[Greenskin] Goblins and Gremlins

Part III

“Goblins tend to live in tribal environment similar to other greenskin equivalents. Among many differences one can easily point out their lack of height. Many Goblins do not grow over one and a half meters tall, although cases are of Goblins reaching up to human height.”

“Their short stature in comparison to other Greenskins is lacking mostly because of environmental adaptation. Goblins prefer enclosed spaces like caves or small huts rather than open plains steppes or deserts.”

“They seem to naturally lower their backs either to hide or prey upon the unsuspecting victims. It might be possible for them to improve their posture during long years of evolution. I personally find them to be one of the most adaptive of the primal creatures.”

“Goblins are one of the few greenskins capable of using basic tools of their making and despite their size can pose a big threat to most humans.”

“As highly intelligent variants of Goblins can freely speak and craft they might naturally fit the role of leaders and strategists in their respective groups.”

“Apart from much bigger orcs, trolls and ogres Goblins do not destroy the ecosystem they exist in. However they quickly manage to control it as a tribe while other bigger primals keep their expansion in check.’

“As I already compared the orcs to pig like boars I should probably search for the natural Goblin sample in the local fauna, yet they hardly compare to any surface dwelling creature. The closer I got was by refining their patterns by dissecting small critters like rats and mice, but it seemed to yield no definitive proof.”

“With the lack of fur I can’t properly consider them the descendants of neither Furbolgs nor Gorith, which I consider the prime source of Gremlin populus. Despite Gremlins closely resembling Goblins in traits and behaviours I can’t properly judge them to extend the Underground tribes for reasons which I will provide within the Gremlin chapter.’

“To end the dispute I propose to either eradicate them completely or support the tribe of Greenskins with the highest level of intelligence. Their superiority will surely be seen in times of great turmoil. I do expect them to outlive the tribes superior in strength. Especially orcs.”

“At last it seems that the goblins adaptivity made the term greenskins a bit misleading as there appeared creatures with other types of pigmentation, which seems to be tightly connected to their birthplace location. In the end the term Greenskins will be still present in its current form as I find it tedious to come up with different terminology at this state of the book.”

From: The Guide to the World [XVI]

Added in the fourth edition of the World-builder’s Addendum

By Sir Allan von Dreucht of the West Amari guildhouse

[Greenskin] Hobgoblins

“Never have I dreamt to add a new chapter about Goblins so fast. It was barely two hundred years since I properly adjusted their existence. To improve in such a time surely is an achievement in its own!”

“Hobgoblins are a mix of races coming from the Goblin male and a human female. They seem to reach human size with ease. Usual Hobgoblin can reach a height of two meters which leads me to believe that with enough numbers Goblins will topple over the orcish populus.”

“The increase of strength seems to be tightly connected to the human hosts, albeit the Greenskin ability to naturally assimilate higher amounts of mana from the very birth might undermine their explosive growth.”

“All Hobgoblins I managed to check appear to be impotent in some crucial way. It doesn’t matter if they would mate with human or Goblin females the outcome of such crossing always ends up being a regular goblin.”

“If this outcome is strictly tied to their genepool I cannot tell. Maybe further evolution will change this outcome. The goblins resulting from such breeding appear to be more capable in terms of basic intelligence than the ones I recall from the past.”

“Again. It doesn’t prove that the Hobgoblin’s children are superior. My information on the topic is limited and as the harpies studies showed I am a terrible judge of subraces intelligence levels.”

Note:

“This ancient text is hardly translated. Despite the nonsense about the increasing intelligence of Goblins I decided to add it in its entirety to the current Addendum together with the goblin part for the sole fact of it being the only proof of Goblin breeding habits.”

Added in the seventh edition of the World-builder’s Addendum

By Merith of Nerta Year 376 after the Cataclysm

Magus Botanicus Chapter 14 Petra Destera

Petra Destera classified in the mana invoking category of flowers. Derives from the Destera plant family.

Often referred to as the Royal Death. The flower got its peculiar name from the popular minstrel ballad of the princess Petra in which said princess threw herself from the tower taking her own life and landed in the garden filled with the Royal Death. According to the legend the flowers covered her body, so no one will ever trample her beauty.

The flower itself is a large plant ranging from 8 to 12 inches in size. Its large white petals do in fact react to the magic and try to follow its directional flow. Petra Destera sometimes acts as a natural dispeler which might cause the flower to bloom despite the harsh weather or in rare cases even snow covering the ground.

Royal Death is a useful alchemical component as the juices flowing through the entire plant are an excellent mana extractor.