Goblins

High in the mountains of the Barbs lie the labyrinthine caves of the Goblin race. Numerous and thirsty for conflict, they dedicate themselves to a life of Chaos in order that they might carry on the teachings of their ancestor Blezed, a controversial figure within the dominant pan-species creation myth.

Appearance
Goblins vary wildly in size and shape. They range from four foot tall, lithe creatures to six foot tall brawlers, all muscle and teeth. All tend to be hairless, barring a few wiry lengths on the head, have green or greenish-brown skin, and have pointed, down-turned ears. Their teeth are sharp and never stop growing, much like a rodents; they must constantly chew in order to prevent their fangs becoming too long. They dress themselves in a variety of hides, furs and stolen clothes all stitched together in a patchwork of spoils and trophies, decorated with teeth, claws and feathers from their latest conquests. War-paint is very common amongst the tribes. Goblins make their dyes from a variety of mountain plants and crushed insects to create reds, blues and whites with which they decorate their faces and bodies. A fully armoured goblin resembles a brightly-coloured rubbish heap, though much sharper and considerably more vicious.

Society
Goblins exist in isolated tribes throughout the mountains. Though they live underground for most of the time, their hunts take them into the forests and plains of the foothills. Breeding quickly, goblin populations can explode in short periods of time, and tribes must work quickly in order to supply their offspring with food. Inside the caves,the walls are a riot of colour, and everywhere there is music and dancing, shouting and screaming, and everything is just general disorder, which is how goblins like it. Children are looked after by the entire tribe, both to allow parents time to hunt, and because no-one is ever entirely sure who's children belong to whom. Tribes are run on a meritocratic basis; if you are the strongest and most cunning goblin, you are the chief. At least, until a meaner goblin comes along to take your place. In this way, goblin society keeps the fair and just system of 'Might is Right' that the great Blezed passed down to them. The chief can be male or female; Goblins do not discriminate when it comes to who is meaner.

Goblins have no organised religion to speak of. Rather than consulting gods, they practise a form of ancestor worship. Each Goblin of a particular career will offer their prayers to the most famous Goblin of that same career; warriors ask for help from Gomru the Granite, hunters pray to Shlim the Stalker, chefs offer their worship to Piknar the Boar-chopper and so on and so forth. The First Goblin is considered chief amongst all the ancestors, and is ultimately whom all Goblins respect. The voices of the ancestors are interpreted through Goblin Druids, who communicate with the rest of the tribe on behalf of the dead and keep track of the teachings and ways of Blezed. They also point out when a great ancestor has been reborn as another goblin. This occasional reincarnation is a curious facet of Goblin faith, and many a horde has been gathered on the basis of Blezed returning in a different body. Of course, many druids could just be making this up as they go along, but it is difficult to argue with their ability to manifest the ancestor's displeasure as thorns growing from the ground, or a giant stone fist landing on you from above.

Warfare
Goblin armies are untrained, poorly equipped rabble, but they do have one strange advantage; no-one knows how they work except for other goblins. From the outside, a goblin horde is a simply a loud, garish crowd, a mass of pikes and knives with no real organisation, or even goals, other than to steal anything that isn't nailed down. Inside a goblin horde... it is much the same, but the crowd at least has layers. Larger, heavily armoured Goblins form the vanguard of the attack, pinning the enemy down and allowing smaller, sneakier goblins to stab at them from behind the wall of iron with spears and projectiles. Once the opponent has been sufficiently punctured, the lines open up to allow the Berserkers to come through; huge goblins who go into battle wearing nothing but strategically applied war paint and have dedicated themselves entirely to the creation of strife. Their flailing weapons have proved extremely effective, both against the opponents and, unfortunately, the Berserker's allies. Goblin arrows are brittle, and provide few issues for a tough man-at-arms, but a mass of them filling the sky will almost certainly start causing pain, and the shaft themselves are often made from barbed wood, so an incautious step can cause a lot of pain. All in all, a goblin army is similar in behaviour and size to an avalanche; a few small rocks mean nothing, but once the entire mountain side comes crashing down, it is inevitable that something will get flattened.

Goblin war machines are confused but effective. The goblin race is extremely technically minded. Though their constructions are rarely as reliable as their dwarven counterparts, a Goblin's ingenuity, nimble fingers and love of explosions can really get results. Goblins adore fireworks, and often bring Alchemists on to the battlefield. They can be recognised by their large and distinctive masks, which are worn both ritually and for the more practical purpose of making sure they don't lose an eye. Their knowledge of acids, smoke and blast-powder is invaluable in a siege; after all, the only difference between a firework and a deadly weapon is a slight adjustment of aim.

Important Goblins

 * Kmron
 * Chief Rburtz