Kobolds
Kobolds are an often-disregarded race hailing from the federation where they make up the largest demographic of unskilled and domestic laborers. Though often humble by nature, most kobolds are keenly aware that the federation largely lives and thrives on their labors and leverage this as a group. Once second-class citizens in their own nation, they have since become a powerful political block and well respected within their areas of expertise. Kobolds are also one of the rare species who know how to intentionally create their spirit-touched, making them a race with a dichotomy split between their natural draconian appearance and a highly changed more canine appearance. Equally unusual, kobolds see no distinction between themselves and are loathe to be prejudicial, even to outside races.
Kobolds are humble by nature but still carry pride for themselves due to oral history stating that long ago they served the dragons directly before said dragons disappeared. It was through this disappearance that the now masterless kobolds beseeched the lagus for protection, agreeing to give up their sovereignty for protection as they could not survive without their dragon masters. Many kobolds are quick to state that the impressive under empire of the federation was the creation of themselves under the guidance of the dragons, a fact that many concede as more than likely true. Kobolds show an innate preference and talent for menial work, finding happiness in simple and humble roles ranging from farming to servants to clerks. Other races may facetiously say that kobolds are a race of proles who desire only for a master to serve but are careful never to say this where a kobold might hear it.
Kobolds are cohesive to the point of tribalism and will always look out for their own, unity among kobolds is considered a given and they are ruthless when one of their own is threatened, insulted, or mistreated. Kobolds see every other kobold as a direct member of their clan and have a kinship akin to family for other races. To insult or mistreat one is to have an entire labor force leave or suddenly demand double wages as a singular union. This known quality of peaceful and extremely effective resistance allows kobolds to remain well treated while enjoying their humble lives of toil.
A quick-start guide:
- Both draconian and canine kobolds have a great deal of awareness and are able to move swiftly and carefully. Kobolds are less likely to trip on rubble, set off traps, and can move through the spaces of other creatures.
- Draconian Stats: They gain +10 vigilance and biology, +5 cognition, and -5 toughness.
- Canine Stats: They gain +10 vigilance, +5 robustness and mechanical, but -5 cognition.
Biology
Kobold biology is similar but distinct between their two racial groups. Draconian kobolds have scales, pointed snouts, and ears ranging from fins-like, membranes, spines, or may lack ears entirely. Draconic kobolds have claws, may or may not have small horns, and have simple scaled tails that usually reach the floor. Unlike salamanders, whose direct connection from dragons make both races appear similar, draconic kobolds have never naturally exhibited feathers mixed with their otherwise fully scale covered body. Coloration of scales is often vibrant and can range from any color, but will usually avoid obnoxiously bright in favor for muted shades. Draconic kobolds are thinner and smaller than their canine brethren and generally weaker.
Of the canine kobolds, they lack scales and instead have bodies covered in fur that are almost always earth tones like brown, tan, gray, or black. They tend to be broader and tougher than their draconic cousins. Canine kobolds, often shortened to dogbolds, have broader more dog-like snouts, floppy or pointed ears, and tend to range on the taller side for kobolds. Similar to their draconic cousins, dogbolds have long tails covered fur that may curl or lift rather than drag on the floor. Where both ethnicity share traits are their clawed hands, clawed feet, and reptilian eyes that will generally be yellow, black or red. The singular trait of reptile eyes is the one common quality that allows a dogbold to otherwise separate themselves from similar races of size and appearance, such as gremlins or a garm child. All kobolds of both ethnicity reproduce through oviparity, with female kobolds and dogbolds both laying eggs. In modern times kobolds use clan nurses with carefully maintained heat lamps, though when lacking access to a clans nursery or by choice most kobolds will use their own body heat to keep their eggs warm.
