His muscles bulged with unrivaled size and virility. The human villagers stared in awe as the mighty war-leader leapt through the sky to mount the wild beast. Within seconds the great goblin had tamed the creature with both his strength and force of will. The proud Chieftain rode off into the sunset on his mighty steed, hacking down several foolish challengers along the way -Ceril Valour, famed traveling bard recounting his extremely brief visit to the Goarsteen Family Pig Ranch

Goblin Chieftain

The Chieftain of a goblin tribe is considered to be the strongest, fastest, smartest and most attractive member of the tribe. Whether this holds true in the minds of other goblins does not matter to the Chieftain himself. A Chieftain is usually in his position because he forced or tricked his way in, and most become lazy and arrogant with time. The rare intelligent few that survive to rule last as long as they do are able to because they recognize the treacherous and greedy nature of their species, and never let their guard down among their own kind. It is a common skill learned by successful goblin leaders to sleep with one's eyes open, to give the appearance to their kin that they are always watching. Regardless, a Chieftain is a much more powerful force than an average goblin, and any adventurer that encounters one on the battlefield should be wary. While not much of a challenge for a seasoned combatant, a Chieftain can easily overwhelm a man twice his size with his surprising strength and speed.

Goblin Characteristics

Goblins are short, mean-spirited creatures with shrill voices. Their skin color can range anywhere from a dull green to bright orange depending on the climate in which they are found. Goblins typically have long, pointy noses and ears with small, sharp fangs protruding from wide mouths, beady dark eyes and gangly, frail bodies. A goblin typically stands about 4' tall, but most hunch over and have an awkward gait due to their somewhat misshapen forms. Goblins are evil, spiteful and covetous creatures, delighting in mischief and the suffering of other races. They are most often found armed with crudely fashioned or stolen equipment. They show little regard for other creatures, including each other, and can often be heard cackling with sadistic glee when engaging in their vile habits.

History

Goblins, despite being considered to be an undesirable nuisance by some, and vermin to be exterminated by others, are one of the oldest surface races in existence. Despite their heritage, they are a primitive and tribal culture, usually found living in dark caves or mountains, a comfortable distance away from other civilizations. Some consider this to be the fault of their cruel and warlike nature. Goblins as individuals are stupid and weak creatures, but they have been known to gather into large groups to pillage small villages, throwing themselves at their victims with reckless abandon. Outside of a group, however, goblins are cowardly and do not pose much of a threat when scattered, which is perhaps one of the reasons this savage and somewhat cunning race has been allowed to exist as long as it has.

Culture

As a typically tribal community, goblins tend to follow a single Chieftain, usually the largest, strongest and sometimes most intelligent of the creatures. The only nods to sophistication found in a goblin society are usually their Shamans, capable of tapping into the crudest of divine magics, and next to a Chieftain, command the most power and respect among their kin. It is not uncommon for a tribal leader to retain several Shamans to further increase his hold over the group, as well as keep them from turning on him with their magic. Other than these figureheads, power and leadership in a goblin community are shaky at best, and can change just as quickly as the majority of the group decides it does. For this reason, their leaders typically try to control through fear. If a leader is seen as weak, it does not take very long for other goblins to attack and attempt to replace him. On occasion, many goblins see themselves as fit rulers during such a struggle, and smaller tribes have been known to wipe themselves out over power disputes, much to the relief of any neighboring races.