Goblins

Rarely seen outside of the dark and hidden places of the continent, goblins are adept at finding niches left empty by other Sentient Species. While they vary a fair bit in how they live - depending heavily upon the specifics of their homes - goblins on the whole tend towards clannishness, ingenuity, and a knack for piecing together the languages of others to fit into their verbal pastiche.

Goblin Origins

The term "goblin" is actually a bit of a catch-all, because they don't share a common origin. Rather than coming from some ancestor deep in the past like most mortal species , each variety of goblin traces its origin to experimentation and magical manipulation - usually by a caste of Elves. In the centuries since the Dragonscourge and their exodus, many of the elven castes made attempts to create new servant species. While it is unknown if any successful attempts were made, their failures to create a truly subservient species - and their dislike for having other sentient beings within their territories - has led to various creatures being dropped into out-of-the-reach places of the world, where they subsequently flourished.
When discovered by other species (usually Humans), they ended up being classified as a single species. While this is not technically correct, the truth of their origins is not known. As such the classification has stuck, and "goblin" has become a catch-all term for any of a number of diminutive and clannish creatures living away from human lands.

Goblin Varieties

Goblins vary significantly depending on the nature of their creators. Since they were generally created by an elvish clan, they will frequently be well-adapted for a similar environment. This has led to tribes of goblins being found all over Lasair in different places, thriving as if they were made for that place... which they have been.

Jungle Goblins

Natives of the northern part of the Shifting Jungle , these goblins make their homes in treehouses dangling from the branches of the Treants that plod slowly through the jungle. Seemingly ignored by the gigantic creatures, the goblins exist in small tribes, carrying fierce pride for their own "home tree" (even adding decorations to personalize the creatures). The tribes will frequently trade with each other, bartering with plants, fungus, or creations of stone and wood.
The goblins' appearance closely matches that of the jungle around them. Their skin is extremely tough and gnarled, like the wood of the trees and treants. They carve armor (including masks, mentioned below) from fallen branches and other tree debris. They adorn themselves with leaves, flowers, and other delicate or colorful objects.
Most of the tribes within the jungle have a tradition of mask-wearing, which is rooted in their shamanistic rituals. The masks are considered to be an expression of the individual's personality and role within their tribe's society. A goblin stepping into a new role, or even wanting to find a fresh start, would change their mask to "take on" that new place in life. Leaders within the tribes will often swap between masks to ritually show when they are changing between an "official" role and one more family-suited.
While the goblins will sometimes remove the masks in the presence of those they consider family or close friends, it is considered taboo to be seen by an outsider without one's mask on. The mask is the face that the world sees - the reality under it is only for those honored with the right to witness it.

Ratlings

The Ratlings (main article) (Tch'nuk in their language) live mostly in caverns underneath the Northwall Mountains , bordering the Savage Lands. They are not always considered to be part of the "goblin" classification, but usually because they're encountered by humans who don't know about the other varieties.

Aquatic Goblins

Found under the waters and along the shores of the lands nearest the Tempest Reefs , this aquatic-adapted variety of goblin is known for building vast nets of kelp, using it to anchor underwater "villages" to subsurface rock peaks. Usually spending much of their time under the turbulent surface, they will occasionally venture up into the air - they are amphibious - to trade underwater treasures with whichever mage is currently assigned watch at Fulminar Tower or with the extremely rare sailing vessel in the area. They have also been known to rescue survivors from shipwrecks of the same - but only returning them to shore upon payment of some salvage from the ship.

Rock Goblins

Digging into caves littering the northern reach of the Bloodpeak Mountains , Rock Goblins are one of the more aggressive goblin types. Living in a sparse and bare land, this variety of goblin is more likely than many others to band together to raid other species. Under cover of darkness, their eyes reflecting the light of the moon, these goblins will sweep through the farms in the eastern reaches of the Fertile Lands , stripping crops away.

Deep Grob

[Main Article] - Native to the Titanic Deeps, the grob are a more agriculturally minded species of goblin. Created to serve as farmers for an enclave of Elves , the grob are inveterate diggers and planters but also greedy and hoarding. They can very rarely be found close to the surface but are almost entirely underground otherwise.