Digs The Kobold

**Race** | Kobold
 **Age** | 903 Years (Claimed)
 **Class** | Artificer (Aviator)

*"Every living thing burns, it just depends on how hot it must be." -Varynth The Indomitable*

**HOW DIGS TOLD HIS HISTORY**

Digs the Kobold was, 300 years ago, an Ancient Red Dragon known as Varynth The Indomitable, Master of the Skies, The Red Fangs of Tiamat, Divine Furnace of the Fires of Garyx, The Forge of Hellfire, and Bringer of the Ashes of Death. Varynth kept his massive hoard in the depths of an unstable volcano, quite content to let the landscape kill off any weak would be intruders, allowing for only the bravest to approach him. Varynth reveled in the approach of great and noble warriors, for the breaking of their spirits before death was a reward more valuable than the mass of precious metals and stones that filled his caverns. His plunder told him great tales of those who would challenge his realm. Varynth studied the cultures and religions of any who approached, for what better way to break someone than proving his own superiority before burning their naive flesh to ashes. In a way, this made him unique among his kind who were more than content to crush, burn, or devour any interloper. Yet Varynth himself was prone to a chaotic bloodlust that left naught but cinders and sorrow in his wake. Whereas many a red dragon would leave no survivors, Varynth knew that tales of his great power would spread fear. Fear so powerful that mighty souls would rise up as a beacon to their people, promising to slay the dragon. By breaking one warrior, the dragon knew that he could also break thousands more without ever setting eyes on their mortal filth.

Truly a blight upon the lands, a clan of wizards sought the aid of the ancient Silver Dragon, Agruvar, Wanderer of Continents, Keeper of the Spirits of Empires, The Soul of Curiosity, and Preserver of Creation. Agruvar already held a vendetta against Varynth, as the red dragon had burned many precious cultural treasures and lives to ash. He opened the archives of his hoard to the clan of wizards, as they sought the knowledge not to slay Varynth, but to make him suffer the pain he had inflicted to so many. Agruvar and the wizards lured Varynth to the silver dragon's lair by staging a ceremony to honor Agruvar as if he were about to leave the material plane. Varynth coveted the hoard within not for its archival worth, but for the gold and gems that adorned so much of the artifacts. When Varynth arrived, he was true polymorphed into the form of a small kobold. A final curse froze him in this form, and no amount of bitterness and fury contained within the now frail reptile would avail him. Deprived of his draconic form and abilities, he found himself as helpless and broken as all of those who had fallen to his cruelty and greed. His curse in this form is that he still retains his draconic lifespan, suffering for centuries the indignity of his tiny form and when speaking his true name, he is forced to state that all may call him Digs the Kobold in place of his title, which infuriates him to no end. While he may be injured and killed by external means, he doesn't appear to have physically aged a day since his transformation. His lair and the hoard of treasure within were banished to a pocket dimension, depriving the once mighty dragon of a safe harbor, forcing him to live as a vagabond, scraping for pennies and food scraps.

Without his natural magical abilities, he fell back on his gathered knowledge of the lesser cultures of the material plane. He delved into the libraries and workshops of the various cities of Avalon, learning ways to emulate his former powers through magic and budding technologies, harnessed and bent into devices that would grant him the immense power that he so enjoyed. Knowing that one of his nature would surely be destroyed in this form, he vowed to live within the codes and laws of the lesser beings, while still secretly torturing and tormenting them in his own special way. He quickly learned that his small size allowed for other to take pity on him. He would feign illness or injury, being invited in to rest, before robbing the occupants blind and setting their home alight. To best mimic his truly destructive nature, years of research came together in the form of the Doomstick, a large blunderbuss nearly the size of his small Kobold form and his chosen arcane focus. The weapon is woven into the unbridled power and unpredictability of Wild Magic, taking shells that are created in a bizarre ritual known only to him. Though initially designed for purely destructive force, the former dragon's abuse of wild magic can cause several of the shells to backfire, or have no perceptible benefit on the battlefield.

His wanderings brought him to Arroyo where he lurked in the various alleyways, pilfering components, food and whatever valuables he set his sights on. When the fires began to rain from the skies, he believed it to be a sign that his form would soon be restored and he would be able to take his horrible vengeance on those who had cursed him. When his true form did not immediately return and the streets were flooded with demons, he fled with other refugees, deep into the caves. Deep in the opal mines, he seeks to gather his strength, believing this a test from Tiamat to prove his might and fury so that he may be reborn to vanquish the wretched filth of Agruvar. He waits for the day the bunker will open, so that he may emerge and once again become the true Scourge of Avalon.

**DIGS' ACTUAL HISTORY**

300 Years prior to the Demon Apocalypse, Digs was in service to the great Varynth The Indomitable, an ancient red dragon known for terrorizing the dragon spine mountain regions. The dragon had a vast horde of Kobolds in his service who saw him as the divine, just below Tiamat in the realms of power and fury. While it is true that a clan of wizards led by the great Silver Dragon Agruvar attacked Varynth's keep to cease his slaughter, the story was not as Digs originally told it.

Varynth was quickly subdued, shaking the confidence of the kobold horde in seeing their great and powerful master brought low in seconds. Varynth was banished with his hoard of treasure into a pocket dimension where he would live out the rest of his days alone with the wealth he had gathered, but none to praise his greatness.

