Kobold

Kobolds were aggressive, retrospective, yet industrious small humanoid creatures noted for skill at trapping, mining, and ambushing enemies. Kobolds were distinctly related to dragons and urds, often serving as their minions.

Description
A kobold was a reptilian humanoid, standing between 2' and 2'6" (60cm – 75cm) tall, weighing 35 to 45 pounds (16 – 20kg), having scaled skin of a hue reddish brown to black in color, and burnt orange to red eyes. Kobold legs were sinewy and digitigrade. They had long, clawed fingers and crocodillian jaw. Small white or tan horns protruded from their head, and they had rat-like tails. Kobolds would often smell of wet dog and stagnant water.

Kobolds liked to to wear red or orange garments, which were usually ragged. They possessed darkvision and were particularly sensitive to bright light. Kobolds had natural tendencies towards sorcery. They could live up to 135 years, and dragonwrought even longer. Kobolds were similar to dragons, but while dragons had warm blood, kobolds were cold-blooded. Due to this, they were susceptible to cold, especially if it was brought on quickly. Kobolds would take a lot of care maintaining their claws and teeth, using smooth stones to polish claws and chewing roots to clean teeth. It was unknown how kobolds were of dragon heritage.

Subraces

 * Aquatic kobold
 * Arctic kobold
 * Desert kobold
 * Dragonwrought kobold
 * Earth kobold
 * Jungle kobold

Personality
Kobolds were resentful of their short stature and hated members of other races who poked fun at them for this. Most felt as though they ought to compensate for their small size in other ways, such as humor or aggression. They would naturally tend to hate larger creatures, and although they would show respect and obedience if required, they always looked for ways to display their resentment. Kobolds held a hatred for nearly all other humanoid races anyway and enjoyed killing and torturing them, in particular brownies, gnomes, pixies and sprites. Kobolds were confident and happy to remain separated from the other races. A kobold saying stated:

"The dragon scale toughens our skin. The dragon bone adorns our skull. The dragon heart flames our sorcery. We are the dragon, and for the dragon we live. Long live the dragon."

Combat
The ultimate goal of the Kobold race was the conquest of as much land as possible. While other races choose heroes for great feats of strength or military power, kobold heroes showed prowess in trap setting, torture and ambush. These were the skills kobolds preferred to use to defeat an enemy. But, if their numbers were diminished such that they had less than a two-to-one advantage, the group would usually flee. Instead, they would only engage a foe directly after it was weakened. Favorite kobold traps included spike pits, tripwires, flaming oil, and poisonous vermin.

Kobolds would usually loot what treasure they could carry from their defeated enemies, who were usually killed. Occasionally, kobolds would enslave their foes, who then might be sold on, unless they were gnomes, which kobolds would always kill, but never eat. They disliked gnomes to such an extent that they would attack on sight.

Even among the monstrous humanoids, kobolds were known as cunning planners, and unlike other races, would also share those plans among the entire tribe. General plans and goals would be common knowledge, even detailed plans were shared with all who asked to allow them to work fruitfully for the good of the tribe.

Society
Kobolds lived in tribal societies underground or in a thick, dark forest. Their society was influenced by their lawful evil alignment. They were respectful of authority figures, and would obey diligently, particularly when their ruler was of lawful evil alignment. This led to a lack of deep-rooted divisions or grievances in kobold society.

In turn, fast reproduction cycles (see below) led to kobold lairs becoming overcrowded. Overcrowding often led to conflict, two kobolds would fight to settle their differences, although these fights were not usually lethal. Kobolds, preferring exile to execution, would sometimes split the tribe. This behavior spread their kind over a larger region. While each kobold valued its own life, the tribe came first. Kobolds believed the success of the tribe to be personal success.

Language
Kobolds spoke Yipyak, a version of the Draconic language, with a yipping accent. Some could also speak Undercommon.

Mining
Kobolds had specialized categories among laborers, yet the majority of kobolds were miners. Kobolds often created their lairs by mining them from the rock. Mining was a meticulously planned and conducted process where nothing was left to chance. Divination magic was used to locate ore and mineral deposits. Each family group was expected to cut its own room, the walls of which they would adorn with a pictorial history of the family.

Crafting
The greatest art for kobolds was trap-making. The use of invention and cunning in traps was the mark of a good trap-maker.

Another important art every kobold should pursue was that of jeweller. Kobolds learned to be possessive about their personal jewellery collections, and much effort was put into crafting beautiful jewellery. A kobold's jewellery, unlike other functional or communal items, was created to be aesthetically pleasing.

Lycanthropy
At some point in time, kobolds learned to domesticate dire weasels to serve as guards and hunters. The result was lycanthropic kobold dire weasels. Because of this one in every ten thousand kobolds was hatched a natural lycanthrope. Kobolds also used dire weasels as mounts.

Fashion
Garments were often made to compliment the wearer's eyes, which involved the use of orange or red dyes. Other garments might be dyed to demonstrate the wearer's affinity to a particular kind of dragon. Due to the amount of time kobolds spend mining, gemstones were readily available, and they used these to adorn their clothing, and to make jewelry. Most kobolds were miners and so dressed in sleeveless tunics and breeches; but kobolds enjoyed dressing in more elegant clothing for festivities. These included clothes made from silk or leather, but tailored clothes were only common among leaders.

