Four Pillars Wikia


When one thinks of Goblins, they often imagine an mischievous entity bewitched and beguiled by a life of chaos. While this is often the stereotype Goblins play up to (because why wouldn't you, given the freedom to?), the life and history of them are far more complex and nuanced than one would think.

Goblin History[]

There are many tales and stories about how Goblins formed: some people saw that Goblins often had long ears, and assumed they were descendants of Elves. Some think that they’re cousins of Dwarves, what with both often living underground. Some even believed to be the true Fae that haunt fairy tales and folklore.

However, much like Elves, Dwarves, and the other species; not much is known. Alas, no convenient ancient tome depicts how,where, and why Goblins came to be, and most likely this will stay a mystery. If you asked a Goblin where they came from, they’d likely shrug it off, without a care in the world - they’re just glad to be here!

The Tale of Two Tales[]

It is known that Goblins once had a long historic feud with Dwarves, which came to an end many, many moons ago. Historians, from both sides, understand the incident for what it is:

Dwarves from an Ancient mountain Karak, had to expand, and did so the only way they could: by going down. However, they were unaware of a great and large Goblin society that existed beneath the mountain. A great collapse occurred as this expansion dug into the ceiling, and structural support, of the Goblin city below. The incident resulted in the death of many Goblins, as well as the unfortunate few Dwarves tasked with the expansion. Goblins, needing shelter, safety, and support, arrived at the Karak’s gates. The Dwarves, having never seen Goblin kind before, saw a mass of creatures descending on their gates, who’s appearance matched those of the monsters from folklore. Believing they had to defend themselves, they attacked and fought off these entities. This sparked the “Dwarven-Goblin War” (or the Gobdwarvlin if you ask a Goblin) that lasted for many moons. Details are long lost to time, but eventually a peace treaty was signed between the two sides, when the original notion was long forgotten. The Wise Dwarven King met with the Great UnderGoblin, and together, they ended the war the way the two societies should have started; with kind words, good food, and great ale!

The Goblins have their own tale surrounding these events, and with the inclusion of the Dwarven legends, they now have The Tale of Two Tales.

Goblin Society[]

Goblins have lived primarily in the Western areas of Asaterra since before its formation, largely due to the marshes and waterways of Monmoth providing them with the perfect habitat.

Goblins tend to be a misunderstood species due to the chaos and mystery that surrounds them and their culture. Whilst Goblins can easily assimilate into non-Goblin societies thanks to the modern tinctures and tonics that allow them to “walk amongst the sky”, it is impossible for other species to live within a Goblin city.

Over the years, it has been observed that Goblins are more susceptible to the effects of Mushrooms found across Ásaterra. While deeper reasons are not known why, it was prevalent enough for Ásaterra to ban certain Mushrooms from general trade, so as not to endanger them. It also helped make Ásaterra aware of the dangers of some ingredients.

Over the years, Goblin culture and society has split into two distinct groups: The Ground Dwellers and The Sky Watchers.

The Ground Dwellers continue to live underground in Goblin cities, amongst the dirt and mushrooms, while the Sky Watchers have largely integrated into other Ásaterran societies - though they still hold onto their own Goblin culture.

OverDweller and UnderWatcher[]

Current OverDweller Current UnderWatcher
Ink Belzrin Othos Elgara

These Titles are believed to be religious positions within Goblin societies.They are held in high regard, and burdened with even higher responsibilities. It is not known how they are picked, or when they are picked, or why they are picked, or who they are picked by or what they need to pick to get the title.

The Ground Dwellers[]

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'Dryad' by SauceyJack

Very little is known about the Ground Dwellers, but it is understood that where Sky Watchers wandered, Ground Dwellers have stayed true to their culture; remaining underground, only surfacing when absolutely necessary. The very nature of their society makes it difficult to truly understand their culture, but this hasn’t stopped many from trying! What is known is their incessant reliance on seemingly arbitrary rules and regulations. Their cities are split up into many sub-pockets of societies whose rules and regulations differ vastly between their neighbours. Non Goblin species, lovingly described as “Sky Dwellers”, will have heard many a rule, and due to the very nature of Goblins, none can tell whether these rules are real, or just tall tales, said to mess with the Big Folks.

