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Goblin Races |
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Homeworld: |
Terra, Sector 0 | |||
Ecology: |
Nitrogen-Oxygen-Water (H:A:0:7) | |||
Biology: |
DNA I | |||
Languages: |
Dialects of Standard Imperial Anglic | |||
Human Contact: |
Race created 4212CE | |||
FTL Status: |
n/a | |||
Current Status: |
Residents of various Known Space states | |||
Environment |
Ideal |
Tolerance |
||
Atmosphere: |
.20B O2 | .12-.30B O2; CO2 < .02B | ||
Temperature: |
295K | 275-305K | ||
Gravity: |
1.00G | .15-1.20G | ||
Other: |
Humidity 40% | Humidity 10-99% | ||
The Goblin Races comprise a genus of two closely related species and their sterile hybrid offspring. Created in 4412CE by Maxwell Biogenics as a Servant Race (breedable Construct beings designed to serve as household slaves to Nobilis Houses in the Empire of Humanity) the Goblin Races are composed of goblinis gracilis (commonly called gracile goblins and colloquially, imps) and goblinis robustus (commonly robust goblins and colloquially, hobgoblins or ogres) and the sterile product of a union between the two species, referred to as hybrid goblins (colloquially mules or orcs).
All goblins are hairless green-skinned humanoids, with approximately 93% genetic commonality to standard homo sapiens. All Goblin races, including hybrids, are conceived in equal quantities of males and females with twin births fairly common. Sharp carnivorous teeth, pointed ears and claw-like nails are traits common to all Goblins.
Gracile goblins are slender beings, averaging 1 to 1.2 meters in height and massing 25 to 35 kilograms. Originally bred for intelligence and dexterity, graciles often hold technical or leadership positions in Goblin society. Gracile life span is about 200 years without Human-standard life extension technologies. Graciles account for 45% of the Goblin population.
Robust Goblins were bred for fighting and guard duties and maintain an over-muscled physique. Robusts average 2 to 2.5 meters in height and normally mass between 120 and 200 kilograms. Robust life expectancy is about 50 years without Human-standard life extension technologies, though robusts do have a slow natural regeneration ability. Robusts account for 30% of the Goblin population.
Hybrid goblins are the product of the union between a gracile and robust goblin, usually a gracile male and a robust female (the reverse requires a surgical delivery of a premature infant or the pregnancy will result in the death of both the gracile mother and the hybrid infant). Hybrids are very similar in stature to standard Humans, ranging between 1.6 and 2 meters in height and 50 to 100 kilograms in mass, but have less sexual dimorphism than is common in Humans. A hybrid is sterile, but can expect a healthy Human-range life span and can utilize all Human-rated life extending technologies, including cloning. Hybrids account for 25% of the Goblin population.
Goblins organize themselves in a variety of political and social structures, much like their Humans progenitors. However, in most societies, Goblin families tend towards extended clans, composed of 20-40 individuals of mixed gracile, robust and hybrid extraction, usually headed by gracile elders.
Goblins were created as a Servant Race in 4412CE and spent the next several centuries as household slaves to Imperial Noble families. The Goblin Races became the most popular form of Servant Race, spreading across the Empire of Humanity with the growing popularity of the gladiatorial Goblin Bowl blood sport. By the fall of the Empire, the Goblin Race population was 3.5 billion individuals and Goblins inhabited most of the twenty thousand Imperial worlds.
After the Disintegration Wars, the fate of Goblin populations depended heavily on local political and religious conditions. On a few enlightened worlds and especially within the Star Kingdoms Confederation, Servant Races quickly gained full citizenship and soon became assimilated citizens. The Ibrahimite Terran Khalifate saw all Servant Races as soulless abominations and when they were not hunted, they were sterilized and "discontinued", becoming extinct on Khalifate worlds by the 53rd century. On many worlds, Goblins were treated as inferior beings and exiled or enslaved by local governments. Most surviving Goblins resided as slaves within the growing expanse of the Bengali Dominions, where the Nobilis still ruled. For centuries, Bengali Goblins continued to serve in Nobilis households and to suffer and die in the arenas of Goblin Bowls and other blood sports.
By the middle of the 53rd century Goblins had proliferated in the Bengali Dominions. The 34 billion Goblins accounted for over a eighth of the Bengali population, prompting Emperor Talon to impose mandatory breeding controls on Goblin stocks. The decades-long Great Culling began in 5276CE. This systematic hunt of surplus Goblin populations on over a hundred worlds caused the deaths of between four and six billion Goblins. But the genocidal Great Culling, hardly lessened the expanding Goblin population or the popularity of Goblin slaves.
By the 54th century, an abolitionist movement began to gather strengthen within the Dominions, working to ban all Servant Race slavery and establishing underground channels to transport Servant Race fugitives to freedom in the Federation of Orion. In 5395CE, abolitionists planted colonies of freed Goblins on the long-abandoned old Confederation colony worlds of Salvation and Bliss. In 5468CE, free Goblin citizens in the Federation of Orion established the colony of Thangorodrim. Meanwhile, the Goblin resistance movement, the Green Fist, gained strength within the Dominions and established bases inside the Federation of Orion. A Green Fist raid on Goblin breeding facilities was the proximate cause of the Skim War between Dominions and the Federation of Orion. In 5476CE, after the conclusion of the inconclusive Skim War, the Bengali Imperial Household began to recognize the long term impracticality of maintaining Servant Race chattel, but it would take centuries to wean the Nobilis off their Servant Races and toward use of Android and Construct servants.
In the Federation of Orion, Gholman Vandal, a gracile Goblin, became President of the Federation of Orion in 5668CE, a sign of that culture's full acceptance of all forms of non-Humans. It was not until 5809CE when the Emancipation finally freed all Bengali Dominions Servant Races, including over one hundred billion Goblins. After Emancipation, Goblin, Casaps and other Servant Races settled over fifty reservation worlds, marginal Class E planets within the Dominions. Facing continued discrimination, especially in the wake of the machine Rising that occurred a century after the Emancipation, many Goblin settlers left the Dominions, establishing over half a dozen colonies, mostly in the trailing sectors. These colony worlds would eventually unite to become the Goblin Kingdom, a seven system interstellar state based at Rotshak in Sector 776. Through the seventh millennium, Bengali Goblins continued to assimilate into Dominions society, where over two-thirds of Goblins still reside and where the 220 billion Goblin residents account for 7.8% of the population.
Over three hundred billion Goblins reside on thousands of worlds within former Imperial space, making the Goblin Races the most populous non-Human Race within the region. Goblins are almost never enslaved on any recontacted worlds, but their societal status varies dramatically. Goblins are the dominant Race on no more than one hundred worlds; on many more, they are equal members of society, but on thousands, they still suffer discrimination based on their former Servant Race classification. Goblins are banned from entry into the Terran Khalifate, but have full citizenship rights in all other major Known Space states. A petition to register as a Grand Federation Tertiary Race is pending.
The Goblin revolt on Vladimir in 5725CE and their subsequent ritualistic killing and devouring of the entire Human population is an enduring piece of the Goblin mythos, though it bears little relationship to Goblin behaviors and attitudes in present times.
All pages and images ©1999 - 2006
by Geir Lanesskog, All Right Reserved
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