Lost on the Beach

Faithful of Zogmugot

Illustration by Luis Perez

Many see goblins as insane little monsters, but these vicious creatures have a culture all their own and are also a very religious bunch. Goblins in general worship Lamashtu, and although they hold her in the highest esteem some dedicate themselves to the Goblin-Hero gods in the same way that some worship saints in the real world. These deific level Barghests are said to be the actual progenitors the goblin race, the little buggers being created from drops of their blood. There are four such creatures and we’ve already looked at one – Zarongel – and today we will explore one more: Zogmugot, the Goblin Hero-God of drowning, flotsam, and scavenging. Little is known about her followers so let’s make some up, shall we?

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Zogmugot. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of the Lady Lastbreath. What character do you make?

For more information on Zogmugot

Zogmugot’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Zogmugot’s Archives of Nethys Page

The Bottom Dwellers

Many of Zogmugot’s faithful collect the things that float to the surface and wash up on shore. A special set of her worshipers look to salvage that which has sunk to the bottom of the sea. Lady Lastbreath takes drowning as part of her portfolio and the goblins known as The Bottom Dwellers see their survival from their unaided dives as proof of their Hero-God’s favor.

Joining the Bottom Dwellers is actually a two-fold process. Of course the first thing that a would-be diver needs to prove is how long they can hold their breath underwater. There is no exact time prescribed, the current Dwellers make their decision on a case by case basis. The second task is to find an item on the bottom and present it to the group. Again there is no set idea of what this object must be, interesting is better than common however.

Eyes of the Sea

It is said Zogmugot can see out of every piece of beach glass in order to look in on those who wander her sands. The Eyes of the Sea are a group of goblin diviners who believe that they can use these “shinies” to see as well. There is no way petition for membership into the Eyes, each member is gifted their power by Lady Lastbreath herself.

The traditional method of divining the future or seeing places far off is to use pieces of glass collected from a beach. It is believed that each seeing uses the power of an individual “shiny” and so part of the Eye’s daily rituals is collecting new material at twilight every night. These goblins will pass over seemingly more valuable items to find just the right piece of polished glass.

Trash Pirates

This group of Zogmugot disciples sail up and down the coast of Varisa in makeshift boats. They stop all along the way collecting pieces of flotsam and raiding the garbage dumps of coastal settlements. They are especially fond of Sandpoint and Magnimar as they feel that they find the choicest pieces of trash there.

The Trash Pirates began their life at sea after their first captain had a vision in the aftermath of a near-drowning. He was tipped overboard by an errant wave and quickly swept away, but by some miracle awakened in the midday sun after being washed ashore. Captain Wavebreaker collected himself a crew, mostly by force, and began the life of pirating. The current captain is Captain Wavebreaker VII. None of them have been related except Wavebreaker II and Wavebreaker VI. When the old captain dies the crew fight it out till one last goblin stands and he takes on the moniker of Captain Wavebreaker.

The sea can give and it also takes away, much like the Goblin Hero-God’s followers. Who is your disciple of Zogmugot? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to Lady Lastbreath? Where does their devotion come from? Let me know in the comments.

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The opening illustration was created by a fine artist Luis Perez. You can find him on Twitter, Tumblr, and on Instagram at luisperezart.

Dog Eat Dog World

Riders of Zarongel

Zarongel: a Barghest so powerful it can grant divine spells to goblins. The Goblin Hero-God of dog killing, fire, and mounted combat—all things that goblins love so much. But how do goblins organize? What kind of sects will be specifically dedicated to this fel beast? At our hypothetical gaming table, where you have all been tasked with playing goblins, the GM also puts the onus on you to make your little ball of terror a worshiper of Zarongel. What do you make?

For the snippets of information available on Zarongel you can check these links. But don’t let the Goblins find out you were reading.

Pathfinderwiki Page

Archives of Nethys Page

The Rat Mongers

Not every Goblin can be a rider and some see it as their sacred duty to breed the divine animals of Zarongel. Considered learned for goblins, the members of the Rat Mongers are well versed in the husbandry of their peoples riding beasts. Rat Monger goblin dogs are considered the “bestest”, and often breed larger and more vicious than those not raised by Zarongel’s chosen.

The goblin dog breeders do not actually work well together, especially members of the sect from different tribes. Each group has to prove they are the superior breeders and trainers and when two or more groups get together there is usually a contest. Many times this contest is a pit fight between two of the best Goblin dogs to see which crew makes the “bestest petses”. Occasionally when the goblins are warring with outside forces and every battle mount is needed they will hold riding contests. Each group's best rider mounts up on the other groups meanest goblin dog and whoever gets thrown first loses.

The Burning Pelts

This special little group of psychopaths—with a very low life expectancy even for goblins—looks to mimic the appearance of their patron. To that end each goblin rides into battle wearing a wolf or dog pelt which he lights on fire. Many of these goblins die before even entering battle as they self-immolate as their mounts try to escape from their flaming riders. That said, a Burning Pelt who survives even a single battle is considered a hero in his own right among his tribe.

Part of the rite to join the Burning Pelts is to hunt down and kill the dog or wolf that will be your firecloak. Those who come back with the biggest pelts are, of course, given the highest rank within the group. The current fire chief of the Burning Pelts has survived not one but three assaults on the Longshanks while ablaze. His pelt is that of a giant black wolf which is too big for his diminutive body and flops around leaving burn marks on the hind quarters of his goblin dog.

The Itchy Paws

All goblins are immune to the dander of their goblin dog mounts, but some truly become one with their beasts by drying out their skin to the same itchy effect. The Itchy Paws are instantly recognizable by the fact they are constantly scratching at themselves, throwing up clouds of irritated green skin. The itching actually doesn’t seem to bother them much and the goblins with the biggest patches of dry skin or open sores are considered the best of the Itchy Paws.

Dander isn’t the only thing this sect of Zarongel worshipers have going for them. They are also by far the best goblin dog riders amongst their tribes. The Itchy Paws can goad their beasts into maneuvers most goblins can only dream about. Their trick riding capabilities are amazing, and most even manage to survive the suicidal feats they push themselves and their mounts to. When a goblin tribe needs shock troops to get the most done with the fewest casualties, the Itchy Paws are the ones they call.

Goblins amirite? Maybe your next sharp-toothed pyromaniac will be a worshiper of Zarongel and a member of one of these sects. Or maybe you have some other ideas. What does your devotee of the Goblin Hero-God do? How does he show his dedication to this demonic being?

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