Goblinkin Khinates

### History

The eastern steppe was largely unpopulated during the Hominid Era, save a few fishing villages and a mysterious island hermit community. During the Divine Migration of 1 E.M., the Kymal Mountains (now called the Grymkymal Range) were the initial entry point for both Katagidos's dwarves and Bellum's goblinkin. The dwarves and goblinkin fought a bloody war for nearly a thousand years, until the dwarves allied with the newly-founded Kingdom of Frania in 1108 E.C.

While the dwarves remained underground, the goblinkin retreated eastward, to the surface, where they discovered an arid, windy steppe with little more than a few herds of horses and goats. Their society quickly devolved into tribes led by bloodthirsty warlords, claiming land from each other and fighting with their lands as much as they did with other kingdoms. These Khinates continue to fight well in to the 13th century, and only the Gol'Moro Khinate has formed an organized government with trade, agriclture, and an organized social hierarchy (out of necessity, to continue their fight with Frania and the Dwarves).

### Geography

The majority of the Khinates are located east of the Grymkymal and Ironwall mountains, on an arid, windy plain known as the Eastern Steppe. It rains very little, and the majoriy of the wind comes from the west, descending the mountains at night. No oceanic rains or warm winds come from the east, making the climate hot and dry in the day, and freeing and windy at night. The mountains to their west and cliffs to the east make for an excellent defensive landscape, with only three points of entry through mountain passes, all guarded by different Khinates.

Their main exports are horse hide and horse hair in the form of leather, tapestries, and bowstrings. They also export live horses, cattle, and goats, though in smaller quantities. Imports include lumber, produced goods, and grains. Most of their trade is done with Skothika, as neither Ludania nor Unam will d business with them.

### Religion

The primary religion amongst the Goblinkin is the Divine Host, though they early exclusively worship Bellum (who they call Baain). Khin Ogvall of the Gol'Moro Khinate has outlawed the worship of Baain, describing his essence as "brutish, uncivilized, and unfit to lead a burgeoning political nation." The citizens there now worship the rest of the Divine Host, along with some followers of the Flame Everlasting (who they call Galeeg).

In the northern Khinates that still practice Baain Worship, the annual Bloodletting is one of their largest ceremonies. This event entails massive sacrifices, both of humanoid slaves and livestock. They believe that this sacrifice pays for their life, and will keep them alive in battle.

### Achievements

The primary achievement of the Goblinkin is their mastery of horses. They breed and tame massive herds of horses, using them for a multitude of uses. They are masters of light cavalry, with the astounding ability to launch volleys of arrows accurately from horseback, harrying and exhausting their enemies. They also use horses to herd cattle, a novel advancement that most other developed nations have not latched on to. The wide open grasslands make it conducive for a Khinate to own thousands of cattle, herded by skilled riders.

Another of their grassland-achievements is the hand-cannon; an iron tube filled with Veridium and loaded with a heavy iron crossbow bolt. The kick is heavy enough that a rider cannot effectively use it, and it is often employed by Ogres or Hobgoblin heavy infantry.

### Khinates

The individual tribes of the Goblinkin are known as Khinates. A Khinate is run by a Khin; a warlord who commands the most military might within a Khinate's boundaries. The Khin then chooses a group of Hordelords (called Ordkhin) who each lead their own horde of Goblinkin - as a general would. The Khin controls all branches of the governing system in their society, but they accept the council of their Ordkhins and their tribe's Shamans.

#### Gol'Moro Khinate

The southernmost Khinate of the Eastern Steppe is home to the Gol'Moro River (translates to River of Horses), which in turn is the spring of life for the tribe of the same name. The Gol'Moro Khinate, led by Khin Ogvall-khu-Molon Gol'Moro (Ogvall son of Molon from Gol'Moro), has led the tribe through a time of massive growth, successfully rebuffed attacks from the humans and dwarves, and reshaped the government and culture of his homeland. He denounced the worship of Baain, created a three-branched government, and codified new laws based loosely from the Skothikan codes and the Lex Ludan of Ludania. He aspires to make his Khinate a viable kingdom in the eyes of the humans, and to integrate his people into society (while avoiding an event like the Ludo-Fey genocide). Their sigil is a bright blue field with a rearing gold horse.

#### Huurai'Kheer

Huurai'Kheer, or "The Dry Steppe," is the least inhabited of the Khinates. In truth, it isn't an actual Khinate, seeing that five separate nomadic Ords fight each other for control of the steppe. They dwell in mobile yurts, and raise large herds of horses and goats, moving wherever new grass begins to sprout. They have no unified sigil, but most take the ancestral red wolf's head on a white field (or the same pattern with gold on a red field).

