HOBGOBLIN HEGEMONY
Hobgoblins of the far north, the lords of the steppes are much like the mongols were in our own world in the ages past: feared, hated and powerful. Their numberless hordes are most unwelcome in the Old World. Hobgoblin Hegemony, the empire of the Hobgobla Khan, is the largest kingdom in the Known World. The tribe of Mournguls have conquered great parts of Cathay, Border Princes and the Dwarf Masters. These Hobgoblins are a truly different breed than the lowly slaves of the Chaos Dwarfs. Mournguls and their allies are warriors almost equeal to Orcs and the Great Horde, the army of the Hobgobla Khan, is by far the most numerous army in the Warhammer World.
The Hobgoblins have lived on the Stepps of the East for thousands of years, traveling constantly, living by hunting and gathering, and robbing travelers and tribes of orcs and goblins that live in the hills. They are a practical race, and do their best to take advantage of any situation.
There are hundreds of small tribes that roam The Stepps, each with its own leader. Each one of these tribes, however, answers to the supreme leader of the hobgoblins -- the Gobla-Khan.
When the Chaos Dwarf Empire began, and the Chaos Dwarfs began collecting slaves for their great project, some of the nomad tribes of the plains volunteered to work for the dwarfs. Perhaps they saw their eventual enslavement as inevitable, or perhaps they were just tired of their hard life on the plains, but this action started the Chaos Dwarf and Hobgoblin relationship. This relationship is a complex one, not really one of master and slave, but one of mutual benefit. Although the Chaos Dwarfs do not trust or respect the hobgoblins, they realize that without them, their civilization could not exist as it does now. The hobgoblins appreciate the few privileges they are allowed, and do their best to stay in the good graces of the dwarfs.
However, it must be said that they great majority of Hobgoblins do not live in the Tower City of the Chaos Dwarfs, but rather remain in their ancestral homes of the Stepps. They remain in contact with their brothers in the city, however, and occasionally will come to the aid of the Chaos Dwarfs in battle. They are generally unconcerned with the affairs of the city, however, and tend to keep to themselves. Bribes of food or shiny metal trinkets will often convince them to fight in Chaos Dwarf armies, however.
The Hobgoblin Khan have a very definite chain of command that must be obeyed. They are generally very loyal to their leaders, unlike their city brothers. The leaders of the tribes are selected by an annual contest of physical strength and fighting prowess, guaranteeing that their leaders are fierce fighters. Normal Plains Hobgoblins respect and fear their leaders so, that when they are near, they will suppress their usual tendency for infighting and squabbling.
Although its use is outlawed in the Tower City, the Hobgoblins of the stepps have their own form of magic. This magic, practiced by the shamans of the various plains tribes, is not a particularly powerful form of magic, and Hobgoblin shamans do not normally become very powerful magicians. Hobgoblin magic is a reflection of the Hobgoblin race -- nasty and sneaky.