ungulatehoof
local unicorn
The swamp of Yzug is a place no one dares to go, for inside reside the Goblins.
Inside Yzug, the pungent scent of the swamp and the blood spilled on its grass and leaves leech onto your nostrils. It is so strong that even once you've left, the smell of Yzug makes a home in you. You will not forget it as long as you live, even long after it leaves your nose. Only the Spirits Above know how deeply the scent has ingrained in the goblins that flicker over the roots and swim through the rotting water of Yzug.
The goblins are frightful creatures, with round faces and batty noses and even battier ears. They are knobbly, small, have ragged dirty claws on their hands and feet, sometimes stubby little tails. Sharp teeth poke out of their wide mouths like those of a dog. Don't mistake their small statures for a lack of threat- there is a reason even fae fear Yzug, and that is for the goblins's unrelenting fierceness, speed, and numbers.
And yet, despite their negative reputation, goblins have insisted they're not all that bad. They love and tend to their communities like fae tend to their gardens, they will fiercely protect their loved ones, they worship and protect nature, they feel compassion, love, empathy, sadness, grief- as many emotions as the rest of us can. Their barbarism can be counted down to the fact that they simply do not share the same moral views as the rest of Talera- not from any malice.
This may all be true, but humans and the Other folk alike still share the same opinion that the goblin's way of life is brutish and uncivilized. Should the goblins try and change their minds, or are the inner politics of Yzug already enough on their plate?
OOC NOTES: This is a roleplay with collaborative lore! What I present here is simply a jumping off point. You will be free to make your own goblin tribes with their own cultures, your goblin characters may have unique traits of your own making, you can add local legends and myths, you can add words and grammar rules to the Goblish language- as long as you don't go crazy, you are more than welcome to submit more to the lore! Now there will be sign-ups- an application form you have to fill out- but it's not going to be anything long and difficult and there's no strict rules. Just the typical no powergaming, no metagaming, etc.
Goblins live in a society divided starkly by tribes, all with their unique roots, sub-cultures and history. Because these tribes share common ancestors, shared customs arch over them and connect them like branches.
There are three major goblin tribes:
The Brkuzum
The Brkuzum (sometimes spelled Brkzm), translated from Old Goblish as "the mighty ones", are known as the fiercest tribe in Yzug.
They are usually quite broad and bulky, with red or grayish-reddish skin. They have shorter ears than most goblins. Some families have the tail gene, most do not. Their eyes are typically yellow, white, pink, red, or gray.
The current chieftain of this tribe is Ikumi Bzargj (Ikumi being his title, meaning "the noble third one"). He is known for his brutality and wisdom, and is feared across Yzug and even the surrounding area. As is custom in the Brkuzum tribe (details below), he wears several large skulls of his victims, some even of orcs.
Skull-wearing is a notable practice of the Brkuzum. They are almost constantly in battle, so brutality and strength is revered in the tribe, as well as the ability to collaborate with one's fellow tribegoblins ("zugur"). Goblins, across all tribes, often fight together to overwhelm one foe. A goblin who deals the most damage in a fight, or fights the fiercest, is honored the rights to the skull of the fallen victim, which they will then wear on their body when in daily costume- most often around the neck or waist. The skulls are worn during routine activities around the Brkuzum settlement, but not in battle or on scouts, for fear of damaging them. Occasionally, during diplomatic meetings with other tribes, and the most skull-decorated of the Brkuzum will attend along with the chieftain and other authorities, to flaunt their strength. Flaunting the skulls is also a flirtatious habit exhibited by many warrior Brkuzum.
The Tulzummum
The Tulzummum, translated from Old Goblish as "the water swimmers", are known for their cunning and mysterious nature.
Living in the deepest, darkest pits of Yzug, where even many goblins fear to tread for fear of the lake-beasts, the Tulzummum are an enigmatic group to outsiders. They are blue, greenish-blue, and grayish-blue, have long ears with wispy hairs on the tips, short, stout statures, long arms and legs with webbed feet, and large eyes. About half of them exhibit the tail trait. Their eyes are typically yellowish-green, blue, indigo, or violet.
The current chieftain of this tribe is Jutaumi Iggzija (again, the first word of his name being his title, meaning "wise one"). He is revered among the Tulzummum for his intelligence. Because of his old age, many young goblins from other tribes ridicule Iggzija, thinking he cannot be strong in a fight, but this is a mistake- Iggzija is ruthlessly cunning with his foes and the battles under his command are just as fierce as any other goblins's.
That being said, battle is far from the Tulzummum's only strength. They are very inventive and are responsible for many of the goblin's technological advancements. The Tulzummum invented the Goblish alphabet and writing system, made up of odd symbols, and their town includes Yzug's largest library. Only certain human scholars have managed to understand the writings.
The Tulzummum revere water, specifically marsh and lake water, and love to go swimming in it.
The Gutamum
The Gutamum, translated from Goblish as "the green ones", are what many from outside Yzug think of when they think of goblins. They are the youngest of the main tribes, having only come about two hundred years ago. They are known as the more "friendly" ones, and are sneered at from much of the goblin community within Yzug. However, being friendly in comparison to the other Yzug goblins is not a hard task!
True to their name, the Gutamum have green skin, of varying shades. They have long ears, stout limbs, and beady eyes. Some have the stubby tail trait, though, like the Brkuzum, most do not. Their eyes are typically brown, gray, red, green, or a grayish blue.
There are two chieftains who share their duties equally- Shami Huumog (Shami being a title meaning "great one"), and Shami Tozrj. They are deeply kind and parental to their tribe members.
Instead of having one large settlement in the deeper parts of Yzug, the Gutamum have two smaller settlements near the outskirts. It only takes half an hour's trek from the outskirts of Yzug to arrive at the Gutamum settlement nearest the human settlement of Asara, which sits right outside Yzug.
The Gutamum's strength is that they are good candidates for being goblin ambassadors to the rest of Talera. They can be as fierce as any other goblin in battle, however, unlike the rest, they do not like to instigate war. They are decidedly neutral with humans, and although some isolated parties might raid the humans of Asara, unlike other goblin tribes, this is not a central activity. The Gutamum are also unique in that they accept goblins from rival tribes into their ranks.
Character creator/sign up and deep lore threads (including a goblin glossary) coming soon! Express your interest below
Character Sheet!
Fantasy - Bloody Bog Character Sheet (Goblin RP)
Welcome to the character sheet for my goblin roleplay, Bloody Bog! Interest check here: https://www.rpnation.com/threads/bloody-bog-goblin-rp-open.452094/ Lore sheet: Coming soon! Rules: - No powergaming. - No metagaming. - Have a positive, creative attitude! - I'm not asking you to...
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