Goblin

Goblins are a small, savage race that infests much of the darker corners of the earth. Goblins live in many of the more isolated areas of Yntheria, moving out in bands to conduct raids on cities and nearby farms. They have a crude kind of society in the mountains, kept far away from human society.

They're considered more of a pest and vermin than any real danger, being a cowardly lot, they are mostly content to steal what they can then run like Hell. In the farms of the valley, they've never been considered much of a threat, showing up only every once in a while.

Recently however, something seems to have riled up the Goblins, and their incursions have been more violent than usual.

Noren's Notes (May, Hydra 299)
''Recent encounters with these creatures have demonstrated that Goblins, while small and cowardly, are not to be underestimated. In great numbers, they demonstrate excellent use of strategy and cunning, which allows them to taken down larger more powerful foes.''

''Our limited knowledge of Goblin-kind may also hide some disquieting facts. My last skirmish with this scourge of the valley, I came into possession of a crude picture (obtained by my friend Arcus) which appeared to be a rendering of a portrait, featuring two full sized Goblins and several smaller ones. Goblins may in fact have families, much like humans, or halflings. It is conceivable given their (albeit poor) ability for craftsmanship, that they could have built crude huts to house these families underground. Where one hut exists, there are bound to be more, and where there are many huts, we begin to see a formation that appears astonishingly like civilization.''

Clearly, there may be far more to this savage race than we have originally presumed.

Noren's Notes (July, Hydra 299)
''It appears that my initial inferences on the nature of goblin civilization may have been more accurate than I dared believe. Since my last writing, I have encountered Garoog, a goblin cleric of Magloob (their god of trickery and evil) who has allowed me to talk with him at length, and if he is to be believed, the truth is far more shocking than any human would have guessed.''

''Goblins are in fact, just as intelligent as humans (or at least, they can be). The appearance of idiocy may be just that: a ruse used to lull their enemies into a false sense of security. Being small in stature, goblins have used their ingenuity and natural talents to come up with such strategies, in order to more effectively dupe, combat, and/or escape from humans. This logic makes even more sense when one considers that it is not possible to discern from current historical records just who inhabited the valley first...but if goblins owned this land, our ancestors may have rightfully earned the ire of the goblin race for taking it from them. This is, at least, the story the goblins tell themselves--and the reason for their sustained hatred of humanity. This may help to explain the most shocking and dangerous turn in their history.''

''At some point in time, long past, the goblin's patron deity Magloob fell out of favor, and a new god, Kathax was worshiped in his place. Kathax taught the goblins the secrets of taming hydra and manticores, allowing them to ride these ferocious beasts into battle, and it appears he has also helped to advance their knowledge of smithing and fighting as well, given the armament of the last goblin war party we encountered.''

''The goblins have somehow made a map of the entire Valley of Erthiir, replete with city defenses and strategic weak points, and it was here that I first saw the name "Kathax" scrawled on the pages (although this was not my first encounter with his handiwork). According to Garoog, the goblin race has been preparing silently for many years, and is now finally ready to make war on the human civilization which dwells above them. However, it appears that there are still some goblins who are loyal to the old ways, the teachings of Magloob, and while he is worshiped still by many goblins, they must do so in secret or risk exile...which was apparently the sentence handed to Garoog and his retainers. With the bulk of Shay-Elliri's forces focused on the treat of invasion from the Talanese border, we are weakened. It is my hope that our mutual foe, the followers of Kathax, will motivate goblins and humans to abandon (or at least set aside) old prejudices, so that we might both increase our chances of survival against this powerful enemy.''