"Night Goblins are the worst. They're so unpredictable. You get used to uncertainty in war -- you know that as soon as a fight starts, plans and order are going to fail and disintegrate anyway. You never quite get used to Night Goblin Fanatics or Squigs hurling themselves around the battlefield though. What we should do is talk to them Dwarfs about maybe clearing them out from all the caves they're in; if we could kill all the Night Goblins this world would be much improved"
- —Stemahr Holst, Empire Soldier[2a]
A Night Goblin ambush within the Swamp of Sorrows
Night Goblins are a distinct sub-species of subterranean Goblins whom are known famously for dwelling within the dark tunnel networks of the Worlds Edge Mountains. The Night Goblins are truly a creature of the darkness, for they mortally hate the light of any source, preferring instead to live in near total darkness.[2a] A subterranean species, these Night Goblins are only known to ever leave their caves and hideout only in the most darkest of nights, where even the moonlight can have the potential to hurt their light-sensitive skin. On the most rarest occasions when they do come out during the day-time, they always wear extremely dark or black colored robes that helps to hide their skin from the searing sun. This inability to endure the suns ray all came about when tribes of Goblins began to move eastwards during the Greenskin migration in -1449 IC.[1a]
In those ancient times, a tribe of Goblins took to living in the caverns and tunnels of the Worlds Edge Mountains, and there they lived in total darkness for many generations, wearing pitch black clothing and taking up the name of Night Goblins. They become so accustomed to the darkness of the caves that they developed extremely good night-vision, but as generations of Night Goblins began their life in total darkness, their skin eventually lost the ability to tolerate sunlight. This disadvantage does little to bother the Night Goblins, for they have become a truly powerful faction that has claimed many of the Old World tunnels as their own.[1a]
In the moist darkness of their subterranean homes, the Night Goblin's are surrounded by all manners of mold and mushrooms. Many kinds of toadstool are grown for a variety of uses, such as being consumed as food, mixed in potions, used as medical treatments, fuel glow-lights or used as bait to attract the Cave Squigs that naturally populate their homes. Displaying even more than their species usual lack of common sense, individual Night Goblins have been known to gleefully ingest dangerously hallucinogenic mushrooms. Deep in their caves, Night Goblin Shamans are amongst the most feared Goblinoid shamans in the Worlds Edge Mountains. Not only are these creatures powerful magic-users, but they are also expert brewers and cultivators of many different species of mushroom. These Shamans grow and cultivate these mushrooms in order to create beverages and potions of many variety and purposes.[1b]
Warfare
A typical Night Goblin wearing the signature black robes
Though they are considered slightly smaller, scrawnier and much more cowardly then even the average Goblin, what they lack in size and stature they make up for with sheer psychotic abandonment.[1a] When a leader arises who is both sneaky and cunning enough to focus the boundless energy and spite of the Night Goblins, he can wield their numbers as a formidable, if unstable horde. When the tribes are called to war, the mountains are littered with holes, each issuing forth a steady procession of cackling, black-hooded Goblins. Horrible high-pitched shrieks issue forth from the caves as does the unpleasant smell of Fungus Beer and mouldy rot. The army clusters in the shadows, gathering in mobs beneath their tribal banners.[1b]
Should the moon emerge to light the vales, it would reveal a nightmare, as a teeming mass of Night Goblins swarm out of their hideouts and fall upon the hated surface-dwellers. Night Goblins are especially cowardly creatures, but unlike those of other Goblin tribes, they have been known to create and consume an intoxicating brew called Fungus Beer, which enables them to fight in a near maniacal state, where they are completely insane and paranoid, and would enhance a Night Goblins senses and reflexes, enabling them to fight far better against other stronger foe. Perhaps it is the lack of sunlight or the proximity of so much dank mould and mushroom, but Night Goblins produce more bulging-eyed lunatics than all the other Goblin tribes combined. Equipped with a variety of weapons such as nets, crude spears, and composite bows, these Night Goblins are ferocious night and tunnel-fighters.[1b]
