Goblin
Goblins are short humanoids averaging about 4’ in height, with olive green skin and nimble fingers. They make excellent spies, if they can keep their impulsiveness in check. The goblin country of Jrade produces some of the best sailors. They speak Mekiitagi (Goblish). Example names: Jelkejek, Baajikiil, Baaky, Dakiiri, Gykkii, Jandig, Jittotii, K’jaakis, K’tiiki, Potiij, Shiikus, Shuuv’kopekk, Taavjekii, Toov’tekki, Tuukopy, Viitagi, Yig’oor, Yivirrl. Names are used interchangeably by males and females. In general, consonant sounds are explosive; vowels are often lengthened (or, in the case of the double i, two syllables), and most names have two or three syllables. A good name template to use is "open-carat Bv|v close-carat (ck|kk|k|b|bb|d|dd|sh|ch) open-carat V|(ii|i|a|y) close-carat C open-carat v| close-carat" when using the fantasy name generator here; (use the Advanced Interface; replace the words "open-carat" and "close-carat" with the appropriate symbols and remove any spaces). Ensure that the “collapse triples” checkbox is unchecked. I’m sure it could be improved, but it will work to give a selection of Goblin-sounding names.
They like the dark, and are most active at night, although they don’t suffer in sunlight like the Orcs do. Many of the Goblin tribes of the Parliament of Tomikki practice ritual cannibalism; tales of these people cause the negative reputation.
Name
What do these people call themselves? What do others call them? What meaning do these names hold?They call themselves Goblikiin. Other races have bastardized that to “goblin”. Nicknames for them include “Smalls”, “Stunties”, “Greenskins”, “Shorties”, and “Tinies”. Most, obviously, are based upon their stature, which averages 3.5-4 feet tall. Most of the nicknames are derogatory. The one that most goblins hate the most is “people-eaters”; some primitive tribes practice ritual cannibalism, which squicks out some people. Within those cultures, it is an honor to be eaten and become part of the the clan.
Overview
Quickly give a brief overview of these people.Goblins are short, olive green humanoids that are quite at home in the dark and at night. They tend to be quite stealthy, as they share much of the same geographical areas as taller, more powerful races such as Orcs and Humans. So they are clever and sneaky in order to survive.
Physical Attributes
General Description
What do these people physically look like on average? What is the range of appearances?Goblins range in height from 3’ to 4.5’, in much the same proportions as a human. Their skin ranges from light olive green to a dark olive green, often shading towards brownish green. Hair is almost uniformly black, or at least dark brown. White hair occasionally happens, although like Humans, their hair turns silver late in life. Eye color is often tawny, amber, or brown, although green and violet eyes have been known to happen. Their noses are often on the longer, pointier side, although not caricaturely so. Ears are pointed, and often stick out to the sides, much in the same way as Yoda’s ears. Primarily carnivorous, their teeth are pointed, with more canines than Humans.
Unique Abilities
What unique abilities do these people posses? Are these things magical or physical in nature? How common are these abilities?Physically, Goblins tend to be less strong than Humans, but more dextrous and hardier. They can see pretty well in the dark, are naturally quiet, and have extremely good hearing. They live to about 40-50 years old. None of these abilities are magical in nature.
Geography
Location
Where are these people found?Just about anywhere. They are as capable of living in various environments as Humans are. Possibly better. There are several countries that are primarily Goblin on the continent of Endrica, and they are all over the Tondene Empire.
Climate
What is the climate of these people’s native region?Tropical to Sub-tropical. Although they can live just about anywhere, and can be found all over Velyri. They prefer warmer areas over colder ones, but this isn’t universal.
Terrain
Are there mountains, plains, forests, ext. In these people’s home region?Since their home regions are all over, just about all terrain types are represented, somewhere on Velyri. They aren’t in the deserts on the continent of Endrica; those areas are inhabited by the Kler’naktha, and the Goblins learned long ago not to mess with the reptilefolk. And while they live in mountains, the highest mountain ranges are inhabited by the Aarakocra, who don’t take kindly to intruders. And Goblins are small enough to be grabbed, carried, and dropped by the raptor-like sky folk.
