Goblin

Goblins, enigmatic and mysterious creatures, are directly related to the baseline Orc. Making their home in the underground caves of Nietskiel, they are one of the deepest dwelling sentient races of Gaia, on par with Dwarves and surpassed only by Knackers.

Physical Description
With flat faces, either up or downturned noses, pointed ears, and small, sharp fangs, Goblins are seldom mistook for anything else. Their foreheads slope back, and their eyes vary in colour from red to yellow while their skin colour ranges from yellow to green. Usually, all members of the same burrow shared the same coloured skin.

Goblins usually stand between 3'4" and 3'8" and weigh about 40 to 55 pounds on average. They breed extremely rapidly compared with many other races, accounting for their large population.

Culture
Goblins typically live inside burrows of thirty to one hundred family members, at depths of 100-300 feet below the surface. These burrows are generally made in large caverns, often with a source of water either above or below the rock (however, in some cases Goblin burrows will be constructed above the water of a partially drained aquifer.) Each burrow is typically one to three families, although for the exceptionally large burrows five or more families will make up the composition.

Goblin society is tribal by nature. The leader of a Goblin burrow is generally the oldest male- although in cases where the oldest is unsuitable for whatever reason (mental or physical illness), the next oldest member of the burrow will take over the leadership position. Goblin burrows are often regarded as unsanitary by surface-dwellers, though are easily defended when under assault. Many such burrows are layered with simple traps for such purposes.

Diet
The diet of a Goblin really depends on where the goblin lives. As strict omnivores, a Goblin will seldom become sick from eating anything. As a rule, however, the diet of most goblins will contain subterranean mushrooms, lichens and mosses, often complimented by bat or rat meat.

In the more advanced burrows, however, in addition to the aforementioned foodstuffs, cheese and eggs from livestock will be consumed, and subterranean grains will be grown for use in bread.

Religion
The religion of the Goblin race is significantly more fluid compared to the religions of the other races. They don't have any fixed deity, instead placing substantial emphasis on personal spirituality. Occasionally, a Goblin will consume an excess of psychoactive mushrooms, and undergo what is essentially a spiritual awakening. More often than not, these Goblins go on to become shamans, leading the spiritual side of Goblin society.

History
By the time that the Goblins split from the Orcs, descending deeper into the underground caves, they had already discovered ways of keeping track of their history. The first inkling of early Goblin culture comes from ancient cave paintings, depicting early goblins splitting from the Orcs and descending deeper into the caves after a sickness decimated them.