Goblins

## Description:

Goblins are short-statured sentient humanoids originating from the Fae. Goblins can survive in any climate, but prefer forests or jungles or cities; Goblins are found most commonly on the Continent of Pilbo. Goblins tend to stand at an average of four (4) feet six (6) inches and weigh in at around seventy-five (75) to one hundred (100) pounds. Goblins are generally thin with little in the way of either fat or muscle on their bodies due to their high metabolisms and high requirement for caloric intake; exceptions exist, however.

Goblin eyes tend to be brown, black, green, grey, or yellow; Wild Goblins tend to have red or yellow eyes. Goblin hair is almost always black, but dark browns are also not uncommon; these same rules apply to Wild Goblins. Goblin (Wild Goblins included) skin tends towards various shades of green, hence the derogatory nicknames of "Greenskin" or "Goblinoid."

Most other humanoid raced consider Goblins to be particularly unattractive, Dwarves and Elves especially. As such, Goblins tend to remain within their own cultural groups and generally do not intermarry between races.

What Goblins lack in physical prowess or height they make up for in their natural intellect; Goblins are naturally crafty, creative, witty, and cunning creatures with innate talent for some kind of craft or trade. Goblins are incredibly intelligent, usually far outshining most humans. The wisdom of Goblins leaves much to be desired, however; many Goblins are stereotyped as being temperamental, arrogant, self-absorbed, and standoffish, which clashes with the standard concept of wisdom. This apparent lack of philosophical interest is purposeful, however, and stems from Goblin disdain for spirituality and religion, having thrown aside such irrationalities in exchange for their pursuit of knowledge and intellect; Goblins lack wisdom because they are not concerned with metaphysical aspects of the world and focus entirely on the most logical, pragmatic solution to a given problem. Goblin technology is some of the most advanced in the world, most often in the field of robots, computer systems, and engineering. Being innately Anti-Magic, Goblins do not possess skill with Magic, although they may still know how it functions.

Like most humanoids of K2, Goblins reproduce sexually and do so frequently. Thanks to their relatively shorter natural lifespans and vulnerability to physical damage, Goblin evolution granted them with increased sex drives and the ability to have many children in a short period of time; due to the Goblin culture mingling with human culture over recent decades, however, the Goblin population has dwindled as Goblins realize that their time is better spent making money or creating new technology than raising children. As such, Goblin children are often expected to grow up very fast and treated poorly if they fail to do so; Goblins are often the target of scapegoating in a manner similar to Helltouched, usually stereotyped as thieves or monsters, and as such are raised to dismiss these racist remarks.

Goblins have a natural lifespan of about forty (40) to sixty (60) years, although this can be extended by technological means; Magic has no effect on Goblins, and as such is useless in furthering their lifespans.

### Personality:

Given their shorter lifespans, Goblins dedicate their lives to the gathering of as much knowledge as possible before they die. Lacking souls, Goblins know that they do not have an Afterlife to look forward to after physical death, and as such seek to enjoy life as much as possible; Goblin culture places heavy emphasis on the importance of intelligence, education, and knowledge to call back to their barbaric, tribal origins from which they ascended. Goblins believe that their legacy lives on in the research they do and the inventions they make, a parallel to the Dwarven emphasis on personal legacy through heroism and creation of works of architecture, blacksmithing, weaponsmithing, or art; unlike Dwarves, Goblins do not value art and instead value function, placing great value on intelligence, inventiveness, and efficiency.

Goblins are frequently stereotyped as having irritable natures and temperamental attitudes, but this is often a misunderstanding of the modern Goblin culture and perspective on the world; Goblins are seen as irritable and standoffish because they are only capable of experiencing diminished emotions, which leaves their minds overwhelmed by logic and rationale more often than not. Their temperamental attitudes exist because Goblins often do not have the time or care required to deal with matters of etiquette nicely and neatly; Goblins are notoriously honest to a fault, which furthers their seemingly unfriendly nature, and rarely understand (and even rarely follow) traditions of manners or etiquette in social situations. The Goblin stereotype that claims Goblins have large egos stems from a similar misrepresentation; Goblin culture surrounds a Goblin's achievements and personal intelligence, so insulting or harming said physical contributions or their intellects will result in a dramatic and often violent response.

Goblins no longer keep slaves after the Orc Uprising several centuries ago, having learned their lesson, but are not above creating androids and other robotic constructs to fill a slave's role. Goblins see Dwarves and Elves as generally hostile and unpleasant, and are frequently annoyed by Magic creatures.

Goblins, despite being logical creatures with a culture centered around an individual's intelligence and technological contributions to society, can also be quite hedonistic. The Goblinoid lack of strong emotion brought about by their Soullessness combined with their interpretation of wealth equating to moral superiority creates a culture that emphasizes and encourages hedonistic activities as signs of one's intelligence, power, wealth (and therefore moral uprightness), etc. Wealthy Goblins exist like the Robber Barons of the mid-1800's, wearing the finest clothes, eating the finest foods and drinking the finest beverages, etc., all while never working another day in their lives thanks to the invention they created decades prior; the enhanced Goblin sex drive also works its way out in this way as well, providing further incentive for Goblins to find financial success. Art exists in Goblin culture only inasmuch as it provides a representation of an individual's wealth and status; a Goblin does not care what a painting looks like, but will appreciate a masterpiece as much as a child's painting as long as the price tags are equivalent. This aspect of Goblin society - a heavy emphasis on acquiring as much personal wealth and influence as possible - encourages criminal activities and leads to a culture with skewed moral laws (by other culture's standards); the stereotype of Goblins being criminals is, unlike many other aforementioned generalizations, true for this exact reason - crime can make a poor or less intelligent Goblin more money than an honest and intelligent Goblin, so "crime" in the human sense of the word is often a foreign concept to Goblins. The Goblin intellect, cunning nature, logistical/engineering talents, and their communal natures all combine to create a race of humanoids primed for criminal organizations.

Goblins are also notorious for their distrusting nature of others, even other Goblins, and their paranoia towards others, even family members. The cutthroat culture of success created by Goblins over time has led to a culture of paranoia, where anyone and everyone is after a Goblin's wealth and assets as a means of furthering their own careers and legacies.