NationStates Jolt Archive


Goblinology

Blood Moon Goblins
17-12-2005, 05:04
(OOC: More later on, I just wanted to post this now for the comments :P)
(OOC2: Note the lack of comical mispellings in the titles. I found a fairly good 'Goblin Translator' that is basicaly just a letter parser, but it'll do for now. If anybody has a good Tolkien-esque Orcish translator with a good amount of words, link it. I havent been able to find a good one though.)
(OOC3: Merged version of Goblinology (Goblin species-data) and the BMG Military Guide, for your viewing pleasure ;))
Goblinology
Goblins:
Average Height: 3.5ft
Weight: 80-90lbs
Lifespan: 50-60 years
Blood Base: Copper

Theyre three feet tall, have very large eyes, ears and noses, long arms and short legs. They have sharp teeth and powerful jaws capable of severing a persons wrist if theyre determined.

Goblin anatomy is very similar to that of the humans, obviously they are shorter and green, but thats only on the outside.
The main differnce one would notice if one were to disect a Goblin would be a 'third lung', a sack containing symbiotic bacteria that convert carbon dioxide waste into oxygen. This is the end result of so many years living in mines and tunnels, where cave in, gas and other hazards are a fact of life. The bacteria dont produce enough oxygen to keep a Goblin alive for a long period, but do greatly extend their ability to hold their breath.
Other results of underground living are large, sensitive eyes, ears and noses. Their sense are slightly more acute that a normal humans, although most Goblins are fairly shortsighted.
Goblins bone structure is almost exactly the same as that of a human, except the obviously longer arms/shorter legs, but Goblin bones tend to be slightly denser and thicker. Their skulls are capable of withstanding quite a beating as well.
They have long arms as well, compared to humans. Usualy their arms reach below their knees, with long hands and fingers.
Strong jaws and sharp teeth evolved as a mixed defence/tool, theres some nasty critters out there in the swamp, and those that arent just plain mean tend to have very thick skin.
On a side note, their feet are clawed while their hands have nails. Most Goblins habitualy sharpen their nails so that they resemble claws.
Aside from that, males and females are almost indestinguishable. Females do not have breasts unless they are pregnant and aside from that there is little in the way of outer physical differnces.
The only easily recognizeable female Goblins are the priestessess, who wear rather distinctive robes.

Culture:
Goblin culture is very interesing. The basic familiy unit constists of a singel parental pair, with an average of ten children. However, affairs are not considered taboo, and 'sharing' is quite common.
Children are kept until the age of ten years, at which time they are kicked out of the household with a traditional gift of %2 of the families currency. Money isnt usualy a major issue though, because little is actually paid for. Goblins consider money dishonest, and prefer either barter system or simply working off debt.
Religion is a bit odd, Goblins dont usualy attend churches or ceremonies of any sort, since most think that the gods are big enough and old enough to be capable of taking care of themselves. HOWEVER, they are very sensitive on the subject and will defend their faith quite viciously if provoked. Becoming a priest or priestess is considered one of the highest honours in most Goblin Tribes.
Technology has caught on in a few fields, most notably the Goblin Alchemists, famously suicidal and fond of blowing things up in interesting ways. They quickly snapped up modern glassmaking, distillation, energy production and internet.
In other areas it is usualy ignored by most, unless its practicle. Running water and flushing toilets were immidiatly popular because it meant no more buckets. Rifles caught on as well, because most all Goblins are fond of things that are loud and make pretty flashes. Killing things is a pleasant bonus.
One talent most Goblins share is an ability to fix things. Not well, but VERY quickly and often simply, so that when it breaks down again it can be fixed faster.
On a side note, Squee is the most common Goblin name, occuring in %73 of the population.
(OOC: This happens in RL countries as well. Take a look at Korea )

Military:
The military consists almost entirly of Soviet-Era surplus technology which is, at most, from the 70's. A good portion of the army employs ancient weapons such as bows and arrows, plus a few hommade gunpowder weapons and grenades.
The airforce consists mostly of gliders, although two broken MIG 17 planes were obtained surplus and made flyable again, armed with primitive rockets, they have only blown themselves up twice. This is where that repair thing comes in.
The navy is mostly swamprafts and old PT boats, there are no actual ocean-boarders around the Blood Moon area.

All military equipment is 'customized' by its owner, painted with what most describe as 'tribal markings', although if one were to translate them they would mostly say things like "Tihs r squezz gonne, U touch nd I bash joo!".

Military tactics are suprisingly advanced though. Goblins can dig through ANYTHING, experience has taught them how to tunnel under swamp, through solid rock and in sand. Attempting to clear every Goblin from a battlefield is a major challange because they tend to pop up everywhere.
Likewise, they can throw up a fortification in no time, it wont be a very high quality one, but some is better than none.

