It started with a question (Patreon)

"How do I justify goblins in armor without breaking the lore of a world that is primarily human, and still largely prejudiced against goblinkind?"There is a kingdom called Cedova, centered along a fertile river valley. They control a large swath of coastline, including a vital choke point in the southern sea, and these natural boons have seen them grow great and powerful. This connection to the broader world left them open to more than just wealth and trade. Eventually, the land was devastated by a mysterious plague, reducing its population by two thirds.The king was desperate for solutions to the resulting labor vacuum, and knew that the fertile land was host to many nonhuman populations that had proven to be largely nonviolent, if a bit reclusive. In a decision steeped in controversy, he allowed goblins to enter society and offered them "rights" in exchange for their labor. It was not glamorous, and they were not truly regarded as equal citizens. Goblins are not deterred by the kind of labor that humans abhor, and so happily settled into their roles as tanners, dungsweepers, and butchers.The very same plague that took more than half the kingdom eventually took the king as well. His son, rising to power at merely 16, was an ambitious and bull-headed lad. He had never known a life before the goblin integration, which was still going rather well at this point. Many uneventful years passed while the kingdom rebuilt, the young king settling into his role. He showed great promise on the battlefield, and made a strong name for himself in a series of conflicts in defense of their western border. When he reached his twenties, in a shocking and controversial break from tradition, he took a half goblin wife.This decision sparked outrage for many, but by this point, the majority of his closest vassals were friends he had made during the skirmishes against their aggressive western neighbor. They offered their support, and his decision stood. The king began to push for reforms to integrate goblins more fully into their society, amid whispers that this was the new queen's influence upon him. This new direction saw them integrated into the military for scouting, guerilla attacks, things that they're more suited for because of their size and stealth. They were now permitted holdings of land, so long as they were able to defend it and produce value for the kingdom.Now well into his manhood, the king and his half goblin queen have ruffled many feathers, but the benefits of the greater integration are undeniable to just as many. Dark rumors abound among the dissenters, including the bold assertion that the goblins themselves were responsible for the plague, and the death of the previous king. Despite this mistrust, the kingdom slowly begins to recover from the devastation of the previous generation's misfortune, and on the surface, things seem promising. The decision has created a rift in the kingdom that will see greater conflict in its future, but for now, the king and the goblin queen are working hard to bring their land back to the greatness of its past.