The many tribes in the Crystal Grove usually live peacefully among eachother, and the tribe’s pecking order is decided by the creatures the tribe specializes in taming. Crystalshard goblins are blessed with great intelligence and their crystal mohawk is a focus for their psionics.
Crystalshard tribes
The different tribes specialize in different types of animals, and have different sources of food production. The tribes also participate in trade with other tribes to get other resources. Although their social structure is rudimentary, crystalshard goblins are inventive and tinker with the minerals of the crystal grove.
Kartuk Tribe
The Kartuk tribe consists of mostly farmers. They are hospitable and have invested their time into agricultural invention and harvesting. They house some of the finest alchemists and cook the crystalshard goblins have to offer. The Kartuk tribe uses Giant Ants to help with plowing the land. The crystalshard goblin’s access to sugar is the basis of their animal handling prowess. They live in intricate tunnel systems dug by the Giant Ants.
Spoak Tribe
The Spoak tribe is stoic. This tribe is the only tribe that consideres laws and has a hierarchy. Because of this fact, the Spoak tribe believes they are better off as leaders of all tribes rather than the Kreeg tribe. The Spoak are the guardians of the forest, and use Giant Spiders to use web networks created on treetops to quickly traverse the woods of the Crystal grove. They have a great connection to the Kartuk tribe, as they provide them with new seeds and fruits to grow, which they pick up during their guard.
Agrr Tribe
The pickaxes of the Agrr are the strongest one can find in the Crystal Grove, and provide the goblins with the minerals they need. Agrr goblins pride themselves in their application of intelligence to the smithing process, and think of all sorts of metal applications. They wear armor and use Ankheg’s as their help to dig into the earth with ease. The Agrr tribe also crafts the finest weaponry of all the tribes, which is their main product for trade.
Solodt Tribe
The Solodt tribe specialises in the handling of the fauna of the Crystal Grove. As such, they specialize in retrieving precious materials from their prey animals, and have created farms of multiple species of insect to harvest their poisons and other precious materials. Because of their specialization, the Solodt tribe can be especially tricky when encountering them in combat. They make use of all tools at their disposal and their superior hunting skills to hunt and dispose of any intruder. This is one of the few tribes that resort to killing when it comes to defending their secrets.
Kreeg Tribe
The kreeg are the on the top of the pecking order because of their ability to tame the largest of animals. When a young male becomes an adult, it has to go through a process called the Taming. During this time, the goblin is exiled and can only return if they have tamed a mount. Whatever mount the goblin chooses will decide its rank within the tribe. Upon his return to the tribe, a feast will be given in his honor, after which goblin families will present female goblins they deem suitable. Goblins in this tribe are worth as much as their mount, and as such, losing your mount is
a Kreeg’s worst nightmare. They must remain in exile until they have tamed a new mount.
The females in the tribe have the most important job; healing. The Kreeg possess rare healing techniques only other female Kreeg know of. The affinity to the Hixya crystal is what grants the crystalshard goblins the ability to heal, and is thought to female Kreeg from birth. Some bloodlines have a stronger affinity, which are only available to the males that tame the largest creatures.
Tribal Origin
When the initial goblins found the Crystal Grove, they explored it all. Because of its size and no sight of any intelligent race, they built an encampment in the center, by a large crystal formation. They were unaware that this location was most connected to the Hixya crystal, as it was burrowed 1000 feet beneath. It was the third generation of goblins that started showing pink crystals forming on their body as they matured. Their eyes became more suited for the everlasting light of the Crystal Grove, and their inventiveness and intellect grew. Their free mind focussed on finding passion over fighting, and the crystal broke their connection to their pantheon. They spread to where they could best practice their arts, few staying behind in the original encampment. The goblinoids started favoring partners with the same interests, and formed grouped housing close to them where they practice their passion. This was the basis of the forming of the tribes.
Orina Tradehaven
As they experienced true passion, the clans struggled to survive. What used to be a combined effort, where skills were evenly divided over the camp, they strived. But when they all practiced the same passion, they missed others.
The Kartuk tribe were not struggling in their ability to find food, but quickly fell prey to the dangerous insects of the Crystal Grove. They lacked warriors and good weapons. A brave Kartuk, named Bosamte Redhair (who didnt actually have red hair but her ancestor did) ignored her chief’s instructions to remain safe in the tribe, and contacted the Spoak tribe. She pleads for protection, and offered consistent food in return and the Spoak obliged.
After the success she experienced, she was chosen as new chief. She then contacted all tribes she could find. Although not all wished to trade, the Agrr, Solodt and Kreeg agreed.
Together with the Spoak tribe, they founded the Orina tradehaven, which for convenience sake was decided to be located at the center of the grove in their old encampment.