The humanoids
Goals and gods of
the kobolds, goblins, hobgoblins, & gnolls
Last of a series
by Roger Moore
| Kobolds | Goblins | - | Hobgoblins | Gnolls |
| Dakarnok | Khurgorbaeyag | - | Nomog-Geaya | Shoosuva |
| Dragon | Monsters | - | Best of Dragon, Vol. V | Dragon 63 |
The organized religions of the five major
humanoid races in the AD&D™ game
system are different from each other in
ways that do not always come to light
during a campaign. Each of these humanoid
types — kobolds, goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls, and orcs — has a particular
way of expressing that race’s world-view
and its relations with the others and
the
human/demi-human races they all compete
against.
Even though most on-the-spot confrontations
with shamans and witch doctors of humanoid deities will not involve
role-playing so much as outright combat
(unless for some reason the adventuring
party and shaman’s party agree to parley),
a more detailed description of the
humanoid religions and their deities
might prove valuable for constructing
detailed campaign backgrounds and in
helping the Dungeon Master gain insight
into the motives of humanoid clerics
used as NPC’s. Orcs were discussed in
the previous issue (#62) of DRAGON™
<The half-orc point of view, The
gods of the orcs>
Magazine; this article deals with the
other four races.
DMs should keep in mind that player
characters reincarnated as any of these
races are not obligated to worship the
deities of these races, and in no case
should such characters be allowed to
become shamans of these gods. Characters
reincarnated as one of these humanoid types could be of great usefulness
as
spies or infiltrators into the humanoids’
camp; in such instances they might uncover
many of the details of humanoid
cult worship and possibly capitalize on
this knowledge, for the benefit of themselves
and other adventurers.
The kobolds’
major deity, Kurtulmak,
is said to have given the kobold race
life
and taught them personally the important
arts of living off other creatures (by
theft, looting, pillaging, and the like).
Kurtulmak intended his race to live in
the deep reaches of unfriendly forests
and shallow caves because of their value
as hideouts and shelters, and was enraged
when his subjects were forced to
compete with the gnomes, who wanted
the same living space. Militarily, gnomes
are considerably stronger, more organized,
and thereby better off than kobolds, and most battles between members of
the two races result in defeat for
the kobolds. Only their preference for
hit-and-run assaults and their relatively
high rate of reproduction give kobolds
even a reasonable chance to avoid eventual
extinction.
As with the other humanoid races, kobolds
are prone to pick on creatures
smaller than themselves, and seem to
take crude delight in inflicting pain
and
misery upon their captives. Though they
generally are aware (and resentful) of
their physical disadvantages when compared
to the larger humanoids, humans,
and demi-humans, they are also very respectful
of authority and will do as they
are ordered if ruled by an obviously more
powerful (and lawful evil) creature or
being. However, kobolds automatically dislike anyone much larger than themselves
on the basis of size alone, and though
they will carry out their leader’s will
in
such cases, they will likely also seek
to
pervert the intent of their orders in
some
minor ways to show their resentment.
Kobold religion is centered around the
tenets of survival, safety in numbers,
destruction of all other (larger) races
through attrition, and obedience. Kurtulmak
is supposedly served by a variety
of minor demigods, the deified heroes
(chieftains or priests) of their race.
A kobold “hero” does not necessarily
have the courage and fighting ability
that
one normally associates with the one so
called; kobold “heroes” are renowned
for their skill at “indirect combat” (such
skills as attacking the defenseless, ambushing,
trap-setting, and torturing).
Though they try to disavow the image,
a
few kobold heroes appear more like
master scavengers than fighters. Heroes
usually avoid personal combat unless
backed up (supported) by “regular” kobolds,
and tend whenever possible to assume roles of leadership from the rear
and command from afar.
The goblins
are the only humanoid
race that seems to make any effort to
get
along with all the other humanoids.
These beings emphasize the value of
cooperation within their own race, avoiding
the establishment of specialized tribal doctrines or cults, though they
do
maintain a firmly structured hierarchy
in
their government. Goblins regard humans
and demi-humans as their worst
enemies — dwarves and gnomes particularly
so, because they tend to inhabit
the same regions as goblins do — and
are sometimes angered that the other
humanoid races, who might better be
aiding or abetting the goblins’ cause
by
battling humans and demi-humans, are
instead so occupied with inter-tribal
squabbling and power struggles.
