Category:Goblin

Goblins are small, green (or yellow-green) creatures with pointy features and high intelligence (though often little common sense).

A number of trade princes rule over the various goblin holdings around the world. Though the trade princes all live in the goblin city of Undermine on the Isle of Kezan, they each control their own private armies and trade fleets. In turn, each controls rings of trade, mining, deforestation, slave rings, and poaching.

The trade princes are the most cunning of their race and will stop at nothing to amass their fortunes and power, whether through legitimate means or via black markets and treachery. Goblins encountered on Kalimdor or the Eastern Kingdoms are either privateers or agents of the various trade princes of Undermine.

Goblins came to dubious fame in the First and Second Wars for the suicide missions they undertook for the Horde, strapping explosives to themselves and floating behind enemy lines with the aid of an inflated sheep's bladder. In the aftermath of conflict, the goblins established that they had no political orientation. Their only real interest was trade: if you had the coin for their goods, they were your friends. Such neutrality gives them as broad a trading basis as possible for their wares, from magic items to mundane goods to their own mechanical inventions. It is rumored that they joined during the Second War either because the orcs paid or intimidated them.

Though once nothing but fodder for more taproom banter, goblin inventions have shown their worth in recent years. They're particularly fond of tinkering with mechanical things, alchemy, and explosives. Their love of mechanics often places them into direct competition with gnomes who enjoy similar devices. Whether clockwork "shredders" that allow a single goblin to do as much harvesting as 10 field hands or zeppelin-like "airships" that can ferry troops over otherwise impassable terrain, the goblins' inventions have become legendary. Such technological ingenuity is as central to the goblins' rise among the races as any trading prowess.

The goblins are also legendary for the sheer variety of trade in which they are willing to indulge and for their tenacity in bargaining. Goblins rarely let an item slip from their shelves for a single copper less than it is worth. The industrious goblins have established shacks and minor trading towns across much of Kalimdor in an impressively brief span of time. These outposts may vary in size and location, but all have a similarly impressive array of goods. The outposts get regular supply shipments (or as regular as possible, given the hazards of travel across Kalimdor), all coordinated by the goblin trade princes.

On the whole, the Alliance and the Horde respect the goblins' new power, taking advantage of the trade princes' ability to produce or procure otherwise difficult-to-acquire items. Rumors have emerged of goblins engaging in massive strip mining and deforestation operations to harvest the raw materials, however, which cause the nature-loving night elves and tauren great concern. Since the tales have surfaced, the trade princes have suffered guerilla attacks on their supply trains and sabotage of their factories. The goblins are clever enough to know the list of suspects is a short one, and they appear undaunted by the threat. They have amassed enough wealth to hire additional security for their mercantile concerns.

Yet goblins are not purely mercenary. They are known to form strong bonds with individuals of other races. Their small forms and odd behavior make other races - elves in particular - ill at ease, but goblins do not seem to care much for the impression they make. They judge by deeds, befriending those who treat them as friends and standing apart from those who would offer them abuse.

Even with the malfunctions and explosions that occur (not as frequent as tavern chatter suggests, but far from rare), goblin technology is proving to be of a quality that rivals the dwarves and their firearms. If they possessed physical strength and mystic power to match their inventiveness and cunning, they would be a force of some significance. Of course, the goblins claim that they are already - if not for their frail physical forms, goblins would rule the world. Then they laugh and say they prefer a challenge and offer to buy the taproom guests the next round.

There are several factions of goblins in the world, most notably the Steamwheedle Cartel, founded by the Trade Prince Sam Steamwheedle, and Venture Company. The Steamwheedle Cartel holds dominion in the neutral towns of Everlook in Winterspring, Gadgetzan in Tanaris, Booty Bay in Stranglethorn Vale and Ratchet in The Barrens. The Venture Co. has operations running in many places throughout the world, but mostly in Mulgore, The Barrens, Stonetalon Mountains, and Stranglethorn Vale.