Goblin King

Royalty among goblins is not an entirely foreign concept. The issue is that a goblin would never allow another goblin to tell it what to do. For most goblins though, this attitude of personal freedom goes out the window when faced with a bigger, stronger goblin than themselves. To that end, the idea of inheriting power is ridiculous in goblin society. But earning power- that’s something any goblin can understand.   Political Turmoil When a goblin earns enough power and respect from other goblins, they may decide to declare themselves king of their clan. A goblin that has decided it is king usually makes sure it gets the prettiest trinkets and clothing to dress itself in. A goblin king might even try and act more dignified, seeking to emulate its own picture book idea of what a true king is like. But before long, other goblins usually begin to get jealous, and desire everything the king has. When this happens, there is usually a series of assassinations, with a different king coming to power each time. Over time, the royalty either kill themselves off and the clan is left as before, or more rarely, a single goblin manages to stick around long enough to make the others obey it like they did the previous king.   Royal Leadership While ineffective as any sort of real government, a strong enough goblin king is still able to inspire the goblins that serve it. The lackeys that a goblin king surrounds itself with often fight twice as hard to defend their royal leader, trying to look good in front of the king in the hope they’ll receive a reward after the battle. And when a king begins to see all of its lackeys fall at the blades of an adventurer, they’re capable of rallying their subjects at the last possible moment… into beating a hasty retreat, seeking to escape and hide themselves away from a grisly end at swordpoint.