Geography of the Blood Moon Area:
The Blood Moon Clans homelands consist mostly of swamp, surrounded by mountains, which are in turn surrounded by wasteland.
The swamp is very active, full of life and such. Most of that life is vicious and nasty and likes to kill things for sport. And thats just the Goblins.
The mountains are where the Goblins usualy live, though there are a few camps in the swamps, these are usualy pretty small and dont last long.
The wasteland is little traveled because, while there is little life, what actually IS out there is even worse than the stuff in the swamp.

The arrangement of the geography has one exception, a single mountain range that reaches roughly 2/5 of the way into the swamp, leading to the largest mountain which is also the nations capitol.

Goblin Clans/Breeds
Goblins are highly adaptable, living in an environment for only a decade or so will produce notable changes in the appearance of the population.
Thus most Goblin Tribes worthy of note ar far enough apart that their apperance varies quite a bit.

Blood Moon:
This is the 'middle of the road' Goblin variety, and the most common. They have a reputation for being slightly more intelligent than most tribes, as well as being more prolific in their tunnels.
Generaly they fit the classic Goblin description. Green and short.

Frozen Claw:
These Goblins live in the northern areas of the Blood Moon nation and are highly apapted to cold and icy conditions. Many of their tunnels are made in ice formations consisting mostly of permafrost.
They are moderatly shorter than the Blood Moons, and far more pale. They are almost white, with slight shades of green.

Grey Wolf (AKA: Wastelanders):
These live in the wastes surrounding the mountains/swamp. They are tall, strong and stupid. Most people dont classify them as Goblins, they do resemble Orcs far more than Goblins.
They average at 4-5ft tall, almost as broad, and make excellent soldiers and heavy labour, provided little thinking is required. They are more grey than anything, camoflaging them in the large dustfields of the Waste.


The Goblin Military

The Goblin military resembles what often happens when you throw a race of people who have been living in the Dark Ages for a few hundred years into the Information Age. It retains a certain 'Olde Fyghting Foryc" quality, but has a shiney new look about it.
The Goblins naturaly took to modern technology, because its easier to blow things up.

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Organization/ranks:
Rank (US Army Equivalent)

Duukhaar (private)
Shuuguugach (Corporal)
Taagaac (Sergeant)
Dher Taagaac (1st Sergeant)
Ogar Taagaac (Over Sergeant)
Mach Shakac (Half Captain)
Shakac (Captain)
Shuulkak (Commander)
Akar Hakagach (Under General)
Hakagach (General)
Mal Hakagach (Head General)
Mechech Hakagach (High Superior Field General of the Front)
Dar Kaarthaar (War Leader)

http://s11.invisionfree.com/The_Earth_Fantastic/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=1194449

In most cases Goblins drop the prefix when addressing somebody by rank, IE:
Akar Hakagach would merely be addressed as Hakagach. The exception would be to emphasize somebodies lower/higher rank for whatever reason.
Rank is conveyed by symbols (remenants of the former pictograph writing system) and by the quality of dress.
Unlike most Human armies, almost all Goblin officers are expected to fight, except for the especialy old and respected ones (most above Head General are too old to fight, but have gained their position via experience and thus are respected enough that they are not expected to continue to fight, often they dont have enough limbs to do so anyway)

NCO's are similar to the Medieval knights in that they are often expected to pay for and maintain their own unit, although the initial equipment is provided by the army. The best way to do this is to get an officer to do it for you, more on that later.
NCO's are payed based on performance in battle and number of Goblins killed. Good performance gets lots of cash, lots of dead Goblins loses you cash, especialy if you didnt get their equipment back. Occasionaly exceptions will be made to the latter rule when the action is clearly a suicide attack or going to have very high casualties no matter what. All NCO's fight on the front lines of any war, often they come in two sorts. The kind that leads, and the kind that goes for personal glory.
NCO's all wear banners identifying them during battle, similar (again) to knights or Samurai.

Officers of lower rank play a similar role, although they often have more money. Officers are treated in a manner similar to the Nobles, they have to fight, but often they will only join in once victory is assured or if they and their guards are needed at some critical point. Mostly, they command.

Generals are not expected to fight, but it is a great career and moral booster if they are seen killing things with the lads, but, as mentioned above, most that get to the rank of General are either too old or simply combat innefective.