Culture
Kobold culture can be described best as collectivism taken to its end extreme. Kobolds do not consider the needs, wants, opinions, or even beliefs of the individual. Only the group consensus matters. This tribalism is so innate and so strong that the individual opinions of a kobold will, over time, naturally conform to the opinions of the group. This trait is both kobolds greatest strength and its most polarizing insult. The consensus it what allows kobolds to act as a singular entity and in their own collective best interest. Were the lagus or rodentfolk seek to rip them off, mistreat them, or otherwise attempt to take advantage of the kobolds naturally agreeable and servile nature they will immediately use collective bargaining to 'correct' the situation, usually in a much greater favor to themselves as a result. Unlike other races within the federation, kobolds do not organize themselves into clans, all kobolds see every other member of their race as an immediate, direct member of their family. To wrong one kobold is to earn the ire of all of them if the situation is not made right.
Historical examples of this leverage include shutting down entire factories, sectors of business, and entire servants to other clans leaving all at once. Any attempt to work around these collective strikes inevitably fail, as even if the offenders somehow replace their workforce they will find their suppliers, their specialists, and even their business partners will avoid working with them, as those business will then begin losing their own kobold work forces. As kobolds make up the highest number of individuals within the warren federation (the lagus reproduce much slower and the rodentfolks penchant for wandering spreads their race across the world) the leverage that they have goes far beyond merely a single work force.
This, however, does not come with its own extreme drawbacks. What harms or ultimately works against the interest of individual kobolds is considered an acceptable loss. A kobold forced to leave his job because the collective decided they must will at least be given money by his fellows to continue living, but going from making a good deal of money to subsistence living is not favorable for the individual. Yet, regardless of how they feel, they cannot go against the collective, as to do so is to become a pariah cut off from any ability to find work or kinship at all. The 'selfish' pariah will effectively become an outcast, unable to work with other kobolds, unable to even do business with any who wants to keep the collective happy, and more than likely incapable of even accessing the most basic of services anywhere. These pariahs often leave the federation entirely, escaping to the Onokrin or Steel Legion to start anew, usually entirely alone.
Kobolds by nature are close knit, agreeable, friendly, and one of the few races to have very little to no prejudice towards other races, even ones that go in opposition to their beliefs. Coupled with their preference for humility, toil, and menial work, they are generally one of the more preferred races to be working with among the federation. Between each other, kobolds share nearly everything. Homes, dinners, clothing, tools, just about everything a kobold owns will be shared with his immediate family or loaned towards the 'outer' family (that is, those without a direct connection such as parent to child, siblings, or nephew/nieces). While a kobold may have their own possessions, they are expected and encouraged to allow others to make use of them if needed. Surprisingly, at least to outsiders, this does not lead to loaned items becoming damaged, lost, or stolen. Kobolds do keep track of ownership and an item lost or returned damaged is expected to be replaced with a much higher quality version. Any kobold who becomes known for mistreating or losing loaned items will swiftly find himself falling down the path of the pariah. Trust is extremely high between kobolds and thus the loaning of possessions is commonplace and considered normal, much to the surprise of outsiders.
Mentality
The kobold mentality is rather simple. 'We all succeed or none of us do' can be applied in nearly all matters to a kobold. What other races tend to not understand is how inbuilt this instinct is and how it borders zealous fanaticism. One area that this can be observed perfectly is in the ongoing war. Kobolds generally do not become soldiers and those few that do often form together into regiments with only members of their own race. The reason being as that in a regiment of orcs and humans, morale is very important. A regiment that has taken heavy losses may make a final stand, routed soldiers may turn to try and aid comrades who are injured but still alive, and heroism is expected because that is the mentality of orcs and humans. That is instinct, but they may still fail, they are still subject to cowardice, to crumpled morale, to the failings of mortality. Kobolds do not suffer from this. A regiment of kobolds will not retreat until they all retreat, they will not stop fighting until they all stop fighting, they will live, fight, and die to the man if they collectively decide they must. If ordered to throw themselves at an enemy that vastly outnumbers them, they will follow said order to the letter regardless of the losses, even if it means certain death for all of them. The good of the greater whole matters more than the lives of a single regiment.
Kobolds think nothing of helping each other, nothing of sharing, kobolds cannot see others of their kind as strangers, they are simply a family member they have not gotten to know well enough yet.