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Kobold

Creature Type: Humanoid (Reptilian)
Environment: Temperate outdoors and underground
Attack: Spear, Spells, Explosives
Special Qualities: Sneaky, Trapmaking
Organization: Gang

From the personal journal of Azalai Korias, Elven Wizard.

22 Eyre, 998:

Back in Sharn, I frequently dealt with an iredar sorcerer, Kasquik “the Mighty”. I bought his friendship with rare arcane components, and in return he supplied me with stories and information. It still amazes me how such a large ego could possibly fit into such a small frame, but I did learn a great deal about the psychology of his race.

Legend has it that the kobolds were formed from the blood shed by the battle between the great dragons Eberron, Siberys, and Khyber at the dawn of the world. Those with the blood of Eberron call themselves the “iredar”, the draconic phrase for “ones of earth”, while those that trace their lineage to Khyber are the “irvhir” - the “ones below”. A third subrace, the “irsvern” (“ones above”) supposedly exist, but their existence has never been proven.

Kasquik's people truly believe themselves to be the equals of dragons. They see nothing wrong with betrayal of an enemy, since they consider treachery a sign of intelligence and cunning rather than as shameful. They will lie, cheat, and steal to achieve their goals if they consider you an opponent. It seems they prefer misdirection and trickery to outright assault, and take great satisfaction when their traps and plots come to fruition. Kasquik was very insistent that an elaborate trap or plan is always preferable to a simple one, since it lets a kobold flaunt his superior intellect over the victim.

I've found a surprisingly large number of sorcerers exist among kobold communities, perhaps proof of their supposed draconic heritage. These sorcerers often charm nearby creatures to help defend their caves - refer to my entry on the rust monster for a description of one of the more elaborate traps that I've ever had the misfortune of falling into. According to Kasquik, he (and these other sorcerers) could hear the voice of progenitor dragons and see visions tied to the Draconic Prophecy.

Needless to say, I do not suggest investigating a kobold den without the company of someone extremely skilled at disarming traps - the little monsters are devious.

The little kobold. It's only two feet tall. It weighs little more than a human toddler. And it's responsible for the deaths of thousands. They are small reptilian humanoids, typically covered in reddish-brown to rusty black protective scales. Their small claws and teeth and weak frames do not post much of a threat, so these little creatures are frequently dismissed as harmless. The kobolds realize that they are physically weak, so prefer to attack from ambush in large numbers or use their trapmaking skills and natural cunning to even the odds.

In many lands, the kobold represents little more than a training obstacle for less experienced warriors. And it remains true that a single one of these sadistic little creatures presents little threat to the adventurers of Xen'drik. Unfortunately for many a lost soul and grieving widow, rare is it that a kobold is found alone & or, when alone, when a dozen more of the reptilians are not hidden nearby. The most common strategy for a kobold in combat is to strike quickly, then leap back out of harms way, or flee towards comrades waiting in ambush. The only good news that can be said is that the cowardly creatures have good reason to be timid in a trial of arms. With only a single strong blow or magic missle, a kobold's villainous career can come to a quick and bloody end.

However, kobolds are not without their own heroes and leaders, and not every kobold should be taken lightly. Some of the local tribes seems to have a strange fascination with alchemist’s fire, hurling flasks of it down upon passing adventuring parties from heights, or using staff slings to toss them impressive distances. Kobold sneaks, accomplished at the art of hiding and stalking, benefit from their small size. Only the most aware of adventurers have a chance of noticing these creatures before they strike with a surprise attack. Kobold shamans and sorcerers can unleash magical attacks ranging from small splashes of acid to more impressive curses that only a devout cleric could remove.

Do not underestimate kobolds, and be on guard when you can see only one. Invariably there are others lurking in the shadows, waiting for you to fall into their trap.

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