Goblins

Overview

The @Goblin are the cursed descendants of elves who rebelled against the Dragon Lords during the First Uprising. Their defiance was met with divine punishment — sunlight burns their flesh, forcing them into eternal exile beneath the earth. Banished from the surface and abandoned by their kin, they adapted to darkness, becoming masters of stonecraft, mining, and subterranean survival.
Though frail in stature, goblins are precise, intelligent, and relentless in their craft. Their greatest city, @Gloomdeep , fell to the Corpse Plague over a millennium ago, nearly erasing their civilization. The survivors retreated to @Gloomreach , where they now live under uneasy alliance with the orcs of Ironspine.
Goblins are not raiders, wanderers, or beasts. They are an ancient, secretive people whose skill in stone and gemcraft is unmatched — their work is coveted by nobles and mages alike.

Small and slender, averaging 4 feet tall, with elongated limbs and deft, clawed hands.
Skin pale gray to near-white, often marbled with darker veins from life underground.
Eyes large and black, capable of perceiving detail in near-total darkness.
Faintly elven features — long ears, sharp cheekbones, and angular faces — but worn by time and curse.
Their clothing is utilitarian, made from woven fungus fiber, tanned hide, and filigree of metal and stone.

Sun Cursed: Direct sunlight burns their skin; they never travel above ground.
Darkvision: Goblins can see perfectly in total darkness for great distances.
Stonecunning: Their craftsmanship in mining, carving, and structural engineering is unparalleled.
Deep Memory: Goblins retain ancestral knowledge of runes, stonework, and gem resonance — remnants of their elven origins.
Survivors of the Depths: They thrive where no others can, adapting to toxic air, scarcity, and oppressive dark.

Cities Below: Goblin society revolves around subterranean strongholds — the greatest of which were Gloomdeep and Gloomreach. Their cities are carved in geometric precision, illuminated by veins of sunstone crystal.
The Fall of Gloomdeep: The destruction of their crown city by the Corpse Plague remains the defining trauma of their race. Goblins burn or entomb their dead far from home to prevent another breach.
Alliance of Necessity: The goblins of Gloomreach now live beneath orc dominion, their miners feeding @Ironspine forges. In return, the orcs protect them from surface incursions. The relationship is practical — not loyal.
Faith Forgotten: Though descended from elves, goblins no longer worship surface gods. Some still whisper the old prayers in secret, invoking light they can never see.
The Hidden Market: Goblin gems and jewelry are unmatched in purity and rune balance. Smugglers and nobles from Thalossa pay enormous sums to reach Gloomreach through hidden tunnels, bartering in silence under the orcs’ watch.

Artisans of Stone and Flame: Goblins create the world’s finest gems, enchanted relics, and precision rune-inlay. Their craft is prized across every faction that dares to seek it.
Reclusive Traders: Goblins never leave the depths. All trade must come to them through guarded or clandestine tunnels.
Political Neutrality: They hold no presence within Thalossa, no embassies, and no alliances beyond survival. Their existence is tolerated because their work cannot be replaced.
Legacy of the Cursed: To elves, goblins are an unspoken shame. To humans, they are distant partners. To orcs, they are subjects. To themselves, they are what remains of a people who refused to die.

Goblins do not exist as raiders or monsters in this setting.
They never travel above ground or participate in surface affairs.
All known goblin presence is confined to @Gloomreach and its satellite mines.
Their craftsmanship is highly valued, especially sunstone-inlaid jewelry and runic metalwork.
No goblin NPCs appear in @Thalossa or on the surface. All interactions occur through intermediaries or smugglers.