The time for the wildspace journey between Maj and Selene is about five minutes at spelljamming speed, which is over-shadowed by the little more than an hour that is needed to pass through the atmosphere and gravity well of both Maj and Selene. Assuming there are no problems with the weather on Maj (Selene's minimal weather is unlikely to cause problems) a two-hour journey would not be unreasonable.
While there are shallow, brackish, seas, covering the parts named as seas on any map of Selene (Luna), this is in many respects a dry world, with in general no rain, dew keeping the lichen alive, and there are some pools of fresh water, and even small lakes, to be found near the poles, where there is frozen ice. Some of the nearside goblin tribes have domesticated moon goats, and the cheese made from their milk is said to be of exceptional quality. The goblins will trade cheese for metal, which they use to make better weapons than their rather soft stone ones - metal does not seem to be mineable on this moon.
Near the poles there is some more life, in the form of shape-shifters, lunatics of all stripes, fractious city states and the Great Lunar University. Ah, the Great Lunar University! Home of knowledge, wisdom and base of many adventurers. Its motto is "Mapping the Universe, one casualty at a time". Possibly Selene's true ruler as much as it has one.
Piedra de la Luna Municipalidad aka Moonstone City
Nova Roma
Location: Selene, north polar region.
The Great Lunar University had an inauspicious start about 40 years ago as an insane asylum for spellcasters and scholars. But something in Selene's rarified air so conducive to irrationality in the relatively sane seemed to have a curative effect on many of the sufferers shipped there. Since many of the inmates had serious relapses if they left, a colony was formed, and a great deal of scholarship ensued. Later students were added. For full details see GLU.
"Loony Town" or The Old Settlement
Loony Town, while outside the walls of the Great Lunar University, is the actual site of the original sanitarium that the University grew out of, although the original building is long gone. Selene attracts all sorts of madmen and visionaries and assorted crazies, and in the territory of The Great Luna University they often end up in Loony Town, which lies next to, but is distinct from, the harbor district.
In Loony Town you find the mad, the lazy, the practical and the mystical. Here you can find more refined sins than in the harbor district, here you find odd cults, and here you find the (moderately) illegal, the (moderately) immoral and the (moderately) impossible.
The best restaurants in town, the wildest student hangouts, and the strangest nightclubs are found in Looney Town. There are magic shops in Loony Town, and while they might not be as well stocked as the University's magic exchange, they often have less common, more specialized items.
Loony Town is safe enough if you stick to the streets and the establishments on the edges -- those are well patrolled by GLU's security forces. However, what happens inside the stranger establishments in the core of Loony Town tends to stay in those establishments.
Democratica, The Republic of
The Republic of Democratica is a city-state bordering the Great Lunar University (GLU). The city-state was settled by radical believers in democracy from all over Maj, particularly from Europa. Their intention was to recreate and improve classical Athenian democracy. Unlike in Athen's original democracy, however, there would be universal suffrage, no slavery and strict limits on resident foreigners. For full details see Democratic.
Piedra de la Luna Municipalidad aka Moonstone City
Location: Selene, north polar region; the Crater Plato, south of the Mare Frigoris Sea, north of the Mare Imbrium Sea, and west of Montes Alpes.
The Crater Plato is approximately 63 miles (101 km) in diameter.
Piedra de la Luna Municipalidad, or Moonstone City in the Common language, was founded 1576 CE by Lord Lancelo Bazia del la Madeira, an Iberian nobleman For full details see Moonstone.
Nova Roma is the thriving Roma city-state, which is intended to aid in the Roma conquest of Maj Space. For something with a supposedly military purpose it has many grand buildings, and temples to the gods of Roma, and seems more a place of diplomatic than military conflict. In many respects, because of the temples, it also seems to be something of a religious centre. The various other empires of Maj have found it very useful, as 'neutral' ground, and can have quiet discusions while just there for 'religious reasons'.
One strange addition to the Roma pantheon, apparently special to Selene, is a rabbit god, Lago Silvanus. His temple features a large white statue of a moon rabbit, and prayers by goat herds for protection against moon rabbits are apparently sometimes useful. He is also taken to be a god to whom prayers help in dealing with the 'lunar sickness', that form of madness that sometimes troubles the previously stable on Selene. Some rogues pray to him for concealment, and there are some who claim that he is particularly effective fertility god. Scholars and the more thoughtful priests are puzzled by this new god, and his role in things; the best answer that Mercurius Adeptus seems to give is 'wait and see'.
