Kobold

## Overview

Kobolds are the singular mortal descendants of the 21 great dragons of Gleam, and bear this heavy weight on their tiny shoulders with unmatched zeal. While there is only ever one adult of a species of dragon at a time, kobolds have spread far and wide across the world. They believe that within each of their breasts beats the heart of a true dragon, and thus each kobold is as deserving of respect, awe, and fear as one.

Unfortunately, the rest of the world sees kobolds as the small lizards that they are, regardless of their immense racial pride and responsibilities. As such, there comes a time in every kobold's life where they must cope with the realization that they are not dragons, do not have the power of dragons, and do not have anything but an association with dragons from their heritage. This realization, nearly without exception, utterly destroys the worldviews and oversized egos of kobolds, and most do everything they can to stave off undergoing it.

Those who live solely among other kobolds often spend their entire lives believing they are the anointed chosen ones of dragonkind, but those in other communities or who travel aren't so lucky. For those unlucky many, the way that those kobolds cope with this identity-shattering epiphany will be more formative than their entire lifetime before it.

## Mechanics

Standard Racial Traits

* Ability Score Modifiers: Kobolds get +2 Dexterity, but a -2 penalty to Constitution and a -4 penalty to Strength
* Type: Kobolds are humanoids with the reptilian subtype.
* Size: Kobolds are Small creatures and thus gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty on their combat maneuver checks and to Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks
* Base Speed: Kobolds have a base speed of 30 feet
* Languages: Kobolds begin play able to speak Draconic. Those with high intelligence scores may learn any of the following: Dwarven, Gnome.

Other Racial Traits

* Armor: Kobolds have naturally scaly skin, and receive a +1 natural armor bonus
* Crafty: Kobolds get a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks, as well as any one Craft or Profession skill of their choice. The skill they choose, as well as Stealth, are always class skills for Kobolds.
* Darkvision: Kobolds can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet
* Light Sensitivity: While in areas of bright light, or while within the area of a Daylight spell, kobolds have the dazzled condition.

## Society

Kobolds are heavily concerned with their reputation and treatment by others in their communities. To those of the same scale color, they are courteous and helpful, and to those of different draconic heritages, they are even more kind and generous as they attempt to show the depth of their resources and hospitality. Such gestures are always overdramatic and blown out of proportion, as if all kobolds involved were performing for some unseen dragon observer, often to the amusement of non-kobolds.

Kobolds aren't as welcoming to other races, treating them without exception as subordinates, although their requests and needs are simple enough that most folk have little trouble appeasing any kobold who may call themselves their superior. In fact, kobolds in mixed societies don't truly ask for more than any other citizen, but their pride demands that even the simplest requests are completed with a certain amount of ceremony as befitting their heritage. Kobolds with self-awareness are terrifically rare, so the majority of non-kobolds who interact with the cute draconic creatures find it easy and fun to play along unless they're especially allergic to humor. As a result, many kobolds unwittingly find themselves employed by purveyors of luxuries who want an upper-class atmosphere, snatched up by acting troupes and theaters, or placed within the entourages of nobles as servants and squires.

## Religion

Even when it comes to their religion, kobolds have an overriding sense of racial pride. Masik is the patron god of kobolds, who spend an equal amount of time worshiping him and trying to explain away his various failures as successes in some way or another - as a true son of the dragons would never fail or fall prey to the chances that create accidents. Even in the case where they're unable to defend him, kobolds are more likely to dismiss any critic as an atheist or cultist than spend a single moment doubting Masik or his actions. Their idea of dragons as divine, royal progenitors also makes kobolds sympathetic to Dowager Empress Kyouko, and they treat her as an 'honorary kobold' in their worship. Outside of these two deities, however, most kobolds only feel a sense of awe from the 21 great dragons in the world. Unfortunately for them, the Inquisition stomps out any worship of these dragons as soon as it begins, leading such dragon cults to be extremely rare and secretive and any individual worship to be utterly private.

## Relations

Kobolds' demand of reverence often rubs aasimar and tieflings wrong, as they claim divine parentage but rarely flaunt the fact.

Aphorites find their mannerisms strange, but no moreso than those of many other races, and instead respect the work that kobolds put forth in order to live up to their egos.

Ganzi and ifrits try to avoid kobolds who invariably attempt to order them around. Fetchlings take such situations as an opportunity to train their flattery, treating kobold encounters as opportunities.

Changelings hesitantly accept the kobold idea that they have some sort of unknown connection to the wilds of the world, and occasionally find themselves eagerly supporting delusions of grandeur in order to gain a safe life.

Dhampir, hobgoblins, and orcs are treated as artless brutes by kobolds, and while dhampir are content to simply leave and hobgoblins take it as a chance to prove their strength, orcs will simply squash the offending kobold without a second thought.

Elves look down on kobolds as pint-sized psychopaths who idolize violent monsters, while drelmans, all too aware of the power of dragons, usually take kobolds at face value and overestimate them in the name of safety.

Gnomes, ratfolk, and dwarves all consider kobolds to be industry rivals - dwarves wish to show their power over the descendants of dragons, while gnomes are just glad to have inspiration for further ideas, and ratfolk despise that kobolds do their work in the name of their ancestry instead of the good of their communities.

Duergar hardly register kobolds at all, but their interactions usually boil down to the duergar obeying orders out of habit and the kobold taking this as evidence of a healthy relationship.

Drow, halflings, and kitsune often play along with kobolds, hiding their amusement as best they can, although only kobold and halfling partnerships ever continue after the kobold realizes that they've been treated as a joke.

Parmans and suli take kobolds completely seriously, though parmans do so knowing it is a performance while suli genuinely believe that kobolds bear a palpable amount of draconic nobility within them - as such, suli relationships are often the strongest ones that a kobold will ever know.

Ghorans fear both dragons and kobolds, although the few among them who seek to harm mortal creatures relish in turning the proud kobolds into unaware minions.

Lizardfolk and grippli both treat kobolds as genuinely noble, but this only results in lizardfolk being suspicious of them, and grippli being intimidatingly friendly to the point of sycophantry.

Nagaji treat kobolds as siblings as they were both the result of a more powerful race's creation, but kobolds find the comparison of dragons to nagas insulting and don't return the feeling.

Oreads don't mind the excitable kobolds, and are most likely to treat them as individuals beyond their stereotypes, while undines absolutely can't stand the tiny draconic creatures - each time their passivity is taken as acceptance or agreement, they die inside a little bit more.

Sylphs are intrigued by kobolds and enjoy peppering them with questions as they go about their business, which usually results in offense being taken sooner or later, or worse, triggering that kobold's life-shattering epiphany.

Skinwalkers often attempt to ingratiate themselves with kobolds in order to somehow learn the secret to maintaining their huge egos, though this rarely works.

Vanara find that kobolds are far too sensitive to make or take jokes, and consider them passable business partners but boring friends. Vishkanya enjoy this sensitivity, taking every opportunity to break down kobolds into weeping wrecks that they can find and treating this as a form of sport.

On the whole, tengu pity kobolds - despite having a perfectly interesting culture on their own, their focus on dragons means that only the most curious and skilled historians and cultural investigators know of it.

Goblins, with a royal goddess themselves, intuitively understand kobolds and use this understanding to compose songs of questionable quality but immense spirit in praise of their scaled friends.