Goblin Goblins are small , green ( or yellow - green ) creatures with pointy features and high intelligence ( though often little common sense ) . A number of trade prince s rule over the various goblin holdings around the world . Though the trade princes all live in the goblin city of Undermine on the Isle of Kezan , they each control their own private armies and trade fleets , as well as trade cartels , mining groups , deforestation operations , slave rings , and poachers . Before experimentation by the Keeper Mimiron , the goblins were Pygmies . Overview . Goblins are small humanoids , crafty and shrewd , bearing an overwhelming interest in commerce and a strong curiosity about mechanical things . Goblin society is fragmented , defined chiefly by commerce and trade . The ultimate schemers and con artists , goblins are always in search of a better deal . Despite their seemingly chaotic natures , they exist in a fairly strict and straightforward hierarchy . Other races universally view goblins as inventors , merchants and , without exception , maniacs . Goblins value technology as a useful aspect of commerce . Some say that their advantage — and their curse — is to be the primary users of technology in a world governed by magic . While dwarves and gnome s share a similar gift , goblin technology is more far - reaching and sinister , makes a larger impact on the natural world , and explodes more often . They employ vast teams of engineer s who expand on current technology and produce gadgets to suit a wide array of applications . They constantly build and repair machines and work on new ideas . Unfortunately , goblins alternate passionate genius with wandering focus . Their lack of discipline means that many creations end up half finished as something else catches their attention . Goblin workmanship has a partially deserved reputation for unreliability , and a goblin device may explode simply because its creator forgot ( or couldn ' t be bothered ) to add a vital release valve . Goblins are envious of the Ironforge dwarves ’ invention of firearms , both from a commercial and a technological standpoint . Goblins recognise that firearms represent a new source of power , and he who controls the source controls the gold — which is , to goblins , the ultimate power . Fortunately for the rest of the world , goblin firearm experimentation suffers from the race ’ s normal laxity — and improperly tended gunpowder experiments continue to end the careers of many aspiring goblin tinker s . However , goblin ingenuity has paid off a few times ; goblin gunpowder weapons tend to be inelegant and violently explosive ( land mines , rockets and the like ) . Goblins are shrewd in business , and clients who believe they walked away with the upper hand are almost always sorely mistaken . " To cheat a goblin " is a dwarven idiom meaning " to do what is practically impossible . " ( " Gamgi cheated a goblin when he escaped that cave - in ! " ) Goblins are also consummate tricksters and con artists . Their mission in the world is to create incredible new inventions , accrue the resulting wealth , and cause as much subtle mischief as possible along the way . The goblins fought with the Horde in the Second War , but broke off when they realized that it ' s more profitable to work both sides . However , many goblins remember the fun of the Horde and are willing to lower mercenary prices to Thrall and his people . Goblins offer almost exclusive transport services for the Horde , whether in their steamboats or zeppelins . You ’ re more likely to find a team of goblin sappers , who take great pleasure in the chaos the Horde creates , meshed into Horde forces than those of the Alliance . Perhaps with enough persuasion , the goblins could be convinced to rejoin the Horde for the first time since the Second War ( although that could be just as harmful as helpful , knowing the goblins ) . Biology . Goblins are slight and wiry , averaging 3 and a half feet in height , only slightly taller than Gnomes . They have long , sharp noses , chins and ears , wide mouths , and green skin . Their arms are long and slender and their fingers deft ; however they have only three fingers and a thumb to each hand . They tend to wear leather clothing , often cut into aprons to protect against caustic fluids . Goggles usually cover their eyes , and various technological devices are strapped across their bodies . Hair is not a feature coveted in goblins , and they usually style it to keep it out of their eyes or keep it short while working , although it is sometimes seen in mohawks and spiky styles among younger goblins . The female goblin is slightly shorter than the male , with particularly wide hips in comparison to humans . However goblins seem to have the least bias against either gender - a female goblin can run her own shop , become any kind of warrior , thief or mage , or rise all the way to rule her own business empire . History . First appearances . Goblins first appeared in " Warcraft II " published by Blizzard Entertainment in December 1995 , and have appeared or been referenced in many sources since . Their