History
The goblins were the first people of Cimmeria. The great Phoenix burned across Cimmeria and out of the ashes came the goblins. They worshipped their creator and the other animal gods for centuries. After the Trojan War the Olympians came to Cimmeria with the races of the Conclave. The Goblin War raged for one hundred years and at the end the goblins had lost. Within Cimmeria the goblins were enslaved. The maintain their old ways as a subculture. A shady remnant of what once was.
Subraces
As the Goblin War against the Olympians turned against them the goblin gods, Lion and Ants, blessed their people. One out of every hundred births was a hobgoblin. One out of every five hundred births was a bugbear. One out of every twenty thousand was a barghest. Various other sub-races came about as well (bakemono, dekanter, tasloi, etc.). Each of these new goblinoids were more powerful than the original goblins and better suited for war agains the Conclave races of the Olympians. The Animal Pantheon had hoped that this infusion of strength would bring their petitioners victory, but it was sadly not enough.
Hobgoblins: Hobgoblins stand between six and seven feet tall with muscular builds. Their skin ranges from yellow to red in color. They have small protruding tusks. Hobgoblins are well known for their militaristic culture established long ago by their great emperor, Kruk-Ma-Kali. This same emperor also instilled in them a cutthroat sense of competition. The easiest way for a hobgoblin to gain a promotion is for his superior to die, something that they often arrange themselves.
Bugbears: Bugbears are large, furry creatures standing at least seven feet tall. They have tufted ears growing out of the sides of their heads and large eyes giving them an excellent talent for perception. Additionally their fur grows in to match their current environment giving them a natural ability to camouflage. Bugbears delight in ambushing animals as well as humanoids. This allows them to indulge in their favorite pastime, cannibalism. Bugbears love to capture humanoids to cook and eat them. If no other humanoids are available they will turn on their goblinoid brethren. If bugbears are in a goblin community they must be provided with constant humanoid flesh for sustenance, lest they turn on their fellow tribe mates.
Barghests: Barghests are the greatest of goblinoid kind. They are demons in mortal skin with shapeshifting powers. While their natural form is a large wolf-like creature with a goblin face, barghests are able to assume the form of any goblinoid type. The greatest weapon granted by Lion and Ants and also the goblin race’s greatest curse. Barghests grow more powerful by consuming the souls of the recently deceased. They have the potential to rival any champion of the Olympians, but their appetite often leads barghests to consume their fellow goblins. Additionally their shapeshifting power allows barghests to become a wolf in sheep’s clothing amongst goblin society. A barghest born to a goblin mother is often immediately killed and eaten before it has the chance to grow and do the same to its progenitors.
Other Subraces: There are many other lesser known subraces of goblins. Most of them are only slight variations on the standard goblin form and personality. These other subraces provide advantages in specialized situations, but did not develop a unique culture in Cimmeria, unlike the hobgoblin, bugbear, and barghest subraces.
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