Goblinoids of Prace

This post supersedes portions of "Humans of Monvesia, Part 2: Uncommon Humans" and "Other Non-Humans of Monvesia."

"Goblinoid" has come to mean three, particular, interrelated races in modern Dungeons & Dragons.  In the past, similar terms had been used to collectively describe these alongside ogres, orcs, gnolls, and kobolds as well.  It is in this wider context that I use the term when discussing the races of Monvesia.

Goblinoids in Monvesia are the result of a temperamental disorder known as Taint.  Each tainted race has an untainted counterpart.  These races can be grouped into clades according to their racial origin.

Taint in Monvesia

A major element that separates Monvesia from other fantasy settings is Taint--the transformation of some individuals and communities into monstrous reflections of themselves.  Since taint is responsible for the goblinoid and similar races, I first touched on it in "Other Non-Humans of Monvesia."  I didn't really explore the nature of the ailment, however.

Taint is adopted, in part, from Legend of the Five Rings.  However, unlike in that setting, Taint in Monvesia is not a result of personal choice or action--it is the result of public belief and perception.  Monvesian Taint is further inspired by the Taint from the Thaumcraft mod for Minecraft; as well as the Blight from Dragon Age.

Taint is a "psychosomatic" disorder--that is, it is a mental condition that alters the physical body.   From a metaphysical, cosmologial perspective, it originates in Limbo (the Plane of Subconscious Thought).  Here, the subconscious minds of all living creatures connect; and a collective unconscious "shadow" exists--an iridescent, black and purple storm-cloud dominating the horizon.