earliest appearance chronologically was in the " War of the Ancients " trilogy ; Neltharion created the Demon Soul before the War of the Ancients with the help of goblin artificers — hinting that the goblins may be an ancient race . The Faceless of the Deep also mentions remembering when they were created , potentially hinting the involvement of the Old Gods , or at least the longevity of their servants . Ancient history . In ancient times , Keeper Mimiron had discovered kaja ' mite and used it to experiment on various races , greatly enhancing their intellect . Some of the test subjects were members of a small , primitive race that roamed the forestlands near Ulduar . Consuming kaja ' mite transformed the creatures into a highly intelligent , industrious breed known thereafter as goblins . The destruction caused by the Sundering cut off the goblins ' supply of kaja ' mite . In just a few generations , their heightened intelligence vanished . Those goblins who had found refuge on the Isle of Kezan had already forgotten the role kaja ' mite had played in their old society . Early history . Goblins have been around for a long time , but the creatures were very reclusive . Long ago , the goblins were a native race of the Isle of Kezan , and didn ’ t have a fraction of their current intelligence . There , the race lived as slaves to the local jungle troll s , mining the subterranean tunnels where the trolls didn ' t like going . However , soon , the goblins unearthed a mineral known as kaja ' mite ( a strange mineral named after Mount Kajaro ) . The trolls valued the mineral , using it in voodoo rituals , and forced the subterranean goblins to continue mining the mineral . The goblins soon came to sense , at some basic level , that the mineral held enchantments unknown to the trolls . The goblins hoarded the mineral , using it to fashion crude objects of power deep within Undermine ' s twisting tunnels . However , the mineral had some unexpected side effects : it caused the goblins to grow in intelligence . Soon , goblins developed technology , if just crude weapons and armor . With their increased intelligence , goblin cunning rose , and soon , the race enacted a plan to free themselves from the trolls and , in an ironic twist , turn the trolls into their slaves . In little time , the goblins owned the Isle of Kezan , and declared Undermine their capital . Goblins rapidly expanded their knowledge of technology . Goblins created Azeroth ' s first steam technologies . Rumors are that goblin technology back then was far more advanced than even current dwarven technology . Goblins established themselves as master technicians , selling their goods on the open market . However , the power within the kaja ' mite artifacts were finite , and soon dwindled , needing to be replaced . Eventually , kaja ' mite ran out altogether . Desperate , goblins spread out into the world , attempting to find any pockets of kaja ’ mite they might have missed . Unfortunately , over the next few thousand years , up until roughly five hundred years before the First War , the goblins could find no further deposits of kaja ' mite and goblin intelligence peaked . Without kaja ' mite to strengthen their minds , goblins were unable to reproduce their brilliant technology or properly maintain it , and their works rapidly devolved into the crude , juryrigged machines of today . The world began to fear the volatile machines , and sales dropped considerably . Goblins always had a love of money , however . With the loss of their intelligence and slow degradation of their technology , goblins embraced commerce . About two hundred years before the First War , the beginnings of Trade Fleets sailed out of Kezan and into the world . First and Second Wars . Goblins chose war as the perfect opportunity to cash in some gold , and began building their trade empire during the First War . By the Second War , the goblins had established themselves as the traders of the world . Then , they became exclusive partners with the Horde . A Horde ambassador ventured forth and met with a single trade prince ( rumored to be the Steamwheedle Cartel , perhaps Trade Prince Steamwheedle ) , asking for the goblins to provide machines and technology to the orcs , in exchange for spoils and gold . In the beginning , the arrangement seemed perfect . The goblin trade prince believed that the orcs would win the war , so he found it natural to join the winning side . As the profits flooded Undermine ’ s coffers , the goblins expanded their slave markets . However , other goblins disagreed and remained neutral ; thus , only this single trade prince and his subordinates joined the Horde . In the end , the trade prince realized his mistake and left the Horde , and the goblin race remembers the mistake . The goblin race as a whole , in fact , was until the cataclysm . They discovered it was more profitable to play both sides against each other during the three wars . Second and Third Wars . Goblins came to dubious fame in the Second War for the suicide missions they undertook for the Horde : strapping explosives to themselves and floating