As far as the Roma army is concerned, they have been quite useful in fending off attacks by Hoblocks, and several persistent tribes of winged goblins, but there is not a lot of sign that they are moving out into Maj Space, except on a few probing expeditions. Privately, the military leaders are both happy to have the time to build-up and train their forces, and unhappy they are waiting for the politicians to decide what to do. Mercurius Adeptus hears quite a few prayers for patience.
Emania means 'Moonland' in the Celtic language, and was legendarily a place of the dead, guarded by wolves, but Albion claims that it is intended to strike the fear of death into their enemies, and be a wolf at the throat of any who dare strike against them.
This Albion city-state, which was originally founded to support naval activites on Maj, later expanded to be the main Albion spelljamming port off Maj, and be a centre of commerce, though the naval docks are still considered a major part of the town. It runs on a strict 24-hour day, independent on whether it is day or night on Selene, and its noon is the same time as noon at Winchester. Trade seems to be an important part of its business, no matter what the navy are currently up to.
Novaya Moscovy is the the Muscovite lunar city-state, and it is run very firmly as an extension of the Muscovy bureaucracy. It is by far the most successful venture of Muscovy spelljamming. Its political stability is quite impressive given the tendancy to ship the insane, troublemakers and political activists here, who may become more stable and solid citizens on Selene, and who may become outright lunatics, or worse, republicans!
There are stories that the Grand Duchy of Moscow has its most dangerous and almost certainly illegal magical research centres here, within nameless immense window-less buildings of unadorned lunar granite. This is where the worst enemies of the Duchy are turned into terrible, but loyal, magical combat engines, to aid the glorious expansion into wildspace. The only reference known to this is 'Department X23'.
These are fields of grey lichen, with no notable characteristics, except they seem to easily survive the fourteen-day nights, and are tough enough that the skinny grey moon goats which graze on them have to work quite hard for a meal.
Moon Goats: These seem to be perfectly normal goats except that they have finely-tuned senses, in particular hearing, probably to detect the moon rabbits. The goats seem to either breed sufficiently slowly that the lichen recovers from their grazing, or the moon rabbits keep their numbers down.
Moon Rabbits: These are the rare carnivorous giant moon rabbits, which are invisible, and eat the goats. Fortunately their breeding rate is much, much, slower than normal rabbits, which is probably a good thing as there is nothing on Selene which hunts them. These are about as intelligent as humans, speak Common, and if desired may be treated as Barbarians for most purposes, though they are solitary hunters, with tooth and (retractable) claw. GMs may use the same stats as for Lion, adding the supernatural ability Natural Invisibility, which they can turn on or off at will, selecting who can see (and in fact hear) them. Moon rabbits have little fondness for anything but (preferably fresh - dried or salted if neccessary) goat meat, and they can fast for long periods of time if needed, in a death-like torpor. They will kill (winged) goblins if forced to, or ants, but prefer to terrify them into going away; they refuse to eat the meat of intelligent beings, for fear they will be possessed by their vengeful spirits, and consider the ants (and aphids) inedible. A small number of rabbits, typically the albino shamen, have left Selene, stowing away invisible and in a torpor on spelljamming ships, and may be found in strange parts of Maj Space, or even beyond.
Winged Goblins: These are as normal goblins but in addition their wings give them the ability to Fly 60 ft. (poor maneuverability), with reasonable endurance. Being able to fly tends to give them a feeling of superiority over those who cannot, and if not threatened this usually translates into an easier-going attitude which can make them more tolerable neighbours. Winged goblins are no more resistant when confronted by Hoblocks than any other goblinoid, but they have a strong tendancy to forget any instructions and orders once the Hoblock is out of sight. They tend to lair in high caves which flight, magic, or a difficult climb is needed to reach. Some sages believe that, like many of the creatures of nearside, they breed more slowly than normal goblins. The goblins eat goat, giant ant, or if really hungry lichen soup, and some tribes have domesticated goats and both drink their milk and eat the cheese made from it. One of the few goblin trade items is moon goat cheese, which is prized by gourmets.
