Freelands
Nestled between the Empire of the Deathless Sun and the Iron Empire, the breadbasket of Eulia features an idyllic landscape with rolling green hills. Known as the Heartlands throughout most of Mundus’s history, the Freelands gained unexpected sovereignty when the nations of Mundus sought to end the bloody Goblin War in any way possible. Today, the Freelands is still a young nation, struggling to establish themselves with independence they never asked for. The people of the Freelands are mostly friendly, kind, hardworking folk, but the scars from the war run deep, both in the land itself and in the people’s hearts.
Goblins
Legends of the Heartlands tell that first, there was the sun. It gave rise to greenery: grasses, shrubs, trees. From the first trees, unfettered by the competition of other plants, they shaded the land and produced their first fruit. At this time, the first ancestors who dwelled in these rolling hills took the elements of the rich soil, the playful wind, and the fertile seed to form a people who were free-spirited and connected to the land.
The first Goblins blinked at the sun and stared at the world around them, seeing everything as they were: green. This connection to Mundus never went away, and Goblins have always felt the call of nature; the whisper of the wild; and share a special connection to all things that grow and thrive in these free lands.
As the first people in the Heartlands, they are one of the more common folk here. Goblins have always been free-spirited people who value common sense and community accountability over laws and governments. It is difficult to order them around or make them afraid, as they are free and independent people. Just as the ancestors blessed Dwarves with ingenuity and Fishers with aquatic features, they blessed the Goblins with fertile lands, giving natures, and culinary talent.
Unlike many other races, Goblins did not face much strife in their early days. Although their land was part of the EDS and the Iron Empire, the Goblins of the Heartlands kept themselves apart from the war and politics of the Eulian Crescent, and fostered their own cultures and communities among the lush rolling hills.
Food has always been the greatest resource of the Heartlands. Blessed with abundance, early Goblins relied on foraging and cooking. They were often seen scouring the hills for berries and mushrooms in cheerful, talkative groups. Recipes written by these early Goblins have been passed down for centuries as treasured heirlooms.
Goblins have green skin and very long ears. They are typically curious, cheerful, and kind. They are drawn to soft, good earth, and find home in the lush lands of the Freelands. Cooking comes naturally to them, and they create intricate dishes and host the best potlucks.
Goblins can be found across Eulia, where they mostly gravitate to the farms and cooking. Their true strength lies in their free spirits, however. Goblins are blunt, to the point, and less likely to get caught up in strong emotional distress. They bounce back from most anything, so if something does affect them deeply, it must be extremely serious.