Go-blins (Cave Goblins)
The Cave-Dwelling Cousins
The Go-blins are the cave-dwelling cousins of the swamp-inhabiting Go-blin-als, and while they share many characteristics with their more vicious relatives, the Go-blins are distinguished primarily by their extraordinary cowardice.
Scholars theorize that both races were born from the same dark experiments of the Chaos Lords, twisted remnants of some ancient people warped beyond recognition by horrifying magicks. While the Go-blin-als evolved in the fetid swamps where venom and disease became their weapons, the Go-blins retreated deep into caves and underground warrens where their cowardice became their primary survival trait.
Life in the Caves
Go-blins dwell in extensive cave systems, rarely venturing into sunlight. Their society, if it can be called that, revolves around hoarding worthless trinkets, tormenting creatures weaker than themselves, and most importantly, avoiding anything that poses the slightest threat.
A single armed warrior can scatter dozens of Go-blins. They have been observed fleeing from house cats, loud noises, and their own shadows. This extreme cowardice has led to a rather unique cultural trait: Go-blins consider fleeing to be a sign of intelligence rather than weakness. "Smart enuff to run" is a common Go-blin expression of pride.
Pack Behavior
Despite their individual cowardice, Go-blins can be dangerous in large numbers when cornered or when their warren is threatened. In such desperate situations, their panic can drive them to swarm threats with sheer numbers, though even then, the first sign of real resistance sends them scattering once more.
Go-blin warrens are led by whoever can shout the loudest and run the fastest. Leadership changes frequently, usually when the current leader flees from some perceived threat and never returns.
Appearance and Customs
Go-blins are small, green-skinned creatures covered in warts and boils. They are perpetually filthy, as they believe bathing attracts predators (a belief with no basis in reality, but one they cling to nonetheless). Their broken tusks and diseased appearance serve more to warn others away than to intimidate.
They communicate in a bastardized Common tongue mixed with squeaks, hisses, and frequent whimpering. Spitting is their primary form of greeting, both with each other and with unfortunate visitors to their warrens.
Relationship with Go-blin-als
Go-blins and Go-blin-als maintain a strange kinship despite their differences. Go-blins view their swamp-dwelling cousins with a mixture of fear and admiration—fear because Go-blin-als are everything they are not (brave, vicious, and competent), and admiration for precisely the same reasons.
Go-blin-als, in turn, view Go-blins with contempt but will occasionally shelter them or include them in raids, if only to use them as expendable scouts or living distractions.
Go-blin "Heroes"
The concept of a Go-blin hero is somewhat paradoxical. The closest thing to heroes in Go-blin society are those who survived particularly long flights from danger, or who managed to steal something valuable without getting caught. These "heroes" are celebrated in warbling songs that inevitably end with the hero running away.
One such legend tells of Skreek the Swift, who reportedly fled from a dragon so fast that he ran completely around the world and ended up back at his own warren, where he hid under a rock for three years. He is still celebrated in song to this day, though no one knows if he ever emerged from under that rock.
Current Status
Go-blins can be found throughout Aradath's cave systems, particularly those near forests and inhabited areas where they can scavenge refuse and occasionally snatch an unguarded item. They are considered pests by most civilized races, though their cowardice makes them relatively harmless unless encountered in truly massive numbers.
Adventurers are advised that while Go-blins pose little direct threat, they often inadvertently lead travelers into more dangerous areas of their cave systems while fleeing in panic. More than one party has been lured into a den of something considerably more dangerous while chasing a Go-blin who simply wanted to hide.
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See Also
For information about their more vicious swamp-dwelling cousins, see Go-blin-als.