Hazards
What kind of hazards are found in these people’s home region? Are they seasonal, constant, or random? Are they environmental or political?Varies, depending upon which Goblin country is being referred to. Jrade, on the coast, occasionally has cyclones. The Tondene Imperium (which includes Goblins) encompasses a large enough area that it has volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and occasional earthquakes. Other primarily Goblin countries have similar environmental issues.
Politically, they are about the same as anywhere else: certain politicians crave power, and are willing to do just about anything to get and hold it. So there is always the chance that there will be power-plays, intrigue, corruption, etc.
Economy
Agriculture
What sort of farming do these people practice? What kind of crops are planted?The usual types: vegetables, grains, fruits. Their practices are pretty much the same as humans. They are more carnivorous than humans though, so their proportion of meat to vegetables in their diet is heavily shifted towards meat. Which means that a large portion of their farming is for export.
Domestic Animals/Herding
What sort of animals have these people domesticated? Do they herd animals?Again, the usual types: steers, cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, sheep, goats. Because of their diet, Goblins have a higher proportion of their farming areas devoted to pasturage.
Hunting/Gathering
Do these people practice hunting or gathering? Is this their main source of food or is it done seasonally or secondary?This varies, depending upon the local economy, and which nation is being talked about. If there is ready access to foodstuffs, then hunting and gathering is less necessary. But there are a lot of areas where the traditional hunting and gathering are still necessary. Gathering, however, has always been less important than hunting, due to their diet. Hunting, even in urban areas, is still fairly common, because one doesn’t have to travel far to find some wilderness to hunt in. Gathering, by necessity, is seasonal. Hunting is a year-round activity.
Industries
What kind of industries exist among these people? Are they created for home or foreign markets?This is also dependent upon nation and geography. Jrade is a Goblin nation that is known for it’s shipbuilding and ship technologies. They are the only people that have figured out how to construct the carvel hull building technique, and are the ones who have experimented with more advanced sail plans. Hence, their ships are better built, stronger, more weatherly, and faster than anyone else’s.
In the Imperium, Goblins have the same industries as any other race. However, since they evolved as a nocturnal species, they tend towards the night shifts of industries that support those. They share this with Orcs, who are even more nocturnal, so there is some competition there, although Goblins can handle day shifts much more easily than the Orcs can.
Goblins are pretty nimble, so they excel in industries that require dexterity, such as tailoring, weaving, shoemaking, scrivening, and cabinetry. They are also good at making chainmail.
Natural Resources
What other natural resources do these people harvest and use? How important are these? Are they harvested to be traded or for personal use?Trade
What goods do these people trade? Internal trade? External trade? How important is this to the country's economy? Is there a type of merchant class?Currency
What is used as currency among these people? How available is this currency?
Political Structure
General Description
What sort of political structures do these people use? How entrenched are these structures in the everyday lives of common people? Who controls these structures?
Political History
How has history helped shape the political landscape of these people?
Political Leadership
Who runs the governments of these people? Priests, warlords, landowners, bureaucrats, elected officials? How are these people chosen for leadership? How do these leaders justify their continue rule?
Political Power
How powerful and centralized are these people's governments? Through what means do these governments exist and impact the lives of everyday people?
Political Structures
What kind of structures exist in these governments? Does power lay at the top of a hierarchy or do those on the ground wield the real power?
Religion in Politics
What role does religion play in the governments of these people? Do priests hold more power than secular entities? Do they hold speciale responsibilities or positions?
Magic in Politics
What role does magic play in the governments of these people? Do mages play a different role in government than non-mages?
Views on other Cultures
Subcultures
What kind of sub or non mainstream cultures exist among these people? How are they seen by the mainstream culture? What kind of interactions are allowed with this subculture?
Minorities:
What kind of minorities exist within these people’s society? How are they preserved? Are they treated as equals or as second class citizens? What kind of interactions are allowed with these people?
Foreign Cultures:
How are foreign cultures seen by these people? In what way do these people interact with foreigners? What kind of relationships are acceptable with foreigners?
Cultural Appearance:
Adornment:
What adornments do these people wear? Are they for special events or casual wear?
