The Dren-Ylk were an ancient alliance of gods that first brought the various goblinoid races together.

History

Initially, the goblin races were distinct evolutions from Elle-Nur living in the uncharted reaches that would later become the Feywild, with various holy patrons watching over them. Many of these gods were fey of great abilities, and - those who survived - would join the ranks of Feywild nobility.

In these ancient times, however, even minimal power could warrant godhood. Thus, there was a plethora of deities and semi-gods, all with their own agenda and fighting each other. However, a core group - the most powerful - eventually formed, slowly driving out the weaker. They found that by forming an alliance, merging their fugues, they could become the uncontested leaders of all three "goblin" races. This new pantheon, one of the first, was called Dren-Ylk, meaning six-gods.

Dren-Ylk was still not very united. They nominally shared a fugue, but each sought to gain a larger share and more individual power. Their subjects, meanwhile, had a very muddled image of their gods, and often venerated either single ones or completely imagined entities. Belief in "soul-bound spirits" was widespread, for example. This meant that few "goblinoids" actually knew they belonged to a grouping of three races. This lack of unity and coherent veneration accordingly weakened the power of the pantheon.

During the raging Celestial Wars, like most of the westerners, Dren-Ylk stayed out of the fight. Occasionally, there were problems with archangels from the north who sought to hunt down the "evil offspring of Elle-Nur", but the pantheon managed to survive largely intact.

Jirmuryet's Conquest^[1]

A new challenger appeared out of nowhere: Jirmuryet, a frightful god of conquest and destruction native to Ydmechron, reached the western reaches after a great march through the central battlefield. Coming across Dren-Ylk, he demanded its submission - but they refused. Outraged, he decided to take control by force instead.

> "He was unstoppable, a giant of molten obsidian, with three fiery eyes that could annihilate gods [...] Whoever stood in his path crumbled to dust from his mere footsteps."

The goblinoid gods found themselves unable to face him. Most fought him alone, some paired up, but none could stand up to his raw might. Some were outright killed, but many were weakened, forced to recuperate for millennia before becoming minor fey lords. Jirmuryet was unforgiving and pushed through reforms with unparalleled strength. What had before been a janky alliance became a rigid pantheon of very few but powerful and loyal gods standing beneath Jirmuryet, and the three races became a single goblinoid race.

Known Members

Grittyr was a sneaky god who resided in the pre-Feydark, stalking the gloom and often killing whoever dared disturb him. He was known for his ability to sneak and to distract targets cunningly before moving in for the kill. He was very rarely venerated, and often by outsiders or disappointed goblins hoping to reclaim status or wealth through assassination. Grittyr never faced Jirmuryet: he resigned from his position as Dren-Ylk deity at the very start of the conquest, and escaped Jirmuryet coming after him three times. He later became an Unseelie lord.

Khurgorbaeyag was a mean brute who achieved god-like powers by drawing from the suffering of his lessers. He joined the ranks of Dren-Ylk quite late. He immediately recognized Jirmuryet's power and joined his ranks before anyone else, sparing him. He also demonstrated his loyalty by torturing two other Dren-Ylk gods with his whip ^[1].