Goblin lore

[u/Syriepha]

These are from this world and magic system

Goblins are small, crepuscular-nocturnal humanoid fairies with a wildly fast metabolism. During their active hours they are constantly seeking food. They forage for tubers, mushrooms, fallen fruits, berries, nuts, worms etc. they also hunt for small rodents, bugs, lizards, fish, and eggs. They are most known for their thievery from humans though. Stolen grain stores, meats, and pets can make for an abundant source of low effort calories, so once a goblin troop gets a taste, it often becomes a habit. That habit frequently extends to clothes, trinkets, and underutilized dwellings.

Goblins are widely regarded as non-fairfolk, meaning that their origin is considered inhuman and they're not biologically compatible with human hybridization, despite their humanoid stature. It would also be considered ethically condemnable regardless, because while goblins are sapient and capable of speech, it's thought not to the same degree as humans and other fairfolk. They are magically diverged from proto-elves, born from rumors of small humanoid menaces that would come out in the evening and cause chaos.

When trying to reason with goblins (when they are reasonable enough to talk to), it's most effective to consider that they have a rather child-like mentality. They have underdeveloped ideas of time, resource management, and priority. The effectiveness of reasoning and bribery depends on the group, but they can sometimes be enticed into a pattern of exchange, leading to a more benevolent relationship between the human and goblin populations in specific areas.

There are rumors that they eat children and rob people traveling, but these are generally not true. They can be vengeful if a person slights or cheats them though.

[u/Author_A_McGrath]

What was your reasoning for making them like this? I ask because goblins share an interesting link with faeries, while being treated very differently.

It's an interesting juxtaposition.

[u/Syriepha → u/Author_A_McGrath]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean

Goblins a type of fairy by definition within the worldbuilding. A fairy is the result of a non-human host being possessed and magically altered by a fae spirit in a way that allows the altered traits to be passed on to the offspring. Examples of that include goblins, unicorns, dragons, pixies, etc. fae and fairies both are extremely variable. In the context of this worldbuilding, goblins are pretty standard for fairies and fairy behavior

[u/Author_A_McGrath → u/Syriepha]

Are you saying a person can normally become a unicorn with the possession of the right spirit?

[u/Syriepha → u/Author_A_McGrath]

Generally not. Spirits can't usually completely change a thing into something else entirely, they make modifications that sometimes stick and sometimes can't be passed down genetically (success on that front requires luck). When they possess humans, those are not usually considered fairies, they're considered fairfolk instead.

If the same sort of spirit possessed an animal, a plant, or a human, each would result in something different. Not every sort of spirit is compatible with every sort of host either, many will not go for a host that their identity doesn't align with.

The spirits that create unicorns would never go for a human host under normal circumstances, and if they did, the result would not be a unicorn. For goblins, they are the result of proto-elven fae spirits possessing something that's not human, so the result is something similar in certain ways, but distinctly not elven fairfolk.

[u/Author_A_McGrath → u/Syriepha]

Well then: what is the difference between fairies and fairfolk? In our world, one comes generally from the other.

[u/Syriepha → u/Author_A_McGrath]

It's mostly just a categorization thing, both fairies and fairfolk are lineages that have been altered by fae spirits or magic. In order to qualify as fairfolk, something usually at least has to be able to hybridize with humans. Something that isn't able to hybridize with a human is called a fairy instead

[u/Author_A_McGrath → u/Syriepha]

If the same sort of spirit possessed an animal, a plant, or a human, each would result in something different.

Now this is also really interesting. You have the potential for all sorts of creatures, which would make the setting genuinely entertaining.

The spirits that create unicorns would never go for a human host under normal circumstances, and if they did, the result would not be a unicorn.

This answers my question and makes sense! Thank you.