Psychologically, Goblins like shiny things, and colorful things. So their jewelry/adornments tend towards jewelry/gems, feathers, and colorful clothes. They also like face paint, and some rare individuals like tattoos (most don’t, because they can’t be changed, and Goblins like variety). Tattoos/Scarification:
Do these people permanently alter their skin in any way? Do they get tattoos? Do they scar or brand themselves? Do these hold ritual significance? Do these marks hold certain meanings?
As touched on above, some like tattoos, although most don’t, since tattoos are permanent, and most Goblins would like to change the designs. Much like having a varied wardrobe, face paint is the preferred method of facial decoration.
Ritual scarification is not a thing with Goblins, nor is branding. While they see the Orcs do these things, the Goblins have never added it to their cultural repertoire. Significance is personal; any meanings to the facial decorations are entirely up to the wearer. That said, there are certain designs that are fashionable: stripes, polygonal shapes, and stylized animal shapes are currently in vogue.
Makeup:
What Kind of makeup do these people use?
Some use regular make up, many use more extensive face paint.
Clothing:
What sort of clothing do these people wear?
Colorful clothing is preferred; they also like patterned weaves in addition to bright solids. As for clothing style, they pretty much follow what is fashionable, if they can afford it. Hair:
What do these people’s hair look like naturally? How do they style it? What is done with facial hair? What is different for men and women? Children, adults, and elders?
Attraction:
What is considered beautiful by these people? What are the standards for men and women?
What is considered ugly? What is the difference between cute/handsome and hot/sexy?
Cultural Creations:
Architecture:
What styles of architecture is common among these people? What difference is there between informal commoner buildings and more large scale projects? Are these built to last or not?
Art:
What sort of art do these people create?
Artifacts:
What sort of physical artifacts do these people create? What kind of items are decorate and which one’s are left plane?
Symbolism:
What sort of symbols hold significance to these people?
Literature/stories:
What sort of writing do these people create? Do they follow standard genres or archetypes?
Music:
What sort of music do these people make? What kind of instruments?
Food:
What sort of food do these people create?
Calendar/Time Keeping:
How do these people record the passage of time?
Life History:
Family:
What do family structures look like among these people? How long do they last? At what point in their life do they form? Who are allowed to create a family?
Marriage/Courtship:
What sort of marriage and courtships do these people practice? Who initiates? What steps are taken in order to get married? At what point in their lives do they get married? Who is allowed to marry whom?
Blood Mixing:
To what extent do these people intermingle with other cultures or races? What about different classes or caste
Pregnancy:
How is pregnancy seen by these people? What is biologically different/unique? What things must pregnant women do differently? What are they not allowed to do?
Birth:
How is birth seen? Who is involved in the process? What is seen as having an influence on birth?
Guardians:
Are their non-parental figures who guard over children? Are they a blood relative? What obligations does the guardian have to the child? Visa versa?
Children:
What role do children play in society? Who raises them? What is expected of them?
Adulthood:
When is a child considered an adult? Is it a specific ritual or event? Does it require the taking of responsibility? Can a ‘child’ be considered an adult under unique circumstances?
Elders:
How are elders treated by these people? What roles do they fill? What is expected of them?
Death and Burial Practices:
How are the dead treated by these people? Are they buried? Cremated? How are they prepared for these rights?
Technology:
Advancement and Proliferation:
Generally speaking, how ‘advanced’ are these people technologically compared to the rest of the world? What are some major developments that have been made recently? How prolific is technology throughout their society?
Household:
What kind of technology do common people make use of on a regular basis? What about the Upper Class?
Magic Tech:
Is magic used in conjunction with technology? How do they play off of each other? What is the source/fuel?
Agriculture:
What kind of farming technology do these people have access to? How important and widespread is it among farming communities?
Manufacturing:
What techniques and tools do these people's industries make use of? How automated are they?
Resource Extraction:
What tools do these people make use of for mining, logging, and other form of resource extraction?
Terraforming:
How do these people transform the land around them?
Transportation:
What kind of roads, ships, carts, and so on do these people use?
Architecture:
How advanced are these people's buildings? How large are they able to build? What kind of defences do they have against natural disasters?
Societal Structure:
Naming System:
What is the structure of a person's names? When and by whom are these given?
Common Names:
What names are common among these people? Are they meant for women (f), men (m), or is it neutral (n)? What family names are common?
