Physical Description
Goblins are small, wiry humanoids with pointy ears, sharp teeth, and a mischievous glint in their eyes. Their skin tone varies, but it tends to range from green to gray, and some even have a sickly yellow hue. Their faces are often adorned with warts and wrinkles, adding to their ugly appearance. Their eyes are typically small and bright, almost like beads, giving them an intense and cunning look. Goblins are known for their agile and nimble movements and their small stature, standing at two to three feet tall and weighing less than 40 pounds. Their fingers are long and dexterous, perfect for crafting and tinkering with all sorts of peculiar contraptions. Typically, goblins have a penchant for wearing tattered, earth-toned clothing that allows them to blend into their natural surroundings, making them adept at sneaking and hiding.
Culture
Goblin culture puts heavy emphasis on an individual’s usefulness to the tribe. Everyone must have a purpose, however small it is. Additionally, everyone must learn how to fight. The goblins were defeated centuries ago during the Goblin War so now they are constantly preparing for a new war that they plan to win. Their focus on military activity often leads goblin communities into conflict with others.
Goblins have a special talent for animal husbandry and breeding. Many of the more exotic animals of Cimmeria are a result of goblin breeding programs. Goblins have a particular love for canines. Every tribe has a few wolves and dogs around. A tribe is truly blessed if intelligent wargs join in. Warg mounted goblins are a vicious combination of ferocity and speed. Surprisingly, despite their love of animals of all kinds, goblins also value being clean. Social status in goblin communities is not based off of your wealth, but on your cleanliness.
Since before the Olympian invasion the goblins practiced ritual cannibalism. At funerals a goblin’s family would consume portions of their corpse so that the goblin’s spirit would continue to reside with the family. Additionally, the goblins consumed the flesh of powerful foes they had defeated to absorb the spiritual strength of that foe into themselves. In the six centuries since the Goblin War, cannibalism has become common within the Hobgoblin Lands. The scarcity of resources in some regions has led to cannibalism out of necessity. A fresh body can command a decent price among the upper-class. Poor goblin families occasionally sell their children, not as slaves, but as meals for a local noble to eat.
The goblinoids of Cimmeria have a diffuse population distribution. Most of them do not live in centralized communities, but instead in small villages supported by subsistence farming. Each of these smaller communities are typically ruled by the hobgoblins within them. A hobgoblin birth is considered a blessing for a goblin family as their child will be strong and enjoy an elevated position within the community. Bugbear births are more akin to a curse. Most goblins eat their bugbear children or kill them through exposure. If they reach adulthood, they can be an asset to their family, but they’re also a risk. After all, what’s stopping the violent cannibal from eating its parents?
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