Gubbling was a goblin aide-de-camp in the army of the Strife Emperor, and the sole survivor of an outpost in the Stormpoint Mountains. As an NPC, Gubbling was played by Brennan Lee Mulligan.
Description[]
Gubbling was a very small goblin wearing a hobgoblin-sized helmet[1] and the ragged livery of an aide-de-camp, a black tunic with the gauntlet of the Strife Emperor on it.[2]
Gubbling attempted initially to put up a brave and hostile militaristic front, but was quickly intimidated. He was ashamed of the fact that his heart refused to accept the values of conquest and tyranny he had been taught were correct,[3] and ashamed of the fact that he had so far killed no one. He saw himself as a coward and a faithless servant of the Strife Emperor who had, at any test, buckled and failed.[4]
Biography[]
When the Divergence adventuring party approached the black watchtower in the Stormpoint Mountains, they were challenged by Gubbling's voice, and when they failed to respond a crossbow appeared on the parapets, but was accidentally dropped into the snow below. The voice then weakly told them they were all under arrest, but when Nia responded they meant them no harm, they were told they could pass. Gubbling claimed to be the captain of the watchtower of the Snowgrave Watch and a proud servant of the Strife Emperor, but it seemed unlikely they had actually held that title and were simply claiming it in the absence of other authority. When the party offered food in exchange for weapons, Gubbling admitted he was starving because he wouldn't eat his companions. He delivered them a bag full of all the weapons he could quickly find.[5]
Gubbling initially maintained his claim to being one of the guardians of the Snowgrave Pass, and told the party his duty was to arrest anyone not traveling under the banner of the Strife Emperor, but believed it wasn't forbidden to trade for food. He also at first refused to say if he'd had news from the south, but was quickly intimidated by Crokas into admitting that he'd heard nothing. He wasn't surprised the forces of the emperor had been defeated there, since the entire garrison at the watchtower except Gubbling had been wiped out eight days earlier by a winged being that appeared pursuing and slaying a "nightmare" creature. Its voice in Gubbling's mind asked if the goblin believed a world where all beings could know peace and joy, and Gubbling secretly responded that he did. With that, the entire garrison was slain save Gubbling, and he was very hungry.[6]
Gubbling was frightened by the prospect of now being free to follow his heart. He saw himself as a coward and a failure at enforcing the power of the Strife Emperor. Erro directed him toward Torm's Hill, telling him he would find others who would help him there, and gave him food for the journey. Gubbling was flabbergasted that if the Emperor was indeed defeated, they were helping instead of destroying him, but Garen assured the goblin he was no threat to them. Gubbling accepted this, and told them that four months ago, a lady resembling Nia had passed by and traveled on into the snowy peaks. Gubbling ripped the emblem of the Emperor off his tunic, saying it felt good to do so. He realized he had spent his life serving those who despised him, and he would hate himself for a while, but he wished them luck on their journey. Crokas told him to seek out the Roaches in Torm's Hill, who would help him. Erro gave him enough magical food for the journey and the goblin set out into the unknown, with a new opportunity to live kindly.[7]
Gubbling would eventually make it to Torm's Hill, and after deciding that the Roach Gang was too dangerous, he settled down to become a farmer.[8]
Appearances and mentions[]
- Exandria Unlimited: Divergence
- "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) (first appearance)
Quotations[]
- Gubbling: I am a proud servant of the Strife Emperor.
Fiedra: All right, Captain, and how many of your men are up there with you?
Gubbling: All of them.[9] - Gubbling: I am afraid I answered that shining thing in the affirmative. Yes, I like joy. Who doesn't like joy? You sort of have to.[10]
- Gubbling: If you serve your heart, you could be wrong.
Fiedra: You said that every single other guy you knew got immediately destroyed by this holy light--
Gubbling: Yeah, because they had the wrong guess to a riddle from a flying guy![11] - Gubbling: They can't kill all the cowards because someone has to carry the stuff.[12]
- Gubbling: Your kindness flies directly in the face of all of my religious scruples.[13]
- Garen: I mean this with as much respect as possible. You are no threat to us.
Gubbling: You have given me a grave insult, with which I cannot disagree.[14] - Gubbling: You have to be different, or things will be the same.[15]
Trivia[]
References[]
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) at 0:40:38.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) at 0:42:47.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) at 0:46:02.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) at 0:49:27.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) from 0:40:02 through 0:43:26.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) from 0:43:34 through 0:46:53.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) from 0:47:28 through 1:00:19.
- ↑ See "Wrap Up: Campaign 3 and the Era of Reclamation" (Sx94) at 3:12:07.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) at 0:41:03.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) at 0:46:10.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) at 0:48:15.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) at 0:50:25.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) at 0:52:00.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) at 0:52:32.
- ↑ See "Mirror and Key" (E4x03) at 0:57:49.
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of Gubbling, by Elaine Tipping (source). Used with permission.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||