Among the goblins of the English underworld, romance is not sentimental. It is transactional—but not in the cold human sense. For goblins, a transaction is intimacy. To offer someone the first right of refusal on your found copper is to say: I see your hoard, and I respect its shape.
Exclusive relationships follow the Three-Bind Covenant:
Trope: Aromantic spectrum / Queerplatonic life partners.
Vex breaks the mold of what a "romantic storyline" even is. When you lock in an exclusive relationship with Vex, the game explicitly asks: "Do you want romance (kissing/dating) or a heist-partner soul bond?"
If you’re playing an Eng Goblin PC in a TTRPG:
| Trait | Romantic Application | |-------|----------------------| | Tool proficiencies | Gifts are custom items with mechanical benefits (+1 to partner’s skill checks) | | Obsessive nature | Roll a Wisdom save to notice a partner’s emotional need without being told | | Small size | Literal piggyback rides or being carried by a larger partner = vulnerability | | Darkvision | Late-night tinkering while partner sleeps—watching over them |
Suggested Feat: Exclusive Bond – You and your partner gain advantage on saves when within 10 ft. of each other, but disadvantage on checks to deceive each other.