Kobold

Redscaled Kobold

**Kobolds** (**Ranishi** in Kobold Speech) are small humanoid draconids with long tails, rumored to be descendants of dragons. Most of them live in caves, although there are types that inhabit dark forests.

## Etymology

The word “Kobold” is an exonym used by human miners, who were first to come in contact with them. They delved deep into a cobalt mine, where they discovered the short draconids, which promptly attacked the miners for trespassing on their turf. They referred to them as Kobolds, in reference to the metal which was extracted from the mine, and the word quickly spread.

## Biology

### Description

Kobolds stand between 70 to 150 centimeters tall, and weigh between 20 to 35 kilograms. Their scales depend on their heritage, with the most common being redscaled one. Kobolds have long tails that act as counterweight when running leaned forward, to move quickly and not fall over. It is especially useful in tunnels with low ceilings, which kobolds often utilise. Their claws are great at climbing trees, or rock structures like stone walls or mountains. Their draconic eyes allow them to see even in near-pitch darkness. Their horns are a symbol of their draconic heritage; however, they serve little to no function.

### Shedding

Like all draconids, every few months, kobolds shed only a portions of their scales at a time. Kobold scales may slightly change color during this process, which is sometimes used to make semi-permanent shapes, similar to tattoos. Tribes recycle shed scales by making armor or furniture out of them.

### Ancestral gifts

Some kobolds, inherit more draconic characteristics than others. Those who inherit multiple are hailed as Ancestral Paragons, and are most often leaders of the tribe.

#### Kobold Breath

The most common ancestral gift is kobold breath, which is a less potent version of a wild dragon's breath. Elements which kobolds breathe is seemingly random, some being recorded to breathe mud or crystal needles. Kobold breath needs to recharge around a minute before being usable again, although using it without longer brakes is extremely tiring to the kobold.

#### Draconic scales

Some kobolds are born with especially sturdy, and shiny scales, resembling those of dragons, as such those kobolds are destined for greatness. Scales they shed are used to make armor rivaling steel ones. They often have resistances to an element, often corresponding to scales' color; for example, red draconic scales are resistant to fire.

#### Wings

Few kobolds are born with vestigial wings, but even fewer are born with functional ones. Flying kobolds are barely recorded, but are considered far more deadly than a regular kobold. Whenever a kobold is born with a set of wings, the tribe celebrates for they consider it a great fortune, and when a kobold takes their first flight, a blessing.

## Heritages

Kobolds are grouped together in various heritages. Those heritages dictate their characteristics like scale pigments, affinity to ancestral gifts, height, horn shape, among many others.

According to kobold myths, all kobold heritages descent from dragons corresponding to that heritage's scale color, e.g. redscaled kobolds descent from red dragons.

### Redscaled

Redscaled heritage is the most common one, being perceived as the "basic" kobold. Their scales' color varies from reds to yellows, contrary to the name. Kobolds gifted with kobold breath most commonly breathe fire, and the more yellow their scales are, the more concentrated the fire is. Redscaled kobolds usually live in surface caves, from which they depart to hunt or scavenge. They can be spotted all over the world, but they mostly stick to moderate climates.

### Greenscaled

Greenscaled kobolds live in eastern jungles, most commonly in entrances of caves. They befriended human tribes that live nearby, making them the most peaceful of any kobolds, never fighting any battles with other sentient creatures. Their jungle has plenty of food, enough that they do not have to ever steal or migrate, allowing them to create advanced architecture and even make sculptures.

They rarely get any ancestral gifts, although the most common they get is one unique to them - a poisonous tail. Each greenscaled kobold has a spike at the end of their tail, but some start to producing a poison, like a scorpion. It's usually seen as a hindrance, since they rarely fight, but can accidentally stab another one of their kind in day to day life.

### Crystal

Crystal kobolds is a rare heritage of kobolds, who live in the deepest caves with only few seeing the sun. Their scales look like diamonds, translucent with light-blue or white skin underneath. Unlike actual diamonds they don't shine with all the colors, but each kobold has their select few colors, with the full rainbow being uncommon. They are hunted for their precious scales by other deep-underground races, which made them extremely xenophobic, and territorial. Ancestral gift of draconic scales makes their scales less shiny and translucent, but extremely sturdy and resistant to physical damage. They do not have one set energy type of their kobold breath, but there is one that they commonly get - crystal needles breath. They do not hurt mouth of kobold breathing them, and turn into liquids a minute after leaving their body.

## Society

Kobolds create tribes in dark caves, or dim forests, where their darkvision is at its best. Their lairs or villages are always tightly packed as a defensive tacting, which had massive impact on kobold society. They value the community greatly - eating, sleeping, and bathing together. Privacy is not something a kobold needs nor desires. In the kobold society everyone is equal, with a council of chosen leaders to smoothly run the tribe.

### Language

Kobold speech is a unique language isolate, not connected to any other language groups. It's writing system was designed with carving letters in soft stone using claws in mind. Young kobolds with weak claws are taught writing in mud or clay. Despite being seen as primitive, kobolds have rich culture of writing, documenting even the most mundane events, and learning from carved guides.

#### Sign Language

Kobolds developed a basic sign language, not to aid the less fortunate members of their society, but as a tactic. Sign Language is a part of combat training that mature kobolds go through. Most races cannot see in the dark as well as Kobolds, but they can hear the same. To keep the advantage of being unseen, and unheard, they speak in sign language instead of the kobold speech.

### Art

Kobolds, as a tribal race, do not have time to focus on other stuff than survival, and occassional poetry. They did not develop arts such as painting, sculpting, or sophisticated music. They kept to the thing they are good at - writing and documenting. Despite that, they are able to appreciate and understand art like humans do, but most tribes use that ability to know what to steal from a noble's house, and know its worth.

Greenscaled Kobolds, living in eastern jungles where food is plenty, had time to learn how to make wooden sculptures, alongside their friends in a human tribe. Sculptors unhappy with their work, often place it along their tribal land border, as some kind of creepy warning.

### Architecture

Their pragmatic attitude is reflected on their architecture. Kobolds most often build their buildings with rocks, and use more wood the closer they are to the surface, although they avoid using wood for floors, as their claws tend to damage it overtime. Cave kobolds build their cities in several levels, constructing a house on top of another one, leaving some space on the below's buildings roof to walk. They construct walls with climbing in mind, to get around the city easier, and in case they get raided by a race which are not as proficient in climbing.

### Mating

Kobolds do not make long-term relationship with each other, usually being one-night stands. Tribe collects eggs into a nursery, where dedicated caretakers protect the eggs from any harm, while keeping them warm. After the eggs hatch, the newborn kobolds are under care of caretakers and teachers. They are taught how to climb rocks, make traps, hunt, and they learn basic history and religion of the tribe. Because of their collective upbringing, they don't care about their parents, and even rarely find out who they are.

Kobolds who live alongside other humanoid races, most often take on their habits of long-term relationships and taking care of their child.