behind enemy lines with the aid of an inflated sheep ' s bladder . In the aftermath of the conflict , the goblins established that they had no political orientation . Their only real interest was trade : if you had the coin for their goods , they were your friends . Such neutrality gave them as broad a trading basis as possible for their wares , from magic items to mundane goods to their own mechanical inventions . It is rumored that they joined during the Second War either because the orc s paid or intimidated them . On the whole , the Alliance and the Horde respected the goblins ' new power , taking advantage of the trade princes ' ability to produce or procure otherwise difficult - to - acquire items . Rumors have emerged of goblins engaging in massive strip mining and deforestation operations to harvest the raw materials , however , which caused the nature - loving night elves and tauren great concern . Since the tales have surfaced , the trade princes suffered guerrilla attacks on their supply trains and sabotage of their factories . The goblins were clever enough to know the list of suspects is a short one , and they appeared undaunted by the threat . They have amassed enough wealth to hire additional security for their mercantile concerns . Cataclysm and joining the New Horde . After the cataclysm reawakened a volcano on their home island , one of the goblins ' Trade princes , Gallywix , realized that there was good money to be made in offering panicked goblins a ticket to safety on his ship , taking their life savings - and then selling them into slavery . A clever plan , until it ( and the ship ) fell apart in a naval crossfire between an Alliance fleet and a lone Horde ship . The shipwreck ' s survivors washed ashore on the Lost Isles off the coast of Kalimdor , where they discover that the island ' s dense jungles harbor many mysteries and more than a few unpleasant surprises . There , the goblins of Kezan have found a new enemy in the Alliance – unexpected and unprofitable encounters with this faction have driven certain trade princes from their comfortable neutrality . Reforging old pacts with their one - time allies , the goblins have been welcomed into the Horde with open arms . There the goblins secured their relations with the horde , and former Warchief and perhaps the most respected Orcish hero Thrall , gave his personal assurance that Azshara would be given to the Bilgewater cartel with a reformed Gallywix as it ' s leader . He followed through on his promise and one by one goblins would flood into Azshara where they would turn it into a technological wonder where the goblins mechanical skills are shown in the environment . Culture . Breeding . According to the comment made by one of the " Warcraft RPG " developers ( and Gaxim Rustfizzle ) , goblins " breed like rabbits " , which accounts for them quickly outnumbering and , eventually , destroying any other races in the areas they settle around . Such is the case with Tanaris , where goblins outnumber the native Sandfury trolls , as well as the Isle of Kezan , where they also pushed the native trolls out of the majority of the land . The only reason that the goblins don ' t outmatch the Horde and Alliance in population is because goblins often blow themselves up . Cooking . Several goblins are also renown for their skills as chefs . Cooking recipes such as Goblin Deviled Clams and Undermine Clam Chowder are a staple of the trade pioneered by the spindly green race . Adventurers in Azeroth wishing to advance their skill in the culinary arts to the Artisan level are directed to assist , the master chef of Gadgetzan , in his creation of the succulent new dish , Clamlette Surprise . Another renown goblin chef , , who is stranded in Hellfire Peninsula after a zeppelin crash , directs players in the creation of several new tantalizing dishes as well . Faith . Goblins place their faith in themselves and in gold . They raise eyebrows at insubstantial concepts such as shamanism and the Holy Light , preferring gods they can see , weigh , and spend . Languages . Goblins speak Goblin , Orcish , and Common . Goblins know myriad languages in order to trade with as many races as possible . Government . The goblins run themselves on a trade based society where the richest more successful business owners , run the people . On their native home of Kezan , there are no kings , just Trade princes . Trade Princes are the most powerful members of Goblin society each having their own cartel . One independent goblin state will most likely be governed by a single or many different trade families . Trade cartels also have their own armies and security which is used as average law enforcement in goblin society . A couple examples of largely known trade cartels are the Bilgewater Cartel , and the Steamwheedle Cartel . At the beginning of a player ' s game as a goblin , they are already a business - goblin , wealthy and popular due to their deep involvement in their own business affairs . Since Trade Prince Gallywix considers them a threat to his own business , he takes the opportunity of the war to strip them of all gold