Goblinoid society took many shapes. The four individual subraces had traditional societies of their own, but hosts were more standardized. These social structures were often similar to or derived from savage tribal society.

All these societies were nocturnal.

Goblin Clans

Typically, goblin's aren't part of a larger, inter-goblinoid host, but of a smaller settlement. A single group of goblins is called a clan (sometimes, a goblin will refer to his clan as "tribe", and to a greater alliance of multiple settlements as "clan"). A clan is usually based in a hidden location within one of the two typical biomes for goblins, forests or plains. Behind a small palisade, or just in a pit, are usually clustered a dozen or so hardened clay or fletched branch houses, with straw or branch roofs. In the center of a settlement is the Lasher's or Chieftain's hut. The upper caste of a clan consists of the lashers. In a typical-sized clan, let's say there are five lashers. One of them, the toughest and tallest, is the chieftain. He lives in the central hut, along with two or three wives and all his children. In the houses immediately around the Chieftain's hut sleep the lashers, each living separate with their own wives and children. Lashers usually have the best equipment of the clan, meaning tanned leather clothes. As a sign of status, they usually carry a whip in the colors of the clan or of Khurgorbaeyag, their god. Lashers' women have a hunter's status, but are acknowledged by all other women as superior. Beneath the lasher caste is the warrior caste, say, a dozen warriors. These are all tough male goblins, those that are stronger than all the others but not strong enough to become lashers. They are the main defensive force of a clan. In an normal day, they lead the hunters during their hunt. If the clan is attacked, then they serve as elite force as the lashers lead them and the hunters in battle. Warriors typically have patchwork hide armor and stone weapons, though they might have scavenged metal equipment from civilized settlements. Their trademark item is, of course, the bow and arrows. Warriors and below do not have married women; they get together and mate whenever they wish to, and even warrior children are typically left with their mothers in the gatherer caste until they can be taught further. Hunters go out every day to bring most of the food to the omnivorous, but preferably meat-eating clan. They consist of all goblins too weak to become warriors but strong enough to hunt, and there's usually twenty of them, if not more. A third of the hunters might be female, those that are particularly tough. Some alliances between males and females might happen within the hunter caste, called partnerships, but those are loose and uncommon. Hunters usually do like the warriors, spending time with whichever gatherer women that want to and breaking these relationships on a whim. The lowest caste of a goblin clan consists of those that are the weakest, and those count usually about 35. They're called gatherers and are predominantly female, but don't only go and gather berries and roots. Whilst the hunters are out hunting, some gatherers do go out and collect some additional food; however, most work on the work needing to be done. They might patch up houses, serve the lashers, stoke fires and prepare meals. They're the ones who do everything that isn't taken care of by the warriors and hunters, including the education of children until they're mature enough to be taken in by the hunters. Children in the clan are handled quite simply: if the child is of warrior caste or below, then it goes with its mother into the gatherer caste and stays there until it reaches maturity, learning everything from the gatherers. If the child is of a lasher's wife, then he is educated within the lasher's home, before joining hunter education. Whenever a child reaches maturity, it spends its days in the hunter caste, participating in ever more difficult hunts. Some might wash out and fall down into gatherer caste, where they stay forever (as is the case with almost all females and some males, though never lasher or warrior children, since those are usually well-fed). If they do well enough, they stay in the hunter caste and become hunters. If they're brilliant, they might follow warriors around after a couple years of hunting, being taught whatever martial arts the goblin tribe knows. A child then grows up in its own caste, and no social mobility exists, except if a warrior becomes so strong he can take the place of a lasher and either kill that lasher or demote him to warrior status.

