Kobold

Kobolds are one of the eight known sentient races that inhabit Aedes. Dwelling in isolated places of great natural power, tribes of kobolds will pass generations of drudgery awaiting the birth of a unique kobold. Such unique kobolds grow to massive size and power, gathering dozens of kobold clans under their dominion as chief, or dragon.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Kobolds are bipedal humanoids, with digitigrade legs and a whiplike tail. They have reptilian features and scaly skin ranging from black to a rusty shade of red. They have five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot.
Kobolds stand between 2.5 and 3.5 feet tall, with females generally an inch or two larger than males, and weigh an average of 50 lbs. Male kobolds tend to have darker skin than female kobolds, who tend to be more rust-colored.

Biological Traits

Individual kobolds are very weak from a magical perspective. An average kobold possesses considerably less magical capability than the average human; their rituals are weaker, or fail altogether. This is not the case with dragons, who are stronger than humans and capable of powerful individual magic.

Genetics and Reproduction

Kobolds reproduce by laying clutches of 1-3 eggs, which they can do roughly every 7 moons. Eggs must be kept warm, dry, and in the same orientation in which they were laid. They take 4 to 5 moons to hatch.
On extremely rare occasion, one of these eggs will hatch a dragon instead.

Growth Rate & Stages

Kobold young generally reach their full stature around the age of 6, and both sexes undergo sexual maturation around the age of 8. Female kobolds can lay clutches of eggs for roughly the following decade, although the quantity of eggs diminishes in the later years. By 24, a kobold is considered old; no kobold has ever been known to reach the age of 30.

Ecology and Habitats

Kobolds can be found all across Aedes. Due to their small, weak statures, they dwell beyond the fringes of other civilizations, in undesired reaches of arid or treacherous land. If a dragon is known to have been born in a given location, kobolds will dwell there in far greater numbers in the hopes of bringing forth another dragon into the world.
Under the dominion of a dragon, emboldened kobolds will extend their territory into lands contested by other races. The reputation and ferocity of a dragon are often sufficient to drive out other claimants from neighboring fertile land; kobolds have been known to claim abandoned houses or even villages without so much as a drop of bloodshed.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Kobolds are omnivorous, and have a versatile diet born of necessity as much as anything else. Their limited access to arable soil reduces their ability to farm; tribes will have few or no domesticated animals, and the hardy grains that they eke from the soil are as often as not fermented and distilled into vodka. They hunt, forage, and fish for food, and wherever possible, trade for products they cannot grow themselves.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Naming Traditions

Bracaran kobolds have a single given name, and use the name of their tribe in lieu of a surname. Within the tribe, if two or more kobolds share a name, epithets will be appended to distinguish among them.

When looking to name a kobold character, look to Kazakh names for inspiration!

Examples

• "Atabek, the Hunter, of the Winding River tribe"
• "Sabira Redscale, from the Wretched Mountain tribe"
• "Restless Tanatar, of the Tribe of Salted Earth"

Major Organizations

The largest number of kobold tribes in Aedes can be found in the Bracaran Peninsula. See the page on Bracaran Kobolds for more information regarding their culture.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

During a forbearance, kobold tribes trade with each other as well as with their neighbors. Most tribal villages are deficient in natural resources, so this trade is necessary in order to keep the tribes intact. The most common kobold exports are animal products (skaya hides, furs, leather), stone, minerals, and grain alcohols; depending on the tribe, resources such as lumber, animal products, crops, and insect products (honey, carmine, wax) might also become available. The most common kobold imports are fibers (such as wool or silk) and crops that require arable land to grow.
Non-kobolds living near to a kobold tribe live under constant threat of a dragon's dominion sweeping out from that tribe and driving them from their land for a century. This often leads to hatred and fear, especially in primarily-human civilizations. By contrast, caryatids, some goblins, and the rare human settlement will actively foster positive relationships with nearby kobold tribes, trading with them at a loss in order to build up goodwill for when a dragon hatches. It is customary for a dragon to consult members of the nearest kobold tribes when determining how to handle the inhabitants of a particular region; those that treated the tribes well will be treated well in return.
Kobolds and dwarves have virtually no interactions, even during a dominion. The Ashultum Mountains serve as a natural barrier, and the cold iron and technological superiority of the dwarves keep kobolds from attempting to challenge them.

Genetic Descendants

• Dragon

Lifespan

25 years

Average Height

3 feet

Average Weight

50 lbs

Geographic Distribution

• Bracaran Peninsula

Related Ethnicities

• Bracaran Kobold

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