and business , forcing them into a life of poverty - stricken adventure . Goblin Technology and Engineering . Though once nothing but fodder for more taproom banter , goblin inventions have shown their worth in recent years . They ' re particularly fond of tinkering with mechanical things , alchemy , and explosives . Their love of mechanics often places them into direct competition with gnome s who enjoy similar devices . The " competition " between goblins and gnomes seems to be friendly , an example of this is in the shimmering flats where the two races are constantly competing ( by racing ) with one another . Whether clockwork " shredder s " that allow a single goblin to do as much harvesting as 10 field hands or zeppelin - like " airships " that can ferry troops over otherwise impassable terrain , the goblins ' inventions have become legendary . Such technological ingenuity is as central to the goblins ' rise among the races as any trading prowess . Even with the malfunctions and explosions that occur ( not as frequent as tavern chatter suggests , but far from rare ) , goblin technology is proving to be of a quality that rivals the dwarves and their firearms . If they possessed physical strength and mystic power to match their inventiveness and cunning , they would be a force of some significance . Of course , the goblins claim that they are already — if not for their frail physical forms , goblins would rule the world . Then they laugh and say they prefer a challenge and offer to buy the taproom guests the next round . Military tactics and forces . Goblin forces are terrifying to behold . The Trade Fleets are outfitted with the most fanatical and destructive creatures on Azeroth . The average person wonders why the trade princes require such powerful armies , if they are holding to their neutrality stance . It certainly seems excessive . The simple truth is , the forces are not excessive . The life of those living on the South Seas is harsh , due to attacks from everything from pirates to rogue magical beasts . Conflict exists everywhere , and a trade prince is always in peril of death . Every day , a trade prince must test his food on three different people . There is only one way to become a trade prince , and that ' s to take out the competition . Thus , to prevent rivals from taking their thrones and to ensure that business may be conducted as normal , each trade prince enlists a hefty force of warriors . It ' s absolutely necessary to keep order in the goblin world . The Trade Fleets also require extreme guards . Undermine ' s goods sail everywhere , especially into hostile or desolate territories to make a coin . Simply put , goblins go to dangerous places . Without strong guards , there would be no trade , because there would be only dead traders . Despite appearances , goblins maintain rigid procedures and formations for battle . They only look disorganized . Goblins are intelligent , and they use their brains in battle . Confuse the enemy , and the enemy leaves blind spots . Slip in between the cracks and break the forces open from the inside . Many battles during the Second War were lost when Alliance forces underestimated goblin tactics . Not surprisingly , all goblin forces use a wide and dizzying array of technological weaponry . From the simplest firearms to the largest steam - driven war instruments , goblin technology dominates war fields . Even magic has a difficult time creating as much destruction and havoc as goblin war machines . When goblins fought in the Second War , they created three units especially for the war effort . Goblin zeppelins rode high above the terrain to scout out the area , and occasionally transported warriors . Goblins also lent their services as sappers , using explosives to take out enemy fortifications . Often the goblins went with the explosives , but this was of little consequence . Sappers were a copper a dozen . Furthermore , during the war , goblins fought from all angles , especially the sea . The Stormreaver clan captured giant sea turtles native to the southern seas . Pacified by potent spells of control , these lumbering monstrosities were fitted with watertight canopies strapped onto the backs of their shells and used as submersible orcish craft . By submerging under the waves , the giant turtles could steal upon unsuspecting enemy craft and report their position to the Horde fleet . They were visible solely to towers , creatures of the air , and other submersible vessels . The daring goblins who controlled them were dedicated to destroying enemy ships by launching hazardous , steam - driven canisters containing highly volatile liquids that shredded even the strongest armor . During the Third War , goblins also fielded shredders to anyone who paid well enough . The pilots cared little about the actual war , preferring to chop down forests for their pay . However , when push came to shove , goblin shredders proved lethal in battle . The pilot ' s inexperience with battle was evened out by the shredder ' s armor and powerful steamsaw , which cut down enemies as easily as trees . Goblins hired themselves to