Goblin

See also: Beastmen

Goblins are a diminutive beast race found throughout Eorzea. They are always seen wearing masks with bulbous noses.

“

The goblins are a scattered, nomadic tribe, claiming no land as their own. Said to embark on a great pilgrimage once every hundred years, the entire race appeared to have vanished from the face of Eorzea for quite some time, and it is only in the last five years that the realm has seen a return of their kind.

— Encyclopædia Eorzea vol 1, page 258

History

There are two competing factions of Goblins found in the Dravanian Hinterlands: the hostile Illuminati and the peace-minded goblins of Idyllshire. There, the old Sharlayan colony has been repurposed by a group of formerly nomadic Goblins as a home for all who seek to live in harmony. The Goblins are a scattered, nomadic tribe, claiming no land as their own. Said to embark on a great pilgrimage once every hundred years, the entire race appeared to have vanished from the face of Eorzea for quite some time, and it is only in the last five years that the realm has seen a return of their kind.

Physical Characteristics

Though their physical stature is similar to Kobolds, goblins never adopt the former's four-limbed gait, preferring to clatter quickly about on their two stubby legs. In addition to a bulbous snout, they have long, floppy ears which protrude from their ever-present face masks-an affectation that the curious beastmen are never without. It is rumored that if one were to attempt to remove a goblin'smask by force, the act would trigger explosives rigged inside the headwear, resulting in a bloody, unrecognizable mess of both goblin and perpetrator.

Diet

Avid fishermen, goblins tend to consume a prodigious amount of seafood, but they will happily sate themselves on whatever fare is available. As is often the case for nomadic peoples, the wandering beastmen have perfected the art of preserving food, being especially proficient in the creation of cheese and dried meats. They also enjoy a unique beverage known as "rot-tea"-the flavor of which has been described by adventerous gourmands as something akin to swamp mud.

Leadership

The race of goblins is fractured into small, nomadic groups, and there exists no central organization that could be considered representative of a goblin nation. each faction follows its own rules and agendas, and where some groups are commanded by charismatic, hereditary leaders, others might be governed by an elected council.

Society and Culture

Goblins have an insatiable curiosity for technology in all its forms, and this enthusiasm drives them to master such diverse fields as Firesand preparation and automata manufacture. Known from their long history of frequenting the settlements of man, goblins are seen traveling from city to city, absorbing the local wisdom as they hawk a plethora of wares drawn from their enormous "gobbiebags". Many scholars consider this migratory practice to have contributed significantly to the spread of knowledge between civilizations. Due to the transient nature of their visits, however, goblins often fail to fully grasp a region's law and customs. This ignorance can lead to misunderstandings with the populace-the more serious infringements occasionally resulting in imprisonment or even bloodshed.

Nomenclature

Although goblins use the common tongue to communicate with other races, listeners often find themselves groping for meaning amongst the unusual compound words the beastmen substitute for everyday terms. This habit of mashing together nouns and adjectives extends to the goblin's names, resulting in some truly outlandish combinations. As a general rule, their given names will also end with either ix or ox, these suffixes denoting a "handsome male" or "beauteous female" respectively.

Primary Industry

Peddling

During their nomadic wanderings, goblins will make brief stops at the settlements of other races to resupply, peddle their goods, and purchase stock to sell at their next destination. This mercantile experience stands the beastmen in good stead with mercenary companies, which look to hire goblins for their proficiency as quartermasters.

Tinkering

Goblins possess an affinity for all things mechanical, and their curious creations are frequently purchased by the fascinated and bored alike. In particular, goblin-made clocks are prized by the wealthy for the impressive accuracy with which they keep time.

The Illuminati

This organization of goblin thinkers espouses the virtues of cold reasoning and intellect. Seeking to accumulate knowledge through methods both fair and foul (though mostly foul), the Illuminati assimilates the principles of fields such as magitek and aetherology, blending all manner of learning into its own unique fusion of technological brilliance.

Elitist in the extreme, the members of the Illuminati strive for nothing less than complete domination of the world's technologies, and do not share wisdom with those outside their privileged circle. Since the rise of Quickthinx Allthoughts, this policy of secrecy has been ever more stringently enforced, prompting the likes of materia guru, Mutamix Bubblypots, and others to flee the yoke of his fanatical leadership.

Quickthinx Allthoughts

“Tremble before might of Illuminati!"

The present leader of the Illuminati. Before rising to his current position, Quickthinx was an earnest yet unremarkable researcher who labored meekly on the fringes of the organization. When the explosion from a failed experiment took his limbs, however, his life was irrevocably altered. The injured goblin returned to work, his arms and legs replaced by mechanical prosthetics, but the most drastic change was to his personality. Quickthinx began preaching, his ideals with an irresistible passion, the formerly unas- saming beastman swaying those around him with newfound charisma and confidence. His army of ardent followers continued to swell, until eventually an overwhelming number of nominations saw him take control of the Illuminati itself.

Goblins and Raptors

The nomadic goblin tribe has used domesticated raptors as beasts of burden since times of eld, and are known to use teams of two to eight cart raptors depending on the weight of the load. According to legend, clever goblins also had a hand in breeding some varieties of honeybee found in kept hives today. One clan supposedly makes their living traveling the world with their swarm, collecting pollen from all manner of flowers to create honey.

Moblins

Main article: Moblins

Goblins share common ancestry with moblins, who reside in Tural.

Notable Goblins

• Brayflox Alltalks
• Mutamix Bubblypots
• Quickthinx Allthoughts
• Roundrox Cointoss
• Slowfix Cointoss
• Tapklix

Gallery

• 

  A Goblin Hunter

• 

  Slowfix

• 

  Mutamix Bubblypots

Notes and Trivia

Goblin is also a server in the American Crystal Data Center.