A good name template to use is “(ck|kk|k|b|bb|d|dd|sh|ch)C” when using the fantasy name generator here: http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/ (use the Advanced Interface). Ensure that the “collapse triples” checkbox is unchecked. I’m sure it could be improved, but it will work to give a selection of Goblin-sounding names.
Education:
What forms of education exist for these people? What groups receive what kind of education?
Inheritance:
How is inheritance handled when someone dies? How does different classes handle inheritance?
Class/Caste:
Are these people separated by class or caste? Are these separations hard or soft? How do these different groups interact, if at all?
Destitutes:
Who are the destitute and down trout within this society? How are they seen? Are they helped or left on their own?
Charity:
Who do the down trout in this society turn to in times of need? Does support remain within a community? What kind of help is available? How much?
Gender Structures/Roles:
What sort of gender specific roles exist among these people? What is expected of men that is not expected of women? Vice versa?
Sexual Identity:
What kind of sexual identity exists among these people? Is heterosexual relationships the only acceptable type of sexuality? What non traditional types of sexuality are allowed? How are non straight people viewed?
Personal Identity:
What aspects of a person are most important to their personal identity? Is it their family, clan, state, profession, religion, ext?
Courtesy/Manners:
What is considered courteous or proper by these people? How does one treat a stranger? Family? Friend?
Modesty:
What is considered modest by these people? How important is modesty? What is modest for different classes and genders?
Taboo:
What is considered taboo for these people? Is the Taboo the same for Do they apply this only to themselves or do they judge other cultures?
Laws/Legal Code:
What sort of laws and social rules exist among these people? Are these formal or informal? Enforced by a central authority or a traditional social order?
Punishment:
What kind of punishments do these people believe in? What punishments are given in response to what crimes?
Drugs:
What kind of drug use is acceptable or encouraged by these people? Under what circumstances are these drugs acceptable to use? Which drugs are not allowed?
Language:
What do these people’s language sound like? What relation does it have to other languages?
Cultural Beliefs:
Ancestry:
How are these people’s ancestors seen? Are they remembered or honored? What is it that they provide for those who live now?
Paragons/Heroes:
Are there hero’s within the mythology of this society? How are they seen? How flawed are they? What makes them heroes?
Health/Medicine:
How do these people view health and disease? What can individuals do to improve their health?
Mental Health:
How do these people view mental health? How are people who suffer from it seen? What are the causes? Are there any treatments?
Day/Night/Season:
How are the various seasons seen? Different times of day?
Astronomy:
What importance do the stars, moons, and sun play in these people’s worldview? What do they call the various astrological bodies? What do they represent?
Cosmology:
What is the nature of the world? What is its future and how will it end?
History:
How do these people see the past? What is important and what is left out? What does a common person know about history? An educated person?
The Natural World:
How is the natural world seen? What about wild or uninhabited places?
The Artificial World:
How is the artificial world, the one created by people, seen? What about villages and cities?
Occultism:
How is the Occult, the secret and nontraditional world, seen?
Cryptid:
What mythical and unseen animals exist in this society's view? Do people believe in them? How real are they?
Monstrosities:
What monsters exist in these societies view? How much of a problem are they? How do people combat them?
Magic:
How is magic seen by these people? Are all kinds viewed similarly or are distinctions made?
Cultural Events:
Sports/Recreation:
What sort of sports or other recreations do these people do? Is there a difference between professional and casual sports? Who plays what sports?
Festivals/Celebrations:
What sort of celebrations and festivals do these people have? Are they centered around the time of year? Certain events?
Rites of Passage:
What rituals and ceremonies do people go through as parts of their lives? A passage to adulthood? Absolution for past actions? Marriage?
Demographics:
Towns/Villages/Cities:
What kind of villages, towns, and cities do these people have? How large are they? Who controls these population centers?
Urban vs Rural:
How urban or rural is this society? What are the cultural and economic differences between the two? Where does the society’s power truly lie?
Migration/Population Movement:
How, and for what reasons, do these people move around? Are these short range or over long distances? Do they return to a set ‘home’ or is home always moving? Do the young move or does everyone? Do most people die where they are born or elsewhere?
The Frontier:
What does the fringes of these people’s territory look like? Where is it? Who lives there? How do people see it? How strong is the government's influence?
