Deep under the ice far to the north, near the polar cap, is the Glacier Shelf. A cliff shelf of ice, thousands of miles long it sits upon a fault line. As the countries of Infernum and Macedonia push against Thracia deep under the ice of the northern polar cap, deep under the water so that its effect is quickly cooled, there are volcanoes - spewing hot, molten rock into Erna’s crust. This has caused the split in the Glacier as is responsible for the formation of the Mountains of Ash, upon which the Wall sits. It is this polar fault that heats the Nakkiga and the Well of Dreams - but it is also this heat that has allowed life to blossom beneath the upper layer of the earth.
Deep in the bowls of the earth are warm caverns, filled with vegetation that is found in the forests of Infernum. Though vast caverns are in perpetual dark a few are lit by the openings in the surface, occasionally obscured by thin winter ice. Here along the polar fault are the caves of the Goblins, many secluded, isolated. Solar Fae reacts in strange ways when encounters the surging, hot Earth Fae. During the night, however, the cool, soothing songs of the Tidal Fae can calm the Earth Fae, and it is during the night times that the Goblins move from the lower, warmer, safer caverns to the higher ones to seek food growing within the secluded forests. They move to the edges of the shelf, to collect the slowly dripping water so they have something to quench thirst.
The deeper caverns never see the light of day. Down here there are caverns and tunnels which sheets of ice have carved through the rock, illuminated by strange insects - some as large as a hand. Like some deep sea fish, the cave dwellers of the lower caverns live without any form of light. Scorpions, spiders and beetles are common down here and there are many species that feed upon one another. Like some deep sea creatures, many of these cave dwelling types give off bioluminescence - as do a large number of the species of fungi. The Fae-reactions of some of the creatures down here are very impressive - and many harness a kind of Fae-instinct. Swarms of locust-like creatures are common in some parts, appearing like faerie-dust in the darkness of the caverns. Many of the species here have so little food to abut them - and many have turned cannibal in order to survive, even eating some of the most poisonous vegetation to life.
It is therefore easy to see why Goblins have evolved along the same lines. Hiding amongst the darkest caverns, and mostly nocturnal, the Goblin race has adapted itself to the under-caverns of the glacier shelf. Short and originally a pale grey colour (what need is there of colour in utter darkness?) which began to speckle as the race began to venture once more out into the open (albeit in the darkness of night). Like some of the other inhabitants down below many Goblins have a resistance to some poisons and their diet usually consists of insects and fungus and other cave-dwellers - though cannibalism is just as common. Goblins have sacks at the back of their throat which allows them to break down food with a secondary catalyst and thus their diet can be quite varied in the subject of meat and bone.
The surging Earth Fae that flow about the glacier shelf has infected the Goblins as much as their environment. Certain species of insect in the dark paths react to Fae and many actively avoid powerful presences - it might be that Goblins have developed their Fae-power as an offensive measure. Goblins have developed a heightened dark-sense aided by the Dark Fae meaning they have near-perfect vision even in pitch-black. Their acuity with Dark Fae is such that their magickal aptitude is dampened somewhat in the southlands and especially so in daylight. It is Dark Fae that has allowed the Goblins to draw upon their faith in their god to cast magicks - though the Tidal, Earth and Solar Fae do not sustain their magicks in the same way as the surging Earth-Dark Fae of their home caverns - which itself makes Alchemy and true mage-power difficult to control.
Goblins have also therefore lead a somewhat backwards life and technology is rare. Goblins are quiet inventive though - and whilst they cannot make new technology so well - and have no understanding of clockwork or ballistics - they will adapt the technologies of others to suit them. The vast quantity of acidic waters about the polar fault only make it all the more tempting for Goblins - and their deviousness in such Crafts knows near no bounds.
