
In the interest of full scientific accuracy, it should be noted that it’s actually kind of implausible that Goblin Sharks would be known in Realmgard.
I just really wanted to draw one.
In real life, Goblin Sharks were first described in 1898 and I’ve always envisioned Terrace as being comparable to mid-1600s Earth. Being deep-sea sharks, Goblin Sharks are most commonly observed by humans as a result of being accidentally caught by deep-sea trawlers, which they definitely don’t have on Terrace.
But, hey, it’s a Fantasy world. Also, I absolutely nailed that drawing.
In real life, Goblin Sharks were first observed in Japan, where they are known as Tengu Sharks, named for a kind of folkloric creature known for its long nose. “Goblin” Shark isn’t a terrible translation into English, given that European Goblins and Japanese Tengu inhabit a similarly folkloric niche as meddlesome troublemakers. And, of course, Goblins are usually also depicted with long, sharp noses.
The Goblins of Realmgard are divided over the comparison to such a strange-looking fish.