Goblins try not to portray themselves
as a threat to other humanoids, so as
to
avoid direct confrontations with them.
They are, at the least, generally successful
in winning the grudging good will of
kobolds and bugbears, and are tolerated
by other races.
Goblins, like kobolds, are respectful of
authority figures. Though they may be
more accepting of non-goblin leaders
than kobolds are of non-kobolds, they
also see less need to knuckle under to
such rulers, too, and are more likely
to
draw a line defining what their leaders
may expect of them.
For all their tendencies to shy away
from the limelight, goblins do desire
power over humans and demi-humans,
and generally prefer them (over kobolds
or other small humanoids) as slaves and
servants. They see torture and other
public diversions like it to be instructive
to their slaves in pushing home the
slave’s proper place in the world.
Goblin chiefs and shamans are usually
preoccupied with conquests of non-hu
manoid territory, and often perform or
advocate robbery and theft as a way of
gaining those things that goblins (and
other humanoids) should have. In some
senses, goblins have a slight inclination
toward lawful neutral alignment, though
they nearly always retain the part of
their
evil nature that reflects in their desire
to
loot and to rule others.
Goblin shamans of Maglubiyet
(described in the DEITIES & DEMIGODS™
Cyclopedia) often serve as intermediaries
between hobgoblin and goblin folk,
and try to ensure that the former group
doesn’t take extreme advantage of the
latter. Shamans of the deities governing
goblins more exclusively (like those of.
Khurgorbaeyag, described later in this
text) devote their attention to the specific
problems and needs of goblins in general, and reinforce the oppression
of
humans and demi-humans as the best
course of action in the long run to ensure
the well-being and security of goblinkind.
The hobgoblins,
unlike their close kin
the goblins, make little pretense of trying
to get along well with other humanoids,
even with other hobgoblin tribes. Intertribal
rivalry is intense, only marginally
less so than between orcish tribes. Hobgoblin
tribal factions are strictly organized along political lines, however,
as
opposed to the orcish tribes’ religious
divisions.
Hobgoblins value status and power,
and settle easily into a domineering role
as warriors, conquerors, and rulers.
Moreso than kobolds, orcs, or goblins,
they resent being ruled by beings not
of
their own race, but they will still show
a
fair degree of obedience and organization
in such situations.
Hobgoblins perceive life as a constant
testing ground, one’s personal worth being
measured by the amount of pain one
can tolerate and mete out to other creatures.
Their deity Nomog-Geaya (see
text following) is sometimes referred
to
as The Torturer, a master in the art of
inflicting pain and a deity who never
shows the slightest expression even
when wounded himself. Hobgoblin chieftains
and shamans must undergo ritual
torture to determine if they are worthy
of
their posts; trials by torture (to determine
which party can withstand the most
pain, thus proving the rightness of that
one’s case) are quite common in the
hobgoblin judicial system.
Hobgoblin culture generally encourages
a lifelong rejection of emotional
displays, in keeping with the proper attitude
of a warrior race. But on a personal
level, the average non-leader hobgoblin
will sometimes show his or her feelings,
though usually only when alone or when
it is believed no one else is looking.
The
only socially acceptable circumstances
for a show of feelings are those times
when two or more rival tribes of hobgoblins
catch sight of each other and engage
in jeering, insults, and catcalls in an
attempt to provoke each other into a more
violent confrontation. Encounters with
non-hobgoblin races are also marked at
times by hobgoblins’ remarks and gestures
of disgust, anger, or derision.
However, hobgoblins are careful to show
no other sort of emotion in the sight
of
humans and demi-humans — except for
complete disdain, and a desire to kill
or
enslave the enemies as soon as possible.
Shamans and witch doctors of the
hobgoblins only rarely use curative
spells, preferring the harmful (reverse)
versions of those incantations. Within
their communities these priests serve as
judicial authorities, administering torture
when required by their laws, and also
work as advisors to colony chieftains.
They are the enforcers of public ritual
and ceremony, ensuring that their tribe
maintains the proper degree of lawfulness
and obedience to authority, and of
course they conduct all the appropriate
religious ceremonies. Shamans devoted
to Maglubiyet help coordinate dealings
with goblins, which hobgoblins dislike
as weaklings but grudgingly recognize
as allies, and also take charge of joint
goblin-hobgoblin ceremonies.
