Kobolds
Kobolds originated from deep underground, and they are the only known natural humanoids with a reptilian origin, sharing no common ancestry with neither humans and near-humans, nor fey. According to kobold legends, when the first dragons died, only their wills dissipated; the essence of their bodies remained living, transforming into lesser draconids like wyverns, drakes, and kobolds. Whether or not this tale is true, kobolds do share similar features with dragons, such as warm blood, the ability to see in the dark, and knowledge of the Draconic language.
Kobolds resemble anthropomorphic dragons standing at about the size of halflings. Males and females are roughly identical, although some male kobolds sport frills or larger horns. Kobolds come in every scale color that can be found on dragons. Very rarely, a kobold can be hatched far larger than their clutchmates, resulting in a saurian dragonkin. While it's possible that some of these kobolds have draconic ancestry through interbreeding, this is often attributed to the fundamental draconic nature of all kobolds, as humanoid dragonkin do not spontaneously arise, even in bloodlines gifted with draconic sorcery.
Wildling Kobolds
The first kobold settlements were simple villages built in the remains of fallen dragons, where they took advantage of the massive amounts of mana leeched into the land to develop unique forms of elemental sorcery. Kobold magic was fairly primitive, and while it led to a fair degree of sophistication in agriculture and metallurgy, kobold clans are typically limited in the types of magic they could access by the draconic remains they claimed. Most kobolds today still live as they did for thousands of years, in subterranean warrens or deep jungles far away from other races, and are thus referred to as wildlings. Wildling kobolds are notoriously xenophobic and avoid other races whenever they can. If contact is inevitable, they tend to lay traps for potential intruders and hide even deeper into their territory until it's safe. If they have a large numerical advantage, they instead launch repeated raids to harass, rob, and sabotage their unwanted guests until they leave. On the rare occasion where friendly contact is established, wildling kobolds remain cautious and secretive, as if anticipating betrayal. As a result, wildling kobolds are nearly unknown to the world, and are almost never found among other races.Balkuran Kobolds
When kobolds came into contact with living dragons, they were usually taken as servants or slaves. Most of these kobolds were killed, or retreated underground, during the Draconic Crusades. The race would have been forgotten by surfacers if not for the notable exception of the Balkuran kobolds, who are the most commonly encountered culture of kobolds among civilized races today. Enslaved by the draconic false god Zamoryx the Stormwind, and later by Velthirian imperialists, these kobolds experienced hundreds of years of brutal tyranny before finally rising up against their oppressors. Fortuitous circumstances combined with their own cunning and determination gave them a decisive victory, and since then, they have renamed the city where they were exploited Balkur, after the Draconic word for freedom. Balkuran kobolds are an anarchic people known for their homeland's motto: No Gods, No Masters. Indeed, Balkur abides by no faith, and is ruled by no government as other cultures would know it, but rather by an alliance of guilds, each maintaining one of the city's essential industries. And while it is crime ridden, chaotic, and heavily polluted, the kobolds would prefer no place else to call home. To this day, Balkuran kobolds hold a grudge against the Kingdom of Velthiria, which makes many of them unfriendly to elves and humans on instinct. Most of them get along decently well with other races, as long as they can be reassured that they are not being exploited. Balkuran kobolds make for honest workers, even if hired for dishonest work; Balkuran honor would demand they do exactly what they're paid for, no more, and no less.Kobold House Rules
- Kobolds have the following racial ability score modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength.
- Kobolds gain the prehensile tail alternate racial trait for free.
- Kobolds may choose to lose the light sensitivity trait; alternatively, if they keep that trait, their darkvision instead becomes 120 feet.