Arguably, his Kobold horde was stricken with a far worse fate. They were cursed to live with an unnaturally long lifespan, equivalent to and perhaps even longer than that of the dragon they so blindly served, destined to live without their master for centuries. The curse also prevented them from pledging their allegiance to another dragon. When faced with another dragon, they would be forced to challenge it with the intention that they would die at the hands of those they revered. The kobolds were prevented from harming themselves, with the only way they would be released from their torment would be to live for a millennia or perish at the hands of another creature. Many of the horde were driven mad at the loss of their master, and unable to end their suffering themselves, begged their compatriots to grant them their peace. Within 10 years, only 3 remained; Rady, Hok, and Digs. Their survival was sustained by their lust for vengeance to destroy the silver dragon who robbed them and cast them into centuries of torment. The 3 kobolds left their masters abandoned cave and headed out on different paths, determined to tear open the fabric of reality and release their master.

Digs headed south and ended in the port city of Melkan Thindin at the southern tip of the Dragon Spine mountains. There he secluded himself in disused caves and warehouses, stealing magical components and books to understand how to bend the mystical forces of Avalon to his will. Through this process, he recklessly experimented with wild magic and was gifted with the Doomstick, a frighteningly unstable weapon with which he hoped to accomplish his goal. He left Melkan Thindin after 65 years to reunite with Rady and Hok. They met at the master's old cave, each wielding similar weapons. The cavern had since been inhabited by a Behir, claiming the deep tunnels for his own. The 3 kobolds managed to slay to creature with their weapons, though not without losses. Rady and Hok were both mortally wounded, leaving Digs with none of his compatriots left to aid him in releasing his master, or releasing him from the mortal plane. He buried them deep in the tunnels of his master's old lair and cast their weapons into the magma pools deep within.

In leaving his master's lair for the final time, he found a large trenchcoat in the horde's disused quarters. It had been used by the kobolds, 3 at a time, in attempts to lure foolhardy travelers and adventurers to their doom. Digs donned it to honor his compatriots and etched their names into the stock of his weapon. As he left, he fired one blast from the Doomstick to collapse the cavern's entrance. He sought to wander, to release his master, to slay those who cursed him, and to possibly find peace in a life alone.

When the fires came to Arroyo, Digs fled to the mines to shelter from the demonic entities flooding from the 9 Hells. Digs found himself the only Kobold in the mine shelter. Fearful human inhabitants of Arroyo began to demand the mayor cast Digs out from the mine, for how could they trust a thieving Kobold not to rob them of what little they had left, or slit their throats in their sleep? Before they could condemn him to the demon horde, Digs introduced himself with the name of his old master, polymorphed in the guise of a mere kobold. Threatening that if cast out from the shelter, he would unleash his true form and the survivors of Arroyo would be reduced to nothing more than ash and a few bloody smears on his fangs. A shaky agreement was reached and Digs was forced to keep up the charade to preserve his own life. When assigned to the shelter security detail, he met Tybolath Wanderfist Ganu-Matho, a goliath who sought not to cast him out, but to trust him as a compatriot without question. While Digs was cursed to never serve another dragon, the goliath became his closest ally, friend, and idol. The efforts of his inner demons that had tormented him for 3 centuries had slowly begun to wane.

**EPILOGUE**

The kobold lifted his weapon in the face of Zerel as the efforts of his allies proved fruitless. He calmly loaded it with his final shell. It had been created months earlier while producing other ammunition and nearly detonated on its own immediately. Only sealing it with a charm prevented its terrible energy from being unleashed. The wild magic energy leaking from the shell was so abundant, it powered his jetpack easily, with a surplus allowing him to attain great speed while in flight. He sneered at Zerel before pulling the trigger. His vision went white, before he fell into a seamless blank void.

Digs stood at the gates of Avernus, preparing to unwillingly take his position in service of Tiamat for eternity after he had perished when the Doomstick exploded. As the fearsome iron gates crept open, Digs felt an energy welling in his chest briefly before he awakened in the arms of his compatriots. Zerel had been eradicated and his allies had breathed life back into his body. As the party rested in the magnificent shelter that evening before heading to the heart of the abyss, Digs accidentally cut his hand at the dining table. He stared at the small wound, almost in disbelief. Knowing it the only way to be sure, Digs cut his hand again, this time intending to do so. He shook silently as a small amount of blood dripped out of the laceration. His curse had not allowed him to willfully harm himself in any way. He had not known that the use of the unstable shell would drain his own life to shatter Zerel's shield. Though this small cut was proof enough that his curse had been broken. His sleep that night was restful, no longer tormented by dreams of abandonment and failure. He woke the following day with renewed purpose. He had no way of knowing how many days he had left, as he had long outlived any kobold on record. When faced with Asmodeus' covenant, he took pause. He could be granted eternal life, great power over Avernus itself, and find himself equal to Tiamat. Months before, he would have leapt at the opportunity.

Though he would still serve. He would be bound to Asmodeus until time stopped. Blind, unwavering servitude had left him in 3 centuries of torture. As well as the untold masses that would see him as a ruler and blindly serve his will. The thought of taking that role made the kobold steel his resolve that none would worship his name. He declined the deal and found himself back in Avalon with those of his party that had resisted Asmodeus as well. He felt sadness that some had been unable to resist and now remained in Hell, but took solace that altogether, his allies had freed him of his curse. He bid his friends farewell as he headed into the Dragonspine mountains, finding Varynth's old lair and digging his way inside. He visited the graves of Rady and Hok deep within and spoke to his oldest friends. He spoke of his travels deep in the mines, through ruined cities, against terrifying demons, and through the very depths of hell itself. When he finished, he sat in the darkness beside the graves. In the flickering torchlight, he realized. One kobold had stood up with his allies against the forces of the 9 Hells and won. He knew of dragons who had vast legions of kobolds. Truly together, they could free themselves from beneath their master's claws.

He left the cave and flew out from the mountains to find and aid his bretheren. He worked quickly and quietly. The chromatic dragons that had survived the demon apocalypse had become arrogant and even more greedy, pilfering the hoards of those who had perished. Digs sought out these dragons first, for their massive lairs would make fine tombs for such wretched creatures.