The Goblins

A group which is both small in stature and numbers, the goblins are a humanoid race who dwell deep below the surface of the realm. Their main diet consists of bats, axolotls, glow berries, moss and other lichens in their natural habitat. This small race is one with a colorful, but largely uncovered history which is waiting to be explored and fleshed out.

Appearance

Goblin appearance divides them into 2 Goblin subspecies, the cave dwellers and surface dwellers (We will discuss them under this page). Each group has minor but notable physiological and cultural differences due to the time spent separated. Physical traits which are consistent among all goblins are olive and greenish skin undertones, larger dilated pupils, reflective eyes, bioluminescent freckles which look like glow berries, short and slender build, and hair which shares a texture similar to glow vines.

Personality

Goblin personality is one which is fitting for a creature of their size. They are largely conflict-averse and slightly skittish whenever they feel threatened. However, they are also very social creatures and whenever they feel comfortable in a certain environment or crowd this is visible through their friendliness, for example when at a tavern they will most often be one of the drunkest individuals there, on account of their small size and all, often joking or inviting the other patrons to partake in some kind of game or bet. However, they may also be mischievous in nature as well, be it in mostly harmless ways such as pulling a prank here or there, or more harmful acts such as engaging in petty crime or plots. Names Some typical goblin surnames are Bizel, Bree, Guthash, Cavnying, Glorach, and Grath. Goblins did not reproduce sexually with one another, and as such they had very little concept of gender, meaning all goblin first names are gender neutral. These names include Moss, Berry, Crystal, Urak, Thrak, Gever, and Yahg.

Traits

Aging

Due to their strange biology, goblins do age at a different rate than humans, but the exact reason for this is unknown and the differences in goblin lifespans can vary wildly. An old goblin myth suggested that every goblins' life was attached to a specific amethyst crystal upon their summoning, and should that crystal ever be destroyed, so too will the goblin.

Language

The ancient goblins did once have a unique tongue, however for unknown reasons this language was replaced by Varshaadi shortly after the first goblins met the Vars people.

Shamans There are some goblins who are born as a goblin shaman, these goblins have incredible powers unique to them, specifically the ability to summon more goblins into the world. The method which they do this by is a complete mystery even to them as to do so is an innate ability which they activate by consuming large amounts of reality altering substances. These shamans also would reportedly dabble in primitive forms of magic, but the details of this are largely undiscovered. Senses All goblins however have exceptional hearing and eyesight, as well as the ability to scale rough surfaces with relative ease.

History

Due to the goblins oral tradition a large amount of their history is a combination of lost, confused, or contradictory. The best example being the stories about where exactly goblins come from, one myth claims that they hatch from geodes like and egg (this story is also theorized to be why some goblins believe that their life is tied to a specific amethyst crystal), while another claims they emerge from the darkest corners, crevices and canyons underground, and a third hypothesizes that goblins are creatures that enter the world through the void, born via Cavi’s dreams leaking over into the material plane of existence. What is known about goblin history is that they at some point began leaving their vast subterranean kingdoms and interacting with the surface dwelling Varsic peoples. With these interactions eventually leading to the formation of the two distinct goblin subraces.

In modern history the cave dwelling goblins have largely severed ties with the surface dwellers, blaming them for the death of their kin, and withdrew into the deepest, most hidden portions of caves leaving behind vast ruins of where they once dwelled. And as of now there are no shamans known to be dwelling among any of the surface dwelling goblins, so their population seems to be slowly fading away.

Dwelling Place

 The largest goblin population centers are both located at the town of Cnandaghir, with the town having the largest population of surface dwelling goblins as well as being the last known location to house the cave dwelling goblins beneath it. Most goblins will avoid dwelling in Varshaad for extended periods of time due to it historically being the Varsic peoples homeland and goblins not wishing to intrude. Other goblin populations will typically be found in areas either near Cnandaghir or towns overlying vast cave systems. However, they do typically avoid living in tropical and desert environments due to having evolved for cooler, damp caves.

The surface dwellers' physical features are much less exaggerated than the cave dwellers, and they often share features very similar to the Siovarshi due to centuries of interaction between the two races. Compared to their relatives the surface dwellers have much lighter hues of skin, less bright freckles, little to no webbing, and normal nails. They lost a lot of the features which helped their ancestors hide among the glow vines of caves as these features only made them stand out worse during the nights on the surface.

The surface dwellers live in much more spread out populations than the cave dwellers which continue to live in large underground communities, as a result the surface dwellers have no truly united culture and typically just take on many of the practices of where their family integrated into when they left the caves. They did however typically retain their belief in the Cavian faith. They typically view the old cave dwellers as stubborn and unaware of what things are truly like on the surface.