Arvek Nar

In truth, hobgoblins are not normally counted amoung the typical collection of the so called "Enlightened Races" when it comes to being prone to adventure of to produce exceptional members of their species. However, recent events have trust them into the limelight. The hobgoblins, who call themselves the Arvek Nar, have shown that strength in the face of great adversity is possible.

The Arvek Nar can be found throughout the great continent, but favor either their own city states and hamlets or nations that have a strong military backbone and disposition towards order. They can be found as far away as Xian, serving as mercenary kensai under the command of a feudal shogun, or in Charn in regimented portions of the Charn army. Bludgun is the first major goblinoid empire to rise up since the destruction of Darugur in the late Second Age and it is the nation most populated by goblinoids and hobgoblins in particular.

In Bludgun, the hobgoblin controlled City State of Blar is of particular note, a city-state that became a linchpin for the hobgoblin race. As recent events unfolded, Blar became a sort of "proving grounds" that would change the fate of the Arvek Nar forever.

Blar was founded when hobgoblins, flush with wealth from successful mercenary work, invested in cavalry in Bludgun's rugged frontier regions. Brutally battling the resident trolls, they were successful in clearing the territory and, with their sorcerous allies the Garnaks, were able to take hold of the territory. Naming it Blar, they built a city of their own and began to build. They rapidly developed their traditional skills as cavalry and soldiers, and were known far and wide for their talents.

All could not go well, however. The Garnaks were made vampires for their assistance in helping the Chosen of Thul and their plan was to establish the city and gather together a great city of goblinoids that they could feed on and, in time, sacrifice to ignite the spark of unlife in a so-called Avatar of Thul in the great temple-ziggurat they had constructed with their magics in the center of the city. Over time, their rule superseded that of the ostensible king of the City-State of Blar. It was this point that an internal revolt began and assistance was garnered from Alexandria.

With the help of the Alexandrians, the Garnak plan was foiled and the city saved. In the aftermath of this, Blar broke away from Bludgun due to fears of reprisal from soliciting Alexandrian aid and Garnak influence, and a compact was put into place of mutual defense with itself and Alexandria. Since then, things have proven shaky but it has also brought to light additional evidence that the proclaimed "monstrous races" of The Great Continent and more then capable of working towards the greater good when the need for order requires it.

Too, other hobgoblins looked on this change and the success of the hobgoblins of Blar, and begin to look forward into the world with different eyes. If the Blarites could change their fate and show such success--so too, could they. So while the change has not been universal, many of today's hobgoblins stand on a precipice, ready to march forward into new ideas and civilization. Given this slant, Serriel has taken a special interest in the children of the Arvek Nar, and where they have been known as the Sunset Children, a few scholars have tentatively begun the name Children of the Dawn, while others hail this as blasphemy, viewing the hobgoblins as little more than a barbaric race.

Physical Description

Averaging as tall as humans and somewhat more muscular and sturdy, hobgoblins represent a sort of middle ground between goblins and their larger cousins, bugbears. They're often grim faced and stern looking, made that much more exaggerated given their disposition towards regimentation and strict order. Their noses are small and often off-colored compared to their flesh. Large males can have either blue or red on noses. Skin tones can be orange, grey, brown or even red. Their hair is usually a shade of brown, grey or very dark and their eyes often yellow or seemingly colorless. Overly large canines giving them their tusk like appearance, granting a slight bestial appearance though they are never as pronounced as Orcish kind. Hobgoblins who mingle among other city-states and nations in the world tend to take on the trappings of that nation. The military armed forces of Blar favor light cavalry and uniforms that are light armors and vests richly decorated with braids, gold trim and patterns symbolic of their conquests and victories in battles.

Society and Lands

Ancient goblinoids carved out a cunning and fiercely powerful empire during the second age. Hobgoblins formed its backbone, their experienced use of polearms and calvary a standard which tacticians study to this day. This empire did not last; civil war ripped the empire of the goblinoids apart.

Only recently have goblinoids managed to carve out new realms for themselves in the aftermath of the Crown Wars. Largest among these is Bludgun, which is in actuality shared with Oni (Ogre Magi) who were exiled from the Islands of Jade. Goblinoids themselves compromise most of the populace of Bludgun but they congregate in powerful fortress city-states scattered throughout this rugged realm. Bludgun has a loose grip on several other and smaller countries that have fallen to its expansionist habits. However, the nation itself now recovers from recent events, which has opened the way for some of these holdings, and people, to begin to look in other directions and methods of thought.

Generally speaking, hobgoblins are traditionalists and stick closely to established laws of strict regimentation. This along with their military history makes hobgoblin armies well-known and well-feared. Their structured society and family units tends to lead them to think of themselves as subsuming into a greater whole. Discipline is instilled early and often, sometimes brutally. They are pragmatic, orderly, and have large families, as large amounts of breeding to replace fallen soldiers is considered an honorable thing to do due to high mortality rates. Their horizons are beginning to be broadened by exposure to the wider world, so this is being shaken up, but they're still a conservative and staid people by nature.

Hobgoblins admire efficiency, bravery, and military prowess. The success of Blar has inspired some of them to step forward and look to different inspirations than the ways of old. This has opened the way for the faith of Serriel, and a number of them have begun to march under their banner under the guise of bringing forward hobgoblin civilization--though hers is by far not the only influence. Their scholars describe this as the beginning of a new era for the Sunset Children.

