Gube.
The group broke off as the Twins began preparing the night's meat, having collected various plants they thought tasted good along the way to spice their meals.
Now that their bellies were full again, the larger collection of her kin was learning from the remaining elders how to reinvent their society, right from the ground upâ¦
Already, Gube was pleased to see how far work on the poop ditches was coming along, hopefully, she wouldn't have to dodge errant piles for much longer as she picked her way through the cave.
Baskets were being woven of leaves and twine and somebody had found a hive to wax the interiors, making them fit for collecting water like the ones they'd saved.
That was good because âfreshâ water was something in desperately short supply.
The cave wasâadequate for the time being, but soon, Gube suspected she'd need to find somewhere better.
And while things had been going fairly smoothly since sheâd begun taking over, if not officially then certainly by popular opinion, there were problems already looming on the horizon.
Annoyingly, one of her more concerning issues was arising from within their ranks.
A new problem she hadn't really considered, nor one that anyone really had to deal with whilst her people were fleeing for their lives.
With the sudden abundance of food and safety, goblins were beginning to do as they so often did. And, with a grumble, and a side eye toward a nearby pair of goblins rutting in the furs, Gube knew it wouldn't be long before the end result of those activities came to nip her in the ass.
Not even a ten-day had passed, and Gube was already seeing signs of a looming disaster.
More and more women were seeking out men at night, the sound of sex all but filling the cave in a frustratingly persistent manner that ruined any semblance of a good night's rest.
It wouldn't be long before she started noting swelling bellies. And though more goblins to work with were, in theory, a good thing, Gube wasn't sure if she could keep upâ¦
She had five priestesses to help her, but, thus far, they were the only ones who were actually going out and hunting.
Sure, there was a small endeavor forming that ventured beyond their new home to seek berries and nuts, but Gube was well aware of how quickly a goblin population could grow completely out of control.
It was an all-too-familiar cycle.
Goblins found safety, secured food and water, filled their stomachs, then started humping each other like the world might end the very next morning.
Gube herself had been part of a litter with six other siblings! Larger than average, to be sure, but when each female could make three more of their kind over the course of just few months, then things could rapidly spiral out of hand.
This was how it usually happened.
The new generation would join the old, learn to fit in and fill the spaces between. Then, the next would grow and realize there were few places for them to belong, so most began to laze about.
When another generation was born, things started to get really crowded, and eventually, the land perished beneath hungry mouths, or the tribe broke, sometimes both.
In the case of the former, forests would be picked clean, and the population of animals would be devastated. Starvation and frustration would mount, and soon, the second scenario would develop all its own, if not come wholly to fruition.
The clan would fracture, or the goblins would set their sights upon prospects beyond their own homes.
War was perhaps inevitable at that point, as desperate and hungry goblins would migrate to richer lands, battling existing tribes already settled and either consuming them or dissipating their foes in defeat.
Occasionally, large enough forces would set their sights upon the âotherâ intelligent races.
First, the likes of kobolds or yet-tribal beast-kin would clash with roving hordes⦠Then, if not beaten back and slaughtered, they'd grow in might until some overly ambitious goblin rose and tried their hand at cracking the wonders beyond the Blackwood.
Mild success was always expected at first, but eventually, as all stories warned, the Goblins would be chased back to their woodlands, with those having done the deed purging all with green skin they could find as they chased them with steel and fire.
It was why chieftains were so wary of their kin getting out of hand and why so many chose to make needless war upon each other, all to cull their own kin to keep the numbers in check.
Or, that was how Swift-spear had explained it when Gube had asked why he was so good at fighting.
She herself was too young to really remember much from the time when their clan was among the greatest in the woods. Sadly, her memories didn't exist of the good times, but rather the bad.
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Always running, always fighting, never able to stay in one place for too longâ¦
It made Gube appreciate what she was helping build that much more, but she wasn't oblivious to the fact that it âcouldâ be better.
By all means, if she had more goblins like herself, more that could learn and level then, that would be wonderful! But, to be solely responsible for so many young and stupid ânormalâ goblins, was it even worth it?
Admittedly, she needed the numbers, but everything else around that necessity was just so frustrating!
More mouths meant more food.
More food meant more hunters and more game.
More game meant more territory they needed to consume, and, eventually, they'd come into conflict with neighboring tribes whose lands they encroached upon.
At that point, Gube would be left with little choice but to make warâ¦
It was not an issue in and of itself as her dark lady desired souls, and while animals worked perfectly well, so would goblins. In fact, a mass sacrifice of her own kin, no matter who was victorious, was essentially a âwinâ for her shadowy patron.
The notion actually made Gube pause as she considered it for what it was, her hand hesitating as it turned a spit over a roaring flame.
