War in the Trees Plot
Grothel the Exile
In his younger years, Grothel Headtaker was a savage and vicious bugbear with immense strength and little to think about. Grothel never particularly liked being ordered about, let alone ordered to give away the things that he owned. He wanted everything, the things that he had and the things that others had, and he wanted to be on the top of the totem pole. As such, Grothel sought to usurp his superior, but found only that his strength only seemed immense in contrast to those he had fought. Grothel was soundly beaten, humiliated even, and kicked out into the night. This was another form of humiliation, after all, they could have killed him... they just chose not to.
Years of exile have done a number on Grothel. First his bloodlust, and then his sensibilities. Having little and struggling to gain anything made him respect what he did have. Spending so much time avoiding things that could defeat him taught him patience, and conversely having more time on his hands on quiet nights meant that Grothel had time to read the books and items he had stolen from travellers.
Soon, "Grothel the Exile" was considered a well read sage-like figure by those who would visit him, bringing him supplies in return for wisdom or the unique mixtures he had learned to brew. When Grothel was offered new places, in new hierarchy and tribes, he turned them down. Not because he did not want to be led, but because he knew that his lot in life was to be alone, to exist in the forest by himself.
As bitter blood spreads between the goblinoids, and the lustful lure of power calls to them, Grothel stands on the edge watching inward, seeing too much of his past self for comfort. But he will not bring himself to intervene... or rather, perhaps it's better to say he cannot bring himself to intervene. To get close to his old home. Lest he fall back into his old ways.
"Warchief" Halftooth
Every so often a goblin is born with an unusually cunning mind and the determination and willpower to use it. For a goblin, Halftooth is unusually charismatic and far before he ever proclaimed himself Warchief, he had a strong core group who would do what he said without question. Dwelling in the Hold not far from Norwick, Halftooth first gained an utter contempt from Norwick when a band of adventurers cut down his siblings and almost killed him, chipping his tooth (and gaining him his new monikor) but forgetting to check if he was truly dead.
Nursing a spiteful vengeance that only grew worse when he began to get kicked around by those who saw him as fodder, Halftooth continued to gain loyal allies not only within the Hold, but also from other goblin tribes from the surrounding areas. Eventually, as things hit a boiling point in the Rawlinwoods, Halftooth made his move and declared himself "Warchief of Goblins" with his new green horde.
While some in this up coming dispute may see Halftooth as a tiny runt of an upstart whose only quality is arrogance and a green tide to send dying one after the other, the truth is Halftooth is far more intelligent than his opponents give him credit for. Rumors spread that he has even found benefactors, human benefactors at that, willing to arm him with dangerous explosive weaponry to tip the tide in his favor... benefactors who bears the mark of the Black Hand.
Mirkblood
Gringat Mirkblood, he of many poisons, is a goblin assassin who founded the Twisted Blades, a likeminded group who would assassinate for riches, named after Mirkbloods enchanted weapons. Mirkblood was a pragmatic sort, and a cowardly sort, who'd take missions from just about any race but would always ensure he could get away if things went wrong, even at the cost of his fellow Twisted Blades. He seeks treasure and status, with power being a distant second.
So it's rather odd that Mirkblood and the Twisted Blades have made it clear they intend to throw their lot in this growing turbulence. Whispers have it that Mirkblood isn't exactly fond of ruling himself and owes a deep debt to some dangerous individuals. Individuals whom Mirkblood repeatedly sends warm bodies to. Who are these shadowy people? Some say the Drow, but nobody is truly sure.
Grayback
Cruel, savage and selfish. Grayback represents the worst a bugbear can possibly be. Valuing pillaging and destructing over conquering, Grayback seeks to do what Ostromog should have done, capture Norwick... and burn it to ash. And if there's time, he'll stake the survivors up high for all to see. Grayback's men consist of the young and impressionable goblinoids, as well as older ones looking for a good fight or some good old fashioned human blood spilling. Their savage strength can wash over the unprepared, leaving only destruction in their wake.
Zulvark
A young bugbear follower Ostromog. Zulvark honors the old bugbear even as age has slown him down to a crawl. Zulvark seeks to emulate Ostromog, but tends to be rather overzealous and lacks Ostromog's general skillset, coming off as rather impressionable and somewhat easily manipulated. None the less, there are many who throw their lot behind Zulvark, many others who honor Ostromog and his ways, and seek to keep them going even once the inevitable happens.
Evird
Evird is a proud hobgoblin who emulates their ways well. Militaristic, disciplined and pragmatic to his core, Evird seeks primarily to stop chaos from unfolding as ambitions rise and greed takes over. Evird's pragmatism extends to his way of fighting off his rivals, willing to work with adventurers and former enemies in the name of defeating mutual threats. But Evird is still a dangerous person himself, capable of ruthlessness and cruelty in the name of victory.
Evird's men are undyingly loyal and rigid. They follow him into battle without hesitation.