As for footwear, Kobolds required the dexterity in their clawed feet too often to wear footwear. The soles of a kobold's their feet were hard enough to cope with most surfaces.

Religion
The main deity of the kobolds was Kurtulmak, the god of war and mining. Kurtulmak hated all living things besides kin. The primary object of this religion was to seek out magic items believed necessary to free Kurtulmak from his eternal prison. Another god worshipped by Kobolds was Gaknulak, the god of protection, stealth, trickery and traps. A lesser-known kobold demigod was Dakarnok. The remainder of the kobold pantheon was comprised of deified kobold heroes.

Kobolds were also known for serving dragons and praising them as gods. A kobold tribe boldly presented a dragon with tributes and sacrifices, whatever they thought the dragon may like. Kobolds might have even believed it was an honor to be devoured by the creature. Even if a kobold tribe was not formally accepted by a dragon, if not devoured, they might start working for in that dragon's name in secret. Once a tribe agreed to serve a dragon, the entire existence of the tribe was to serve that dragon-god in every way.

Reproduction
Kobolds did not maintain monogamous relationships, and due to the importance they placed on propagation, they chose mates by practical measures rather than love or other emotions. Mating was an impersonal act for kobolds.

Kobolds were extremely fecund egg-layers, having the highest birth rate among humanoids. A pregnant female would lay her egg within two weeks. About one in ten pregnancies led to two eggs. An egg needed incubation for about two months, but the newly hatched kobold could walk in just hours. The eggs were particularly sturdy, and the young inside could survive even if the egg broke as much as fifteen days early. Kobold young matured quickly, having reached young adulthood in six years. They often laid eggs in a common nest, with specialized foster parents watching over the eggs and wyrmlings.

Some kobold children were dragonwrought, and it was possible to tell this because the egg would be speckled with flecks of the dragon's color, which became more numerous throughout the incubation period. These kobolds possessed wings like those of a dragon, and some were of enough use to allow flight. Ritual demanded that the egg be taken to a sacred hatching place, and dragonwrought kobolds would be raised above ground if they were able to fly, so that they could learn to use their wings.

Diet
Kobolds were omnivorous, eating plants and animals, but would not refuse to eat intelligent creatures if the opportunity presented itself. They were able to eat just about anything when the situation became desperate, even tree bark or bone. Due to their cold-blooded nature, kobolds that had spent time in a warm place would not need to eat for days.

Shedding
They enjoyed swimming and would gather to bathe together, especially after shedding.

Like other reptiles, kobolds shed their skin periodically. A growing kobold might do this as frequently as weekly, but a developed one usually shed once per season. Unlike more common reptiles, such as snakes, kobolds did not shed their entire skin at once; they instead shed portions of it over a period of time. The process was usually accelerated by rubbing. Bitterleaf was often applied after shedding to help the new scales acquire strength and shine.

Time of Dragons
Kobolds were the first of the dragonspawn and were created by Asgorath (another name for Io) alongside urds around -24500 DR.

They lived under Kurtulmak in Darastrixhurti, a vassal state of Darastriverthicha, a nation ruled by the green dragon Caesinsjach. They found the gems in which the souls of the gnomes waited to be turned into living creatures and enslaved those who already lived. When the elves caused the Rage of Dragons their dragon turned on them and Garl Glittergold took this chance to kill Kurtulmak and the kobolds by collapsing their cavern in which their nation lay.

A blue dragonwrought kobold, or an urd, called Kuraulyek fled out of egoism to the Thunder Peaks against Kurtulmak's orders to protect the kobolds against their mad master.

This led to the near extinction of the entire kobold race and Io elevated Kurtulmak to deity status but also Kuraulyek both as reparation but also to ensure the continued existence of the race.

Kurtulmak learned about Kuraulyek's actions and since than the latter was hiding from the former out of fear for reprisal. The kobolds, though mostly didn't know that an urd was responsible for saving urds and told a story, that Kuraulyek was hiding from Kurtulmak because he stole a pair of artificial wings from him.

Notable Kobolds

 * Deekin Scalesinger: This kobold bard adventured in the north during the 1370's DR, until becoming a shopkeeper some years later.

Appearances

 * Adventures:
 * Below Vulture Point
 * Hoard of the Dragon Queen
 * The Return of Randal Morn
 * The Rise of Tiamat
 * The Secret of Spiderhaunt
 * The Sword of the Dales
 * Tomb of Annihilation
 * Computer Games:
 * Arena of War
 * Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
 * Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear
 * Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
 * Descent to Undermountain
 * Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter
 * Eye of the Beholder
 * Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms
 * Neverwinter
 * Neverwinter Nights
 * Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark
 * Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide
 * Pool of Radiance
 * Novels:
 * Archmage
 * Baldur's Gate
 * Charon's Claw
 * Dissolution
 * Maestro
 * Siege of Darkness