Goblins of Zugguth Peak

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Zugguth Peak has been mentioned as a major goblin stronghold in Southern Rockhome. It is the centre of goblin activity in the area and a nexus of information between the senior chiefs in the Broken Lands and the goblin tribes in southern Rockhome. 

Geography of Zugguth Peak

Zugguth Peak is not the tallest in the region but it has the most caves and caverns, and this is what has attracted so many goblins to it. The mountain itself is 15,000ft above sea level and snow is on the top throughout the year. The lower slopes have various forms of alpine vegetation including gorse, heather, sedges and stubby pine trees, which goats, including some great rams, browse on. These goats are preyed on both by the goblins and more natural predators including mountain lions, giant hawks and brown bears. Although rare, there have been sightings of more ferocious creatures including cave bears, griffons and wyverns. 

Some parts of the mountainside are covered in scree slopes (sloping loose rocks and gravel). These are generally not naturally generated but are spoil, the discarded by-product of goblins digging deeper into the mountain. Sometimes these have been partially covered and colonised by small plants and this might give the impression of solidity, but these scree slopes are unstable. Anyone walking on them may cause the scree to slip, possibly causing a landslide and taking the climber with it.

Inside the mountain there is a mixture of natural limestone caves, shale and slate. There are small quantities of copper ore and tin ore which the goblins exploit to make bronze items. The goblins have occupied most of the limestone caverns and have excavated a lot of new tunnels and chambers as the scree slopes show. Although there were dozens of naturally generated entrances to the cave systems, the goblins have blocked up all but four of them. These four entrances into the mountain are now heavily guarded and trapped. According to the goblins who have been interrogated there are 7 main tiers of caves and tunnels. Each tier is perhaps 300ft vertically and will include one main level and several sublevels, although calling them levels gives an incorrect impression of flatness - each level usually includes lots of stairs, slopes and occasional steep drops. 

• Tier 1: the top tier opens out onto the snowline on the surface. This tier includes a number of shrines and temples to goblin demigods and Maglubiyet (see below). 
• Tier 2 has command headquarters and barracks
• Tier 3 has tin mines as well as smelting furnaces
• Tier 4 has expansive fungal caverns where food for the goblins is grown
• Tier 5 has prisons, torture chambers and a gladiatorial arena, and the top of a subterranean chasm a mile long, 100' wide and immeasurably deep. 
• Tier 6 is the lowest tier with direct access to the surface and is at the base of the mountain.It is filled with workshops and storerooms as well as copper ore mines. It has rope bridges across the chasm. 
• Tier 7 the bottom tier is below the base of the mountain has not been described by goblins captured so far - they will only say it is full of nightmares. It is accessed by rope ladders down the wall of the chasm from tier 6.

The number of goblins within Zugguth Peak is not known but it is at least 1500, of whom at least half are combatants. Their living quarters are dotted throughout the top 6 levels. As well as goblins there are a smattering of other humanoid races, including about 100 hobgoblin mercenaries, as well as many non-humanoid animals and monsters. 

Goblin NPCs

art by VladOgorodnyk, source

Here I am reusing some old ideas I had way back years ago: the Goblin Warrior and the Goblin Shaman. I should warn readers that these classes have not been playtested. They are an extention of the idea of race as class, and are intended as NPCs only.  I admit this is quite a departure from the humanoid advancement in Gaz10: The Orcs of Thar, where humanoids like goblins generally do not have a class but advance in hit dice as monsters. 

Grashfal the Overlord (male Goblin Warrior 10, AC 3, hp 42, THAC0 10, Att 2 weapons for 1d8+3/1d4+3, Save Ftr10, Ml 10,  align C, Str 15, Int 13, Wis 12, Dex 12, Con 10, Cha 14 (18 to goblins), Equipment: Banded Armour +1, Sword +2 +4 vs dwarves, dagger +2, 2 x potion of healing). Because of the goblin warrior ability to dual-wield, he uses both the sword and dagger at the same time. Grashfal is the goblin overlord of Zugguth Peak and all its residents answer to him. He came to power the usual goblin way - overthrowing and killing his predecessor. 

