The Kobolds of Lakeport

So this is another expansion of the work i have been doing on my lakeport setting.  Today i’m going to talk about the Dragonborn of this world, and some of the roles they play in it.  There are  companion pieces about the three Dragon deities, and the dragons themselves.  There will also be an article about Kobolds (since they are playable) and eventually we’ll put together a Monster Manual article on the Drakkenghul.  This group of articles should do a fairly solid job of putting these together and give you a wealth of information on who they are and what they do.  Today we’re going to finish up with kobolds.

The History of the Kobolds

Born of the same bloodshed that spawned the Dragonborn, Kobolds were born from the blood and viscera of the ancient dragons that fell on the land.  Unlike their larger cousins, they were made from the blood of a single Wyrm, either Haderack, the Abyssal or the Celestial.  They spawned in great quantities compared to the Dragonborn, and when the Dragonborn fled, they followed them.  

 

The kobolds that ended up away from the Dragonborn dug deep into the earth and built great complexes where they gathered gems, ores and other precious metals.  After a few hostile encounters with Dwarves, they dug vast underground fortifications and nests to push the Dwarves away from their domains.  They would have come to blows if the Halflings hadn’t intervened and traded with the Kobolds.  

 

The Kobolds went two divergent directions as a population.  The ones that escaped with the Dragonborn formed a symbiotic relationship with their larger cousins and often defer to them in social situations.  They will act as private advisers and counselors when away from other people.  The ones that escaped by themselves are an ageist community, with elders being revered as leaders in many aspects of life.  

The Fey War

Kobolds went to war with their larger cousins throughout the war, and suffered greatly during that conflict.  Entire clans were wiped out during the battles against the Me’Ah’Chin and their sacrifices often opened up points of vulnerability that others were able to exploit.  There are monuments to fallen Kobolds throughout the Old Wood, marking where the tiniest warriors gave everything for victory.  

Modern Kobolds

Kobolds are industrious folk who seem driven to work.  Whether clearing land, gathering food, or digging deep, Kobolds work themselves to near exhaustion completing their tasks.  They work towards their own collective good, and are often completely selfless when pursuing a task for the collective.  Individually they are easily startled and are prone to loud screeches or other high pitched noises when scared.  When they are gathered in a group, high pitched noises often give way to low growls and much softer noises.  

Appearance

Kobolds have the same traditional appearance as they do in other worlds.  Unlike their larger cousins, they are a monochrome in coloration having a single color pattern.  High ranking members of the collective are often festooned with bits and fetishes of their larger kin, and the eldest are marked because their scales fade into the traditional two toned color pattern of the larger dragons.  

Personality

Kobolds were imprinted with the fear and terror of the battle that birthed them and they are an extremely timid people.  When they gather in numbers and especially with the presence of either Dragonborn or Dragons, they draw their courage from their collective strength, and in those moments, Kobold warrens make fierce war camps.  They typically avoid other populations preferring their own kind and their draconic kin.

Society

Kobolds are collectivists, who work in unison to create the best possible environment for their people.  In places where they cohabitate with Dragonborn, they treat them as higher ranking members of the collective.  Dragons occupy an even higher place in the collective, but the Kobolds expect their higher ranking kin to also participate in the collective well being.  Failing to work towards the collective good is such an abhorrent thought to Kobolds they can’t fathom why other people wouldn’t work this way.  

Adventurers

Kobold adventurers are rare because of their collectivist nature, but they do exist.  Their work ethic and drive to complete tasks is often regarded fondly by the adventurers that they make friends with, and they naturally gravitate towards Dragonborn adventurers.  They are excellent at tasks that require manual dexterity and often work as experts in a variety of fields.  They are an interesting dichotomy with regards to magic.  They have a natural intelligence to them, but the draconic blood in their veins pulls them towards sorcery.  

Religion

Kobolds typically worship one of their two draconic ancestors.  There are rumors of cults that worship Haderack, but that’s a terrible heresy among the Kobolds.  The Kobolds that were never rediscovered by the Wyrms follow any god of their choosing as their hearts dictate.  They are devout worshippers who put their headstrong zeal into their religious pursuits.  

Rules addendums

Dragonborn from this setting have the following changes:

Ability Scores:

Kobolds have a -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, and +1 Intelligence.  This replaces the Kobold racial ability score bonuses.  

 

Collective Will:  Kobolds have advantage on Wisdom saving throws against fear and charm effects when there are at least six other kobolds OR 1 Dragonborn within visual range of the Kobold making the saving throw.  If there are at least 30 Kobolds, the Kobold automatically passes the saving throw.  This replaces Grovel, Beg, and Cower.

 

Kobolds don’t have Sunlight Sensitivity in this setting.