Goblin
Three things are fairly immutable facts when it comes to goblins; they have no concept of ownership, they live in the moment, and they are pyromaniacs.
This former fact comes heavily into play in the perception from other races of goblins being thieves and raiders, when the truth is they simply take an object they are in need of when they need it, be it tools or food. The grabbing of coins and gems is often two-fold; goblins love shiny things, which seems to be related to their love of fire, and also because some are wise enough to know that other races use them to exchange for goods they need. Most goblins understand that if someone is holding onto something then it is theirs, but should an item be put down or left unattended then it is free game, which works the same in their society and can lead hoarders amongst their number to end up carrying excessive amount of random trinkets.
This attitude extends to tribes, clans and families too, where goblins may join or leave simply by wandering in or out of a situation. Tribes and clans will have someone generally appointed leader, though that lasts only as long as they can keep people fed and happy, or strong-arm their position. Children, including non-goblins when they're found, are picked up by whichever goblin comes across them to take care of them for the time being, leading most goblins to have no idea who their actual parents are. Relationships between goblins are much the same, a lack of the concept of commitment means they partner up with whomever is convenient that night.
Raids on settlements by goblin tribes are events that happen from time to time, but the goblin reasoning behind it can be quite confusing to outsiders. Often it will start with something simple as a goblin needing a tool they don't have, but knowing that a nearby settlement has one in a locked shed. They'll talk to other goblins and they too will list items or foods and supplies they are after, until enough are on the same page that they decide to go grab what they need themselves, oblivious to the fact that any of these things are owned. When they do get into sheds, houses and storage, they'll often realise there's a lot of unattended items they want, and merrily go their way grabbing what they can. Others will find their pyromaniac ways stimulated by all the fireplaces and lanterns around the place, fooling around with such items before inevitably igniting fires across the settlement the local folk will have to worry about, conveniently distracting them from chasing the fleeing goblins.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Goblins are stumpy humanoids with large bodies, scrawny limbs, and oversized heads with large ears, often large hooked noses, and beady red eyes. Their skin ranges from yellow to green to grey to blue, and they often bear scars, boils, and rashes. Goblins average 3 feet tall. Most are bald, with little or no body hair. Their jagged teeth fall out and regrow constantly, and their fast metabolism means they eat constantly and nap frequently. Mutations are also more common among goblins than other peoples, and goblins usually view particularly salient mutations as a sign of power or fortune.
Despite their small size they are incredibly quick, able to keep pace with most human-sized races without too much issue. Depending on their environment, goblins may adapt to moving in alternate methods with great ease. Most notably, some goblins who live in rainforests or jungles grow tails to help with their mobility. Adaption to the temperature or toxicity or hazards of the environment are very common for goblins too.
Genetics and Reproduction
Generally biannually cycles of fertility, this may be triggered out of the normal timeframe if a brand new tribe has been settled. Gestation is approximately 100 days and litters bear on average four children, though this number can normally vary between one and eight.
Growth Rate & Stages
Goblins reach adolescence by the age of 3 and adulthood 4 or 5 years later. Goblins can live 50 years or more, but without anyone to protect them from each other or themselves, few live past 20 years of age. Beyond 20 they are called Elders, and Grandelders if they reach 40.
Ecology and Habitats
Goblins can be found in almost any environment across the lands and can adapt well to any place, though they favour places with caves. Forests and mountains are often their homes, preferring locations they can hide easily and set traps and warnings. They are least comfortable in deserts and dry, flat lands, where they loose much of their advantages for their size and skills, and where being near fire is uncomfortable.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Tribes are small to large size gatherings of goblins, led by a single individual who is often chosen by popularity or by rites and rituals such as Fireclaim. Clans are several related tribes who unite for a common cause, with one leader often being called the Clan Monarch, often translated to Clan King or Queen in common; which name is dependant on the ruler's preference of word sound, or inheriting the title from another, not the gender of the goblin in charge.
