Goblinoid

Fast Facts

Height: 3 ft. to 6 ft.

Weight: 60 (lbs) to 250 (lbs)

Lifespan: Varies by type

Notable Features: Greenish skin, long ears and fingers, sharp teeth and nails

Player Restrictions: None

Racial Ability: Varies by type. See below under Physiology/Biology.

Population: ~15,000,000

History

Goblinoids were never meant to be a race in Ransera. They were not the product of a god's hand, neither were they of otherworldly origin. No, the first goblins were the product of the inbreeding of slave stock during the early days of the Age of Clockwork. Generations of enslaved races intermingled, and eventually, a particular mix was generated that was grotesque, malformed, and in most cases sterile. These pitiable abominations were deemed 'goblins', named for the old word for a vermin. These creatures lived an unenviable life filled with heavy labor, malnutrition, and beatings. Most gave up entirely, but one held hope.

The little goblin did not have a name. Slaves were not allowed that, and he could barely speak a few words. Still, he was an intelligent goblin, unusually so, as most of those like him were slow or dull-witted. When the slavers were sleeping this little goblin was scheming, plotting with the few companions he could gather. They stole the nails used to chain them to the walls and slowly, over the course of months, filed them down on the rough stones of sleeping holes until they were flat and jagged. They used these to steadily cut the chains that bound them, and one night attempted an escape. They failed and were clasped in irons once more, though this time they were bound at the wrists as well as by the feet. The little goblin was also bound by an iron band around his neck that was nailed to the wall, making it impossible for him to move past his designated area.

This time the goblin almost did give up. Yet as he sat, slumped in his little corner, staring at the moldy food he was served, a man appeared to him. A man with many rings and a winning smile. Vhexur played a game with the goblin, a game of dice and they bet for smooth stones that the goblin had been collecting for years. The goblin lost of course, but just as he thought the man was about to leave Vhexur made him an offer.

If you can escape your chains again and flee, he said, smiling a sly smile, I will bless you and your kin with great fortune.

It was an impossible bet. The goblin knew there was no way, and he could not even imagine what fortune for him and those like him would look like. Still, he was the competitive sort, and so accepted without really meaning to try. Days passed, but the goblin never forgot Vhexur's words. Eventually, he decided, what the hell, there was nothing stopping him from at least trying. So once more he started plotting and scheming. It took several months, but eventually, the goblin gathered new companions who became his arms and his legs. They watched the guards for him, they counted the seconds between shifts, and they monitored when new shipments came and when they left. The goblin knew he had to free himself of the chains that bound him and his companions, but the guards had moved the nails and watched them carefully. So the goblin used his claws and his teeth. Both were very sharp, and his teeth grew back quickly. He chewed through his bindings, and when he was free he did the same for his companions. While the guards slept they slipped into shipment scheduled to leave before the next shift, and by sunrise the next day the goblin and his friends were free.

That goblin took the name Girneph and became the first Goblin King. Vhexur made good on his promise, and he blessed the goblins with vitality and adaptability. With their new freedom, they spread out across Ransera, with Girneph and his companions becoming the progenitors of the first goblin clans.

Physiology/Biology

The Goblinoid race is one of the most diverse and varied races in all of Ransera. Though they share a common ancestry, Goblinoid appearances can vary based not just on type, but by tribe as well as region. This was the blessing given to them by Vhexur, and it has caused quite a wide range of possibilities for the Race. In general terms all Goblinoids have green skin. Some can be dark, nearly ebony in coloring, or bright as jungle leaves. All Goblinoids possess long, sharp nails and vicious pointed teeth, which grow back continuously throughout their entire lives. Goblinoid teeth in particular are peculiar, as they are both naturally sharp and durable enough to puncture iron. Finally, Goblinoids are all easily identifiable by their sharp noses and elongated ears. Longevity and size vary depending on the goblinoid type.

Goblin

The most well-known, and widespread, type of Goblinoid is known simply as a Goblin. The typical goblin stands between 4 and 5 feet tall, with some of the tallest reaching almost to 5'5 at the tips of their long ears. Their skin can be nearly any shade of green, with their region or origin being a major factor in their coloring. Their ears tend to be long and pointed, with sharp noses and large eyes that can range from emerald green to dark red. Some tribes of Goblins live mostly nocturnal lives or make their homes deep in caves, and as a result, they have developed excellent nocturnal vision. Goblins, like most Goblinoids, possess elongated limbs with long thin fingers that end in sharp claws. Of the various Goblinoid types, the Goblin is the most dexterous, and are well known for their talents in crafting skills which require small detailed work.

Height: 4-5'5 Feet

Weight: 100-150 lbs

Lifespan: 18 (Adult), 80 (Elder), 100 (Deathly)

Racial Ability: +10 XP in any crafting skill, magical or non magical

Hobgoblin

If one wants to piss off an Orkhan then compare them to a Hobgoblin. In many ways, this type of Goblinoid does resemble a smaller Orkhan, but their resemblance stops at the general proportions and greenish skin. Their ears like most Goblinoids are elongated, and instead of tusks, their mouth is filled with jagged pointed teeth that give their grin an unintentionally intimidating air. While Goblins have long, sharp noses, Hobgoblins tend to have smaller, more smashed-looking noses that better emphasizes the teeth that are always visible even when their mouth is closed. Hobgoblins, or simply Hobs, are largely built and put on muscle easily. Because of this, they are often utilized as foot-soldiers or laborers, especially in the larger empires. The Hobs are one of the most common types of Goblinoids seen throughout Ransera, and because of their unique ability to store strength for later use they are well adapted for surviving a number of climates.