Murgogo (male Goblin Shaman 10, AC 4, hp 30, THAC0 13, Att 1 staff for 1d6 or 1 spell, Save Clr10, Ml 10 Str 10, Int 16, Wis 14, Dex 10, Con 8, Cha 9 (13 to goblins), Equipment: Chain Mail +1, Staff of Striking, Amulet of ESP, 3 x potions of healing).
Murgogo is the most senior shaman in Zugguth Peak and is Grashfal's most trusted advisor. He also advised Grashfal's predecessor, but switched loyalties when it seemed convenient. Murgogo does not want to rule the goblins directly - he knows the position is far too risky. So he has become the power behind the goblin throne. He is at the top of the hierarchy of shamans of Maglubiyet in Zugguth Peak and as Maglubiyet rules the goblin demigods, he expects all other shamans to defer to him.  

Karrukko Shortshiv (female Goblin Shaman 7, AC 3, hp 23, THAC0 17, Att 1 spear for 1d6+1 or spell, Save C7, Ml 8, align C, Str 10, Int 13, Wis 15, Dex 16, Con 10, Cha 8 (12 to goblins), Equipment: Chain Mail, Spear +1 +2 vs gnomes & halflings,  Spells:  Darkness, Cure/Cause Light Wounds, Hold Person, Charm Normal Animal, Cause Blindness
Karrukko is a senior shaman of Maggatha Grooth (see below). and is the foremost trainer of wolves, dire wolves and worgs in Zugguth Peak. She always has her favourite trio of dire wolves at her side. She trusts wolves and worgs more than she trusts other goblins (which is probably sensible). 

Goblin Religion in Zugguth Peak

Goblins have one supreme immortal, Maglubiyet, the lord of goblinkind. He is considered far more powerful and important than any of the goblin demigods mentioned below. 

Every once in a while maybe once in a generation across the whole of Brun, a truly exceptional goblin may become so powerful both in terms of personal prowess and influence among other goblins, that the great goblin god, Maglubiyet, notices them and elevates them to the level of minor immortal. They are not refered to by goblins as Chaos Princes but as Goblin Demigods, though it is the same process and status. All are Chaotic in alignment though they have different attitudes and agendas.  

• Uthaka Vex - Goblin demigoddess of lairs, strongholds and defences. She also encourages tribal loyalty and protecting lairs and fellow goblins from outsiders and common enemies. A goblin shaman of Uthaka Vex can raise the morale of goblins within line of sight of the shaman who are defending their lair by +2. 
• Choroth Brogg - The inventor of traps. He is both malicious and a genius and teaches goblin followers the skills needed to set the most lethal and cunning traps. A goblin shaman of Choroth Brogg can find/remove traps as a thief of the same level. 
• Gashalogg Buthiak - The Tactical Commander is the patron of goblin chiefs and leaders, and encourages his followers to fight cleverly, not to foolishly waste their lives. Shamans of Gashalogg Buthiak can use any weapon except polearms, two-handed swords & longbows. 
• Maggatha Grooth - The Tamer of Wild Beasts. She sees all monster and animals as potentially useful and she will teach her followers how to use them as steeds, guards and pets. Shamans of Maggatha Grooth can use Charm Normal Animal as a 2nd level shaman spell.
• Bevedd Durken - The Delver in the Depths. He is interested in exploring the underground, especially the deep dark limestone caverns, for minerals, fungi, new lairs and enemies to fight and plunder. Goblin miners and prospectors revere Bevedd Durken, as do those who collect and use cave fungi. A shaman who worships Bevedd Durken has enhanced infravision out to 120'. 

Although all of these goblin demigods are chaotic to varying degrees, there are some goblins who are total Chaos Cultists, worshipping Chaos in its most absolute form. Goblin shamans usually worship Maglubyet or have a demigod patron that they follow and who grants them spells in return, though as mentioned above there are those that worship Chaos itself.