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I was but a youngling when my master found me among the slaughtered of my kin's caverns. "Adventurers," he said, "never understanding that even a goblin has purpose, slaughtering all for lust of the King's coin."
He took me in, taught me the way of the track, the way of the hunt. His was a better way, a balanced way. I learned from him when to hunt and when to trap. I learned from him when to watch and wait. I learned that the deer I leave today might feed me for a dozen years.
As he grew frail, he taught me the way of trade. "Never take without giving," he said, "always give something back." He showed me the house of the old widow that had no man to hunt for her. "The King's coin means nothing to you or I," he said, "but for her, it is life. The men of this village will sell or trade with her for these bits of metal." We left many coins over the weeks and months and always when we returned we would find things left for us.
Several winters passed and the old druid grew weaker. "Take care of the Widow," he said, "she was once the mother of all in that village." I told him I would. "You have been my friend since that first day I found you," He said. "I think I shall come back to watch over you, if you'd like." He closed his eyes one last time and said to me, "Autumn has come and I am naught but a leaf, my friend." He died in the night.
The winter was long and hard that year. Frost came early and the men of the village couldn't hunt in the deep snows. I kept the Widow well-stocked with wood for her fire and meat to cook. One night when I approched, I heard a voice. It said to me, "it's cold out there this winter. You seem to have no fur to shield you from the cold, my little friend."
I was well practiced at being unseen but she wasn't to be fooled. "It seems you are alone more often these cold winter nights," She said. "Have the mountains claimed your friend?" I stood as still as a tree, as quiet as a mouse. "I have made a coat for you," she said, "the fur from the rabbits you hunt is warm and will protect you from the snows that starve the people of this village." I shivered. She said, "I have told the others that if they offer comfort, they will receive it. This village will die without the blessings of the mountains."
I ranged farther and farther afield that winter. When I would leave fresh meat at the houses, I would find things. A new bow outside the fletcher's house. A spear made with a sharp iron tip outside the blacksmith's house. An axe for cutting wood, baked sweet cakes, new boots, and even letters from children thanking me for my gifts. I found the Widow's house cold one night. She had died, her hearth went cold. I left a sprig of mistletoe on her door and wrapped her in the blanket she had left for me. When I returned two days later, I found mistletoe nailed to the doors of all the houses and a wreath of holly on a fresh grave outside the widow's house.
The next autumn, I built a sled so that I could keep them stocked with firewood for the coming winter. I did not need so much room to live as my master, so I could fill his cave with enough firewood to last the village all winter. The first time I dragged it to the village was difficult. I am too small to drag so much weight. I had to leave it behind. The next night, I found my sled tied to a pony. It's harness was covered in little bells that jingled as it pulled the sled.
Many of the children from those winters are grown now. I see them often when I come to visit. I hear them singing songs and feasting as I approach, but the village grows quiet when they hear the jingle of my bells. Holly, mistletoe and evergreen decorate the village every winter now. I see others in the village leaving gifts when I arrive. I go about my business and they about theirs.
That is how I came to be among my travelling companions. They came to this village downstream from the waterfall and heard the stories of the little man from the mountain that brings cheer in the long, cold nights of winter. They watched and waited, wanting to prove that I did not exist. They heard the stories of the jingling bells, the mistletoe and holly. They heard the stories of the feasts during the heart of winter. They heard of the fresh logs for the hearths of the village that keep them warm. They heard the stories of the four rams that pull my sled since the pony died. They heard of the rabbit coat and the new boots. To put it shortly, they heard of me. Many villages away, they heard of me.
When they told me of the stories they'd heard so many miles away, I wanted to go with them and hear these stories. I could not believe that they were stories of me. I am just a little goblin.
Very cool. Well done, it was a great read. Thanks!
I'm glad you liked it.
That was the background for a character I played just a little after a friend of mine read Terry Pratchett's Hogfather. He told me the basics of the adventure, loosely based on the book and let me in on some of the details and I had to come up with a really strong character that fit his adventure. I thought a goblin that actually was the mysterious "Father Snowflake" that the PCs came to investigate would be hilarious.
Let me tell you, when you and the DM are both in on the joke, it's hard to keep a straight face. The adventure took all of a real Iowa winter to play and that group met twice a week.
Outstanding enough that I do not want it bumped off the front page by the political/religious threads we bumped up to be seen.
I have to say that is outstanding.
Outstanding enough that I do not want it bumped off the front page by the political/religious threads we bumped up to be seen.
No worries, it's also posted in a character background thread on another forum.
Yay! Thanks for the early gift, Goblin! This will be useful in the annual Thanksgiving day game, it'll get us all in the proper Yule humor!
You're more than welcome.
I thought the whole "Goblin that started Christmas" idea was wonderful when it was first proposed to me, and if you have fun with it, I would be honored.
This is a lovely story goblin_pride, I might borrow it :P
-Joni
This is a lovely story goblin_pride, I might borrow it :P
Borrow, steal, plagirise, whatever. It's community property, I posted it so that anyone that wants to can use it. Have fun.
lol Gob...you know what I just realized... Wouldn't all the happy holidays get closed because of the ban?
You noticed that it's still here too, eh? I guess that outright ban wasn't quite so outright.
(If anything, it goes on the Once Upon a Time board here- http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=344)*stampitty stampitty*
[Pigknight stamp of approval]
I just occured to me that the Grinch is disturbingly similar in final outcome, thematics, and appearance to your garden variety goblin too.
Ah, nice change of pace. Well done.
I just occured to me that the Grinch is disturbingly similar in final outcome, thematics, and appearance to your garden variety goblin too.
Thank you. I couldn't have done it without an intimate knowledge of both the history of the holiday and religious foundations. I'm glad it was able to bring you entertainment.
Just for the sake of a wider audience, now that the yuletide season is actually upon us.
and I probably will again before January. before we move on to the new year and this thread retreats again to the ether for another year.Plus, although it was on the front page, I wanted to bump it to the top.