Giant Ant & Aphid: These are the small numbers of normal giant ants, who live on Selene, herding giant aphids who in turn eat the lichen. The ant eat the 'honey' made by the aphids from the lichen, and the occasional meal of goat or goblin, though the goats are generally too alert for them, unless old or injured, and the goblins make full use of their advantage of flight. GMs use the same stats as worker ants for aphids, with +0 melee, no grab, and 1d3 damage.
These are shallow, brackish, seas, with suspiciously little in the way of life visible in them. Some morbid sorts have suggested that they are the vital fluids of some great creature, or that they act as the sensory organs of the great living creature that is Selene, as it watches Maj, but there seems no real evidence for this, other than 'moon madness'.
Mushroom forests are one of Selene's odder geographic features. However, month-long days are hard on normal vegetation, leading to a domination of the local ecosystem, on the far side of Selene from Maj, by mushrooms instead. The growth of these forests depend in part on the soil, in part on intelligent activity and in part on the moss and the water. It is possible that some sort of energies from Maj either suppress the mushrooms, or encourage the growth of lichen, on the side of Selene that faces Maj.
The ground in the Mushroom forests is covered by a thick, spongy layer of green moss, giving the impression of an endless miniature golf course. Widely spaced through this green are giant mushrooms running up to 30 feet in height, although 5 to 20 feet is more typical. Occasionally denser clusters of dark-colored mushrooms will form around a grown-over pond.
Sometimes found in the forests are the immensely ancient remains of abandoned Yu-Tsa-Ai (see Anubis) cities, from the ages when they first entered Maj Space. Why they left is unknown, but it is speculated that there is a link between these ruins and the Mushroom forests.
In addition to dangerous creatures, the Mushroom forest has such hazards as streams and ponds entirely covered by moss, that the unwary can fall into and drown, trapped beneath the moss; mushrooms that fire poisonous spores, and falling mushrooms.
Possible encounters in the Mushroom forest:
1-2 Mushroom harvesters
3 Patrols
4 Bandits
5 Moss Leopards (like a standard leopard, but green)
6 Moss Wolves or Mind Wolves (Moss Wolves are green wolves,
Mind Wolves are telepathic and shape changing)
7 Hoblocks/Displacer Beasts/Leech Man
8 Shifters
9 Miconids
10 Mushroom Monsters
11-12 Others
Note: Shifters and Miconids are optional, as the spec for the first can be found in 'Races of Eberron', and the second in 'Monster Manual 2', pg.154.
MUSHROOM MONSTERS
Large Plants
Hit Points: 4d8+12
Inititive: +0
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+11
Attack: 1 Slam +7 Melee (2d4+3)
Full Attack: 2 Slams +7 Melee (2d4+3)
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Armor Class: 13 (-1 size, +4 natural), touch 9, Flat Footed 13
Special Attacks: Spoor Spray
Special Qualities: Camouflage, Resistance to cold and electricity/10, low light vision, plant traits, rage 1/day
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +2
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 13, Chr 9
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Mostly Neutral
Environment: Mushroom Forests
A sort of Mushroom Treant, but not as smart or nice. They tend to be hostile to anyone damaging the mushroom forest (although removing sick mushrooms or thinning overcrowded mushrooms is OK).
Camouflage (Ex): When not moving, Mushroom Monsters look just like giant mushrooms. In this state in the Mushroom Forest they require a DC 22 spot check to notice.
Spoor Spray (Ex): Mushroom Monsters can shoot out a 30' long line of spoors, causing one of the following random effects if a DC 14 Fortitude save is failed:
1-2 Sleep (as spell) 3 Confusion (1d6 rounds) 4-5 Fear (1d6 rounds) 6 Acid (2d8 damage, 1/2 damage on save)
After using this ability, a Mushroom Monster may not use it again for 1d4 rounds.
Moss Wolves and Lunar Elves and Shifters
Some Moss wolves are far more intelligent than the average. These wolves -- called Mind Wolves -- are also able to communicate telepathically with each other at ranges up to 1 mile. The Mind Wolves are staunch allies of the Lunar Elves, and implacable enemies of the Hoblocks and Displacer Beasts.