anyone with the gold , and alongside shredders , the goblins fielded sappers and zeppelins once again in battle . Even tinkers and alchemists joined the fight , granting explosive and chemical warfare to the highest bidder . Trade . At some point after the Second War , the goblins apparently grew tired of carrying explosives for the Horde and decided that they needed to take control of their own destinies . Surprisingly , they proved smart enough to know that building an army of their own would be an even bloodier choice for their race than sapping and planting mines . So they chose a different path . The goblins have taken to the role of merchant with a vengeance , and now it ' s hard to travel for more than a day or two without stumbling across a goblin shop of some size . Goblin zeppelins fly across the continent , delivering goods , supplies , messages and passengers from one shop to another , and I ’ ve heard more than one goblin brag that if it isn ' t in his shop , he can have it on the shelves within a week . One joker challenged that claim and ordered a dozen shredders , only to find them waiting outside his cottage two days later . Goblin shops can be found nearly anywhere on Azeroth , seemingly regardless of whether or not there are towns nearby and heedless of dangers such as the Scourge . The goblins will sell anything to anyone , at only slightly inflated prices . Apparently , the proprietor of each goblin shop determines how to protect his business from theft . Some of the solutions employed include the hiring of mercenary fighters as security guards ; complicated , tinker - built security systems ; and , most notoriously , enormous bombs on a dead man ' s switch that can be detonated on a moment ' s notice if a goblin merchant feels threatened . After news spread of thieves and bullies entering shops that were replaced moments later by smoking craters , few have found the nerve to probe how a given shop might be protected . Though many shops remain Independent , a growing number of them have signs declaring that they are owned and operated by the Venture Company , which the proprietors claim is headquartered in a faraway city ruled by goblins where the streets are paved with gold . The goblins are also legendary for the sheer variety of trade in which they are willing to indulge and for their tenacity in bargaining . Goblins rarely let an item slip from their shelves for a single copper less than it is worth . The industrious goblins have established shacks and minor trading towns across much of Kalimdor in an impressively brief span of time . These outposts may vary in size and location , but all have a similarly impressive array of goods . The outposts get regular supply shipments ( or as regular as possible , given the hazards of travel across Kalimdor ) , all coordinated by the goblin trade princes . The trade princes are the most cunning of their race and will stop at nothing to amass their fortunes and power , whether through legitimate means or via black markets and treachery . Goblins encountered on Kalimdor or the Eastern Kingdoms are either privateers or agents of the various trade princes of Undermine . Trade Princes can be either male or female ; the goblin does not show prejudice over who they buy from or sell to , as long as they can get the right product at the right price . Goblins are not purely mercenary . They are known to form strong bonds with individuals of other races . Their small forms and odd behavior make other races — elves in particular — ill at ease , but goblins do not seem to care much for the impression they make . They judge by deeds , befriending those who treat them as friends and standing apart from those who would offer them abuse . Relations . Goblins are a wily , cunning race of traders and tinker s whom adventurers typically encounter as parts of trading envoys or on pirate raids . Goblin ships frequent the seas , ferrying or seeking riches , slaves or exotic wares . Kalimdor ' s main goblin port is the party town of Ratchet , a harbor city located on the eastern shore of the Barrens directly between Durotar and Theramore . Goblin trade outposts are found everywhere , including all major cities and such inhospitable realms as Northrend and Stranglethorn Vale . Their zeppelins run a wealthy business ferrying passengers across kingdoms and continents . Goblins tolerate carrying armed passengers in their zeppelin s , however , they don ' t transport cannons or heavy artillery in their zeppelins because that could compromise their neutrality . Goblins are neutral and take pains to make sure their nearby customers play nice with each other . Goblin guards patrol Ratchet and a few of the other goblin settlements , keeping tabs on the various Horde and Alliance visitors . Despite these enforcers however , the goblins ' neutral settlements can still be dangerous places , as members of either faction will often still attack each other in the belief that they can evade the guards . With the exception of Ratchet , their settlements generally have a consistent appearance and construction . Traveling goblin merchants