It seems that much of the dislike hobgoblins
have for elves comes from the
latter’s “heretical” emotional displays
as
well as the elves’ diametrically opposed
alignment. Hobgoblin shamans emphasize
the revolting, un-warriorlike aspects
of elven life as often as they can, and
preach about what a shame it is that
elves should be allowed to run loose like
they do.
Dwarves and (to a lesser degree)
gnomes, despised as they are because of
their innate goodness, manage to retain
at least a glimmer of the hobgoblins’
version of respect: At least, they demonstrate the proper attitude of a
warrior
(thanks to their lawful nature), the dour
dwarves especially so.
As a race, gnolls
are quite hardy and
can adapt to almost any climate (like
humans), unless the climate is too hot
or
cold, or the gnolls have to work too hard
to make themselves comfortable. Work
is a four-letter word to gnolls; though
they are strong, they consider it beneath
their dignity to perform manual labor,
which is better left up to their slaves
and
the females in the tribe.
Of all the humanoid races, gnolls and
hobgoblins have the lowest opinions of
the female sex. Goblins and kobolds
tend to see their females as important,
though not in leadership or military roles;
their women help manufacture weapons
and armor to support the military, and
help maintain the cohesiveness of the
tribes. Hobgoblins have no respect for
their females because they don’t make
good warriors; the males keep them out
of public sight and busy with those
things they feel their women are good
for
— keeping house and having little hobgoblins.
Gnolls regard their females as
slaves, pure and simple, and dump as
much work on them as possible (which
usually means all of it).
Gnolls are individualists, acting only
on personal initiative and tending to
disregard or ignore the desires of other
gnolls or creatures. Gnolls inherently
resent and refuse to respect authority
(spitting at and cursing a leader or ruler
is a common minor offense), though
they are also innately bound to each
other by a sense of racial identity and
cooperativeness. They lack the intertribal
rivalry of the other humanoid races,
Gnolls’ governmental systems are very
since they regard tribal identity as unimloose
in structure, with various agreements between individuals being constantly
made and broken, or convenientportant, and tribes may band together
ly forgotten; only the threat of violence
for short times to undertake raids or
oth-
(a standard and expected tactic) seems
to have any lasting effect on keeping
er profitable ventures.
agreements in force.
Gnoll shamans worship only Yeenoghu
(see the AD&D Monster Manual),
the
demon prince who gave them life. Because
of the close relationship their deity has with the undead, ghouls are accepted
into gnolls’ society as guards for
their shamans. (All other humanoid races
hate and fear any sort of undead.)
Other undead might also be found in
gnoll communities, but only those which
can be controlled by their shamans (in
the way that evil clerics can command
undead into service).
The gnoll’s resemblance to the hyena
is more than skin (fur?) deep. Gnolls
are
hunters and scavengers; they are able
to
digest rotting meat without discomfort,
though they prefer freshly killed food.
They frequently use “hand-me-downs”
from victims of other races to equip
themselves with weapons and armor,
choosing not to go to great lengths to
make their slaves manufacture such
equipment, since it is usually too much
trouble to supervise the manufacturing
process.
Gnolls’ lairs are usually found in abandoned
mines, caverns, and villages, because occupying such an area saves
them the trouble of building any necessary
facilities.
Culturally, they see themselves as the
masters of the world, ruled
by no one, taking whatever they want
without excessive sweat and labor, and
commanding all lesser races (humans,
demi-humans, and humanoids smaller
than orcs) through fear. Each gnoll sees
himself (whenever any gnoll talks about
gnolls, he means only the male gnolls)
as
his own king, in short.
Gnolls do not mind working with those
who are approximately as physically
powerful as themselves, so long as they
get adequate and satisfactory benefits
from the cooperation. Though orcs are
less powerful than hobgoblins, gnolls
get along better with the former race
because orcs are more easily dominated,
and because hobgoblins resent the
gnolls’ hatred of authority and their
lack
of stoicism.
OUT ON A LIMB
In closing, I would like to recommend
one thing
more: let the goblinoids advance in experience
levels
like men. We at the NAAOP (figure it out)
think <NAAOP=?>
you treat Orcs like whites treat blacks
(and worse).
There are fourth level orcs out here,
heaving
Grond out of my basement.
If you print this, do us all a favor and
don’t edit
out of context.
Marc Jacobs
[edit]
(The Dragon #28, page 21)