The Sky Watchers[]

In contrast to the Ground Dwellers, the Sky Watchers have a more laissez faire response to life. While they respect their cultural heritage, the existence of Sky Dwellers (as well as their lack of strict rulings and creation of essential skin care products), proved enticing for some, enough for such Goblins to be coined “Sky Watchers” by their Ground cousins. While knowingly a loving term, the Sky Watchers have embraced the name as part of their culture: the culture of only-having-to-listen-to-the-really-important-rules-that-some-person-in-metal-armour-enforces-,-not-the-ones-that-change-the-days-or-time-or-whatever-based-on-what-foot-or-hand-you-got-out-of-bed-with-first (Oat Litter Spearman: Tot ‘n’ Dot - Owl Be Foul… You Gob Wiv’em for short). Whilst some might see this as Sky Watchers being unruly or ungovernable, this is not the case; they have a great respect for Sky Dweller’s rules (for the most part) - it is merely the restraints of the cultural rules that don’t vibe with the Sky Watchers.

'Puck' American Ballet Theatre

'Puck', The American Ballet Theatre

Appearance[]

The appearance of goblins is quite varied, ranging from goblins who look like green tinged elves to small, entirely green creatures with what appears to be moss growing in various places. One thing that is consistent is some kind of shade of green. This can range from a slight green tinge, to entire areas of their skin being mottled green, to some goblins who are green all over. All goblins have pointed ears, however these can range in size from tiny discrete points to ears several inches long. All goblins have very fragile skin which needs a lot of moisture, which is why you most commonly find goblins in wetlands and deltas. They much prefer freshwater to salt however, as apparently the latter makes them ‘crispy’.

The appearance of Ground Dweller and Sky Watcher goblins differ slightly in terms of aesthetic. Ground Dwellers often have more green in their complexion, and their style is slightly more attuned to nature. They dress and groom themselves according to their strict rules. Sky Watchers tend to be a bit more eclectic in their appearance, in that they tend to wear whatever they find aesthetically pleasing, finding freedom in their appearance not tying them to a specific location.

Goblin Culture[]

It is believed that Goblins normally have a lifespan of approximately thirty years, however this is in great contention. There is a well believed joke that when some Goblins reach their thirties they almost seem to forget to die, and just keep going. One theory as to the reason behind this is that Goblins can’t be bothered to actually count their age and just give an extremely highball or lowball number. Another is that Goblins just can’t count; however this has been disputed by several goblins who insist that while they can, it just goes against their principles.

There are many aspects of Goblin Culture, more than could fit reasonably on this page, so we’ll list a few just below as an idea of how they like to live.

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Faerie Worlds 2014 by Julia Wolf

  • When it comes to guesstimating measurements, Goblins are often found describing things in a unit called a ‘Dan’. No Goblin can quite decide how big a Dan is, but all agree that it’s a pretty big unit, being broken down into half-Dan’s and quarter-Dans. It is thought that there once lived a famously tall Goblin called Dan who, due to his height, found it difficult to navigate the tunnels and caves of Ground Dweller society - however, he was very capable of reaching for things up high. In modern Goblin society (both aboveground and underground), referring to something as a Dan can also mean a minor annoyance or something you don’t have the facilities for, like a big person in your small home.
  • As a further note, ‘big folk’ is as close as Goblins get to an honorific for non-goblins.
  • Goblins enjoy a vast variety of food, but tend to avoid salt, as it can be a bit uncomfortable for them to consume because of the amount of moisture they need.

Goblins & Religion[]

Goblin religion isn’t exactly the talk of every party. Whilst all Goblins tend to be happy indulging Sky Dwellers’ curiosities about Goblin Culture, not everything is readily theirs to hear.

Whilst it is known to Sky Dwellers that religion plays an important part in Goblin society, the specifics and nature of their cultural religious practices are kept hidden, and are thought to be sacred to the Goblin people.

Having said that, Goblins are free to worship whatever God they choose to, with Sky Watchers seemingly having a great love of Nitphil, Fifaldia, and Omar.

  • Nitphil: The Freedom of Nitphil is very much a welcome aspect of life that the Sky Watchers enjoy; while not disregarding the rules, Cunning and Trickery are a very fun notion of testing the boundaries that resonate with the Sky Watchers.
  • Fifaldia: She represents the ability to always return home; the ground always accepts Sky Watchers back home, giving them safe passage to their ancestral space. It is common practice for the home of a Sky Watcher to have an exposed source of ground, not covered by wooden or stone flooring.
  • Omar: It is often thought that without Omar, there would not be Sky Watchers. One of his priests, wishing to roam the surface freely, created the tonics that help keep Sky Watcher skin hydrated and rejuvenated. Even Sky Watchers who don’t actively worship him, keep a small water shrine by the door, muttering thanks whenever they set out on their journey.