(I started writing before Void voted, but decided to just throw some information from A into the post rather than ignore the Ninja, because the answers are related and you rolled so high this time)You ask where the Goblin Gods are in all this and Chief Pikel shoots you a spiteful glare. "My people are far too wise to trust
your kind. Any of my subjects caught worshiping any deity are burnt alive."
5
Gnoll holds out his hand to silence his son before the younger goblin can talk his way into any more trouble.
"Forgive him, mother of Azuma. My people have a long history of being betrayed by those we worship is all." Gnoll hastily explains. "My mother is Pel-Urist, Dwarven Goddess of Wildflowers. As a child, she was captured by Demonsaur Rexnaught to be used for sexual pleasure by him and his mortal sons. When she came of age, she began to have children. Thirty three in total over the 187 years she was held captive. Eight, of whom seven survive today, were born demons. Six, of whom all survive, were born deities, and nineteen, of whom I am one of twelve survivors, were born mortal."
Gnoll closes his eyes, and a whistful look spreads across his face. "We thought our mother loved us. When she wasn't sleeping, or being forced to service our fathers, she would tend to us, teach us dwarven crafts and history, and train us as warriors and survivors. Our mother eventually escaped, informed the dwarven Pantheon of our location, and sent a divine host to rescue us and smite our fathers. My siblings and I thought we would have the favor of our mother's pantheon, and become the founders of a great new race of dwarves, and for a time this seemed to be the case."
"So what happened?" Azuma asks.
"My mother fell in love," Gnoll answers with a sad smile, "with her cousin Prec-Urist, God of 'Honor' and Chasity. Prec-Urist agreed to marry her, but only on the condition that she swear to rid the world of the evidence of her rape at the hands of our fathers - to eliminate us. From that day on we were hunted by the hosts and followers of the Dwarven Pantheon."
"And what of your Godly sibblings?" You inquire, "Surely you can trust and worship them?"
"Ha." Gnoll chuckles, "They were quick to abandon us to flee the wrath of the dwarves. One by one they all abandoned us. Some married into other Pantheons. Others renounced our worship, used divine magic to change their appearance, and now live relatively quiet lives pretending to be mortal heroes scattered across the world. Only my divine sister Bugbeara remained, but her hatred of our mother was so strong that she kept throwing away the lives of our strong and exposing the location of our weak by launching doomed attacks against the wicked Pantheon. Eventually the rest of us had to gang up and kill her before she could lead our kind into oblivion."
"Surely you could have found some other Pantheon to support you." Azuma insists, "There are other gods aside from your kin, and many of them are desperate for followers."
"We tried that a few times," Gnoll answers. "Eventually the Dwarf gods would catch wind of our new patrons, and bully them into either abandoning or betraying us. After one minor sky pantheon nearly wiped us out with their betrayal, we decided it would be best to ban all worship of the divine among our kind."
"You hate all gods and goddesses then?" You ask.
"I teach my children to. For their own sake." Gnoll answers, "but no. I don't. I'm actually rather fond of idiots like you who stand up to the dwarven pantheon. I'll mourn when they slay you."
A: You killed your own Kin and Goddess, called me an idiot, and assume my defeat in this war? PREPARE FOR PUNISHMENT!
B: Have you ever tried worshiping the Abyssal Pantheon? They are large enough not to get picked on by the dwarves.
C: You seem to favor my cause in this war. You would lose nothing by having your people pray to me, at least temporarily. It costs you little and the extra essence could be the difference between my victory and defeat.
D: Your story has me curious about Goblin biology. A race that is a mix of demon, god, and mortal sounds fascinating.
E: Your story has me curious about Goblin politics. It sounds like most of the founding members of your race are still alive, so I'd imagine all Goblins get along.
F: Hmm... Now that I've heard your story, your skill as a Smith intrigues me Gnoll. Take a look at this Beam Sword and tell me how you might improve it for me.
G: Hmm... Now that I've heard your story, your skill as a Smith intrigues me Gnoll. What did you do to the Staff of Creed?
H: I think I've heard enough from these Goblins. I'll eat the rest of my meal in silence.