Other Roles

Sometimes, a clan contains one or another extraordinary creature. The most common of these is the wolf pack leader. Whenever a clan has a couple of giant wolves to ride on, they also need a strong goblin to keep them in line. The wolf pack leader, in goblin Worg-Man, is usually a very strong and powerful goblin, one who would be a lasher or even chieftain. A wolf pack leader isn't part of the lasher caste, actually, but the highest-ranking member of the warriors. He's like the leader of the military of a clan, a general. Typically, the Worg-Man is assisted by gatherers of his choosing that perform the more menial tasks of wolf-keeping. Usually, he also has one or two wives of his own and on top of that goes foraging within the gatherer's goblins. A Worg- Man is held in high esteem by the whole clan. Slaves are another common outsider group. Sometimes, warriors might go and perform ambushes or even raid lone houses, capturing the people within instead of slaughtering them. Commonly, a slave has to be kept within cages hidden in in one of the huts or hooked up in a tree somewhere near the settlement because of his tendency to attempt to flee. Most of the time, a captured humanoid eventually breaks down and accepts becoming the servant of the clan. According to his aptitudes, he helps the gatherers or hunters, or serves a lasher directly, giving that goblin a great feeling of superiority. If a captured creature doesn't break after a while, the clan will usually eat him in a great feast. A clan might feel a strong attraction to rigid hierarchy, as when the lower castes are rebellious. In this case, a hut is devoted as shrine of Khurgorbaeyag (the house of the Priest), and a single goblin with lasher status is appointed as Priest. This priest uses his whip proficiently and often, and typically, he receives a slight godly boon which is sufficient to scare lower goblins into line. The presence of Khurgorbaeyag is extremely scary to any goblin. Rarely, a goblin gains magical powers akin to a sorcerer's. Such goblins are called Boo-yahgs, named after the magic they wield. They are extremely wild casters and terribly unpredictable, with much destructive potential. In a peaceful, wild goblin tribe, a Boo-yahg will be exiled from the clan quickly enough as he destroys something or other. When a clan is suffering from powerful nearby enemies, however, Boo-yahgs are seen as great gifts. The goblin is then elevated to warrior caste, and the clan falls prone to chanting "boo-yahg" over and over again.

Hobgoblin Society

Hobgoblins are rarely found in a society encompassing only themselves, but often form larger groups with other goblinoids. However, sometimes, there are no goblins and bugbears to dominate, so they just build their society without them. Truly uncivilized hobgoblins are a rarity, and don't deserve to be listed here. The most basic form of hobgoblin society is the clan. If they advance socially, they might form their own state, but at this level, they're usually part of a host.

Nomad Clan

The most basic of pure hobgoblin social structures is the nomad clan. A nomad clan works much like a wandering orc tribe: not numbering much more than 30, they ride large herds of badeep across brubber tree-rich plains, feeding on their cattle and its judeep. In a nomad clan, no certain creature leads the others: they all do what they're best at. In the case of danger, those that know how to fight (usually, male or female makes no difference) fight or shoot off said danger. Those that have the most experience and know how to lead those warriors until the danger is over. Other problems are similarly dealt with, those knowing best how to deal with a certain problem taking up the position of leaders. Marriage as such doesn't exist for them, but much like humans , they form romantic bonds which might break or stay intact. It's socially frowned upon to have more than one lover in a town, and for a male to break the bond with a female whilst the two have a child unable to fend for themselves. Usually, the two bonded hobgoblins carry a sign that they're bonded, which is either specific to the two or which any bonded member of the clan wears. This can be anything from coloration to special garments.

Settled Clan

If the lands are fertile enough, and a clan's knowledge for farming is great enough, that clan becomes a settled clan. In a settled society, thinks take a different course. Such a clan almost always lives on plains, or in a location within easy reach of plains. A water source is always adjacent, and brubber trees are often a requirement. Furthermore, sufficiently large woods, stone or clay and, sometimes, surface metals might also be needed. Such a hobgoblin clan has a single main settlement, with up to about 500 inhabitants. It houses are single-roomed with a first floor for storing goods and foods, with any kind of roofing available and wooden, clay or stone walls. A settled hobgoblin house also has a fireplace in a corner along with side chimney, a large near-to-the-ground table with cushioned surfaces around it, and a corner containing all the most important items of the family: metal armor and weapons, bows, and any insignias of military rank. A settled clan is led by a single entity, the Boss (often called general or, in case of conflict, warlord). The Boss has a house in the center of the settlement, which has two parts: one is the private part, fashioned much in the same way as any other house but often with an additional cellar, and one is public, where great feasts can be held and a throne is located. The room also serves as shrine to Jirmuryet. The Boss has absolute power, and has a couple aides which take care of the affairs which he doesn't: they're the captains, and they live in normal houses as do all others. Every hobgoblin is part of a family: a male and a female living together, initialized as bonded by a priest of Bagrivyek around their age of 15. Two bonded hobgoblins always have a family symbol: a decoration on their armor, a tattoo-like fur coloration, anything that shows they are clearly mated. A bonded hobgoblin may never leave his mate, and may never give birth to a child with/from another hobgoblin (sometimes, when the family is larger than a single household, it is not considered a crime to mate with creatures from another household, but within the same family; sometimes, it is). Each family usually has around 4 children, which wear the family symbol until they bond with another hobgoblin, during which they choose whose family's symbol to keep, or to create a new family (if two influential figures marry, keeping one or the other might cause a civil war). A settled hobgoblin has a last name: that of whose family's symbol he's wearing.