#### Khaalgakak

The Khinate of Khaalgakak is known for being both the most aggressive and the most organized of the northern Khinates. They use orderly hit-and-run tactics against the Ludanians of Grymstein, as well as mobile phalanxes of cannoneers posted at a distance. While they can effectively face the Ludanians in the open field, they are totally inept at besieging towns and cities, and defending from within their own. Their own capital city of Deng'Koot has no walls, and relies, instead, on crisscrossing terraces and broken terrain to spread out and confuse their enemies. Their sigil is an indigo field with a white tower between two mountains.

#### Khar'Uul Khinate

"Black Mountain" Khinate sits in the foothills of Black Mountain - a huge dormant volcano located on the northernmost point of the Grymkymal Range. Around its base sits the Khanate of Khar'Uul, one of the few farming Khinates in the region. Large hot-springs and the fertile soil of the ancient volcano provide the Goblinkin there with just enough ground to grow flax and tubers. They commonly get into large skirmishes with the Uulkharan over the treasured land. Their sigil is a black triangle on a burnt orange field.

#### Naree'Gazaar

"The Land of the Sun" is home to one of the most powerful Khinates, run by a half-orc named Bamab-khu-Bamab Demi'Tekula. They have adopted much of the Sulan nomads' practices, including the use of flowing robes and camels. The goblinkin of this region have noticeably darker skin when compared to pale green-grey of the northern Khinates. They are exeptionally skilled raiders, who only recently turned to conquering forts and cities (under the cunning leadership of Bamab). Their sigil is a white and yellow field (split horizontally) with a red circle in the center.

#### Smyiguul Khinate

Smyiguul Khinate is known for bearing the finest mounted archers. This Khinate is populated primarily by goblins, and even has a goblin Khin - an extremely rare occurrence. Other than their skill with horses and bows, this is the least productive Khinate. They do not farm, and rarely raise livestock, relying on their raids of neighboring Khinates to fuel their populace. Their sigil is a pale blue field with a black bow in the center.

#### Tsash Khinate

Tsash - translated as "Blood" - Khinate is one of the most ruthless goblinkin societies. They do not trade with humans, and practice sacrifice of exclusively foreigners during the bloodletting. They are the most closely tied to Baain, and even believe that their Khin is his demigod son: Gubo-khu-Baain Tsash. The majority of their Khinate is Bugbears and Orcs, and they have the highest slave population - 5 slaves to every 1 goblinkin - which includes some goblinkin from other tribes. Their sigil is a red field with a white ancestral-style wolf.

#### Uulkharan Khinate

The landlocked Khinate of Uulkharan, meaning "Mountain's Shadow," is another farming Khinate, but their reduced sunshine allows them to grow only very small tubers and large patches of Zuggtmai and Berserker mushrooms, which they export to Skothika. Their hilly, terrain makes it difficult to raise large herds of horses and cattle, allowing them to focus on raising mountain goats. The goats are used for meat, milk, and wool, as exhibited by the Uulkharan's longhair ponchos (a poncho made out of a goat's hide, with the long hairs died in flowing color patterns. Their sigil is a black field with a gold triangle at the base, and a gold eagle above it.

### Economics

Their currency is mostly based in barter, with some nations adopting the Skothik Krune (such as Uulkharan and Khagakak), and Gol'Moro minting their own solver and copper coins (based on the Gol'Moro silver Khin).

Expensive resources in the steppe include manufactured goods (such as weapons, armor, and tools), gemstones, and wood. Cheap resources are leather, wool, and horses. The majority of their trade is done between each other and with the Kingdom of Skothika. The average wage of a goblinkin in the region is less than 1cp/week, but the goblinkin in Gol'Moro make a median wage of 1cp/day.

### Society

Their social hierarchy is complicated, based on occupation, favor with the Khin, race, and achievements, but the caste system has a few functional tiers along with people commonly attributed to them. A goblinkin that has aspects from two different tiers will move to the average tier between their traits - an orc who is also a merchant would belong to tier two.

1. The highest rank belongs to Khins, Shamans, Ordkhin, orcs, hobgoblins, and stablemasters.
2. The next rank is of soldiers, bowyers, smiths, grooms, cattle herders, and bugbears.
3. The second-to-last rank belongs to other artisans, crop farmers, merchants, guards, and ogres.
4. Finally, the lowest civilian rank belongs to general laborers, scribes, shepherds, and goblins
5. The last rank is for slaves and animals - thought of in the same way by most of the Khinates.

Their naming conventions are as follows;

* A male goblinoid will be given a personal name, followed by -khu- (meaning son), then his father's name, then the name of his Khinate.
	+ Example: Argat-khu-Yekk Gol'Moro
* A female goblinoid will do the same, except the suffix will be -okh-and the second name will be her mother's.
	+ Example: Saar-okh-Oyuun Khar'Uul