Goblins

Goblins are mischievous, greenskinned humanoids occasionally seen prowling around in Rathnir. Though not originally native to this area, lone individuals or small bands of them are known to wander into Rathnir, often causing trouble where they go. They should not be confused with other greenskins, such as orcs, ogres and gremlins, though they might be drawn to them due to their similarities.

Origins and History
The origins of Goblinkind lie outside of Rathnir, though where exactly they hail from is unknown since they keep little written history. Some attribute the migration of the Bardonians, Ryzani and Olthiac to unknown goblin empires northwest of the known world. Yet within Rathnir tales of Goblin appearances seem as old as tales themselves. Tales of fearsome goblin bandits, raiding and killing without mercy. Tales of hoards of loot dissappearing in a tide of green. Tales of miners stumbling onto fearsome little creatures in the infinite tunnels beneath the soil. Any experienced miner will have heard this old piece of wisdom, and take it to heart:

"In the depths of the mine, when looking for coal or ores, you must always be aware of what skitters in the dark. A multitude of denizens make the depths of Rathnir their home. One of these creatures is a small figure which can be seen roaming the forgotten mineshafts of ages past. They are afraid of light and when surprised will screech and flee, often dropping the little nuggets of gold they were collecting. Be glad it is them you found, as there are far more terrible things lurking in the tunnels deep below." - Excerpt from "Miner's Beastiary" Goblin presence in an area is oftentimes first noticed not by sighting of the creatures, but by the traces they leave. As night rolls over the land, lone peasants will lose their harvests, fishermen will find that their catch of yesterday has dissappeared, craftsmen will find that their shed full of resources suddenly stands empty. While mostly nocturnal, it is a harsh myth that goblins fear light, or even turn to stone in the sun. While they prefer the cover that darkness brings them, and the comforting twinkle of the stars, they venture outside at daytime when needed. Some despise the sun and feel nauseous and sick when in it for too long, but most of them will only get mildly grumpy when outside at daytime.

The first notable goblin activity in Rathnir was the infamous crime spree of the two goblin brother-bandits, HesVinnie & HesWinnie, renowned for their incredible skills with weaponry and the daring raids they pulled off. Goblins were known to be common in the City-State of Lemebah, living together with their orcish and human brothers. For a while, goblins returned to being rare sightings, not often written down. Recent events have made the existence of goblinkind more common again, as goblin activity has risen now that a group of them have settled in Arxella, in a little swamp town they call Goblinhole.

Rumors speak of a large, barbaric hoarde-kingdom of orcs and goblin that exist in the Far North. They were said to have wiped out entire cities of dwarves (a species many in Rathnir don't believe in), to the point were some think the dwarves to be extinct in all realms. If this rumor is to be even slightly believed, then the goblins of the Far North are likely far more vile and cruel than their more mischievous, southern counterparts.

Culture and Religion
Goblin culture is varied and pluriform. Though many different goblins behave and worship in a variety of ways, there are some general behaviours that seem to be consistent. Goblins are often drawn to riches. Though they might be content with living in a muddy cave, it is gold they truly crave. Bars, nuggets, blocks and crafts: everything that is gold will automatically be coveted by goblins. When congregating in larger groups, goblins will often choose a wise, old goblin from their midst which they refer to as "Chieftain". Chieftains are tasked with maintaining goblin settlements and diplomatic relations.

Goblins often have a difficult time speaking the common language of Rathnir, and chatter loudly in their own language when among their compatriots. Traditionally, Goblins tend to use names instead of pronouns, often incorrectly pronouncing names from different tongues. Verbs also tend not to be conjugated properly, and punctuation is seen as an unnecessary waste of precious time. Where a common speaker would say "I live next to him, in Arxella.", a proper goblin dialect would turn that into "Vaeshkg live next to Snurgle in Arghella".

Goblin religion is mostly focused on what goblins encounter in the world around them. Be it "Blood Guy", worshiped by HesVinnie & HesWinnie after finding a bottle of his blood, the Sacred Willow of Goblinhole, or Arxella's Green Parrot (which the goblins of goblinhole continously mistake for Gottrick, the God worshipped by Arxella). Their religious ceremonies are diverse, but often just boil down to praising whatever they consider holy and dedicating their kills to said object. Flexible religion makes them seemingly easy targets for conversion, but this conversion is often in name only, changing little in the way goblins live their lives. This behaviour has resulted in Goblin-Gottrian Syncreticism emerging as a major sect in Arxella, though neither the goblins nor the Gottrian Order would ever recognize it as a separate belief.

Notable Goblins and Sites

 * HesVinnie & HesWinnie
 * Lemebah
 * Goblinhole
 * Arxella
 * wurmbo
 * Vonnie