this art become a form of secret police, serving the priests and ensuring that law and order is kept in hobgoblin society. Such hobgoblins also have a form of shadow magic at their disposal which can hide their true nature. When operating publicly, Iron Shadows wear a mask with the leering face of a devil.
Other hobgoblins know the value of arcane magic in warfare. It is rare to find a hobgoblin that can master the arcane arts, meaning that all hobgoblins are thoroughly tested to determine who among their ranks can attain to such abilities. Such individuals are enrolled in the Academy of Devastation and trained to become devastators. Such students must undergo rigorous training and study from a very young age in order to become a powerful weapon of war. Most devastators have little use for spells that cannot be used in combat. This means that they typically lack the versatility of elven or human spellcasters but can bring about a devastating barrage of spells against their enemies.

Hobgoblin rank and status

To keep strict order within the hierarchy, each hobgoblin has a rank so that it knows its place in the pecking order with officers acting as leaders among the legion. The ranks a hobgoblin might attain to are:
Warlord – 1st rank
General – 2nd rank
Captain – 3rd rank
Fatal axe – 4th rank
Spear – 5th rank
Fist – 6th rank
Soldier – 7th rank
A legion is organised into smaller family groups known as banners. These can be of any size and are typically led by a captain. Each banner also occupies a differing position or status with higher ranking banners having authority over lower ranking banners. Hobgoblin Religion
The hobgoblin pantheon was decimated by Maglubiyet with only 2 of these gods surviving or even being remembered. Nomog-Geaya is the greater of the 2 and more frequently honoured. He is a cold, stoic tyrant that expects similar behaviour from his subjects. The other is Bargrivyek, a god of duty, discipline and unity who rewards those that display such principles. These 2 gods are the only survivors of Margrubiyek’s decimation. Nomog-Geaya utilises Bargrivyek as his second in command, though he wishes another had survived to fill this role.
While Maglubiyet is the superior to both the hobgoblin gods, he allows them some measure of autonomy due to their similar goals and philosophies. Hobgoblins don’t build temples to their gods, though they do maintain small shrines. Nomog-Geaya’s priests wield a sword and an axe and are responsible for martial training among hobgoblins. Bargrivyek’s worshippers form a police of sorts among the people, wielding a flail dipped in white paint. They ensure that honour and discipline occurs throughout a hobgoblin legion.

Hobgoblin lairs

Hobgoblin lairs take the form of military style encampments where they can train and prepare for their next conquest. Typically, hobgoblins will find secluded places for their settlements such as old dungeons. Worgs and ravens will be used to pass messages between encampments so that legions can coordinate with one another.

Genetic Descendants

• Bugbear