The Mind Wolves, while not as large as Dire Wolves, tend to be larger than normal wolves (3 dice base size instead of 2, and count as magical beasts instead of animals). It is not known were Mind Wolves came from, but legend says they were once Elves who hid from the Hoblocks in animal form for so long that they forgot who they were originally. This is supported by the fact that the alpha pair (male and female) of a Mind Wolf pack can take Elvish form for a total of 30 minutes a day.
The Lunar Elves have been on Selene almost as long as the Hoblocks. These days they live mostly in the Mountain Valleys of the Lunar Highlands where they guard the borders of nearside against the Hoblocks and their allies. The Elves receive occasional support from the Great Lunar University for this task. Despite this, they are not overwhelmingly fond of humans, who they regard as annoying newcomers. They get along fairly well with the Shifters.
Lunar Elves follow the usual rules for Wood Elves, and their favored classes are Rangers and Druids. Moon Elves usually have silvery hair and gray eyes.
The Shifters on the Moon tend to live in villages in the zone between the lunar citystates and the Hoblocks' lands, not trusting the former (who often take advantage of them) and hating the latter. They get along well enough with the Mind Wolves and the Lunar Elves, with whom they are allied. While they also receive some aid against the Hoblocks from the Great Lunar University, they do not particularly trust the GLU, as they suspect it is only acting out of self-interest (and they are correct).
Leech Man
Medium Aberration (Extraplanar, Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 2d8+6 (16 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), Swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (+4 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+8
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d3+3 and attach)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d3+3 and attach), 2 bites +1 melee (1d3+3 and attach)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Attach, Blood drain
Special Qualities: Amphibious, Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/slashing and piercing, water breathing
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +4
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +6, Move Silently +6
Feats: Multiattack
Environment: Mushroom Forest
Organization: Solitary or swarm (3-12)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 3-5 HD (Medium); 6-8 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
Leech Men appear humanoid from a distance, but close up they look horribly wrong. They are sexless and blubbery, and instead of a humanoid head they have the head and mouth of a giant leech. But worse, their arms are two more giant leech heads, although eyeless. Leech Men are probably native to some distant alien world, and sometimes appear in the aftermath of a summoning of evil Outsiders. They lurk in moss-covered ponds in the Mushroom Woods, quietly slithering out to attack when warm-blooded prey pass by.
Leech Men communicate with each other by a form of sign language.
Combat
A Leech Man attacks by attaching its sucking, tooth-lined maws to vulnerable spots on the victim, and draining blood. This can target only Small or larger creatures (although they can do pure bite damage against smaller creatures).
Attach (Ex): If a Leech Man hits with a bite attack, its sucking mouth clamps on firmly. An attached Leech Man is effectively grappling its prey. The Leech Man looses any Dexterity bonus to AC and has an AC of 14, but holds on with great tenacity. Leech Men have a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above). A bite attack is +2 to hit for each mouth already attached in a previous round.
An attached Leech Man can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached Leech Man through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the Leech Man.
Blood Drain (Ex): A Leech Man drains blood, dealing 1-2 points of Constitution damage per mouth in any round when it begins its turn attached to a victim. Once it has dealt 16 points of Constitution damage, it detaches and moves off to digest the meal. If its victim dies before the Leech Man's appetite has been sated, the Leech Man detaches and seeks a new target.
Skills
Leech Men have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently and Hide checks.
Hoblock
Hoblock, 1st-level Warrior
Size/Type: Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid)
Hit Dice: 1D8 (4)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 feet (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +3 studded leather, +1 light shield), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2
Attack: Rapier +3 melee (1d6+1/18-20) or hand crossbow +2 ranged (1d4/19-20)
Full Attack: Rapier +3 melee (1d6+1/18-20) or hand crossbow +2 ranged (1d4/19-20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Hoblock Traits
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will -1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 10*
Feats: Weapon Focus (rapier)
Environment: Mountains, Underground
Organization: Patrol: 1 + 2-12 Goblins + 2-8 Hobgoblins + 1-6 Bugbears.
Warband: 2-8 + 10-60 Goblins + 5-40 Hobgoblins + 5-30 Bugbears.