employ bodyguards to protect them and their wares . Goblins are independent . Goblins hired themselves out to the Horde in the Second War , but now they belong only to themselves and whoever pays them . Constantly building and inventing requires massive resources , both for creating the machines themselves and maintaining those that actually work . Cannibalizing old machines only partially sustains this fervent activity of creation , so goblins rely on trade with as many races and cultures as possible . They are the quintessential merchants , peddling all manner of exotic goods for the highest possible prices . Goblin mechanical and mercantile pursuits are not always ( or even often ) performed within the bounds of polite society . Though not evil , goblins are willing to embark on shady business ventures — slavery , deforestation , poaching , smuggling and oil drilling , for example — to accomplish their goals . They are opportunists to the core and revel in bartering the better deal at every turn . Goblins try to get along with all other races . Doing so is part of their business . Nevertheless , everyone views goblins with justified suspicion . Night elves in particular dislike the goblins because the little creatures have no respect for nature or natural resources . Goblins are a capitalistic bunch and most buy or sell anything to make a profit . Goblin merchants love to haggle , have excellent wares and are too smart to be cheated — or so they claim . Most big cities have at least one stationary goblin merchant shop , managed by a goblin family . The heads of the family run the shop while the younger goblins travel the land to find , buy or steal the inventory . They sell to anyone : Alliance , Horde , or Independent . Some even deal with demons if the price is right . Some goblins drive their carts from town to town , buying and selling as they go . These carts look rickety and secondhand , but the appearance is likely a diversion . A goblin ’ s cart is usually in perfect driving condition ; the goblin never knows when he may have to leave town quickly or outrun an enraged customer . These merchants are often less than reputable and more likely to have items that they cannot identify themselves . Goblin merchant houses are not necessarily places to avoid , however . Often a hero can discover hard - to - find items , even rare or magic items , within the walls . As long as the hero is able to spot a bad deal , it should be safe for him to enter . The goblins are an unbending bunch , refusing any sort of barter and demanding to be paid only in gold . There is a saying around Ratchet : If a traveling goblin merchant were starving to death and someone offered to trade food for the goblin ’ s merchandise , he ’ d starve before he accepted anything but gold . A customer who enters a goblin shop intending to barter finds himself laughed out into the street . The goblins do not even allow their employees to receive discounts or work for merchandise . Goblins deal only in gold . The merchants accept gold in any form and have precise scales to aid their customers . Goblins accept recently mined nuggets , panned dust or defaced Alliance gold coins that would be refused in other areas . They are grumpier about accepting silver , but do so . Horde and Alliance . The goblins care little for the Alliance and Horde conflicts ; what concerns them , as usual , is the effect these events have on their cash flow . The goblins do not , as a rule , like the Scourge , as the undead threatened to wipe out the entire populations of the Alliance and Horde , leaving the goblins with no customers . War is profitable for the goblins ; annihilation is not . Once they served as suicide mercenaries for the Horde ; now the goblins have made their place as the strongest merchant race in the world . If one wants to purchase something , whether it is supplies , equipment , weapons , magic items or even slaves , the goblins either have it or know where to get it . All that matters in their eyes is the price . The goblins like a balance of power . Military conflicts make money for the goblins as the combatants purchase supplies , and if the two sides are evenly matched , conflicts could go on for generations . This promises fat purse bags for the goblins for years to come . The goblins helped out the Horde for years because of this , but now they feel the Horde has come to match the Alliance in power , and they rest in the neutral middle , satisfied to play mercenary and merchant to either side . The goblins understand the Alliance better than they understand the neutral races , as they have a long history of dealings with the Alliance . As merchants , they are frequently found in Theramore , and as mercenaries , they may even be found among the Alliance armies . True business entrepreneurs , goblins understand their customers very well and almost always know what they want . Their favorite Alliance customers are the high elves , who jump at the chance to buy magical items . Although many in the Alliance consider the goblin mercenaries to be war profiteers , they are not above using them . If they