Homebrew Darkorr Hobgoblin Species Details

The War Doctrine of Darkorr

“In life, obedience. In death, purpose. In glory, eternity.”
—Inscription on the Gate of the First Banner

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🔥 The First Warlord: Darkath the Blackened Blade

Once a mortal hobgoblin who united the scattered banners of the Khorval Expanse under fire and order. Upon death in the Siege of Ash-Korr, his soul refused the call of death and entered the Eidolyth—where he carved his dominion with will alone. He became a god not through divinity, but by battle-earned truth.

• Titles: The Blackened Blade, Lord of the Iron Standard, The Flame-Tempered

• Symbol: A broken, obsidian sword wreathed in banner-ribbons of crimson and bronze

• Domains: War, Strategy, Discipline, Sacrifice, Legacy

• Worship: Unlike other gods, Darkath is worshiped by action—victory, sacrifice, glory. His name is invoked before battle, never during. His statues are rare, but his story is engraved in the Warvaults of every major legion.

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🪓 The Faithful Steel: His Divine Generals

🛡 Tharnok, The Iron Legionary

Once Darkath’s most loyal commander, Tharnok embodies the concept of flawless obedience, battlefield adaptation, and never retreating without gain.

• Symbol: A bronze faceplate split vertically

• Role: Enforcer of command, patron of generals, and judge of tactical failure

• Doctrine: “No unit fails alone. No victory is claimed without loss.”

📜 Velgrith, the Banner-Scribe

A priest-general , Velgrith watches over honor codes, battlefield law, and the naming of banners.

• Symbol: A flail-shaped quill dipped in white ash

• Role: Arbiter, mediator, judge of disputes, keeper of the oaths

• Doctrine: “All banners must burn clean. Lies and betrayal fray the weave.”

Together, Darkath, Tharnok, and Velgrith form the Triumphant Doctrine—the spiritual trinity of the hobgoblin martial pantheon.

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🏹 The War-Crafted Society of the Khorval Expanse

📜 Core Beliefs

• War is Glory. Not destruction—but refined triumph, earned through discipline.

• Legacy is Everything. Each hobgoblin’s acts are written into the Ash-Ledgers, read aloud upon death. Cowards are not burned; they are buried faceless.

• Honor is Law. Insults demand restitution—either by combat, deed, or oath.

• Art is Structure. Architecture and swordplay are their highest aesthetic forms.

⚙️ Banners and Legions

• A legion is the ultimate political, spiritual, and familial unit.

• Each banner is a multi-family military cohort led by a Captain or Fatal Axe.

• Each legion honors its own War Doctrine, derived from a holy fragment of Darkath’s teachings.

🎖️ Ranks of the War Hierarchy

Reimagined with Darkorrian flare:

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🧠 Integration with the Eidolyth

The hobgoblins believe Darkath was the first mortal to conquer a domain within the Eidolyth. He carved out his realm not through madness, but iron-willed structure, creating a "realm of still marching feet" within the chaos.

• His domain is known as The Crimson Formation—a planar war-path where fallen hobgoblins who died in honor continue to march and train until the last war.

• Aberrant Lords like Xo’rashk and Ulthurrek are revered as alien war-philosophers, not deities—Darkath humbled them, absorbing their teachings and bringing them into structure.

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🛕 Worship Practices

• No temples. Hobgoblins build Shrines of Campaign—open-air flag halls where banners are saluted and songs of glory chanted before a new campaign.

• Priests are always soldiers. They wear the symbols of Tharnok (bronze helm) or Velgrith (white-dipped flail) and serve both as tacticians and judges.

• Glory Markings are tattooed into the arms or faces of those who have earned honors.

The Darkorr Hobgoblins are the proud descendants of a militaristic dynasty founded by Darkath the Blackened Blade, a warlord who defied the corrupting whispers of the Eidolyth and forged a brutal but ordered civilization in the Khorval Expanse. Where goblins scurry and bugbears stalk, the hobgoblins of Darkorr build, train, and conquer in the name of duty, discipline, and dominance.

