Blackstep Ideas

Traditions
-20% Harsh Treatment Cost
-10% Land Maintenance Modifier

Born into the ChainsIt was many generations ago that the Hobgoblins subjugated us. Though hushed stories of the days before are still told, every goblin of our clan that lives now was born a slave, and every goblin will die a slave. There were those that attempted to resist, of course, and despite their failures, there will be more in the future. Most of us, though, choose survival. We listen to their commands, we keep our heads down low, and we keep on living.
-2 National Unrest

Demons in the FoothillsWe live in the very farthest eastern edge of the Serpentspine, where the high peaks gradually make way for the wild hills of the horned ogres' homeland. They're not a threat exactly, as they mostly keep to themselves in their fortified monasteries. Still, some enterprising goblins have found they have garnered some amazing knowledge over the countless centuries that they lived there.
+20% Institution Spread

To the Beat of the WhipAs goblin slaves toiled in the mines to unearth the gems and ores for their hobgoblin overlords, they developed their own mining songs. With harsh tones and hateful lyrics, the songs generally wish death upon their hobgoblin overlords, curses upon their gods for not protecting them, and incredibly inventive cruel fates upon those goblins holding the whips. It has been attempted to whip this behavior out of them, but the screams were only incorporated into the songs. Though the whippings have not stopped, the songs have become an accepted reality to the slavers, always hanging in the air as a looming threat of what would happen to them if the hobgoblins were no longer there to secure their position.
-0.05 Monthly Autonomy Change

The Whipper’s DueOver time, the goblin slavers instituted an informal system of taxation over the work of their slaves, taking a tenth of the goods that would otherwise be sent to the Command for themselves. Always exceedingly careful not to be discovered, they hid their gains in outlying caves, away from prying eyes. This caused a level of class solidarity among the slavers, always protecting the secrets and wealth of other slavers as they would do the same for you.
+10% National Tax Modifier

The Slave ArmiesGoing off to war has always been a popular change of pace for goblin slaves. There are far fewer whips, far less hard labor, and many more opportunities to escape. And although this has not created a very disciplined or determined army, there are always more goblins more than willing to fill up empty slots in the ranks.
+15% Manpower Recovery Speed

The Jade RivalryStolen Gem and Blackstep have always been defined by their rivalry. We do not know of a time that our clan existed and theirs did not. Whether it be was through competing in our looting of the old dwarven ruins, assassinations, or outright war, our two clans have always stood in opposition to one another. Our subjugation by the Command did not change that one bit. Even though the Command has physically separated us from one another, controlling the central jade mines, the rivalry lives on.
-1% Yearly Army Tradition Decay

The Unguarded ExitThe Hobgoblins don't come to Verkal Dromak often. It's out of the way of their conquests, and as long as we keep up our monthly quotas, they are content to let goblins do the whipping. This gives us the opportunity to have some of our own dealings beyond the spine. Of course, the Demon Hills are not the safest place to have to move through every time a goblin ventures outside, so some more enterprising overseers have gotten to use some more enterprising methods to get in and out safely. Trade caravans are led quietly from tunnel to tunnel, sometimes right under the monasteries, carrying wealth from the Serpentspine to Yanshen to barter with any merchant willing to do business.
+15% Trade Efficiency

Ambition
-10% Fort Maintenance