From Introduction: The Chss’kzagga — what humans call “rat goblins” — live in a mighty mountain fortress at the eastern edge of the Plains of Golden Grasses. They are friends with neither the humans of the plains, nor with the enemies of the plains dwellers who wish to establish a foothold in the mountains, but they have, on occasion, granted passage through their lands to armies intent on war. This is not free, but the price has varied based on their own strategic advantage.