Relations with Other Races
Kobolds have a poor reputation with the other races of Cimmeria. Kobold moral systems largely place things outside of the pack as food, threat, or way to acquire food. This leads to consistent abuse of other creatures as kobolds will steal or abuse anyone and everything with little regard for long-term consequences. Halflings and kobolds share a special enmity. Halflings see their love of family perverted in the actions of kobolds while kobolds see halflings as occupying their niche of “the short ones” within civilized society. Kobolds’ habitual thievery and casual approach to cannibalism marks them as outcasts at best from civilized societies. They are far more likely to be attacked on sight than anything else.
This hostile reception would drive kobolds away, except they seem inevitably drawn to other civilizations to steal from and skulk around. Kobolds seem to have no interest in building their own societies, only wishing to mooch off of others. Violence directed at kobolds would have wiped out the species if it weren’t for their abnormally high breeding rate. The average female lays six eggs every year. With swift replacement, kobolds are able to weather any storm and come out the other side with a toothy grin.
Common Deities
Kobold societies are typically built around serving their dragon progenitors. Their devotion to their creators often ascends to a level of worship. Kobolds bring offerings of food and valuables to their dragons. They build statues of their dragons and dance around them for rituals. Long after their dragons have departed they continue to make offerings at the statues and call to their dragon ancestors for aid in times of need.
Kobold religious focus on dragons means the Olympians have little love for them. Fortunately for the scaled folk, there are darker divine beings that can offer benefits if the correct, forbidden rituals are performed. Echidna and Typhon, the father and mother of monsters in the Olympian Pantheon, are happy to accept offerings from kobolds. The first dragons were the children of Echidna and Typhon. Thus the two dark deities are a step above dragons in power as well as cruelty. Well-read kobolds stumble upon writings about the monster gods. Accessing their terrible power comes at a cost in blood, the kobold’s or whatever victims they can find. This desire for power has driven many kobold tribes into hostile patterns that eventually lead to their extinction.
Place in Adventuring
If adventurers are predators, then kobolds are undoubtedly easy prey. Within the adventuring world, kobolds are at the bottom rung, often serving as weak henchmen for a greater threat that adventurers must defeat. Kobolds occasionally threaten the safety of villages and small towns. These incursions into civilization are swiftly dealt with by any group of armed resistance by the Conclave races. Even a ragtag band of teenagers is often enough to send kobolds back into the hills.
Kobolds that take to the adventuring life are often rogues, sorcerers, or shamans. Their small size and crafty nature make kobolds excellent rogues as they can get in many places that others can’t. Kobolds’ draconic origin blesses many of them with natural talent for sorcery. With a little effort and guidance, they can match any other battlemage. As shamans, kobolds practice unusual rites compared to the rest of Cimmeria. Their power comes from their dragon progenitors or the monstrous, chthonic deities, Echidna and Typhon. With unusual rites come unusual magic powers that copy the abilities of any monster descended from the first two evils.
Additionally, a kobold’s single-minded devotion to its pack can be a valuable asset to an adventuring party. If the kobold considers the party to be its pack, it will do anything for them. Kobold adventurers can be some of bravest heroes when called upon to sacrifice for a friend.
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