As a race, the hobgoblins are known not only for their military tradition, but their expert horsemanship as well. Visitors to hobgoblin territory will find they have turned the notion of calvary itself into a sport to be envied. Teams of hobgoblins will ride in unison at high speeds and demonstrate challenging and even flashy combat maneuvering under the watchful eye of a judge. They are also known for riding or mounted events--such as mounted archery, or the lopping of trees with a great axe while full-tilt in the saddle.

Their preoccupation with mounted combat and sportsmanship, perhaps surprisingly, has led the rare hobgoblin to take on the nature of druids. These druids tend to be hobgoblins dedicated to the care of horses--or even hobgoblins so dedicated that they take on the form of such to better lead or direct combat maneuvers beneath the enemy's watchful eye.

Other Races

In terms of other races, Hobgoblins have long had to deal with the usual racial prejudices and dispositions of conflict as the rest of goblin kind. While some are making efforts to join their smaller Goblin cousins (who often supply the hobgoblins with weapons and armor) among the enlightened races of the world, they still find it difficult to connect with other races and tensions often run high.

This is true especially when they measure other races against their own strict code of living, honor and conduct, and find them wanting. When they do relax, they tend to find much in common with Great Orcs who also have powerful code of honors but live according to the dictates of the natural world and the strength of the elements. Likewise they have much to do with goblin merchants and, should they and Dwarves get over their inbred hatreds, they will find they have much to talk about with Dwarven kind as well.

Hobgoblins have existing routes of trade with the horse-loving peoples of the world, and as they march forward, find these relationships deepening. Competitions and shows are becoming more common between the races of hobgoblins and peoples such as the Phurai Dae. Given their organizational tendencies and love of the sport, hobgoblins find themselves increasingly in charge of these events, as other races can trust they will see meticulously to the care of mounts and riders. This is one of the few areas where hobgoblin assistance is appreciated.

Alignment and Religion

The hobgoblin leaning towards lives of strict control and structure means that many will cleave close to the lawful alignment with most being neutral or evil. Their exposure to the ways of other cultures is allowing for more variance but it is often under noteworthy circumstances. Religiously speaking, Serriel has experienced a recent surge among the hobgoblin faithful (representing the "marching forward and the Dawn of hobgoblin culture), as well as deities of war and law. Vardama, Kor, Maugrim, and Daeus are not unknown, and as the cults of Thul who once had power are now exposed, Thul's worship has decreased in favor of the Gray Lady.

Culturally, hobgoblins are generally not homogeneous, and the cultures recently free from the dominance of Thul now embark on creating their own rituals and beliefs. They do have some rituals in common, one of which is the Circle of Spears.

When a hobgoblin of importance passes, he or she is surrounded by warriors wielding spears, held so that the spears form a peak over the deceased's form. Afterwards, there are often martial contests to honor the fallen warrior, though these contests vary by region, and potentially the sort of events the hobgoblin valued in life (such as being a noted archer, for example).

Adventurers

Hobgoblins are entering what could be considered a time of enlightenment as they are exposed more and more to the world outside of their strict daily practices and forced to mingle with various races and seek fortune and allies in lands beyond the ones they are used to. Would be hobgoblin adventurers tend to not adventure for random reasons but are usually retainers of a larger family or of a lord of some sort and they are working towards a long term goal. Monks and fighters are common career paths for the Hobgoblin adventurer.

Recent Events

When the nation of Blar asserted itself, hobgoblins around the world took notice. Of late, they've begun to find their footing, seeking to emulate the success of Blar and bring the march of civilization forward to and with the hobgoblin race. As such, many of them have found faith with Serriel, who finds Her faith strong among such peoples. However, although other deities, especially those lawfully oriented, are not uncommon.

The stride of the hobgoblins, however, is met with traditional hostilities.

Arvek Nar Racial Traits

The Arvek Nar mature and age at roughly the same rate as humans do, though their build is heavier.

Arvek Nar Average Height and Weight
Name	Base Height	Base Weight	Modifier	Weight Multiplier
Arvek Nar, male	4ft 10in	150 lbs	+2d12	x7 lbs
Arvek Nar, female	4ft 5in	110 lbs	+2d12	x7 lbs

Arvek Nar Starting Age
Adulthood	Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer	Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger	Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard
16 years	+1d4	+1d6	+2d6

• Classification: humanoid (goblinoid)
• +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Hobgoblins are fast and hearty but do not see eye to eye with most other species.
• Medium Sized: Hobgoblins are medium sized creatures and have no flaws or benefits due to their size.
• Normal Speed: Hobgoblins have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Darkvision: Hobgoblins can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Sneaky: Hobgoblins gain a +2 racial bonus on Stealth checks.
• Master Riders: Hobgoblins gain a +4 Racial bonus on all Ride checks and may use Wild Empathy with all creatures trained for riding. Furthermore, they may use their full ride bonus on all animals, even if that animal is not trained for riding.
• Regimented Minds: Hobgoblins gain a +2 bonus to against illusions, enchantments and compulsory effects as their minds are disciplined and not easily confused or swayed.
• Weapon Familiarity: Hobgoblin are proficient with falchions, and all polearms and treat any weapon with the word "goblin" in it as a martial weapon.
• Iron Wall (Su): At 9th level, a hobgoblin can form a temporary, impenetrable barrier with their weapon. As an immediate action once per day, a hobgoblin can force an opponent to succeed on a reflex save versus this ability (10 + 1/2 hob's hit dice + Cha mod) or stop in their tracks. The opponent must be attempting to pass through a square that the hob threatens for this to take effect.
• Languages: All hobgoblins begin play speaking Common and Goblin-Talk. Hobgoblins with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following bonus languages: Draconic, Infernal, Jotun, Khazdul or Yrch-Speak.