Monday, October 31, 2011

Hobogoblin Garbage Kings


The City generates a lot of garbage, and most of it goes to the expansive Klaw Island landfill. Marshy Klaw Island has always had a sparse human population, but the coming of the landfill with its hills of garbage and pits of refuse has drawn gangs of hobogoblins.

The hobogoblins have divided up into tribes with zealously guarded territories. They mine the garbage for usable (and saleable) items. Hobogoblin “alchemists” have become adepted and making various minor potions with the most dubious of alchemical wastes, and can distill hooch from virtually anything organic.

The hobogoblins must defend their holdings from monsters of various sorts, attracted to the waste. They’ve been able to train giant rats as guard animals to protect their settlements from giant insects, aggressive fungi, or hungry otyughs. In years past, inbred wererat clans sometimes contested the hobogoblin hegemony, but periodic eradication and vaccination campaigns by City sanitation officials seemed to have sharply curtailed (if not eradicated) nyfitsanthropy on the island.

Hobogoblin legends tell of the first and greatest of the landfill kingdoms, Wastenot, a scrap Atlantis now sunk beneath the brackish waters of Lake Zathogua. Hubris of the swells in Wastenot led to neglect of due tribute to the beast of the lake, and all of Wastenot’s “grandeur” was pulled down by pale and vengeful tentacles in a single night.

17 comments:

The Angry Lurker said...

Garbage Kings or where's there crap there's brass.

Zombiecowboy said...

Great idea Trey,Theres always something interesting about garbage heaps and those that profit from them some how. I could see my Arkham Heat game using this idea in a modified way.Hmmm, 100 bonus xp for getting my mond working on this now!

Jim Shelley said...

I hear it's mostly very easy to get lost in the Labyrinthian landfills. ;)

Chris C. said...

"...making various minor potions ...and can distill hooch from virtually anything organic."

Very cool! I can see black market pharmacies (or drug dens) and hobgoblin speakeasies.

Anonymous said...

Rumors of a spontaneously generated oracle living deep in the dump have been unproven. Though the speaking rats, said to be her servants, are now seen widely thoughout the island.

Sean Robson said...

I imagine that the hobgoblins have sniffed out many an illicit secret by sifting through the detritus of peoples lives. Knowledge is power, and I suspect that the squatters of Klaw Island are a bigger potential threat than anyone realizes.

This post is rich fertilizer for the imagination!

P.S. Also, I love the Kingdom of Wastenot.

Trey said...

@Zombiecowboy - XP happily received. LEt me know if you throw something similar into Arkham City.

@Bard - Indeed. Maybe some of the bootleg alchemicals in the City are actually from hobogoblin operations?

@seaofstarsrpg - So an All-Knowing Trash Heap, then? ;) I like it.

@Sean - A good point! People might be willing to pay quite a bit for some wisdom from the right trash. As far as the squatters go, I suspect you're right...

Sub Radar (Mike) said...

I want to run off and build my own kingdom in a landfill... I shall rule over all the trash!

Trey said...

Make sure to get all your vaccinations first.

Styron said...

Hobogoblins, what an awesome name

Trey said...

@Reilly -Thanks! I talk about the hobogoblins a few times around here. If you scope out some of those pages, you can always see so cool hobogoblin art from Weird Adventures.

Peter Robbins said...

They controlled the vast garbage heap until the mighty 'Philo And Gunge' usurped the smelly throne.
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Marjory_the_Trash_Heap

Trey said...

Always nice to know that others remember Fraggle Rock. :) Seaofstarsrpg alluded to Marjory as well.

Ray Rousell said...

I'll get shot for this, but in my home town we've got lots of Hobgoblins, but we just call them pikeys!! Duck!!!!!!!!!

Trey said...

Ray, did they get you?

Needles said...

Random Trashland Encounters Tables
Roll 1d10
1. Hobogoblin brewers on their way to pay tribute to the Great One.
2. Fungus Gatherers - 1d6 hobogoblins baring various fungus with odd properties. Tripping their little heads off & want to share the experience!
3. Giant Rat Riders - 1d10 hobogoblin riders very pissed off & mad want to rubble!
4. Arguing war party - A group of hobobgoblins in trash armor want to get to a war meeting but can decide which way to go. Will begin to argue with anyone they meet!
5. Brass collectors - A gang of 1d10 collectors are searching over every spare trash hill, nook, & person to find shiny metal. They will steal anything not nailed down & insult the person.
6. Hobogoblin traders - A group of hobogoblin traders with all kinds of trash willing to trade for other goods.Very good at bargaining & song
7. Dezeoors - An odd insect like inhabitants of the trash areas. These creatures make thousands of oddly constructed pieces out of sugar crystals, bits of junk, & whatnot the hobgoblins eat them by the thousands. Everyone else must make a poison save.
8. The Rolling Song - A group of wandering hobogoblins who wish to pass along the joys of song. The group will stop & trade a new part of their song with the party. They may bless the party with a healing spell if the party adds to their song in positive way!
9. The Trash Ogres- A family of hill billy giants that dwells exclusively on hobogoblins, humans, & anything else they can get! Very dangerous & mean!
10. Trash gnomes - Vicious enemies of the hobogoblins. These nasty three foot tall creatures create dead falls, traps, & whatnot. They feast on humans as well. Strike with poisoned arrows!

Yeah I love the entry Trey. I'm throwing money at the screen but I still don't have the book! Arrggh!

Trey said...

@Needles - Awesome stuff, man! But hey, the books closer now than ever. Just in editing and layout.