Explore the high-altitude, iron-forging culture of the Ilquar Goblins. Often dismissed as “ill-favored beasts,” these Goblins have built a complex society of fortified villages and essential trade. Learn about their unique “head-shaping” beauty standards, the specific mechanics of their “weakling” Shamans of Hiteh, and why they are the only race the League of Minotaurs truly respects as business partners. Buy Time of the Dragon: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/16960/time-of-the-dragon-2e?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Often dismissed as “beasts” by humans and elves, these Goblins have actually built a settled, advanced society that balances high-stakes politics with master-level smithing.
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam, and today we are diving into one of the most misunderstood cultures on the continent of Taladas: The Ilquar Goblins. I’d like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron — you can even pick up Dragonlance media or get $10 by signing up to StartPlaying.Games using my affiliate links in the description below. I’m referencing the Time of the Dragon boxed set for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below.
Discussion
Deep in the high, jagged passes of the Ilquar Mountains, there is a sound that defines an entire continent’s economy. It isn’t the sound of a raiding horn or the cry of a predator—it is the rhythmic, metallic ring of hammers hitting anvils. In Ansalon, Goblins are often viewed as the “ill-favored,” a race created, as the scholar Camoen of Kristophan put it, to “teach men humility.” But in Taladas, the Ilquar Goblins aren’t interested in being a moral lesson. They are forty thousand strong, settled in fortified stone fortresses, and they hold a complete monopoly on the iron that every other race needs to survive. Tonight, we look past the prejudice of the “civilized” world and uncover the complex, brutal, and surprisingly clever life of the Ilquar Goblins.
To understand the Ilquar, you first have to understand how the rest of the world sees them. Human theologians like Camoen portray Goblins as one of the four “ill-favored races.” The prevailing theory among the “High Peoples” is that Goblins were created to stand crooked where man stands straight, and to bark like animals where man speaks clearly. They are viewed as the biological antithesis of “Clarity of Thought.”
However, when you actually step into an Ilquar village, that narrative falls apart. These Goblins are intelligent, clever, and have learned almost every skill the world has to offer. They are short and stocky, heavier-set than their Ansalon cousins, often prone to pot bellies and bow-leggedness. But what the humans call “deformity,” the Goblins call “beauty.” They intentionally shape the heads of their infants so the back is flat and the forehead slopes sharply away to give them broad, flat noses. Males also take great pride in long, sharpened canines that jut out below the upper lip—a feature considered the height of goblin attractiveness.
Life in the Ilquar range is rugged, and the Goblins have adapted physically. Their eyes are incredibly sensitive to bright sunlight, causing a minus-one penalty to their attack rolls in the day, but that same sensitivity grants them 60 feet of infravision in total darkness. They have spent centuries living in what others call “filth,” which has actually given them a natural plus-one bonus to saving throws against all types of disease.
Mechanically, nearly all Ilquar are fighters, and many take up the path of the thief. But because they are a settled mountain people, their thievery is specialized. They are clumsy climbers, suffering a ten-percent penalty to their climbing checks, but they are exceptional at moving silently and hiding in shadows. Interestingly, an Ilquar thief starting out in the mountains has no initial ability to open locks or find traps—those are skills they only learn once they leave their villages and broaden their range of knowledge in the wider world.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of Ilquar culture is how they treat their magic users. The social order starts at birth: powerful males claim the strongest boys to raise as warriors. The “weaklings”—those with a Wisdom of at least 9 but who lack great physical strength or constitution—are left to the females. These “unchosen” boys are raised in the communal dens and taught the secret rituals of the god Hiteh.
These shamans are a study in contradictions. They are barred from being headmen or sitting on the council due to the prejudice of their “weak” upbringing, yet they hold terrifying power. They have access to the spheres of Combat, Necromancy, and Protection. While they can heal, their divine healing spells only work on fellow followers of their faith—a literal “members only” policy for survival. Most frightening is their granted power: a shaman can use a magical “Spook” ability up to five times a day, literally scaring the life out of their enemies. With the return of the gods, these shamans are now using these powers to become the de facto rulers of their villages, turning the old “Rule of Force” on its head.
The Goblins are as hardy as their magic. They are famous for brewing a potent drink called Issca from mushrooms and grain. In the winter, they let it partially freeze to concentrate the alcohol, creating a woody, thick brew. The leftover sludge is dried into sheets called Issache. This is their primary march ration. It is so tough that a Goblin warrior will often stick a piece of it between his foot and his sandal for a full day of marching just to use his body heat and sweat to soften it enough to chew. It’s unpalatable to most, but it’s what fuels a goblin army on the move.
What makes the Ilquar Goblins essential to Taladas is iron. The Ilquar Mountains hold rare deposits of iron ore, and the Goblins are master smiths. They don’t have a central market because no Goblin trusts another enough to make one work. Instead, merchants from the League of Minotaurs must travel a circuit from village to village, trading with each headman independently.
The Goblins are canny traders. They respect Minotaurs most because the “bull-men” combine power with ruthlessness. They still find ways to insult them, usually mocking the Minotaurs’ “disfigured” bovine heads, but the underlying respect for their strength is genuine. Trade is so vital that Goblins will actually escort League merchants into the foothills of the steppes to ensure they aren’t ambushed by rival tribes.
If the Minotaurs evoke respect, the Elves evoke pure hatred. The Ilquar Goblins and the Wild Elves of the Tamire are locked in a war where no prisoners are ever taken. When Elven riders approach, the Goblins withdraw behind their mud and stone walls, using secret tunnels to launch ambushes. The Elves, despite their skill on horseback, are famously bad at storming fortified places, leading to a centuries-long stalemate. The Goblins think nothing of despoiling elven hunting grounds or setting deadly traps on trails, taking anything as meat—horses, men, and yes, even Elves.
Outro
The Ilquar Goblins are a reminder that “civilization” isn’t about being pretty or kind; it’s about survival and leverage. To a human scholar, they are a mistake of the gods. To a Minotaur merchant, they are a necessary business partner. But to themselves, they are the masters of the mountain and the forge. They are a people who have taken the “crooked” path and turned it into a position of absolute power on the continent of Taladas.
What do you think of the Ilquar? Is the “sandal-softened rations” or the “weakling” shaman hierarchy something you’d use at your table? Would you ever play an Ilquar fighter/thief trying to learn how to pick locks in the big city? Leave a comment below.
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Even our own people prefer to treat with the armies of our enemies! The measure has failed!