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Organization:
Unit/(Translation)/~Number of Goblins/Rank of Leader

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Infantry
Dhegaan Daal / (fire team) / 4-5 / Shuuguugach
Tol / (Squad) / 10-15 / Taagaac or Dher Taagaac
Tuur Hagec / (scout party) / 20-30 / Ogar Taagaac
Dar Hagec / (War Party) / 50-60 / Mach Shakac to Shakac
Shuulkakec / (Company) / 100-300 / Shakac
Rhakhaan Hagec / (Battle Party) / 1000-1500 / Shuulkark
Kaarlelkaac / (Regiment) / 2000-3000 / Shuulkark to Hakagach
Muugaan / (Horde) / 5000-10,000 / Akar Hakagach
Dregerec / (Division) / 15,000-20,000 / Mal Kahagach
Shuur / (Corps) / 25,000-50,000 / Mechech Hakagach
Agec / (Army) / Lots / Dar Kaarthaar

As you might guess, the Goblins adopted a few of the conventional military units because they made sense. The Muugaan is not an official unit, but its gets used alot because it makes sense to have something between a regiment and a division.

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Unit Types:

Infantry:

Akec (infantry), also called "Dager":
The standard Goblin soldiers, theres lots of them and theyre willing to die for just about anything.
They usualy wear traditional light plate armour and/or chainmail, though a few have found the advantages of more modern sorts, such as kevlar. Most possess AK-series rifles as well as a nice assortment of bladed weapons.

Takhaar (sappers):
The REALLY insane Goblins, equivalent to Nordic berserkers. They are totaly without common sense and will happily blow themselves up if called upon to do so. Usualy they opereate as 'conventional' infantry or guerillas.
These also carry AK-series weapons, but dont wear much in the way of armour. Often they carry kegs of explosives and/or Goblin Bombs (homemade bombs)

Hogel'dan (Guerillas):
The famous tunnelers, ambushers and slashers of throats.
They carry whatever they want, because they arent part of the govornment. Most prefer melee combat or sniper weapons. They are, however, very inventive and usualy startle those who think of Goblins as primitive savages. A flaming pot of oil dropped on your head from a glider you didnt see often suprises people.

Mekaac (Kings Soldiers):
The slightly less famous Kings Guards. Most seem to think of them as ceremonial figures, after all, they only have primitive weapons and wear heavy plate armour. Apparently.
In reality, the Kings Guards are the ELITE Goblin soldiers, trained to perfection and part of a line of Guards going back for as long as anybody can remember. In roughly five minutes the force of a few thosand ceremonial troopers can suddenly become a few thosand uber-commandos armed with high tech weapons.

Tec Tuul'der (Sky Soldiers)
Basicaly theyre Paratroopers. They are lighter armed and armoured than the Infantry, but much more mobile and, obviously, they fly.
Again, AK weapons. They have fairly modern equipment aside from that.

Hussars:
Light vehicle drivers, issued with pistols and melee weapons.
For more info, see Common Vehicles.

Dragoons:
Main Battle Tank types, frontline fighters and so on.

Heavy Dragoons:
Heavy Tank users, mainly used in urban and other close range confrontations.

Lancers:
Mobile Artillery, extreme range and indirect fire.

Common Weapons:
(NOTE: Goblins use whatever is at hand, these are merely the 'standard issue' items issued to the catagory A and B units.
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Infantry/Vehcles Missiles
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Name: ADG-1 Muugaar (Hornet)
Issued to: Akec, Hogel'dan
Purpose: Anti-Tank
Calibre: 105 mm (4.1 in)
Launcher weight: 11.5 kg (25 lb)
Shell weight: 6.7 kg (14.8 lb)
Aimed range: 500 m (550 yd)
Operating temperature: −50 °C to 50 °C (−60 °F to 150 °F)
Penetration performance:
Rolled homogeneous armor (after reactive armor effects): 750 mm (30 in)
Reinforced concrete or brick: 1,500 mm (59 in)
Log and earth fortification: 3,700 mm (146 in)

Name: HM-1 Takhaar (Swatter)
Issued to: Akec, Hogel'dan
Purpose: Anti-Aircraft
Weight (Full system, ready to shoot): 17kg
Missile Weight: 10.1kg
Length: 1m
Warhead: 2kg
Seeker Type: FM-modulated Nitrogen-cooled PbS detector element.
Max Range: 4,100m
Speed: 470 m/s





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Vehicles
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Name: GAFV-1 Talaan (Snake)
Issued to: Hussars
Length: 4.8 m
Width: 2.8 m
Height: 2 m
Weight: 20.5
Speed:80 km/h (road)
50 km/h (off-road)
Range: 400 km
Primary armament: 25mm Automatic Cannon (ACG-1)
Secondary armament: x2 7.62 OR 12.5mm machine guns
Power plant: 735 kW/850 hp turbocharged Diesel engine
Crew:3 (commander, driver and gunner)

Info:
A light scout vehicle, designed for recon and harassment missions. Following the standard Goblin doctire, it exchanges armour for speed and firepower. The armour is just thick enough to deflect rifle fire and long-range infantry anti-tank fire.

