The Hedge. It’s a realm of strange and bizarre madness, but it’s all that stands between the mortal world and Arcadia, the realm of the True Fae. While the Hedge is a living realm, filled with ensnaring vines and snapping plants, it’s also populated with a wide variety of creatures. From hulking ogres with gnashing teeth, to inky living shadows, to beings that look like refugees from a fever dream, the Lost have one name for these creatures.

Hobgoblins.

Sometimes helpful, and sometimes harmful, hobgoblins are as different in their motives and desires as they are in their forms. And for those storytellers who need some help populating the Hedge this supplement has creatures of horror and beauty. Creatures who can help changelings on their journeys, or who can stand in their way. Information brokers, teachers, riddlers, and monsters, there’s a little of everything between these pages.

To use the list, either roll d100 for a random result or select appropriate ones manually.

Here are some sample results:

78. Rini Riddler: An elongated hobgoblin, Rini looks like the second-cousin to a crane with her elegant neck, high-stepping legs and pronounced beak of a nose. Often wearing thick glasses, she travels the Hedge seeking new answers, and fresh riddles. There’s plenty of both in this realm between worlds, and those with a riddle they can’t solve often seek Rini out for her aid. She only trades answers for answers, though, so if someone cannot solve one of her riddles, they will instead have to submit to whatever other questions she may ask. Questions which may be harmless curiosities, or which could expose secrets one would rather keep hidden.

79. Mitch Mire: A creature of the swamps, it’s impossible to tell if there’s flesh beneath the muck and reeds, or if that’s all this hobgoblin truly is. An ambush hunter who feeds on reptiles
and birds, Mitch is sometimes referred to (though never in his hearing) as the grassy knoll. The hobgoblin often claims, in his thick, gloopy voice, to merely be a single, small part of the Great Mire. Occasionally sent out as a messenger by this part of the Hedge, he tells people of the demands of the Great Mire, while also making bargains on its behalf. Everything from safe passage for a motley, to alliances with a freehold, are communicated through Mitch… and while his claim to be a part of the vast, living swamp with its own agenda might stretch credulity, there’s no arguing with the results one gets from striking a bargain with Mitch.

80. The Crooked Woman: None know if this hob has another name, but the Crooked Woman is easy enough to recognize. Bent backed with twisted hips, her walk is a stuttering, unsettling thing to watch. She’s been likened to a crab trying to walk with only two legs. Her clothes, her eyes, her fingers, even her teeth are out-of-true, creating a disjointed image. When she speaks her words are strange and crammed together, just as crooked as the rest of her. One should always greet the Crooked Woman with respect, and offer her their arm to lean on. This is a singularly unpleasant experience, as they world seems to tip one way and then the other while she holds on, but the alternative is even worse. Those who insult the Crooked Woman meet with misfortune as the trods and paths all seem to skew, making the Hedge even more treacherous to navigate than it usually is.

Released: 13th November 2021 Pages: 24

PDF ($1.99): Storytellers Vault

Neal Litherland and Gretchen VanHeeren Read “Meeting The Hob in The Hole”

100 Hobs To Meet in The Hedge Preview Video