Goblin

The goblins’ craftiness and greed make them masters of mercantilism. Reforging old pacts with their one-time allies, the goblins of the Bilgewater Cartel have been welcomed into the Horde. Honing their inherent cunning to a razor’s edge, the goblins hope to use their explosive inventions to rule the world – or at the very least own a profitable percentage of it.

The goblins (collectively known as goblinhood)^[2][3] are small green humanoids from the Isle of Kezan. Their love of money, explosives, and technology makes them a very dangerous race, both to their enemies and themselves. Most goblins have a neutral standpoint, preferring to sell their contraptions, knowledge and services to other races for the right price.

A number of trade princes rule over the various goblin holdings around the world. In turn, each controls rings of trade, mining, deforestation, slave rings, and poaching. Trade Prince Monte Gazlowe is the leader of the Bilgewater Cartel of goblins who are part of the Horde.

History

Early history

In ancient times, the keeper Mimiron had discovered kaja'mite and, attempting to determinate its properties, he experimented on various races. He found that the ore was extremely potent and that it increased the intellect of his subjects. One of these subjects was a small primitive life race that roamed around the forests near Ulduar. By consuming kaja'mite, they were transformed into a new, highly intelligent race known as the goblins.^[4] The goblins share a common ancestor with pygmies.^[5]

During the War of the Ancients, Neltharion created the Demon Soul with the help of goblin artificers led by Meklo. The goblins also fashioned adamantium plates to hold Neltharion's body together when the Demon Soul's power began to overwhelm him, and the enslaved drogbar placed those plates onto his body.^[6]

When the Great Sundering happened thousands of years after the goblins' creation, they were cut from their supply of kaja'mite ore. In just a few short generations, most changes and boosts to their intelligence vanished. The goblins then took refuge on the Isle of Kezan and they had already forgotten the influence kaja'mite once had on their society.^[4]

After the Sundering, the Zandalari trolls that once ruled a large part of Azeroth started exploring numerous islands that dotted the newly formed sea. During one of these trips, they discovered Kezan and the goblin race, who were very primitive but still possessed some intellect. Initially the two races kept a distance as the Zandalari only came to the island in order to mine kaja'mite. They didn't really know too much about it, but they realized that is was very potent, so they saw it as a sacred component in their rituals and ceremonies. For many centuries the trolls mined and occasionally even paid goblins in trinkets in order to work for them, but this arrangement was soon to change. At some point the trolls, while digging, discovered that Kezan possessed an unimaginable deposit of kaja'mite underground, more than they would ever need. So rather than digging themselves, they enslaved the goblins and force them to drill in frightful conditions. For thousands of years the goblins, too weak to resist, suffered under the rule of the Zandalari.^[7]

 

Appearance

Goblins are slight and wiry, with female goblins on average standing at 4'1" while males tend to be around 3'11",^[22] to 4 feet in height.^[23] Some goblins do reach a "tallish" height of 4'6".^[24] Female goblins are on average taller than males.^[25] They have three fingers and one thumb on one hand and four toes on one foot. Their noses grow larger as they age.^[26] Goblins' green skin can tan; Grizzek Fizzwrench's pale yellow-green skin turned into a rich forest-emerald due to exposure to the Tanaris sun.^[27] They apparently also have green blood.^[28] They have sharp teeth and small, pointed nails. Although small, they are extremely strong for their size.^[29]

Goblins that have hair often have it as mohawks, ponytails, or spiky.