Challenge Rating: 0.5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1
(*) Note Cha modifiers to goblinoids
Hoblocks are an artificial race, created by a ancient, long-vanished, cabal of evil wizards to command the vast army of goblinoids they were breeding, and to act as magical support troops. They incorporated genetic material from all of the goblinoid races, humans, drow, other sorts of elves, evil dragons and possibly demons. They stand five feet tall and are slender and relatively lightly built. Their skin color is a grayish red, and their hair color runs from bright red through gray. They tend to dress in elaborate, colorful, even foppish clothes. They are a bright-eyed, cleanly and alert people, and surprisingly attractive given their background. They have inborn abilities that help them control other goblinoid races. Hoblocks are sometimes referred to as High Goblins, but there are other races with that title. They tend to call themselves 'The Elegant People'.
Hoblock Traits
Hoblocks possess the following racial traits:
Hoblocks are about the same size as scrawny Elves, and have a life-span similar to Half-Elves.
The Hoblock Mindset
The Hoblocks were designed to have a number of mental traits: they had to be intelligent enough to raise and lead armies of goblinoids and to help with spellcasting, they had to rule the other goblinoids (and maybe conquered members of other species), but they also had to be obedient to the wizards that made them, and keep their noses out of the wizards' business. The last requirement is why they were made to be sorcerers rather than wizards - the instinctive magic would make them less likely to study magic (they were not wanted to be intellectual).
This was an essentially a self-contradictory set of requirements, and the results were mixed. Hoblocks turned out to be luxury-loving, hedonistic, self-important and self-absorbed. They are far more interested in each other than in any other races. They do, however, feel a sense of noblesse oblige towards the other goblinoid races, and feel the need to 'civilize' them and (to some extent) take care of them. Of course, since Hoblocks feel they are nature's own gentry, taking care of them means giving them a place as servants and subject warriors. Normal Goblins form the lowest class of Hoblock society, above them are Bugbears, and above them Hobgoblins. The level just below Hoblocks is other goblinoid spellcasters, including crosses between Hoblocks and other goblinoids. Then, at the top, come the Hoblocks themselves, a position enforced by their ability to mentally influence other types of goblinoid.
Young Hoblocks will fight for their clan and state with a fierce, reckless bravery. Older Hoblocks will fight with the great cunning accumulated through years of infighting. Fights with other Hoblocks may come down to battles between champions. Fights with 'wild' goblinoids may be settled by treaty. Fights with non-gobliniods are usually to the death, with no thought of negotiation.
Hoblock Society
Hoblock society is an endless social whirl of parties, concerts, poetry readings, assassinations, affairs and duels (think a somewhat evil version of Regency England crossed with Renaissance Italy). If they didn't breed reasonably fast, they'd make themselves extinct in fairly quick order. The Hoblocks started from a fairly small gene pool, and in part to avoid in-breeding, Hoblock marriages almost all arranged. This does not stop them from having numerous affairs, but generally not until they are married. The child of a married woman is considered legitimate, no matter who the father was (as long as he as a Hoblock, of course). Hoblocks never marry members of other races, even other goblinoid races, although they will, occasional take lovers from the other goblinoid races. Children of such relationships are rare, and not considered Hoblocks.
The basic Hoblock political unit is the city-state, although larger groupings such as small kingdoms or leagues of city-states are not unknown. Hoblocks within a city-state are usually arranged into clans, and a council of clans rules the city-state. Hoblocks desiring rank in society usually need accomplishments to their name: by writing poems or songs, or painting pictures, inventing new dances, founding new cities, fighting duels, inventing a new torture, throwing great parties, creating new spells, etc. This translates into fame which in turn is a subtle form of political power which can be used to take control of one's clan or even the city-state.
The Hoblock Language is a dialect of Goblin with a large number of Common, Elvish and Undercommon loan words, and spoken with a highly affected accent. At least part of its purpose is to set the Hoblocks apart from their servant races.
Hoblock cities are of two types: surface and subsurface. Surface cities are by preference built in the mountains where they can be easily defended. The city proper will only be inhabited by Hoblocks, Hobgoblins, servants and soldiers. The mass of goblins will live in tunnels beneath the city. Subsurface Hoblock cities are not as neatly segregated, but there will be "good" parts of town where the Hoblocks live, and the "bad" side where the goblin poor live. By application of scientific farming and decent sanitation, more goblins can be supported by a Hoblock city than might be expected, and in better health too.
