Ubangian Tikoloshe

The Ubangian Tikoloshe, also known as Ubangi River Goblins, are a type of goblin who can turn invisible after drinking water and are feared as a subversive, territorial and vicious group of goblins. They have an economic death-grip on carbonado and mineral ore trade in the Central African Republic, but the Ubangian locals don't mind because it enables them to control and maintain their own self-autonomy.

Among Central African natives, Ubangian Tikoloshe are said to have been magically created, summoned, or birthed by Obrigwabibikwa to keep colonizers off of mineral-rich Ubangi rivers. Others attribute their existence to having just recently evolved from some unknown type of merfolk or magical marine creature. What is agreed upon is that they stayed relatively hidden from the world and occassionally traded with local Ubangian humans until their habitats were majorly disrupted by colonists trying to mine the Ubangi river for carbonado in the 1900s.

Physical Traits

Ubangian Tikoloshe are known for having black eyes, pointed teeth, and indigo skin tones. They have the long, clawed fingers, of their European counterparts but their ears, hands, and feet are webbed and adorned with spiny lobe-fins. They also have much thicker (3C/4C) hair and are built like swimmers.

Knowledge Systems & Economy

Ubangian Tikoloshe are skilled in hunting/tracking, arithmancy, divination, potioneering, mineralogy, and smithing, especially where riverine ecologies and carbanado is involved. Their educations begins with family or clan elders and then can continue with one of the regional African guilds and/or by joining SSEARCH (multi-Species Syndicate of Expert Artisans Recovering Cultural Heritage), which are as secretive as their European counterparts.

Human & International Relations

The tikoloshe often trade with Ubangian locals but are rarely encountered in international politics, as they usually only deal with goblin banks, magical governments, or academic institutions. On the global stage, they maintain the same level of secrecy as their European counterparts.

Ubangi River War of the 1900s

When colonists began mining The Ubangi River in the early 1900s, they quickly found themselves engaged in a riverine guerilla warfare with a foe who could turn invisible. While non-magical folk blamed the ensuing bloodbath on the mbenga, the goliath tiger fish, magical folk quickly learned that the Ubangi Tikoloshe were turning invisible or disguising themselves as tiger fish so that they could ambush, kill, and scare away invaders. Despite their numbers, magical colonists quickly retreated from the region and Ubangi Tikoloshe quickly moved to gain an economic death-grip on carbonado and mineral ore trade in the Central African Republic.

After the war ended, the Ubangian cultures organized and managed their own affairs and resources to where they could unite other indigenous and species-inclusive cultures in Africa. The alliance resulted in an international group of artisans who work with other cultures to help them preserve, protect, and sustain their cultural heritage. They became known as SSEARCH, multi-Species Syndicate of Expert Artisans Recovering Cultural Heritage, and have become so involved with goblin banks and orchestrating archaeology digs at highly sought after sites that they can easily throw their weight around in the antiquities trade.