Hobgoblin

Details

More intelligent than Goblins but still closer to their feral sides than human, they tend to yolk their younger racial-cousins the goblins.

Though hobgoblins are not necessarily evil they are prone to violence and hot tempers and find it difficult to be truly altruistic. When provoked, which is often easy, hobgoblins are vindictive creatures who take glee in causing pain to those that injured them. Those hobgoblins who overcome this nature often do so because of the rewards they find in serving good, rather than evil.

Hobgoblins have a long tradition of mastering and breeding the creatures of the world into slaves of various sorts. Many, for instance, like working with wolves or worgs. Similarly, many drake breeds were first bred by hobgoblins. Some even believe hobgoblins carried this practice on within their own race, creating the goblins and bugbears in such a manner. Hobgoblins are rarely found in communities where they are not in command of either goblins or bugbears, or sometimes both, and the most civilized goblinoid communities are ruled by the race. This is in large part because hobgoblin society is more industrious and less savage than that of goblins or bugbears.

Hobgoblins are immensely protective of their tribe's reputation and military status, so much so that meetings between different groups can turn violent if proper protocol is not followed. However, though hobgoblin tribes are territorial and egotistical in nature they will often unite for a common purpose, such as war against non-goblinoids.

History

Originating from the coastal area of the Hobwood on the shores of the Sea of Shards, the Hobgoblin tribes have constantly had to migrate and expand their territories. Each tribal leader must find a suitable home for his people (unless he's taking it from someone else) and so this means that their society is constantly expanding. Once the Hobwood had been claimed, they moved into the Barrows and then westward through the pass between the Kessian Mountains and the Black Mountain into the Southlands. A few of the more desperate tribal leaders took his people north into the lands of Scorch but found the terrain very difficult to settle and the humans located in the South Marches constituted the first, major force which could halt their continual expansion.

Five Year War

A period of war existed between the humans and the Hobgoblins of the Southlands with the lands of Scorch as the primary battlefield between them. Hobgoblins are deathly afraid of deep water - it's why they do not pose a threat as priates on the Sea of Shards and why they do not cross the Green River. The war ended in 519 KR and was quickly followed by the construction of the Red Wall in 520 KR.

Technology

Hobgoblins, unlike the more primative races like Orc and Goblin, have metalworking technology. Though their weapons tend to be less refined and more crudely forged, they still have demonstrated an ability to produce servicable weapons. Their armor tends to favor leather and thick hide, as they do not either possess or favor amor technologies which favor metal designs. They do, however, prize bits of armor that have been taken from conquored enemies. When the Hobgoblin tribes move against the humans, any of the fallen will have their armor stripped off sometimes even while they lay dying.

Religion and Magic

Hobgoblins are one of the few races that actively and openly worship the god of War, Malvoch. Though the Hobgoblins do not have 'clerics' of their god, they do have the potential for becoming Champions (Paladins) of his will.