Koh
The kobolds of the Riverlands refer to themselves as the Koh, a name derived from the word for 'person' in their language.
Due to their homes primarily existing in caverns and shallow underground, the Koh have to grapple with living - or warring - with the surface cultures they live alongside. In Wejnazeer, they are widely accepted in the predominantly Halfling settlements. In Lenif they are treated as vermin and thieves. They have waged a long guerrilla war against the nation and its people.
Naming Traditions
Unisex names
Every Koh has three names. The first is their egg name. It is unique among the clutch of eggs they hatched with, but is shared among other clutches. These names are among the most common, and are carefully chosen to ensure relatively even ratios. Gathering all of the Koh with the same egg name could give you as much as 10% of the warren!
The second is their profession name, a name given when they are granted their job. It may shared among other kobolds of the same profession. Similar to the egg name, you could gather many kobolds of the same profession name, and be ensured to only have a subset of that profession.
Their third and final name is their personal name, a name the kobold is allowed to choose themselves. There are no requirements for this other than that is cannot be shared with anyone else in the warren - it must be entirely unique.
This tradition allows for Koh leaders to quickly divvy up work groups in an emergency. To aid in this, names are strictly tracked to ensure optimal ratios. Larger clans store this information in a Book Of Names, which effectively acts as a ledger of every living and deceased kobold in their clan.
Example Names
Jotru Rork Qraghip, Kozkisk Nun Meelp, Ihsi Uplo Voss, Iskraam Vidra Gaksoh, Iskraam Pakiri Ezna, Iskraam Pakiri Emii, Kozkisk Killeekzi Ruby, Brellex Azrop RubyFor kobold inspired names, check out this generator.
Culture
Shared customary codes and values
The Koh live in vast groups in their underground colonies, where the warren is always placed above the individual. Lifelong jobs are assigned based on the needs of the tribe and what the individual is best at.
Koh culture highly values and encourages becoming an expert in a field rather than dabbling in many things. Most Koh become very adept at determining who does hold the information they need, and some have found success outside of the warrens as information brokers.
Living in cramped spaces among a closely knit tribe means a near complete lack of privacy. Kobolds have little to hide from each other, and share most things. Personal possessions are few and far between, and generally consist of jewelry, personal decorations, or other memorabilia that is unlikely to help the tribe. With limited storage space, regifting things you have received is entirely acceptable, as it leaves you with more space for new items while bringing joy to another.
Cuisine
With little access to large tracts of land to grow surface crops, most Koh settlements rely on hunting, foraging, and cave-grown alternates. A variety of mushrooms are featured heavily in Koh dishes, along with seasonal berries and nuts. Most meat tends to be sourced from small animals rather than large livestock, which are easier to breed in large quantities in captivity - whole roasted lizards, rodents are common on kebabs. Most koh dishes tend towards deeply savory and tangy foods made in large batches. The Koh prefer stronger textures in their food, and generally eat meat bone and all. The sometimes rubbery texture of mushrooms is an intended effect, and many Koh dislike surface-made foods for being "goopy" or "soft". Eating socially is so much the norm, that eating alone or with only a small group of people would be seen as actively antisocial. In most Koh settlements, the dining hall is the center of everything in the warren, and doubles as a place to hold meetings, celebrations, and other activities. Jumbi berries are a commonly used ingredient. They are fermented and distilled in various ways, most commonly into a very high potency wine with some hallucinogenic properties. Dried jumbi berries are eaten recreationally, and most Koh have a better tolerance for their effects than creatures several times their weight.Common Dress code
Though clothing is still worn for protection and decoration, it is considered superfluous as most kobolds are perfectly capable without it. Small, portable jewelry is popular among the Koh, and those that do own clothing rarely have more than one outfit - and often only a partial outfit when compared to other cultures.
Most of Koh clothing is designed for halflings, with shirts, skirts, and dresses being the most popular as they allow free movement of tails. Boots are rarely ever worn, save for miners who use them to protect their feet while mining.
Coming of Age Rites
When a Koh becomes an adult, they are allowed to choose their third name. It is entirely unique to that individual, and it treated as a gift the warren gives to them. They, and the other Koh in their clutch, throw a name choosing ceremony and start their long term jobs shortly after.
Funerary and Memorial customs
When a Koh passes away, their name is crossed out of the Book of Names, allowing new adult Koh to claim their personal name if they so choose. While not a formal ceremony, this usually follows a burial or cremation.
The actual burial or cremation of a body is not as important to the Koh as the remembrance gathering hosted by those close to the deceased. Stories and gifts are shared between those in attendance, and occasionally multiple gatherings are scheduled. It is seen as a way for the deceased to bring others together even when they are gone.
The personal names of kobolds who have gone missing are rarely removed from the ledger - discovering the fate of a missing kobold is a heroic act, as it allows the name to be freed up.
Warfare
Fighting alongside the people of the soon to be founded Wejnazeer, the Koh displayed their fighting style against the kingdom of Lenif. They primarily favored defensive battles, ambushes, and guerrilla warfare. From their self sustaining warrens, they were able to launch attacks on Lenif forces supply lines, and proved themselves extremely capable defenders. Many warrens are still constructed with wartime in mind, especially against larger creatures that may have difficulty traversing the cramped tunnels. The Lenif forces soon learned it was more effective to simply collapse whatever entrances they found, though it simply acted as a slight delay. Their inability to curtail the Koh's attacks was a major detriment to their war efforts.Kobold Tails, 1 gold piece reward eachAfter the war, some Koh settled in the tunnels and warrens they had created in Lei lands. Though they stopped active war efforts, most still consider the people of Lenif their enemy, and frequently conduct raids on trade routes and caravans. They tend to treat those who surrender fairly well, to encourage easier ambushes in the future. The most frequently taken goods are fabric, alcohol, and shelf stable foods.
Ideals
Gender Ideals
Genders roles are largely nonexistent in Koh society. The most important thing always remains whether an individual can help support the warren - as long as they can do that, they are free to express themselves however they would like. As a result, gender expression is too individualistic to have a notable effect on roles expected from them.
This combined with relatively minor differences in appearance between the predominantly kobold society means that many other humanoids have difficulty determining the gender of a Koh kobold.
Relationship Ideals
Koh are fairly straightforward in courting potential partners, and tend towards having multiple overlapping relationships. Most live with their partners in small groups of four to seven, and introducing potential partners generally means introducing them to the entire group.
Koh relationships move quickly, and settle into a routine slowly. Testing and trying new things is highly encouraged, and making numerous mistakes is an accepted side-effect. Settling into a happy routine is the end goal of most Koh, and those who find a stable end are praised by their peers. Consistent effort and dedication is valued more than an early passion, and such effort is tested early and often.
Marriage is a foreign concept in Koh culture, who do not focus on large shows of devotion as much as continual small actions. When speaking other languages, many Koh use husband and wife interchangeably with the term partner - having a wedding is a completely separate topic.
Encompassed species
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