Name: GBT-2 Drarluuc (Dragon)
Issued to: Dragoons
Length: 8.5m
Width: 3.5m
Height: 2.7m
Weight: 55t
Speed: 65 km/h(road)
40-50km/h(off-road)
Range: 550km
Primary armament:120 mm L44 smoothbore
Secondary armament:
x2 7.62 mm MG
12.5mm MG
Power plant:Diesel 1500 hp, (1100 kW)
Crew: 4 (Driver, Gunner, Commander, Loader)
Desc:
A second generation MBT designed by Goblins, slightly downgunned and uparmoured for a more modern battlefield.

Name: GBT-1 Rhaar (Bear)
Issued to: Reserves, still in service with Dragoons.
Length: 7m (~21ft)
Width: 3m (~9ft)
Height: 1.5m (4.5ft)
Weight: 33t
Powerplant: 1,750 HP gas turbine
Speed: 65mph (Road)
- 55mph (Off-road)
Range: 280mi (extended to 350mi with 'strap on' fuel tank)
Primary armament:
155mm smoothbore gun
Secondary armament:
Mount for rockets/AA gun or missile (reduces mobility, obviously)
.5 machine gun (commander)
7.62 machine gun (coaxial with main gun)
7.62 machine gun (rear)
Crew: 4 (5 w/ rockets/aa gun)

Name: HBT-1 Duuch (Troll)
Issued to: Heavy Dragoons
Length: 9.7m
Width: 3.5m
Height: 3.4m
Weight: 78t
Speed: 40km/h(road)
35km/h(off-road)
Range: 250km
Primary armament:
150mm cannon (sponson)
75mm cannon (turret)
Secondary armament:
x2 12.5mm MG
x2 7.62 MG (Independant Turrets, one forward and left, one rear)
x1 20mm AA-Cannon
Power plant: 2,050 HP gas turbine
Crew: 7 (Commander, 2 gunners, 2 loaders, Driver, MG operator)
Desc:
Intended as a sort of 'mobile bunker', this tank is, as its name implies, big, slow and heavy. The 120mm gun fires mosty anti-tank rounds, and carries few HE/Canister types. The 75mm is intended for infantry at long ranges.
The two machine gun turrets are operated by a gunner at the rear via electronic controls.
The main purpose of this tank is to find a good spot, sit down and blast things from a distance. left side behind the forward MG turret) has a small platform which can, if needs be, mount sandbags for a temporary infantry fireing position.
(OOC: I know, its an antiquated concept, but its very...Gobliny.)

Name: Kac or Dhegaan (Rain of Fire)
Issued to: Lancers
Length:
Width: 9.1 m
Height: 3.1 m
Weight: 3.3 m
Speed: 56 km/h(road)
45 km/h(off-road)
Range: 350 km
Primary armament: 255 mm. howitzer
Secondary armament: 7.62 mm. machine gun
Power plant: 1,750 HP gas turbine
Crew: 4 (Commander, driver, gunner, loader)
Desc:
Long range mobile howitzer, copied almost directly from the United States M109 Paladin howitzer, because Goblins think that indirect combat is cowardly and should be regulated to as few people as possible. This resulted in the designers not putting much effort into the thing.

Tactics:
What tactics?
The favorite Goblin tactic in open combat is to "Run at those fellows and kill 'em all." Generals usualy exercize some decent strategies on the strategic level, but the tactical level is a mess.
Urban warfare/guerilla tactics are slightly differnt. A favorite gem of the Goblins is to burrow under an enemy camp, plant a few hundred pounds of explosives and blow the whole assembly up. This often works because, in most cases, humans think a 'three dimentional battlefield' extends only in one direction.
Back to open battles.
Goblins favor up-close and personal combat. They like to run up to their enemies and slice them up with swords and axes, although they can often content themselves with fireing wild bursts from their assault rifles and going "LILILILILILILILILILI!".

(More later, if I feel like it :P)
Khurgan
17-12-2005, 05:14
OOC: Beautiful, as usual! Haven't seen you around for a while, almost thought you quit on us. Welcome back!
Atruria
17-12-2005, 05:16
ooc:Wow, I'm interested, keep up the nice work!;)
Blood Moon Goblins
17-12-2005, 05:26
(OOC:
Thanks, I try ;))
Emporer Pudu
17-12-2005, 06:18
I remember why I love goblins...