Mossy Hollow Goblin Village

Mossy Hollow is a strategic commerce hub for all goblins, a political center for the Skragglin tribes, and a stronghold of both wealth and power. While goblins are not known for their grand strategies or long-term planning, Mossy Hollow has thrived due to a mixture of location, resources, and raw goblin cunning. It is a chaotic, sprawling den of trade and commerce, ruled by the Ebonspear Tribe, whose dominance is built on spider trade, diplomacy, and sheer brutality.

It is a filthy, disorganized mess of tunnels, shacks, and ruins, but those who understand goblin society recognize Mossy Hollow for what it truly is: a center of opportunity, exchange, and power, where goblins from across Anuheim come to trade, settle disputes, and forge alliances—or plot against each other, but never to commit violence to one another.

The Monopoly of Violence For Stability

Unlike most goblin settlements, where power changes frequently, Mossy Hollow is one of the most stable goblin villages anywhere. This is because the Ebonspear have a monopoly on violence within their borders creating a safe space for commerce between the tribes.

The Chief & Enforcers

The biggest, meanest, and most cunning goblin rises to power through fighting, intimidation, and bribery.

Once in power, the chief eliminates or exiles any surviving challengers to keep the village stable enough to continue thriving.

To maintain control, the chief builds a council of 'advisors'—a crude but highly effective oligarchy of force. These advisors manage a designated aspect of Mossy Hollow and act as judges, executioners, and political schemers, ensuring that order is kept in a stable enough hierarchy of power.

Once established, power rarely transitions. It is almost unheard of for a sitting chief to be challenged openly—a chief rules until they die, are assassinated, or grow too weak to hold power. Goblins may not be the brightest but those at the top know that challenging the leader doesn't go well for the initial challenger.

The Rare Chaos of Succession

When a chief dies, Mossy Hollow is thrown into temporary chaos, as powerful goblins vie for control in brutal warfare of violence, strategy, and betrayal.

Once a new chief is in place, stability is quickly restored through swift executions, displays of dominance, and reinforced alliances.

Mossy Hollow may be brutal, but it is far more consistent than most goblin settlements, and its rulers understand the value of keeping trade flowing.

Why Mossy Hollow Became a Trade Center

Mossy Hollow did not rise to prominence through military conquest—it became a thriving goblin commerce hub due to its location and resources. As these unlikely circumstances aligned, the Ebonspear were cunning enough, or reckless enough, to seize the power.

The Atzul Spider Trade

The Ebonspear Tribe is one of the few tribes with reliable access to Atzul spider eggs, making them one of the wealthiest Skragglin tribes.

Trained Atzul spiders are used for warfare, scouting, and silk harvesting, making them highly valuable. Some goblins even use them for pulling carts and setting up defensive structures whether that's a temporary wrapping around a camp site or more permanent defenses such as around a settlement.

Other goblin tribes, as well as certain black market buyers, regularly trade with Mossy Hollow for access to these creatures or their resources.

Location & Accessibility

Mossy Hollow is situated deep within the Ebonhart Forest, making it well-hidden yet accessible to goblin tribes from various regions. Many paths, routes, and even a few ancient roadways lead to the trade center.

Skragglins (forest goblins), Murklins (swamp goblins), and even Grimgobs (mountain goblins) travel here to trade resources.

The village’s proximity to the Brood of Yavi provides both protection indirectly and danger toward careless goblins. The brood is rather respectful towards Mossy Hollow's borders however outside of those borders, goblins are fair game.

This brood naturally protects a large section of Mossy Hollow from those that would attack the village such as the Silvanthar but also prevents larger and less predictable creatures from venturing too close to the village.

Seasonal Festivals & Trade Gatherings

Mossy Hollow is known for two major festivals that attract goblins from across Anuheim:

The Summer Solstice Celebration – A time of raucous festivities, goblin contests, and political deals.

The Fall Equinox Trade Festival – Lasting a full seven days, this event allows tribes to trade their abundant summer resources for scarce winter necessities.

During these festivals, it is common to see Murklins, Grimgobs, and even Krurt goblins in attendance, solidifying Mossy Hollow’s status as a key economic and political hub for goblin-kind.

The Neutrality of Markets

While goblins are chaotic and violent by nature, the markets of Mossy Hollow are sacred ground, created by the Ebonspear's monopoly on violence within Mossy Hollow.

