The Branch Groblins

Draft for Goblin Cult

Goblins from near and far have gathered to follow the guidance of Grold Hound-Toad. Grold believes that reading and writing must be taught to goblin young.

Outlines:

• Adventure Background
  • Grold, cult leader (what is the cult, what are Grold’s motives?)
  • Why are the PCs interested in being a part of the adventure?
    • The PCs want to be in the cult -> What is the cult’s motives/world views?
  • Character arc, who are the NPCs of this world?
    • Cult members. Keep the main group of NPCs to around 5 to 8 in total. These will be key players whose inner turmoil are the catalyst for the eventual death of the rest of the greater population of the cult.
  • Grold’s grasp on the cult dynamics are flimsy, at best. But he has managed to recruit enough female goblins to convince more and more to join.
  • All in all, the cult is fairly small, totaling about 20-30 member by the time the adventure starts.
  • Although the members of the cult believe Grold wil eventually be able to raise loved ones from the dead, they also believe they are part of a new and more progressive goblin society that reads and writes.
  • The goblins in the cult are largely fearful of outsiders, but admire, and for the most part, want to be more human-like.
• Adventure Summary
  • Character introductions
  • Recruitments
  • Grold survives, as well as a handful (2-3) of others while the rest of the cult dies.
  • Necromancy? — Too easy…

Grold wants his followers to learn how to read and write, but he also convinces them that he can make them live forever by raising them from the dead. He fails, however, to raise those who have died and instead creates abominations of living dead. These zombie-like goblins are feeble creatures that are easily defeated. There are no diseases that are spread from the living dead goblins, rather they’re just a nuisance. Grold’s followers are convinced that he will eventually be successful.

Fem, a goblin druid, joined Grold early on and has helped him setup an encampment in some of the harshest swamps known to goblin society. She fell madly in love with Grold, but he does not return her love. He lost his mother when he was still quite young and has been trying to learn how to raise the dead since then.

Grold was cast out of his tribe early on when he was caught reading an old tome. He only half understands what he’s doing, and often mixes restoration spells with necromancy spells, which is why his incantations are botched and the creatures he creates are so weak.

Grold believes he is the reincarnation of the four Goblin Hero-Gods: Hadregash, Venkelvore, Zarongel, and Zogmugot (Grold can’t pronounce the names correctly). He tells his followers that he will one day slay the evil Lamashtu with his army of the dead. But he must first build that army. Grold convinces his followers that the world is going end very soon. When the world ends, he will defeat Lamashtu and he and his followers will ascend to higher plane and will all become Gods of this new plane.