Hobgoblins

Male Names: Aronok, Bankanir, Dorduken, Fentanas, Grur, Hagors, Kalmant, Malgroar, Slatark, Talogan

Female Names: Arinet, Eloqi, Eskani, Horinnia, Korumun, Moranassa, Moritla, Nimanisi, Noranillim, Vortiga

Hobgoblins are harsh, disciplined humanoids who endure through conquest and strict order. Their cultures revolve around expansion, forced labor, and military dominance. Resources are seized through raids, while fortifications, weapons, and infrastructure are built by slaves worked until exhaustion or death. Ambition is deeply ingrained, and individuals constantly compete to improve their standing, often at the expense of their peers.

Despite this internal rivalry, hobgoblins display exceptional unity in battle. Personal grudges are suppressed in favor of efficiency, and their formations and tactics rival those of professional armies. Trust is rare even among their own kind, and outsiders are viewed only as tools or obstacles. Life among hobgoblins centers on obedience to superiors, control of subordinates, and the rare chance to gain honor and advancement through notable victories.

Hobgoblins are stocky and muscular, standing slightly shorter than most humans. Their proportions give them a powerful, heavy appearance, with long arms, thick chests, and shorter legs. Their skin ranges from dull gray-green to darker mossy tones after prolonged exposure to sunlight. Eyes glow in shades of red or orange, and their broad faces and pointed ears lend them a sharp, predatory look.

They grow no facial hair, and both males and females are bald. Aside from their greater size and strength, hobgoblins closely resemble other goblinoids in form and features.

Hobgoblin settlements are rigid military states ruled by an absolute commander. Every individual receives martial training from a young age. Those who excel become soldiers, while others are relegated to labor or administrative duties. Noncombatants hold little respect and rank only slightly above valued slaves.

Advancement is based almost entirely on performance. Gender and ancestry carry little weight compared to proven ability. Emotional bonds are discouraged, including those between parents and children. Pairings are pragmatic and typically occur between individuals of similar rank. Infants are separated from their parents after only a few weeks and raised collectively.

Hobgoblins mature rapidly, learning basic skills within months. Childhood lasts roughly fourteen years and is defined by relentless drills, discipline, and preparation for war.

Hobgoblins regard other peoples as resources to be exploited. Slavery is essential to their economy, and without it their societies would collapse. Slaves who are injured, defiant, or no longer useful are discarded without hesitation. As a result, hobgoblins maintain few alliances and inspire widespread hatred.

Elves and dwarves are especially despised, as both races resist enslavement fiercely and maintain long-standing vendettas against goblinkind. Halflings and half-orcs are considered valuable captives, the former for their agility and the latter for their endurance under brutal conditions. While hobgoblins feel little kinship with other goblinoids, they often treat goblinoid slaves less harshly than captives of other races.

Hobgoblin culture emphasizes order, hierarchy, and obedience, and most individuals gravitate toward lawful alignments. Though not inherently cruel, the brutal upbringing common to their kind produces many who are hardened, resentful, and merciless. Hobgoblins of good alignment are extremely rare and are usually raised outside traditional hobgoblin society.

Those with chaotic tendencies are more common but often end up exiled or executed. Religious devotion is generally secondary to military concerns. Most hobgoblins offer only token respect to deities, seeking favor or protection when convenient. Those who pursue faith more seriously tend to worship harsh gods, conqueror spirits, or tyrannical fiends.

Hobgoblin adventurers are often outsiders among their own people. Some reject the suffocating hierarchy of military life, while others are exiles disgraced by failure or perceived weakness. A few hope to return home with wealth and renown, using their accomplishments to reclaim status or power.

In rarer cases, ambitious commanders deliberately send promising youths abroad, believing experience beyond hobgoblin lands will forge stronger leaders. Hobgoblins favor martial paths such as fighters, cavaliers, monks, and rogues. Magic is widely distrusted, though alchemists earn limited respect for their destructive ingenuity.