Theoretically, war was the quickest avenue to power for both her and her goddess, who, while perfect and wonderful, and Gube's everything, was also undoubtedly new and âyoungâ, just as sheâ¦
Gube had been her first devoted, of that much she was fairly sure. A great honor she'd carry with her for all of her life, but the fact that her mistress seemed to be limited to a single anointing a night meant she needed more power.
It was âobviousâ how she managed it.
The souls Gube had noticed she gathered from her priestesses when they made the kill, the sole exception being Rell, had kept the Eldritch goblin constantly growing in strength.
It couldn't have been a coincidenceâ¦
And since Rell had been the second, obviously, her goddess had come up with the idea shortly thereafter. Like as not to keep Gube powerful and capable of holding her position as high priestess while more of her kind were converted.
She appreciated the clear love her goddess held for her, Gube considering such concern to be warranted given she had so much to do and one never knew when the stink of betrayal might rear its smelly rear.
However, Gube surmised that, in the same manner in which she took a tithe of experience from those beneath her, her goddess did as well. And, if Gube were to make a guess of it, she suspected her lady needed such power to create more goblins as herself.
It was clear that those bearing the âEldritchâ variation of their species were superior examples, though Gube, in a way, wished her lady could give others of their kindred her blessing, even if they were never anointed to the priesthood or otherwise changed.
In fact, the more she thought about it, having an army filled with those who could level and grow, even if they weren't like herself, weren't as smart or talented or anything else as her lady's chosen tended to be reborn as⦠Well, she could use such a force to carve the forest away for her mistress, piece by bloody piece.
Goblins that could get stronger with every battle they survived? Not just craftier with worldly experience, but truly stronger?
If she could have a force of hobs or of goblins like Swift-spear, each improving with every kill, each feeding her goddess more and more power, thenâ¦
"It perfect!" Gube breathed, pausing mid-cut with a cleaver in her handâ¦
Yes, that would even help neatly wrap up one of her other issues that were braying at her heels. Not to mention allowing Gube to lead while still gaining power.
Yes⦠it was genius!
She'd finally deal with the bottleneck with how slowly things were progressing and squash the rapidly building sense of discontent amongst her kin!
She peered around herself, taking in the numerous faces and bodies that were her community, her flockâ¦
Jealousy could be a powerful motivator indeed; however, many were growing vexed as they waited for their turn to arise.
It hadn't even been a week since Gube had transcended, but already, she found herself beset on all sides. Goblins begged to be given the chance to become as she had, to serve their goddess as she did.
They really did try everything: gifts, bribes, promises, and even, on occasion, threats, though those were ruthlessly squashed.
Gube had even executed the rare gob that had tried their luck that final matter.
Though not as illustrious as transcendence, if Gube could convince her goddess to simply âbestowâ her system of power upon all, even if they remained untransformed, then that would probably be enough to appease her people.
Moreover, it might come in handy to control a sect of goblins who were naturally more gifted than their peers.
Not dissimilar to Hobsâ¦
A new âruling casteâ that could shepherd their lowly kindred and maintain control of the clan from within.
That was how chieftains had been doing it for as long as any were old enough to remember! Have a few loyal hobs at your side, and nobody was interested in getting uppity, and, if they were, thenâsmash!
Hobs were hobs, after all.
Gube herself wasn't unaware of the fact that she was still considered a goblin. Though taller and more refined as her new subspecies seemed to be, they were not ânamedâ as Hob.
It made her wonder what would happen when she got older.
Most of gob-kind hardly made it to a ripe age, with those that did generally taking on traits like old shaman Rattles or Swift-spear, usually managing to grow yet another lifetime into true veneration and become âeldersâ as they had.
They were still goblins, of course, but they were alsoâbetter, smarter, craftier, stronger⦠t
They weren't hobs for whatever reason, but universally, all agreed the phenomenon of âhobificationâ transpired once a Goblin reached an arbitrary year well into adulthood, or they were born into it, rare as it was.
She hadâhmm⦠five to still go? That was to say, five years before she got the chance to become hob, or was simply passed over by whatever power chose which goblins would experience a rapid growth akin to a second puberty.
Gube was pretty old when she thought about it⦠Most of her people, her own age, would already be working on their third or fourth litter.
Not her, thoughâ¦
She'd never managed to actually âgetâ pregnant for whatever reason, and not for lack of trying, either.
Still, it made her wonder if she would one day become an Eldritch hob, and what that might even look like. Yet, after a moment, she cast aside the brief daydream of introspection with a weary thought...
She had more important issues to contend with than mere fantasy. Chief among them, trying to explain âwhyâ no men had yet been chosen for ascension.