Hoblocks primarily worship their ancestors, particularly the First Ones, those Hoblocks created directly by the wizard cabal. They also worship the usual Goblin and Hobgoblin gods such as Maglubiyet, Bargrivyek and Nomog-Geaya.
Hoblock Alignment
Hoblocks were designed to be evil, and the bulk of them remain that way today, at least when interacting with outsiders and each other. They tend to be at worst neutral to other goblinoids, however. On the Law-Chaos axis they tend to have characteristics of both ends: on one hand their society has a strong class structure and strong expectations of what it expects from individuals, on the other hand, Hoblocks are always in a struggle against their fellows for status and power, and few ways of winning are unthinkable. They tend to average out as neutral. Individual Hoblocks may be of any alignment, although good Hoblocks are rare.
Classes
Hoblocks raised in their native culture may be of any of the standard classes other than Barbarian, Druid, Monk or Paladin. The classic Hoblock class is the Sorcerer: a "Sorcerer and a Gentleman" is almost a redundancy among Hoblocks. Bards are socially acceptable if competent, but rare. Clerics are of high status, and clerical posts are often handed down in families in the same manner as land and titles. Being a Fighter is thought to be a career for those lacking ambition, unless they aspire to a position of command in the military. Rangers are vanishingly rare and considered very odd, if useful (someone must watch the border after all). Rogues are respectable only if their activities are performed with style. Hoblocks consider wizards vaguely disreputable. This is probably a holdover from their creation, but may also be due to an attitude that a gentleman or gentlewoman should be educated, but not too educated.
Hoblocks and Other Races
Aside from each other and (to a lesser extent) other goblinoids, Hoblocks don't generally find other races interesting, nor to they care what happens to them. This means that a Hoblock city-state can exist peacefully right next to elves or humans for generations in a state of perfect peace. Of course, if the Hoblocks decide one day the they need the humans' land, or that the elves are hunting down too many wild goblins, they are perfectly capable of slaughtering their long-term neighbors without the slightest compunction.
Hoblocks do like the trade goods they can get from other races, but the trade is usually handled by Hobgoblins and Goblins - Hoblocks generally avoid the "stress" of dealing with non-goblinoid races personally.
The literal translation of the Hoblock term for a member of their species that willingly associates with non-goblinoids is unspeakably obscene.
Hoblocks consider goblinoid-non-goblinoid cross-breeds as goblinoids, and treat them accordingly.
Elves and Dwarves like Hoblocks even less than regular Goblins or Hobgoblins, if that is possible. However, Hoblock states are occasionally tolerated as long as they keep to themselves, as digging Hoblock city-states out is difficult and expensive. Perhaps because Hoblocks have some Drow genetic material, some Drow find Hoblocks amusing and like to take them as slaves, even though they make poor slaves. Other Drow find the Hoblocks mere existence offensive, and go out of their way to kill them. Most don't care.
Regular Goblins find Hoblocks intimidating. They love being around them, but they highly dislike the loss of freedom that results from being ruled by Hoblocks. However, they can not make themselves stay away.
Bugbears are fine being the Hoblocks bodyguards and shock troops. They get fed and clothed, their mates and young are kept safe, and they get to kill things. What could be better?
Hobgoblins may be the goblinoid race most dissatisfied with the Hoblocks. Hobgoblins are normally the cleverest of the goblinoids and rule themselves. But under the Hoblocks they form a sort of middle class. They don't much like having "betters", but the Hoblock's abilities and charisma are hard to resist.
Hoblocks as Adventurers
Hoblocks are rarely found adventuring, because that would mean mixing with non-goblinoid races. If there is a need, such as scouting out a location for a daughter city, a party entirely consisting of goblinoids can be formed and sent out. If outsiders need to be talked to, Goblins or Hobgoblins will handle the task.
Very few Hoblocks will willingly associate with non-goblinoids. However, there is one odd, but rare case. Hoblocks born to an unmarried mother are barred from most positions in Hoblock society (they may not inherit land or titles, and they may not be clerics, for instance). Often, at majority, they are given a sword and a small bag of gold, and told to go off somewhere else and make their fortune. Most of them try travel to another Hoblock city, one far enough off that no one knows them or of their irregular birth. But to do so, they must usually cross large stretches of land inhabited by other races. Once in a great while they linger in these non-goblinoid lands, accumulating wealth and power for their grand return to Hoblock society.