Raised from birth in banners—tight-knit military clans—their society is a living war machine governed by honor codes and ancient battle songs. They revere Darkath as a god of conquest, legacy, and iron-willed leadership, and follow his teachings with religious fervor.

Though often seen as ruthless, Darkorr hobgoblins follow a strict doctrine of glory through action and death with purpose. Their warriors are both civil architects and lethal tacticians. Outsiders rarely see the intricate culture beneath the armor, but those who earn their trust find steadfast allies.

Many hobgoblins choose to leave the Expanse and seek mercenary work in Behemoth or beyond. This is often a rite of pilgrimage—to bring glory to their banner through heroic acts or to earn the right to command upon return. Others have become lost to ambition, power, or the whispers of the Aberrant Lords, ancient war-driven beings whose philosophies echo through hobgoblin thought.

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Darkorr Hobgoblin Names

Male Names:
Dravos, Korhal, Rhutgar, Marnak, Vashkar, Thuzan, Kaelrik, Drogar, Norvath

Female Names:
Zarsha, Vorell, Thalkha, Karime, Ovratha, Velmira, Sharvek, Dranakha

Unisex Names:
Khorrin, Vaskar, Marreth, Jhazza, Durvek, Raln, Borrak

Darkorr Hobgoblin Line-Names (Martial Clans of the Khorval Expanse)

In Darkorr society, a hobgoblin’s family name is called their Varkaan, meaning “line of steel” in ancient War-Speech. These names are passed down with deep reverence, etched into war banners, engraved on weapons, and whispered in victory prayers.

Hobgoblins introduce themselves by their given name followed by “of the Varkaan [Line Name]” or simply “[Name] Varkaan-[Line].”

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Example Varkaan Line-Names:

• Varkaan-Durvek – The Iron Vanguard
  Known for producing stoic war-leaders, siege commanders, and master tacticians. Their crest is a downward-pointing iron spear over a tower.

• Varkaan-Varkaan – The First Blade
  Yes, Varkaan-Varkaan is both the name of the family and a title—it claims direct descent from Darkath the Blackened Blade. They are nobles of the Khorval Expanse.

• Varkaan-Turmash – The Fire-Forged
  Line of blacksmiths, alchemists, and engineers. They are behind many of the dynasty’s warforged-like constructs and siegecraft. Crest: A black gauntlet gripping flame.

• Varkaan-Drakkhul – The Horned Storm
  A naval and cavalry family, famed for their warg riders and river warfare. Crest: A sea serpent entangled in chain.

• Varkaan-Rozgar – The Oath-Keepers
  These hobgoblins serve as judges, executioners, and enforcers of honor-law. Crest: A silver flail over a black sun.

• Varkaan-Khurnak – The Unyielding Flame
  Known for zealotry and ancestral fire rites. Often produce clerics, paladins, and flame-based magic users. Crest: A burning sword planted in stone.

• Varkaan-Mazrith – The Silent Watch
  The most shadowed and mistrusted Varkaan line. Known for assassins, scouts, and battlefield illusionists. Crest: A black eye with three scars.

• Varkaan-Broshkar – The Stone-Willed
  Heavy infantry and unbreakable phalanx specialists. Crest: Three interlocked shields beneath a red axe.

Darkorr Hobgoblin Traits

Age Hobgoblins mature at the same rate as elves and have lifespans similar in length to theirs. Size Hobgoblins are between 5 and 6 feet tall and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. Your size is Medium. Speed Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Darkvision You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Martial Training You have the weapon mastery feat and are proficient with light, medium, or heavy armor. Saving Face Hobgoblins are careful not to show weakness in front of their allies, for fear of losing status. If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +5). Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Languages You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Saving Face

Hobgoblins are careful not to show weakness in front of their allies, for fear of losing status. If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +5). Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Martial Training

Due to your training as a youngling, you have studied the art of war and were raised with a favored weapon particularly a weapon favored by your clan. You have learned how to move and work with many different types of armor. Nothing like being able to throw off some tattered armor and put on whatever suits you best.