The entire family is part of the military, and therefore under the command of the Boss and his officers. However, the army has different branches, such as the warriors, miners, farmers, metalworkers, and so on. Usually, each arm has a captain responsible for it and a lieutenant taking care of more detailed aspects. For example, a settled clan might have a close-to-the-surface iron vein nearby. In that case, a captain will be responsible for the whole metalworking operation. A lieutenant will be the leader of the miners, another will take care of smelteries, and a last one will look for the actual metalworking. If coal is also found nearby, a fourth lieutenant will be responsible for the processes of making the coal usable. Notably, a settled clan usually has a small but highly respected division called "Mirkarr" responsible for the distribution of finished goods, the attribution of raw materials to the "industries" needing it, and generally planning the whole market.

There is no such thing as money: every member works to the best of their ability, and is given anything they need in exchange. If any member of the clan cheats this system, he might well be punished by the Mirkarr through public torture, exile, demotion to slavery, or execution. Another almost always present special division is the Kur'Bagr, the clergy of Bagrivyet. They also take up the role of priests of Jirmuryet, but only as much as necessary to appease the evil god. There are 1-3 priests in any given settlement, and they live in a house similar to the Boss's that simultaneously serves as church. They perform bonding rituals and also are the doctors of the settlement, using limited divine magic and worldly methods for healing.

Social mobility is possible, as long as a hobgoblin's personal and familial prestige is sufficient for the intended move. A farmer might become a warrior if members of his family are/were good warriors, or if that farmer fought well against a surprise attack from enemies. Going upwards in the same division is usually accomplished by the next-higher up member no longer being in position and filling up the empty space. To do so, one has to be acknowledged by the others as best choice. In case of war, all members of the clan have had sufficient training to be a member of the army. A skeleton force is kept at the required industries, led by a single lieutenant, whilst all the others follow the Boss on the field. Each division remains under the orders of their captain, in that way forming as many units as there are divisions. The warriors usually split up amongst their lieutenants into groups called battalions and make sure that all parts of the army have some professional support. The captain's battalion is responsible for the rear. The general is assisted by the Mirkarr, who also take up the role of coordinating everyone.

Confederacy

A settled clan's population may grow out of bounds. When it numbers in the thousands or tens of thousands, a single central settlement can no longer contain the entire population. In such cases, the main settlements split, and as many "towns" as necessary are built to sustain this population. Each town's ruler is now called general, and he has captains and lieutenants under him in divisions as normal. His entire population is a company. However, he is sworn fealty to the warlord, a hobgoblin that usually carries only one name that also is a title. A good example for this is Trensandor, the ruler of the Trensandor Empire (note that this was a mixed empire, not a pure confederacy as described here). This warlord then carries the name of his predecessor, which also functions as title, and his family name. A warlord is not chosen through mutual consent as each other rank is: he is put in power through any means, be it appointed from the previous ruler, through overthrow, or through general consensus. This warlord lives in a keep or palace, which may be inside a town or in a fortress without. His position does not matter, however, as every general obeys his order whenever necessary. The federal household is supplied through anyone the warlord designs as responsible for this. The household is guarded by Fed'Mirk, which also assert federal presence in outside the palace. A Fed'Mirk is an elite warrior, usually granted magical power by Bagrivyek. In this confederacy, it might make sense to exchange goods beyond a single settlement and to places where a given resource is scarcer. To this effect, local Mirkarr can be used, but this doesn't work too well as they are attributed to a single company, and the general flow has to be handled by a federal authority. This can be the Fed'Mirk, if no impression of powerful godly warriors is maintained by the warlord, but is often perfored by the Fed'Karr. These are expert economists which make sure that each company receives the goods it has less of, and gives those of which it has a surplus. In case of disobedience, the Fed'Mirk come in. Family ties are still kept up at a larger scale in a confederacy. Often, families will spread beyond a single company and into multiple towns. The warlord and federal officials too might be part of other armies. To keep things understandable, each family has a single insignia. This can be worn as bracer, banner, pin, or any such way. The color of an emblem is decided by the company. If there are many towns, each company might have multiple colors in a given pattern to keep the difference visible. Family structure is still identical, and each family member may be part of a different division. However, the greatest families often make a point of being part of a single divison, which is usually the warriors or Mirkarr, if not even federal government. In the case of war, the army is raised from every single town. Eight companies usually form a legion; this gives the typical hobgoblin warlord three to four legions. Of course, this army's structure has to be set up differently, especially if a naval arm is in play (navies are handled differently from confederacy to confederacy, and are usually under direct federal command, so they will not be taken into account here). The warlord, escorted by his Fed'Mirk which then also act as military police, leads the army. Each legion is a separate entity, commanded by the field general: one of the eight companies' generals, or a federal officer appointed by the warlord. Each field general handles his legion as a single unit in a full-on battle; otherwise, such as in a lengthy campaign, he serves as the organizer of different strikes. In a full-on battle, each field general fulfills the orders of the warlord. The legion is usually constructed in four layers parallel to enemy troops: each layer consists of two companies. Within a company, the general (sometimes, one of the two is promoted second general and commands the whole layer) keeps his troops together and oriented against the enemy. Here, the chain of command might be different: families choose to fight together. In this case, each family forms a unit called battalion, ignoring normal company hierarchy. The family member with the highest rank takes the rank of warcaptain, those with the most experience of warlieutenant. The others obey their orders. Smaller families are handled in whatever way they can be fit in. In this manner, each family of a company - especially the same family but of different companies - strives to show off how great they are, giving a great encouragement for battling soldiers. This might confuse enemy tacticians, as they will notice that each legion is built of eight different colors aligned in a two-by-four shape, but also see that the same symbol might be present upon various colors across companies and legions.