Hoblocks on Selene
Hoblocks live on the farside of Selene. While they are reluctant to talk about it, some will admit that the view of Maj hanging over them in the sky unsettles them. However, this does not stop them using the goblinoids at their command to deal with any 'threats to our security' on the nearside.
A Rumour about Hoblocks
There are persistent rumors that the wizards that created the Hoblocks left hidden control channels in their minds, and thus there once existed specialized Hoblock control spells that Hoblocks have no way to resist. This certainly sounds plausible, but their enemies left so little of the wizard cabal that the spells, if they ever existed, seem lost forever. Whether those spells could ever be recovered or recreated is unknown. The Hoblocks are reported to be understandably worried about this possibility, and might well go to war against anyone even rumored to be working on such spells. It would be surprising if there is not someone at the Great Lunar University (secretly) researching the subject...
Usagi Totoro, Moon Rabbit Shaman
Alignment: Neutral
Class: Moon Rabbit 5/Adept 10
Race: Moon Rabbit
Str 21, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 6
Totoro is pretty sure he died. Yes, that is supposed to be what you do as part of your shamanic initiation ritual, but he thinks that it went a lot further than that. He found himself in front of some sort of Celestial Court, with a goddess who was introduced as 'Amaterasu' presiding, to which he was described as 'the moon rabbit'. Quite a lot of terrifyingly powerful beings spoke both for and against him, and scenes from his life were shown, some of which he thinks must have been previous incarnations, because while familiar, he certainly can't remember them from this life.
At the end of all this he was pronounced 'Kami of Selene (Provisional)', which he is pretty sure means that he is in theory responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of all of his world. He woke to find his suprised shamanic sponsor bending over his blood-splattered body, which had apparently been dead, due to being savaged by a particularly vicious Moon Goat, while Totoro was on his vision quest, via the sacred lichen. The traditional meal of (very fresh) goat and mushrooms helped clear his head, but he concluded that he should at least take a thorough look around Selene, to see if there is any possible truth in his new appointment.
Totoro's invisible travels have led him across much of Selene, and he was alternately appalled and amazed. The Hoblocks and the far side, with the mushroom forests, seemed while alien little different from the tales of his ancestors. However, the new colonies, the city states, mostly of humans near the North Pole, are chaotic, and seem to grow larger every time he turns his back on them. In his visions and dreams he has been visiting the gods and spirits brought to Selene by these new peoples, mostly from Maj, which is called the Eye of the Spirits by his people, where legends say the spirits of his people go when they die.
A council hall has been built on the boundary of the Astral and Outer Planes, by a craft god (Vulcan/Hephaestus), and that is where Totoro presides over what are mostly the arguments of the gods represented on Selene. In theory he has the casting vote, and he is slowly gaining an effective grasp of godly politics; being only visible and audible to those of the gods who he wishes to has been quite helpful. His most effective allies tend to be the gods of the Hoblocks and the Winged Goblins, though both of these need careful watching to ensure that they are not up to something that they think 'clever'. The gods of the Lunar Elves, Mind Wolves and Shifters are not inclined to give any help, seeming to think they have a higher purpose, but at least they don't interfere. What the Advisorium of the GLU is up to seems unclear, but if considered carefully it can be a useful source of knowledge and advice.
Sometimes Totoro wishes that the life of an avatar was easier! It's enough to make him want to hang around in bars!
The main advantage that Totoro gets out of being an avatar is the ability to step freely from the Prime Material to the Astral Plane, and back from the Astral Plane to one place that he last was, or places he knows well. He can take up to one willing other person with him, and cloak them in the Natural Invisibility of his race, as long as they stay close to him. Even so, he has done a lot of walking over the last few decades.
Totoro added +1 to his Cha to 4th, 8th and 12th.
Note: Moon Rabbits have +10 Str, +6 Dex, +4 Con and -4 Cha; they are treated as base 5HD Magical Beasts, and have an LA of +4.
(c) Dreamer Publications, 1980 - October 2006
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