Exploration:
Do these people explore new territory? How do they view exploration? What tools do they have at their disposal?
Colonization:
How do these people colonize new territories? How connected are these colonies to their homeland? What happens to the natives of these colonies?
Conflict:
Military:
What sort of military do these people have? Is it made of professionals or irregulars? How is gender or class important within these people’s military?
Weaponry/Armor:
What kind of weapons and armor do these people use? Are they of the people’s own design or taken from another people? What level of quality are these weapons? Do they export or import weapons/armor?
Champions:
What unique and somewhat independent warriors can be found among these people? Where do most of them come from? What do they specialize in? How does the society see them?
Magic in Warfare:
How is magic used as a component of the military? Do mages serve specific roles or are they treated like normal soldiers? What kinds of magic are used by these people in war?
War/Conquest:
Do these people wage war? How do they view war? How are conquered people treated? How expansionary are they?
Resistance/Dissent:
What kind of dissent and resistance do these people practice? What groups are these targeted at?
Raiding:
Do these people raid? Is it acceptable to do so? Who is doing the raiding and who is being raided?
Slavery:
Is slavery allowed by these people? Who can be enslaved? Are children of slaves born free? What rights do slaves have? How can slaves be made free?
Abandonment:
When do these people abandon their home? When everything they have is destroyed do they rebuild or move on?
Natural Disasters:
What kind of natural disasters do these people deal with? How do they respond? From where do they believe these disasters come from?
Diseases:
What kind of disease do these people deal with? What is seen as the source? How do they deal with them?
Magic:
General Description:
Provide a general description of these people’s magical system.
Connection to Magic:
What kind of connection do these people have with magic? How does it influence them? How much control over it do they have?
Styles of Magic:
How do these people use magic? Are there distinct styles or methods of using magic? What schools of thought exist around magic?
Role of Mages:
What is the role of magic users in society? What professions do they fill? Where can they be found?
The Mundane:
How do mages see the mundane? How staunch of a line is drawn between them?
Religion (RELIGION NAME):
Name:
What is the name of this religion? What meaning does it have?
General Overview:
Give a general overview of this religion. What are its major tenets? How does it exist in the daily lives of everyday people? What religious leaders exist?
Religious History:
How has this religion changed over the years? How long has it been around? What major events shaped it?
Religious Structure:
How are the formal institutions of this religion constructed? What levels of leadership positions exist? How do these leaders interact with everyday believers? What informal institutions exist?
Place of Worship:
Do these people have a place of worship or other structure of religious significance? Who is responsible for maintaining or running these temples? What does it look like?
Symbolism:
What symbols hold significance to this religion?
Deities/Mythic Figures:
Who, if any, are the gods of this religion? What characters exist in their myths? What powers do they hold?
Sacred Lore:
What books or collections of tales does this religion teach? Are they equally important? Who tells these stories?
Creation Myth:
How do these people believe the world and its people came into existence? How recent was creation?
Death:
How is death view in this religion? What happens to a person after they die?
Followers:
How do followers experience this religion in their everyday lives? How important is it to them? Are all followers created equal?
Sacred Sites:
What sites or cities are considered sacred by this religion? How long have they been seen this way? Why?
Religious Orders:
What kind of religious orders exist within this religion? Are they militarily focused? Isolated or open to the public? Who is allowed to join these orders? What services do they provide?
Heretical Groups:
What heretic groups exist within this religion? How are they treated by members of the mainstream religion?
Magic:
Does magic play a part in this religion? Do mages play a different part in the religion than non-mages?
History:
Historical Period or Era:
General overview of these people’s history in the named region.
Schools of Thought:
Name of Schools of Thought:
Text for this school of thought, either a brief description or a full write up.
Legends/Stories/Myths:
Name of Legend/Story/Myth:
Text of this legend/story/myth, either a brief description or a full write up.
Major Nations:
Name of Nations:
General write up of this nation and its significance.
Major Settlements:
Name of Settlement:
General write up of this city/town/village and its significance.
Major Individuals:
Name of Person:
General write up of this person and their significance?
Terminology:
Define any terms or names used in this write up.
Notes:
Any minor notes go here.
Comments