have no tinker s , or their tinkers have died in a previous battle , they sometimes have to go to the goblins for repairs or supplies . And the goblins are always ready to help a customer , for the right price . The goblins ’ skills certainly don ’ t stop at trade . Although not as talented at the invention of firearms as the Ironforge dwarves , the goblins have refined their inventing talents to create a handful of very useful tools that are , of course , for sale . Since the latest conflicts , the goblins have modified their marketing tactics to focus on pushing their deforestation operations to the night elves , of all races , to help clear out the cursed Felwood Forest . They also sell their zeppelins to the night elves , so that these customers can spot and put an end to deforestation . They made a great deal of money selling items to help the Alliance fight Illidan and his army of blood elves and naga , and constantly remind the Alliance members who travel through Ratchet that Illidan is still out there and supplies are always needed . Some merchants are able to mask the tone of glee in their voices while saying this , but most don ’ t bother . The Horde and the goblins get along fairly well , as the orcs remember the ( well - paid ) sacrifice of the goblins for their cause in earlier wars . They still purchase zeppelins and other goblin services . The goblins often enjoy the company of the orcs , and the war veterans from both races will get together and drink if offered the opportunity . Old friends , the goblins fought with the Horde in the Second War , but broke off when they realized that it ’ s more profitable to work both sides . However , many goblins remember the fun of the Horde and are willing to lower mercenary prices to Thrall and his people . Goblins offer almost exclusive transport services for the Horde , whether in their steamboats or zeppelins . You ’ re more likely to find a team of goblin sappers , who take great pleasure in the chaos the Horde creates , meshed into Horde forces than those of the Alliance . Perhaps with enough persuasion , the goblins could be convinced to rejoin the Horde for the first time since the Second War ( although that could be just as harmful as helpful , knowing the goblins ) . Perhaps the only remaining goblin scruple is that they will not betray a customer . While they understand each side of the war very well , if the Alliance is paying them for services , merchant or mercenaries , they will not act as double agents for the Horde . This is as close to honor as the goblins usually get . Goblins don ' t like gnomes much , as they are the two races that are best at engineering . They often combat in engineering , like at the Mirage Raceway in Shimmering Flats . It is hard to say who is the best at engineering , the goblins or gnomes . Nonetheless , even goblins will concede that competition is good for both business and for the furthering of technology . After the Cataclysm however , the goblins of Kezan are forced to join the Horde when they encounter the Alliance in the Lost Isles . Allegiance . There appear to be some goblins still working with the Horde found in Ashenvale , Orgrimmar , Camp Mojache , and Thousand Needles ; even then , goblins working for the Horde run the zeppelin system . Recently goblins have joined the Warsong Offensive , some even displaying the Horde symbol on their tabard . and fighting on the front lines . Also , there are a handful that seem to be in the pay of the Alliance , such as the SI : 7 agent Renzik " The Shiv " . Other goblins are found in the employ of the Burning Blade , and the Black Dragonflight . Notable goblins . Characters who wear the form of a Goblin . Rhea Inspirations . It is a widely supported , yet unproven theory that the main inspirations for the goblins were the Gremlins of their destructive nature and looks , as well as the Ferengi of Star Trek , for their industrialized society where one ' s worth is equal to the belongings he can gather and hold , though this trait seemed to only develop after the Second War , or more precisely , after Warcraft II . Although Ferengi had been introduced in Star Trek around the beginning of the 1990s ( in The Next Generation ) , most of the traits common between Goblins and Ferengi were introduced in Deep Space Nine , which began running in late 1993 , when Warcraft II was well in development . By the time production of Warcraft III began in the late 90 ' s , the lore and culture of the Ferengi was much more developed . Prior to Warcraft III , goblins had been depicted in a way more consistent with Games Workshops ' " gretchen " , which in the Warhammer and 40k universes are a lesser sub - species of Orks who are bullied into doing dangerous jobs and building weapons and vehicles for the benefit of regular Orks . The goblins ' love of money and proclivity toward capitalistic trade may be inspired by the goblins of Gringott ' s Bank in the " Harry Potter " series written by J . K . Rowling , or perhaps by the folklore of goblins , leprochauns , and other Faerie Folk who are said to live underground and horde or covet gold .