Goblinoids

Goblinoids are actually made up of Goblins, Orcs, Hobs, and Ogres. All Goblinoids start off as Goblings and are highly influenced by the power of Epigenetics during their development.

The goblin family structure is unique in that goblins rarely form committed relationships, even for child rearing. Instead they form communities amongst themselves where they enjoy the freedom of polygamy. Recurring generations have a tendency to seek mating opportunities with members of other communities, even communities sworn against each other. When a goblin catches with child, the community forms a caregiving relationship with the goblin and when the child is born they become a child of the community.

Every member of the community plays a role in raising the gobling child until such a point where the child forms deeper connections with individual members, at which point the gobling enters a sort of apprentice relationship to the older goblin or goblins. This is usually the turning point where they start to undergo the epigenetic mutations that will determine what their adult form will be.

In rare instances, a gobling will be left alone to develop on their own. The ones that survive usually become an amalgamation of traits of each type of goblinoid. These are known as Goblin Champions. Other goblins are drawn to them instinctively and they will often become the leaders of a new goblinoid community. Very rarely a young goblin will choose this lifestyle instead of the standard way of developing, but slightly more common is when an almost fully developed goblinoid will seek their fortune outside of their community.

They may spend most of their lives outside of the community seeking success but they will usually still seek out their original community when they retire. Retiring goblinoids will usually leave the spoils of their ventures with their fellow goblinoids in their passing.

###### Goblin

The goblins most accustomed to sneaking, and cunning. They are typically a bit selfish and think more on an individual level which makes them strong candidates for solo missions or any jobs involving the manipulation of money. They are surprisingly agile climbers as most of their strength is in their forelimbs.

##### Orcs

These goblinoids are most adept at fighting. They are monklike in their adherence to principle and structure, they put on lean muscle very quickly and have rigid control over their inhibitions, capable of being as calm or as enraged as the situation demands.

##### Hobs

These are tall, lean goblinoids with the same exceptional cunning as goblins, but they tend to think less selfishly than their goblin counterparts. They think of the community as a whole and have strong leadership traits. They lack the same sneaking ability as other goblins but they tend to be highly insightful and perceptive. They are generally considered to be a necessary inclusion to make sure goblins remain honest within their community.

##### Ogres

These goblinoids have traded cunning for exceptional endurance and raw strength. They are highly honest individuals who seek to be a support to others whether they’re a part of their community or not. A lot of them love to cook but some learn finer arts like tailoring or art. They take longer to learn crafts involving dexterity but they’re dedication usually leads to greater mastery than other creatures would have the patience for. During battle, they are rarely frontline fighters instead opting to build fortifications or siege weaponry. During smaller skirmishes however, their supportive nature and endurance will drive them towards the front of battle in order to protect their companions.

Goblin Champions: No two Goblin Champions are truly the same. Instead of being influenced epigenetically by the safety of their community, they’re influenced by external hardships. Some are smaller and more combative, some are as large as ogres but with the cunning of a smaller goblin and the fighting strength of an orc. The one common thread is that they’re almost all survivors. They are stronger as individuals than most goblinoids.