Curse of Strife

The Curse of Strife (written without capitalization in more-recent works) is a curse that was inflicted in the the Calamity by Bane, the Strife Emperor. The term is used to describe the mental affliction on the goblinkin following the completion of their transformation from the dranassar, yet is implied to also refer to the physical transfiguration of dranassar into goblinkin itself.

The curse instills in its victims the compulsion that leads them to evil by allowing Bane's foul voice to prey upon their minds from beyond the Divine Gate. This compulsion drives goblins to commit acts of wanton destruction and malice, hobgoblins to commit acts of conquest and despotism, and bugbears to commit to self-isolation so as to maximize the suffering of those they brutalize.

A goblinkin who is freed from the curse is freed from such compulsions; however, they have likely internalized a bias inflicted by the curse, and might retain that aspect of their alignment even after the curse is broken.

It is nearly impossible for a goblin kin to break Bane's curse on their own. Only those who undergo particularly traumatic events or are shown exceptional compassion typically find the inner strength to do so. The remove curse spell can aid in breaking it, especially if casted by a trusted companion.

Following the creation of the curse, the Strife Emperor used goblinkin as his minions in his conquest of the world. Few dranassar escaped the transformation, and those who did are living in the shadows (mostly in Wildemount, but some in Tal'Dorei), trying to find a way to help their kin rid themselves of the curse. Whether they intend to rid goblinkin of only the mental affliction or to fully transform them back into dranassar is uncertain.

Goblinkin born within 100 miles of a Luxon beacon do not inherit the curse. Those who are transfigured into goblinkin or are reborn as goblinkin are also free of the curse.

In the Lushgut Forest is the Vinewreathed Enclave, a society led by bugbear druids of Melora who, decades before 835 PD, learned to use her magic to free themselves and their goblin kin of the curse of strife.