In warfare that doesn't involve a headfirst battle, a general task is given to the field general, who then makes his camp in a strategically correct place. He then splits up his troops under the seven other generals, or in any manner he needs and overriding normal ranks, who then acts separately and build their own camps, following their field general's orders and independently allocating their own resources to the tasks given. This creates an intricate and complicated network, especially when one general chooses to form battalions (family-based units) whilst the other keeps divisions. Depending on the situation, a general is also allowed to name ranks different from captain and lieutenant and their familial versions (with the war- prefix), creating a huge mish-mash. However, even though the warlord doesn't know the build of his own army, he can issue an order and each rank-and-file hobgoblin will know exactly what is to be done nonetheless. Food lines are usually organized within the confederacy by the Fed'Karr. The convoy lines between confederacy territory and where the army is are then guarded either federally by the Fed'Mirk or by an officer appointed to this mission by his commander

Goblinoid Hosts

Sometimes, one race (usually hobgoblins) gains control over the others and rallies them under a single banner. Such a grouping almost exclusively contains members of all three races; if they don't, then the tasks traditionally given to the third race are taken over by the other two. Such a united goblinoid group is called a host. A host is ruled by a single creature, almost always a hobgoblin. His title might be warlord, lord, leader, general, or even emperor. This warlord then rules from a central point, either a fortress or just a hut in a camp. The enforcers of his rule are called Rik'Mirk, a kind of state police present in most central points of the host. The hobgoblins of a host take over the skilled part of work. They manage forges, tanneries, and anything else requiring skilled labor. They also serve as main troops in case of war. The different branches of hobgoblin work, which is all the work of the host, are each commanded by a general or captain, depending on the host's size. The general represents his branches' interests in governmental decisions, and leads part of the army in case of war. Goblins serve as helpers under hobgoblin supervision. They're often the miners and field workers, kept in line by some lashers allowed to have status, or by hobgoblin pushers. Their raw products are then processed by mainly hobgoblin skilled workers. In case of war, goblins form their own units under the control of a goblin loyal to the host's leaders. They usually ambush enemies in difficult terrain, serve as light cavalry, or just flanking cannon fodder while hobgoblin troops move in. Bugbears are a difficult member of hosts. The warlord knows fully well that having these lazy and independent-minded monsters serving at menial tasks, such as carrying goods or working mills, is a recipe for disaster and revolt in the ranks. To solve this problem, bugbears are often kept far from a larger host's civilized core by introducing them full-time into the army. Under hobgoblin command, or in independent bands paid by food, bugbears act as skirmishers, scouts, and brutal guerilla warriors in times of peace and war. More detailed host structure varies from host to host, and also a lot depending on a host's size. Further reading might be done into the Trensandor Empire.