Height: 6-6'5 Feet

Weight: 200-250 lbs

Lifespan: 18 (Adult), 70 (Elder), 90 (Deathly)

Racial Ability: Hobgoblins possess the ability to store physical strength to call on it later when they need it. They can store up to twice their physical strength over the course of 24 hours, and when they summon it again they burn through that extra strength in a matter of minutes. While storing strength their muscles physically shrink, and when they draw on it their muscles inflate. This ability is what allows Hobgoblins to perform incredible feats of strength that separate them from their smaller, weaker cousins.

Grackle

The Grackle is what most of Ransera think of when they hear the word Goblinoid. These are one of the smallest Goblinoid types, typically standing between 3-4 feet tall with large pointed ears and beady eyes. Grackles are similar to Goblins if their features have been exaugurated significantly. Some have long noses, some are nearly nonexistent, but all Grackles have large, wide mouths filled with rows of pointed teeth stuck in a near-perpetual grin. They are intelligent, cunning even, but due to most tribes' rather feral nature and peculiar habits, much of Ransera views them as closer to monsters, or rather vermin, than a sentient race. Part of the stereotype comes from their oversized mouths', which makes it difficult to form coherent words. Grackles have a much shorter lifespan than either Goblins or Hobgoblins, but because of this they also have a much shorter reproduction cycle. This has lead to Grackles being the most common Goblinoid type, with the most tribes, across Ransera.

Height: 3-4 Feet

Weight: 50-100 lbs

Lifespan: 6 (Adult), 20 (Elder), 30 (Deathly)

Racial Ability: Grackles are able to subsist on anything, despite actual nutritional value. Be that meat, plants, rocks, or dirt they are able to consume and draw the aether from it, directly sustaining themselves. Because of this the stomachs and intestines of Grackles are highly sought after by Alchemist for their magical properties.

Psychology

Goblinoids are a race of survivors, and as such their personalities and ways of thinking vary broadly based on the regions they are born within. Some things, however, are always inherent. Goblinoids tend to find humor in nearly anything, and their spirit can be called indomitable, if not easily understood by the other races. Because the majority of Goblinoids are of a shorter stature many have grown to become quite crafty, and are quick to adapt to new and dangerous situations that might cause others to hesitate. As a whole Goblinoids tend to be high spirited, rambunctious, fun-loving, and deeply connected to the feral nature in every creature. They realize more than any race that everyone is just one step away from being an animal themselves.

Culture

Somewhere in Ransera there does in fact exist a Goblin King. He, or perhaps She, is always selected from among the Tribes and Clans of the South, and it is believed that the Goblin King lives in deep underground Caverns somewhere within the Gelerian Imperium. Outside of the Goblin King and his court, the rest of the Goblinoids exist across Ransera in the form of Clans and Tribes, each of which is headed by a Chief. For some Goblinoid species, this is merely a formality, or they have adapted the tribe system to mimic other races' forms of Nobility. Others, especially Grackles and others like them, tend to live very tribal lives filled with a mixture of hunting and gathering in the wilds of their natural territories. Some parts of Ransera have adapted the Goblinoid's Culture and molded it to fit their own. The Gelerian Imperium, for instance, has the largest number of Hobgoblin Tribes in all of Ransera, and the Imperium has incorporated their tribal structure into their working and military class of citizenry. Other places such as Zythura and parts of the Free Cities of the North have several large Goblin Clans who serve as Merchant houses and help to shuttle imports and imports across the northern part of Ransera. Southern Regions, however, have been less welcoming, and their Goblinoid Tribes are not only frowned upon but in some parts of Sol'Valen actively hunted as mere monsters.

Reproduction, Aging, and Death

The reproduction and aging of Goblinoids are highly dependent upon the type of Goblinoid in question. While most Goblinoids live and reproduce in a similar manner to humans and Orks, several have either elongated or shortened lives and reproductive cycles. Because of this the idea of Death is not something that most Goblinoids think about and is perhaps what has lead to many developing a rather lackadaisical approach to danger. To them Life is exceedingly short, so why worry about when it will end?

When a Goblinoid dies it is almost universally used as a reason to celebrate. Goblins, Hobgoblins, and all other Goblinoid types host some form of the party to commemorate the passing of someone to the other side. It is not uncommon for fingerbones and even skulls to be collected and kept as keepsakes from believed family and friends, while the rest is typically burned and the ashes scattered. Children are seen as a matter of course, and every Goblinoid is expected to reproduce when their time comes. Some Goblinoids suspect this is because of the blessing of Vhexus, but it could also simply be due to the way Goblinoids approach every aspect of life. Children are what keep the Goblinoid Race going, and so families are often quite large.

Language

The native tongue of all Goblins is known as Goblish, otherwise known as Gibbrish to other races as it is difficult to learn and even more difficult to speak. To those unfamiliar with the language, it sounds like screeching, teeth-gnashing, and throaty gurgles that are at once disturbing and confounding. It is spoken incredibly quickly, and when Goblinoids shift to different languages this type of rushed speech often carries over until the Goblinoid in question learns how to control the pace.