Gremlin
Ogre
Machine Makers

BIOLOGY

Physiology

The Gremlin is exceptionally small for a Monster, and has a strange, wiry frame tha lacks much if any definiton to its body. Its skin is a very dark brownish red reminiscent of certain clays, and its eyes have yellow sclera with slit black pupils. Their teeth are numerous and pointed, and their noses are short and stubby. They have pointy ears much like many other Ogres, but theirs are smaller and more triangular than average. Their hair is usually black, though red and white haired Gremlins have appeared from time to time. They are rather weak physically and suffer intense damages from bright light, which alongside their common line of work is much the reason one will usually always see a Gremlin covered head to toe in protective gear. They also have difficulty breathing purified air due to the toxic conditions they usually work in, and as such ventilators often decorate their faces and toxic gas canisters are attached to their backpacks.

Intelligence

What Gremlins lack in physical prowess they make up for in sheer intellect and creativity. Of all the Monsters I have documented, Gremlins are among some of the most consistently intelligent relative to both their size and their large numbers. Almost every Gremlin has the knowledg eto assemble and maintain the machines they create, and many, many of them also have the necessary knolwedge and talent to invent new machines and other mechanical creations, as well as understanding of the arts of chemistry and biology to a significant degree as well. In general, I'd say even the most lay Gremlin is more crafty and intelligent than the lay human, as much as it pains me to say, given their miniscule size in comparion. Much like Elder Cyclopes, they are masters of Artifice and are particularly prone to creating Golems and Automatons to serve them, as they can provide the strength the Gremlins completely lack. They are also skilled schemers and planners, and have orchestrated conspiracies across history to ensure damages to both humanity and Monsters they view as a threat to their existence.

Diet

Kobolds are omnivorous but due to their small size, frail nature, and preferred homes, they largely feed off moss, fungi, and small insects and rodents. They lack a taste for larger prey and are almost never seen actually hunting animals for food, instead either breeding them or setting up traps to catch them. Despite common reputation, they do not have the ability to eat dirt of rocks and derive nutrition from them.

Habitat

Gremlins feel safest in tight and cramped environments where they can move about freely but anything large enough to hurt them would have considerable trouble getting through, and as such they're most common inside the Nether or in mountain ranges, hiding amongst tunnels and deep crags to build their hidden empires. They often compete with Kobolds as to who gets to take over an abandoned human or dwarven mine.

Reproduction

Gremlins mate with other Gremlins to produce offspring, but generally they lack much of a familial instinct, and newborn Gremlins are generally taken care of by the community and expected to learn on their own once they come of age. It's likely this is due to their innate intellgience and talent, and as result feel less need to protect their children due to the likelihood said children will grow up completely fine on their own.

SOCIOLOGY

Community

Gremlins can either be found by themselves or in league with other Monsters - though even in those cases, the actual Gremlins are usually a near-separate aspect of their forces rather than being truly integrated, and still function as a Gremlin society rather than a mixed one. Gremlins often look down on other Monsters both for being less intelligent and for being stronger than them, and as a result they can often begin to conspire against Monster societies which they believe pose a threat to them. Societies of Gremlins are usually massive an dhidden away  in the dark corners of the Known World and Nether, and they are unlikely to ever directly attempt to attack somebody without the aid of either Constructs or well-crafted warsuits, weapons and walkers. They venerate the Elder Cyclopes and see them as patrons of wisdom and as such are likely to come and serve Elder Cyclopes, assuming they live in the mountains or Nether.

Technology

Gremlins are one of the most technologically advanced races of Monsters on the entire planet, having discovered metalworking, gunpowder, and many more technologies that are rare among humans today during the earliest days of post-Moonstrike history. Whether it be drills, power hammers, blow-torches, bombs of rifles, they have it, in addition to feats of technology humans can only dream of in the modern day, such as complex heating and ventilation systems, armored suits and mechanical "walkers" to move around in, rapid-fire weapons, and even strange devices which store information on rolls of film rather than in books or scrolls. Because of these advances, gremlins can often set up their homes very quickly and very well, creating fortresses and massive tunnel systems faster than even Myrmidons can so long as they have enough resources to craft their machines with. Gremlins in service of other Monsters are most often gathered for the purposes of improving their technology and resources, and many aspiring Monster Lords actively seek to attract a cabal of Gremlins for aid in invention.

Theology

Gremlins primarily worship Titan, the Monster Deity of Ogres, and worship her zealously, despite what one may expect from such a scientific and technological race of Monsters. They often raise tributes to her in the form of creating great war machines in her name or crafting Automatons or Golems in her image. They have a vested dislike of other Ogres which worship Gods other than Titan, though they are more lenient towards Mon worshipers due to Titan's loyalty to Mon.

Diplomacy

Befitting such an intelligent and crafty species, Gremlins are respectable with diplomacy and will even maintain peaceful relationships with Humanity so long as said humans don't interfere with their efforts, which they often list in exhaustive fashion, but are extremely difficult for lay humans to understand, often leading to them unintentionally breaking the truce and bringing down the wrath of the Gremlins in full. With other Monsters, it is similar, though they're more likely to attack unprovoked due to the ease of percieving Monsters as threats than humans. As one expects, they are prone to manipulating humans and Monsters for the sake of their conspiracies and plans, such as agreeing to help build the Aquilan Empire's great citadel only to hide secret passageways for Monsters to attack during the fall of the Aquilan Empire.

Hostility

Gremlin hostility depends largely on whether you offend their sensibilities or represent a genuine threat to their operations. If you do neither, human or Monster, you are likely to be safe from their wrath. However, should you qualify, you and often your entire society will be consistently attacked and hounded by Gremlins, but due to their reserved nature it's likely attack parties will be small in comparison to many other Monsters, especially among Ogres.

HUNTING

Range

Gremlins' range is entirely dependent on their choice of habitat, as outside service of other Monsters they will never choose to live in an environment which may prove risky or dangerous to them. As such, they can be found in most mountain ranges across the world as well as in more closed in areas of the Nether, being unlikely to appear in more wide open regions. Rarely they may be found in a less alpine region of the surface, but only due to proximity towards caves or a Nether entrance.

Magic

Gremlins never entertain combat magic, as they see relying on magical power as betraying Titan, the God of Strength. Instead, their use of magic is mostly limited towards sorcerous use of Artifice to fashion Construct servants and rarely Elementalism to bind Elementals, often Gnomes, to their service.

Combat

A Gremlin will generally try to avoid combat unless she is certain she can win, and overall that depends largely on what she's equipped with. Bombs, firearms, and warsuits are particularly common in the case of Gremlins actively seeking battle.

Strengths

Exceptional intelligence. Unique societal weapons and other tools.

Weaknesses

Extremely frail.

Final Summary

Due to the unpredictability of an encounter with a Gremlin, the best I can say is that don't fight one alone and make sure there is cover nearby, as despite what you think, not even full plate is likely to keep a bullet or piece of shrapnel from finding its target. When faced with a Warsuit or Walker, try and find exhaust ports to fling an explosive into, or else face it with magic. Pure human might is largely meaningless in the face of such an encounter.