Kobolds

Kobolds are another draconic offspring, owing their existence to the Dragons of ancient times. Their origin is a mystery, but they tend to congregate around the remains of their ancestors, revering the skeletons and former lairs of the Dragons. Their dens are more like rat warrens, with kobolds crawling over one another in swarms. They exhibit a strange hive-mind of sorts, moving and writhing in a united purpose. They tend to be a problem for few but the Dwarves, with their deepest mines butting into the former tunnels used by the Dragons where the Kobolds now live. Occasionally, groups of them will venture above ground, though their purpose is rarely clear. Kobolds are small and tiny, but their numbers are often overwhelming.

History

The origin of Kobolds is unknown, though it is speculated that they formed from rats gnawing on the remains of the Dragons in the deep places of the world. This theory has some merit, with their twisted and exaggerated features having some root in a rat-like appearance. Whatever their basis, Kobolds have done little of note throughout their tenure in the world, instead simply being a threat to deep Dwarf mining and occasionally swarming onto the surface to cause problems there.

Description

Kobolds are a mixture of rat features and the serpentine Draconic ones. They have small bodies with large heads extending into a pointed snout with buck teeth. Snake-like nostrils flare open at the ends, while a flickering tongue helps to sense the air in their deep homes. Their skin is both scaly and patched with fur, tufts of the rough hair breaking through especially near the ears. Their limbs are long and gangly, with knobby joints that look like wires fused together. They wear little clothing, and tend to use natural weapons or ones scavenged from Dwarf hoards.

Notable Figures

Rat Kings

While not any one particular figure, a Rat King is a phenomenon known to occur among Kobold warrens. The practice happens when a group of kobolds tails become irrevocably intertwined, knotted around some rock or clump of dirt they cannot chew away. Locked together in this way, the Kobolds will become a unified force, devouring anything in their way and seemingly linked through their minds. Rat Kings can be a fearsome threat, bowling over anything that gets in its way. Often these will be at the centre of a swarm, acting as a sort of driving force for the rest of the Kobold horde. Rat Kings seem to be worshipped by the rest of the Kobolds, believing it as a divine gift from their Draconic deities.