Goblins

Overview

Goblins are a hill- and mountain-dwelling species of Koria. They hide in the earth and caves between the Long Neck and Hulwar. They live in tribes and to some they are a kind of a pestilence just like rats. There are a stories about them, most of the stories are unproven hear-saying and rumours, but some of them are true.
Since they can see a little better in the dark, the timid, but in large numbers aggressive, goblins are mostly used as scouts or expendable resources such as exploring unknown terrain or caves. Archaeologists have at least two goblins in their troop in case one gets lost.

Data

• height: 150cm
• weight: 40-60kg
• lifetime: 20 years
• pointy ears with some white/dark grey hair on it
• Two skinny legs
• two skinny arms
• one brain
• two eyes (capable of night vision)
• flat nose

Structure & Society

Goblins live in tribes. They are structured into different "divisions" with the clanleader (male & female, sometimes only one of them) at the top. There are scouts, there are chefs, there are military leaders and there are privisioners. They supervise the growing of crops, the gathering troops and the fermentation chambers and - even if the clanleader doesn't like it - the heart of the whole clan.
Underneath the "working" class they are the breeders and the nursing midwives for the entire clan. Some of them are even broodmothers.

Biological Traits

Goblins are pretty resistant against all kinds of poison, especially food poisoning. They also have a good night vision and strong healing capabilities. They can give birth every three to four months to a maximum of four gobbers.

Habitation

Most of the goblin clans live underground or in large caves with crystal lights, but there are some clans which can be found in entire villages above surface, some in wooden huts with warehouses stuffed with cheese, fermentation pots and tea. That makes the surface-dwellers like humans pretty angry so they come on regular occasions and slaughter every goblin they see. But goblins can reproduct very fast, so after two to three years the village just looks the same.

Reproduction & Life Cycle

Male goblins can breed anytime and the females are most of their lives in heat. They can give birth up to four gobbers every three to four months. After a small break of two weeks they can reproduce again, their cycle is very short. There are a few midwives who can nurse when the mother is busy creating more gobbers - or killing nasty things outside or enjoying her time with a captured surface-dweller - and a whole lot of breeders to sustain the population. Most of the clanleaders are bound to war so they have a dire need of a good resupply on goblins.
A goblin needs only four years to become a responsible member of the clan and then he or she can choose what to learn. Most of the males are going into the army or into scouts, only a few pick up the honourable path of the chef.
Females are mostly scientists, but the rest of them choose the way of a breeder, because it is an easy life. Painful, yes, but easy.

Food

Small and living in/near caves (they also have their own above-ground villages), not readily seen by most other races - at most as traders of curiosities - the Goblins are masters of fermentation. Fermented cabbage, whole warehouses full of cheese, various kinds of fermented tea (kombucha for example), different kinds of vinegar and some varieties of yoghurt.

Female goblin by CrazyEddie via Midjourney

Male Goblin by CrazyEddie via Midjourney