Norker

*"Stay behind the norkers! Let them break the line. Support them with arrows and bombs and be ready to follow them into the breach!"-Muvlac, hobgoblin darga, during the battle of The Flaming Plains.*

*"If you think goblins are mean, disgusting little things, you've never had the displeasure of meeting a norker."-Klaapuuth Vrakhazar, chromatic dragonborn soldier, discussing the creatures he has fought.*

*"Crunchy. Use mushroom ketchup."-Grug, ogre chef, in his expert opinion.*

## Physical Description:

Norkers superficially resemble more typical goblins in terms of height, though much heavier and more muscular. Norkers are completely hairless, with notable three inch canines protruding from their mouths. Their skin is mottled and dull, resembling stone or crocodile hide, with a slight sheen to it. The coloration is dull grey-green and eyes are usually a mustard yellow. This isn't merely decoration however with the rocky-hide functioning as a sort of exoskeleton. They dress in rags, typically little more than loincloths or simple robes, allowing their natural hide to breath and avoid overheating, because their carapace-like hides are usually enough to reflect most swords or arrows. They keep very poor hygiene and so tend to reek after only a short time. They lack most forms of ornamentation, as piercings, scaring and tattoos don't penetrate their hides and so most are difficult to tell apart, even to other norkers. Some tribes adopt body-painting or patterns but this is far from a universal practice.

## History:

Norker origins are mysterious. Some hypothesize that they were mind flayer experiments, others suggest that they came from another reality via portal like humans or warforged. As norkers don't keep any written records and barely any oral ones, they don't have the answers to the nature of their origins. They don't even care to ask the question. Between the animosity that most norkers hold for other norker tribes, and the disdain other goblinoids hold for norkers, there is little effort in even cataloging their present events. The only notable role norkers have is serving as shock-troops for the Goblin Dominion both before its birth and presently. Hobgoblin minders have herded bands of norkers towards the enemy on multiple battlefields, giving them instructions in the loosest sense of the word. Norkers are tolerated in the Dominion but kept separated into tribes and only sparingly allowed into the cities (and only under supervision). Still, it is acceptance of a sort and allows the norkers to reach for some goal beyond looting and pillaging. Outside of the Dominion, norkers are worse than goblins as they lack all forms of positivity. They are raiders and receive the same treatment.

## Geography:

Aside from The Goblin Dominion where norkers are found in numbers, norker tribes are scattered across Apia. Occasionally, they hire themselves out as mercenaries but these contracts rarely last long because norkers lack the patience for any long-term goals.

## Personality:

Norkers are crude, lazy and not too bright. They barely take care of themselves and do less for their equipment, breaking everything they own in short order. Might makes right as far as norkers are concerned, but it's only right as far as they can swing their fists. They have no concept of maintenance, privacy, or animal husbandry, existing solely on what they can loot or steal. They are aggressive, violent and quick to rage. Unlike other goblins though they tend to be brave and stubborn. They despise other tribes of norkers and attack them on sight, except in The Dominion where they are barely controlled by hobgoblin handlers. Norkers value shiny things in the same manner as a crow or magpie, having little understanding of their value other than simply possessing the shiny thing. They make no art, and appreciate no beauty. They are mostly interested in food and slaves and the vast majority of their raids are focused on acquiring both those things. While exceptions do exist, most norkers have little desire beyond filling their bellies, violence and doing as little work as possible .

## Society:

Norker society is tribal at best and a gang at worst. The Dominion treats them as second class citizens and cannon fodder and outside it they have more in common with a natural disaster than a sentient race. Norker bosses only rule by strength of arms and barely at that. They live in caves or ruins, typically reducing those places to dens of filth in matters of weeks. They cannot build anything more complicated than a basic dirt wall, and even that is typically done by slaves. Norker bosses are the biggest and strongest, typically with thicker hides than their rivals, but most only survive until someone stronger comes along and takes their kingdom of filth by force. Hobgoblins occasionally bolt platemail onto some of their norker troops to augment their defenses but such a thing would never occur to a norker on his own. Despite the crippling losses that norker bands face, they share the same quick breeding habit as mainline goblins and, like cockroaches, are nearly impossible to get rid of.

## Religion:

Norkers have a shamanistic cult that is dedicated to "Old Ironback" which is believed to be a version of Maglubiyet. Norkers are not known to worship any being but Old Ironback.

## Alignment:

Most norkers are chaotic evil or chaotic neutral. There are exceptions of course, but they are few and far between.

## Relations:

Norkers have no friends and few allies. Trolls, goblinoids and ogres will use norkers on occasion as cannon fodder. In The Dominion norkers are tolerated and forced to tolerate other goblinoids but that is the extent of their alliances.

## Language:

Norkers speak goblin. Some also learn common to better address their slaves.

## Names:

Norkers don't even usually have names, referring to each other as "you," and themselves as "me." Occasionally, they will use numbers for identification but this only happens within small groups. Those who have some experience with the outside world usually give themselves an identity name or a goblin one. You can use a goblin name, any number lower than 10 or some of the suggestions below.

**Norker Names:** Beetle, Stone, Bone, Teeth, Tooth, Club

## Adventurers:

Those rare norkers with good alignments or big dreams become adventurers by default as only a band of adventurers would accept a solitary norker into their ranks. Sometimes deposed chiefs, exiles or failed challengers take to the life of adventure, attempting to find battle, food and supplies the only way that remains. With their sturdy skin and natural ferocity, norkers make good adventurers, particularly with a party willing to put up with their smells and tempers.

## Traits:

Norkers have the following traits...

+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma

Small size As a Small creature, a norker gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.

Base land speed 30 feet

Darkvision 60 feet

+4 racial bonus on Move Silently

+5 Natural Armor Bonus

Natural Weapon: Bite (1d4 Piercing)

Favored Class: Barbarian