Karameikos - Vaults of Pandius

The Demography of KarameikosBesides these larger tribes, smaller bands oforc raiders, often in the service of humanvillains, can be occasionally found also inother parts of northern Karameikos.Hobgoblins (pop. 4,750)Hobgoblins of Karameikos belong to theeastern hobgoblin stock (Goblinus grandis)and came to this region together with otherhumanoid hordes after the Battle of SardalPass (BC 492). Hobgoblin-only tribes arequite rare, and their hordes tend to gathertogether with other humanoids to lead themand to form larger tribes. Hobgoblins aremost numerous in the Altan Tepes range,where their most fearsome tribe, theSteelwarriors (which also includes a numberof bugbears), is found. Other mixed tribes ofthe Altan Tepes who include large numbersof hobgoblins are the Chaos Horde, theBloody Head, and the Jagged Rocks. Ahobgoblin-only tribe, the Killer Sands, liveson the side of the Altan Tepes which looksupon Ylaruam. Hobgoblin minorities are alsofound within some mixed tribes of easternKarameikos or within some Dymrak goblintribes (like the Dread Horde). Hobgoblinsare not numerous in western Karameikos; ahobgoblin-only tribe, the Roaring Fiends, isfound between Luln and the Black EagleBarony, while a mixed bugbear-hobgoblintribe, the Bloodbears, threatens the WestronRoad from the southern woods.Dwarves (pop. 4,000)Only a small number of dwarves lives inKarameikos, most of them belonging to theStronghollow clan. The Stronghollows cameto Karameikos around AC 300 fromRockhome, and mosty settled within theborders of the Kingdom of Highforge, wherethe gnomes welcomed them. Other smallergroups of dwarven immigrants belonging toother clans arrived in the Grand Duchy inthe course of the following seven centuries,the larger number consisting of thosedwarves who fled persecution in theHighlands during the Year of Infamy (AC828). A thousand dwarves live alongside thegnomes in the town of Highforge, another500 in other gnomish settlements of theKingdom of Highforge (these are mostlyStronghollow ones), while the rest (dwarvesfrom other clans, mostly) is spread amongthe humans’ main towns and settlements(more than a thousand live in Specularum).Some of the dwarves live as mining pioneers(sometimes alongside gnomes) in thedangerous borderlands of the Altan Tepesand western Black Peaks mountains.Halflings (pop. 3,000)A number of halflings live among thehumans in a variety of villages and towns.The hin are all immigrants from the FiveShires, who came there over the course ofhistory. They form a strong presence in theForeign Quarter of Specularum.Centaurs (pop. 2,000)Centaurs live in the deepest woods andforests of the Grand Duchy, from theRadlebb Woods in the west to the DymrakForest – except the areas controlled by thegoblins – in the east.The Radlebb Woods centaurs do notparticularly like humans, but are goodfriends of the woodland races and of theelves, and fearsome enemies of thehumanoids. They don’t have large tribes,but live scattered in small family groups.The centaurs living in eastern Karameikosare instead grouped into three major tribes.21THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1