No matter how much rival tribes despise each other, the market is neutral ground—fighting in the market is strictly punished by the enforcers. Any goblin caught disturbing commerce is either exiled, beaten, or worse—even a powerful warband will not be spared if they threaten trade.

Tribes caught disturbing the peace are eliminated and any further attempt to trade at Mossy Hollow is banned. Tribes that can't trade at Mossy Hollow become targets for other goblin tribes who see this banishment as a call to arms to take what they have without any negative repercussions.

The most successful tribes are typically those that are willing to trade within neutral territory. This demonstrates a base level of civility is possible with the goblins of Anuheim.

Goods & Black Market Deals

Goblins from all over Anuheim come to trade weapons, tools, food, poisons, magical mushrooms, and more. Atzul spider eggs, rare mushrooms, stolen human goods, and spore-infused trinkets are common items.

Commodities include:

• Mushrooms

• Meat

• Spears

• Bow and Arrows

• Leather Clothing

Some Krurt hobgoblins attend the festivals, bringing their own advanced metallurgy and brutal weaponry in exchange for unique goblin resources. Their wealth is enormous and all goblins hope to get their hands on some additional gold during these festivals.

The Layout of Mossy Hollow

Mossy Hollow is a mishmash of structures, a mixture of ruined human architecture, goblin-built dwellings, and sprawling underground tunnels. The aboveground portion looks like many other goblin villages, but beneath the surface lies The Hollows—an intricate underground network haphazardly constructed for generations.

The Ruined Stone Tower

Once a human lesser noble’s home, long abandoned but masterfully made with granite stone, it now serves as the ruling seat of the Ebonspear Tribe.

Goblins have dug deep beneath the tower, expanding its foundation into fortified tunnels and hidden chambers.

Here the chief lives and his 'advisors' and closest enforcers live. This small goblin fortress is heavily fortified from outside attackers and is well stocked with the best weapons and even hidden Atzul spider guards.

Inside the house structure is a throne fit for a goblin to rule from, if the chief were ever to ruled by law instead of force.

The Hollows

The true heart of Mossy Hollow, a labyrinth of tunnels, burrows, and underground homes. Carved out through the generations. The Hollows is a place of life. Goblins can live their whole lives down here and many do.

Sunlight filters through cracks and skylights, while fire and reflective surfaces illuminate the deeper sections. Moss and fungi grow in abundance here, giving the village its namesake.

Much of The Hollows is a slum with terrible living conditions. Goblins will take just about any work to get out while others have established themselves with great abundance. Murklin goblins have permanently moved into this space to grow and experiment with magical mushrooms and spores.

Trade workshops exist down here to craft various goods from cooked meats to tanned hides and crude tools. Stolen and legitimate goods alike can be found here.

Most merchants and trade from non-residence does not take place in The Hollows, but those looking to hire some extra muscle, whether for labor or fighting, can find the extra hands they need here.

The Border Defenses

A ring of debris, rocks, trees, and refuse circles the village, creating a haphazard fortification and wall that wraps around Mossy Hollow. The border is riddled with traps, tunnels, and hidden escape routes designed to confuse and even ambush invaders.

Traps are commonly rigged in the wall and very few genuine routes, most of which funnel into more traps and dangerous exits. Although the Ebonspear warriors and elite tend to familiarize themselves with specific routes just in case they need to get through without using one of the three gates.

Two gates on opposite ends are heavily guarded and serve as main entrances for traders and visitors. The third is a hidden "backdoor", used by Ebonspear tribe for various reasons from secretly existing the village to quietly moving Atzul spiders and more malicious black market activities.

Mossy Hollow's Borderlands

The outer edges of Mossy Hollow are a strange and dangerous mixture of industry, agriculture, and predator-filled wilderness. While the heart of the village thrives on trade, the borderlands are where goblins labor, experiment, and fight for survival. These borderlands mostly fall within the goblin fortified walls however some takes place in the nearby forest.

It is here that the Ebonspear Tribe manages its two most valuable industries—the Atzul spider trade and the mushroom farms—all while maintaining defenses against the untamed wilds of the Ebonhart Forest.

