The Lore of Goblins

Goblins can be found in every corner of Mantica. They are
a persistent nuisance, and sometimes a genuine threat,
to all other creatures. Goblins are even more numerous
than their Orcish cousins. For the most part, they are
subservient to the larger Orcs, employed in every role in
society that Orcs are too lazy to fi ll themselves (meaning
most of them). They are deployed in war by their masters
to wear down an enemy with sheer weight of numbers
before the Orcs move in for the kill. Where they are not
enslaved by Orcs, they form their own petty kingdoms
and tribes. These are of a bewildering variety – Goblins
dwell in swamps, jungle, deserts, forests, mountains,
hills, caverns and even sewers. Thousands roam the
mammoth steppe in huge federations of clans, riding a
variety of fierce and malodorous beasts. Here they fight
with savage humans and hunt the shaggy behemoths
that live there.

That Goblins are related to Orcs is obvious. They share
the same colour of skin, similar physiological quirks and
an underlying sense of malice. A Goblin’s idea of heaven
is finding something smaller and weaker than itself and
tormenting it to death, although in reality they are so
jumpy the source of their attentions has to be half-dead
already. But whereas the creation of the Orcs is relatively
well-understood, not one scholar has a clear idea how
the goblins came about, and it has been opined that
they are a kind of cosmic mistake, something cobbled
together by lesser Abyssals while the dark gods were
looking the other way. They are not entirely evil. Goblins
can be traded with. As one fi nds the occasional truly
evil man, it is possible to fi nd the occasional truly good
goblin, but such individuals are rarer than hen’s teeth,
and are usually murdered by their compatriots. Goblins
are certainly nowhere near as brave as Orcs, exhibiting a
degree cowardice that verges on the comical. The only
thing that Goblins have in great abundance, apart from
each other, is self-preservation.

Most Goblins are far too weaselly for proper fighting,
generally taking to the field in a large, poorly armed
rabble that has to be kicked toward the enemy. Whereas
Orcs are badly disciplined but bold, Goblins are just
badly disciplined. Given the chance, they will fl ee from
a fight at the slightest opportunity, and must be tightly
controlled by their betters if they are to function as a
useful force.

The greater strategists among Orc-kind recognise this
and give allow their smaller cousins bows, provided the
Goblins stand in front of the Orcs and point the weapons
away from them. The bow is the preferred weapon of the
Goblin in any case, as they generally feel safer when they
can inflict harm on their enemies from a distance, and,
should the opportunity arise, and they can get up the
courage, it also affords them the opportunity for revenge
on their oppressors...

Not all Goblins are quite so timid, and the larger
ones will form into fighting units with some value.
These Goblins commonly call themselves ‘Gutrenders’,
although that is not how the Orcs tend to refer to them,
instead derisively calling them ‘ Sharpsticks’. For all
their bragging, Sharpstick’s still exhibit some degree of
Goblin fearfulness, and carry spears, the better to keep
the enemy at arm’s length. Shields too are favoured, the
larger the better. Naturally, these items are of little use in
the caverns and close tunnels of overrun Dwarf citadels
where many Goblins make their home, and a close
second favourite is a curved knife, preferably wielded
behind the backs of their enemies.

Goblins are more ingenious than Orcs and do most
of the building and smithying in their lands. They
are especially cunning when it comes to devising
new weapons, although it has to be said that most
of them are also laughably incompetent when it
comes to building them. Nevertheless, some Goblin
inventions become firm favourites on the battlefield,
and it is common for warriors bearing nets, lassos,
spring-powered harpoons, beehive-flingers and
large, iron-toothed traps to fight alongside their
spear-armed brethren.

Away from the Orcs, the goblin mind can shine.
They have an affinity for wicked creatures, forming
alliances with all kinds of sharp-toothed, stinking
beasts and possess them in great multitudes. Many
are employed as draft animals or mounts. Not only
do the Goblins relish the ability to escape quickly,
the animal they sit upon is usually the better fighter.
Another favourite asset of Goblin ‘Biggits’ (their
generals) are the ferocious but dumb Tolls and Giants.
Shambling monsters many times the size of Goblins,
they follow their little masters around, either in the
hope of a free meal provided by the Goblins, or in the
hope of a free meal provided by a Goblin.

Among the ‘free’ Goblins are those Goblins who exhibit
true genius. There are the Goblin wizards, or ‘ Wiz’, who
are bright enough to remember spells and the ingredients
to go with them provided they are not too complicated,
and Goblin Engineers, brightest of all the greenskins. How
these small and stupid creatures can produce inventors
intelligent enough to dabble successfully in steam power
and black powder weaponry is the source of much debate,
among those who care about such things. There are even
rumours of an entire ramshackle city of Goblins full of
bizarre machines. This mythical place is said to be the
home of the Engineer’s Guild, and they rule it with a
(literally) iron fist. Supposedly it lies somewhere in the
marshes beyond the northern border of Basilea, but few
folk give this outlandish rumour much credence.