Most common goblins live in an equal society, often with certain goblins taking up lifelong roles such as blacksmithing, cooking, fletching, or tailoring, though all join in on fights and raids when they occur.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Darkvision - Goblins can see in darkness and dim light just as well as they can see in bright light, though their vision in darkness is in black and white. Though adapted to the darkness they don't suffer any more from bright light than other races would.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Goblin Dog - not actually a dog, but instead a very large hairless vermin. They work and hunt with goblins, and goblins are immune to common diseases they carry.
Civilization and Culture
Gender Ideals
Gender is of no concern to goblins, the only time it ever really comes into play is when a goblin is pregnant; such goblins seldom go on raids and receive gifts of food from those who do. The Goblin language has no gendered words at all, with only pregnant being used as a distinguisher, and only ever used in the present term. This leads to goblins often using whatever pronouns for others they want until corrected when speaking other languages, and constantly varying their own pronouns at a whim. On rare occasions a goblin may identify strongly with a gender or gender role and may dress or name accordingly, not that it bothers the other goblins at all.
Relationship Ideals
Relationships are akin to conceptual ownership which is beyond the care of most goblins when they already have a tribe or clan to worry about. Goblins within tribes often end up with a particular small group of kin, generally between two and six but normally three or four, whom they prefer to spend time with, and that for many is as good as calling it a polyamorous relationship. Sexual relations generally occur to pass the time without any stigma or expectations of commitment, which is how most procreation occurs for goblinkind.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Common Goblin and the common tongue of the lands they inhabit are the main languages spoken, though with goblin lacking it's own writing system dialect variances occur frequently. The constant wandering, merging and breaking of tribes and clans of the goblins also means that they inter-polinate each other with new or varying words. Orcish is a common third language known, and often their alphabet is used in favour of others.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Grandfire - All goblin tribes and clans have what they call the Grandfire, considered to be the heart of their community. Both the young and the elders are tasked with keeping this flame nourished at all times. If, for whatever reason, the Grandfire is snuffed, the leader steps down without question - or is killed if they refuse. A Fireclaim is initiated as soon as possible thereafter, often with a new leader being chosen from those who undertook the rite, which also means the new leader is a youth.
Fireclaim - Upon reaching adulthood at 4 or 5 goblins often partake in a Fireclaim. This varies from tribe to tribe on the specifics, but the general custom is for a group of adolescent goblins to go off together and claim a fire from somewhere else; the further away and more perilous the flame, the more renown gained. The specifics of the claim do not matter; it could be stolen from a fireplace or adventurer's camp, or buying a lit lantern from a city. Once claimed, the fire must not go out until it is returned to the tribe and place in the Grandfire. It doesn't matter if it is in the form it was found in, as long as the flame is still alive; lighting other flammables to move to a new fuel source is perfectly fine.
Once the flame is added to the Grandfire those goblins are considered adults. If any fail to keep their flame alive they must continue on their hunt until successful. This has also lead to many cases of lost goblins ending up starting their own tribe with their Fireclaim becoming a new Grandfire.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Goblins bond closely with their allies, fiercely protecting those companions who have protected them or offered a sympathetic ear. Goblins tend to assume for their own protection that members of taller ancestries, which goblins often refer to colloquially as “longshanks,” won’t treat them kindly. Learning to trust longshanks is difficult for a goblin, and it’s been only in recent years that such a partnership has even been an option. However, their attitude as a people can change rapidly, and their short lifespans and poor memories help them adapt quickly.
Sometimes other species, especially larger goblinoids, orcs, and on occasion dragons, find goblins easy to rule over. Showing strength and a little manipulation is all that is needed to take over a tribe, and goblins will often toe the line as long as they're kept fed and happy, or know they can't rebel safely. Threatening their children or pregnant members however is a quick way to an early grave, the one time they consistently put others before themselves.
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
50 years
Average Height
0.75 - 1.2m (2.5 - 4 ft)
Average Weight
12 - 30 kg
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