The Atzul Spider Breeding Grounds

One of the most important districts in Mossy Hollow, the Atzul Breeding Grounds is where goblins raise, train, and harvest resources from Atzul spiders. The breeding area itself is a still forested area within the wall that is left largely untouched, as spiders prefer to weave their own nests in the trees rather than live in goblin-made structures.

Small goblin dome huts dot the ground, serving as homes for spider breeders and tamers, but there are no underground tunnels here—it is too risky to disturb the spiders’ natural nesting patterns.

There are spaces for Atzul to breed and sleep as well as for the tamers to work with the spiders as mounts. There are auxiliary crafting huts and workshops nearby that create harnesses and other tools that the breeders and tamers need to do their job.

The spider egg thieves also make their home along the wall where they have their own secret tunnels underneath that allow them to steal eggs from the Brood of Yavi, often sneaking into Yaviscizz’s nesting grounds to secure their prize before making a hasty retreat back to Mossy Hollow.

Once hatched, Atzul spiders are raised for different purposes—some for warfare, some for silk production, and others for scouting, hunting, defense, and more.

Despite the profitability of the Atzul trade, it is incredibly dangerous. More goblins die in this district than anywhere else in Mossy Hollow, either from spider mishandling, failed taming attempts, or from failed attempts to steal Atzul eggs.

The Mushroom Farms

A vital part of Mossy Hollow’s food supply, the mushroom farms are where goblins grow, cultivate, and experiment with fungi, producing everything from basic food to potent alchemical mushrooms, and magical spore mixtures.

The farms are situated underground, along the edges of the village's wall amongst a forested part of the village, where moisture and shade allow mushrooms to thrive.

Common mushrooms serve as staple food sources for the village, including visitors, while rare fungi are grown in specialized chambers, tended to by Murklin shamans and goblin alchemists.

The Murklin population in Mossy Hollow is quite large as Ebonspear hire them regularly and offer them space to grow and experiment some of their product within the safe borders. The elite and chief benefit greatly by having access to the magical mushrooms of their swamp living kin.

Some goblins are working on creating hybrid mushrooms, blending swamp fungi with Ebonhart Forest soil to create new magical effects. The most valuable mushrooms are not for food but for trade and warfare:

Glowcap Mushrooms – Bioluminescent fungi used to illuminate the underground city and guide scouts at night.

Frenzy Spores – When inhaled, these mushrooms send goblins into a violent rage, making them fearless in battle.

Dreamweaver Mushrooms – A rare strain that induces hallucinations and visions, used as a narcotic by goblins to get high and escape their reality.

Black Veil Spores – A toxic fungus that causes paralysis and slow suffocation, often coated on goblin weapons.

While the mushroom farms are crucial, they are not without danger. Occasionally, certain fungi attract strange creatures from the forest, and accidental exposure to potent spores has driven some goblins mad or permanently altered their minds.

The Border Defenses

Unlike human settlements that rely on walls and watchtowers, Mossy Hollow’s border defenses are a chaotic but effective mixture of traps, terrain, and hidden tunnels. A ring of debris, trees, rocks, and goblin refuse forms a barrier around the village, intentionally designed to confuse and disorient intruders.

Within this wall, the goblins have built a maze of tunnels, with some leading to dead ends and others designed to collapse on invaders.

Traps litter the border, including pitfall traps lined with spikes or sticky fungal growths, false log traps that collapse under foot or overhead, false pathways that lead into hidden Atzul spider nests and narrowing tunnels.

These defenses ensure that even if an enemy force marches on Mossy Hollow, they will be met with confusion, ambushes, and the ever-present danger of Atzul spiders lurking just beyond the village’s edge.

To make sure this all works, goblins regularly patrol the walls. Anywhere from 1 to 3 goblins can see every part of the Mossy Hollow wall at any given time. Their scouting is sufficient to warn of any advancing army or hostile group.

Final Thoughts

Mossy Hollow is a thriving, chaotic hub of goblin activity, a center of trade, power, and constant strength.

It is one of the most stable goblin settlements in Anuheim, not because it is peaceful, but because its rulers understand that commerce is power. As long as trade flows, as long as the Atzul spiders hatch, and as long as the markets thrive, Mossy Hollow will remain standing.

And when the time for a new chief comes, when the cycle of chaos and violence erupts once more, the markets will close, the enforcers will choose their sides, and the goblins of Mossy Hollow will fight—not just for power, but for the future of the greatest Skragglin commerce hub in Anuheim.