A Kobold (Remade with wikipedia)

Common Knowledge

Kobolds are distantly related to dragons, and are often found serving them as minions. Kobolds speak a version of the Draconic tongue, with a yipping accent.

Kobolds are omnivores with no scruples about what or who they eat. They can digest bark, dirt, leather, eggshells, or their own younger siblings if they're **** enough.

Kobolds are extremely fecund egg-layers, having the highest birth rate (and **** rate) of all humanoid species. A female kobold will lay a clutch of hard-shelled eggs two weeks after fertilization; the eggs must be incubated for an additional 60 days before hatching. Kobolds reach maturity by the age of eight or nine and are considered "great wyrms" by the age of 121. They live up to 135 years. While they do bond with one another, they have no concept of monogamy.

Kobolds have an **** hatred for gnomes, with whom they compete for the same areas and mining rights, as well as pixies, brownies, and sprites. They are often at war with goblins, and the numerous kobold-goblin wars help keep the populations of both races down to a manageable level. Xvarts often act as intermediaries between kobolds and goblins, usually dominating and taking out their aggression on the kobolds.

Kobolds will sell some of their captives as slaves if there is a nearby market for it.

Environment

Kobolds are found in all climates, although as cold-blooded beings they must eat up to three times as much in colder climates. They seem to prefer dark, damp underground lairs and overgrown forests. They are industrious miners and if left to their own devices can carve out massive tunnel complexes, which they rapidly fill to accommodate thanks to their rapid rate of reproduction - which would explain their use as cannon fodder enemies.

Many kobold lairs are guarded by boars or giant weasels. Their lairs are fluid, with new tunnels continually being excavated and old ones collapsed. Most lairs include a temple or shrine, a kiln, an egg hatchery, and a place for storing food. Larger ones also contain places for cultivating food and livestock.

Typical physical characteristics

Kobolds vary in height between 3'6"-4'0", with scaly, hairless hides, reptilian heads, and tails, and weigh over 30 pounds. Males are about three inches taller and ten pounds heavier than most females. Their hides are typically a rust-brown or reddish black color, with ivory-colored horns. Their heads are like crocodiles. Their eyes glow red, and they can see accurately even in lightless conditions up to 60 feet away. Kobolds are described as smelling like a cross between damp dogs and stagnant water.

Unlike dragons, kobolds are cold-blooded. The scales covering their bodies are like that of an iguana or other large lizard. The scales that cover their tails are very fine, so that they resemble the naked tails of rats. Kobolds lose and gain new teeth throughout their lives, often saving and making necklaces from them. Kobolds favor raggedy-looking red or orange clothing made from leather or the silk of giant spiders. They never wear shoes, but they are fond of jewelry and other ornamentation.

Kobolds shed their skin about once a season, in patches, over the course of a week. They keep themselves well-groomed, regularly polishing their horns, claws, and teeth.

Alignment

Kobolds are usually lawful evil. Exceptions are more likely to be non-evil than non-lawful. Neutral (unaligned) kobolds also exist, usually the servants of good or unaligned metallic dragons.

Society

Kobold society is influenced by their lawful evil alignment. They will plan and dig mines industriously, while laying cruel traps for interlopers. If they must confront an enemy, they will mass their troops for an ambush. Among the monstrous humanoids, they are known for cunning plans; unlike many, they also share those plans among the tribe. General plans and goals are common knowledge, and detailed plans are shared with all who ask, to allow them to work fruitfully for the good of the tribe. Kobolds have a natural hatred of other non-draconic creatures because of mistreatment of their race.

Kobolds have specialized laborers, yet the majority of kobolds are miners. The most coveted careers are trapmaker, sorcerer, caretaker, and warrior. Kobolds typically apprentice in their chosen profession at the age of three. A kobold's job may change over the years based on the needs of the tribe. Kobold tribes are gerontocracies, ruled by their eldest member, who is known as the All-Watcher. Often this leader is a powerful sorcerer. Kobold laws may change along with their leaders. Kobolds prefer exile to execution, and in some disputes, kobolds tribes will split in order to spread their kind over a larger region. Kobolds often lay eggs in a common nest, with specialized foster parents to watch over the eggs and wyrmlings (young under one year).

Religion

The main deity of the kobolds is Kurtulmak, the god of war and mining. The other main god worshipped by kobolds is Gaknulak, the god of protection, stealth, trickery, and traps. A lesser-known kobold demigod is Dakarnok. Individual kobolds and kobold tribes may worship other deities of the draconic pantheon; Tiamat and Io often play a significant role in their creation myths. Kobolds and gnomes have an instinctual hate of each other because of a "prank" played upon Kurtulmak by the gnomish deity Garl Glittergold. According to some kobold myths, Garl collapsed Kurtulmak's cave because the gnome god saw that they were likely to become the dominant race in the world. The draconic god Io offered Kurtulmak the chance to become the god of his race or to give him the strength to clear the mine. Kurtulmak chose to lead his race in the form of a god. The gnomes, naturally, have their own version of the myth which casts their god in a considerably better light.

Clerics of Kurtulmak are known as the Eyes of Kurtulmak. They rarely live long enough to become chieftains, but they have a great deal of power and influence, serving as mine supervisors and directing the tribe toward "divinely inspired" goals. Organized worship services are almost nonexistent, but most kobolds recite small prayers throughout the day.

Many kobolds believe in reincarnation, which Kurtulmak may use as either reward or punishment depending on one's service to one's tribe. One of the duties of a cleric is to watch over eggs and hatchlings thought to be the reincarnation of a distinguished kobold.

Language

Kobolds speak a version of the Draconic tongue, with a yipping accent (their voices are said to resemble the sound of small dogs barking). Some also learn to speak Common, Goblin, Orcish, and Undercommon.

The written form of Draconic was originally developed by kobolds in the service of dragons, as dragons themselves see little reason to write (and often have no fingers and thumbs to write with).

Kobold subraces

Urds are a subrace of winged kobolds, who otherwise maintained separate societies from standard kobolds. There is another subset of kobolds known as the dragonwrought kobolds, who occasionally have wings or other draconic qualities, and hold an elevated status in kobold society, they are not a subspecie as any kind of kobold can be born with these traits.

The aquatic kobold, the arctic kobold, the desert kobold, the earth kobold, and the jungle kobold are all kobolds who have adapted to different environments, evolved themselves from regular kobolds.

History

Kobolds have a scattered history, turning up in isolated regions with no apparent connection to one another. Even given the often nomadic nature of kobolds, divine agency is often evoked to explain how kobolds spread so far. Kobolds are thought to have begun their existence as the servants of dragons.