Hmm? Did something happen?
Also I'll likely have the finished sheet tomorrow or so, train ride back home took a lot out of me.
Ye Are Gods (Sign-up and OOC)
- Thread starter almostinsane
- Start date
Hmm? Did something happen?
Also I'll likely have the finished sheet tomorrow or so, train ride back home took a lot out of me.
almostinsane
Well-known member
Nevermind. I misread your sheet.
That sounds good. I hope to start this tomorrow or Sunday.
Reimu Hakurei
Fantasy Heaven
I'll offer it again since a lot of new people have joined;
Would anyone be interested in a weapon constructed by the Forge God, either before or after their Death?
I'm also open to talking about any relations we could have by DMs or here.
Would anyone be interested in a weapon constructed by the Forge God, either before or after their Death?
I'm also open to talking about any relations we could have by DMs or here.
I might be. My God probably be want a weapon that is excellent at being a weapon. You know being a god of virtue.
Reimu Hakurei
Fantasy Heaven
Sure thing, throw the details at me over a DM. I'll still be making that weapon registry probably tomorrow.
Shipmaster Sane
You have been weighed
If I went for the Heart, Tourum could make great use of a weapon, shield, or armor of the forge god, though his quest might put him rather at odds with any god but his own, and I'd prefer not to be in a position where he'd possibly be betrayed by his own equipment.
Reimu Hakurei
Fantasy Heaven
The Death Goddess is stuck in her own realm, and generally only concerned with the Dead. I wouldn't worry. Again, its my Avatar that's the antagonist. That being said, my former Avatar- the Forefather of Dwarves also created weapons. and tools If you want super items from him, that's possible for Avatars. I'm going to be very selective about giving Avatars God-Forged items, mostly to preserve the impact and value of them. I may not do it at all.
Shipmaster Sane
You have been weighed
Well all that I mean is that I'd hesitate to use the weapon of a god/Avatar against said Avatar, but if you have a previous forging avatar that could work in theory.
Reimu Hakurei
Fantasy Heaven
I'll clarify; The Death God and my Avatar don't have that strong of a direct connection. My Death God does her paper work and essentially just gives the Avatar free reign within certain limits. They basically enable them and that's generally it.
My current Avatar doesn't forge those sort of things, so I doubt you'd receive a weapon from them, as an aside.
My current Avatar doesn't forge those sort of things, so I doubt you'd receive a weapon from them, as an aside.
Koy
Leepysheepy
Miserable Fuzzy Humanoid
Alright, here we go, WIP
I wrote a large hunk of this at about 7am with no sleep, so I'm sorry if it's rather jumbled and incomplete but this is the basics so far. I left the locations of the kobold cities I mentioned largely ambiguous, because I wanted to ask if anyone was interested in having said nests of vermin (or another settlement altogether than the examples I mentioned) in their lands. The exception is Redeye- My idea was the small volcanic island forming the surface of Redeye would be somewhere in the empty ocean between Nova Yoro, Boulanger Isles, and Atlalantae. I'll look more over what people have said and responses to this after I've had some sleep.
God Name: Koy, the Furtive Wyrm
Title: Survival, Tenacity, and Hoarding. Previously was the god of Adaptability and Tenacity.
Gender: Masculine
Alignment: Neutral Evil
God Appearance: Koy's appearance was ever-shifting in the old times, but since the war of the gods he has become more stable with changes only when he sees fit. His common form is a great wyrm, hundreds of feet in length and thicker than the eldest trees. His body is pale, and similar in general structure to a greatly elongated axolotl covered in exoskeletal plates of fur-and-feather-spotted bone and an unsettling multitude of chitinous legs, while his maw has a wide array of teeth for consuming nearly anything he can fit inside it. He was said in olden days to often take the guise of mortals and beasts, that he may walk among them, but as far as anyone is aware he has done no such thing in some time. In all forms he bears a brutal scar, from his empty left eye socket down nearly all of his side, and his right eye is fogged from millennia in the dimness of his home. Despite his tough outer shell and intimidating size his body has grown weak (by divine standards) during his isolation.
Personality: Koy is secretive and paranoid, keeping to himself when possible as he suspects all around him of conspiracy. He is in a state of constant planning and preparation which produces little meaningful results, as much of this effort is towards safeguards against imagined threats. When he is convinced he is (moderately and immediately) safe he can be quite conversational, though always guarded and never revealing much of his deeper plans and thoughts. He is easily intrigued by promises of artifacts and knowledge of great wealth and power, craving new additions to his senseless hoard of defenses and contingencies.
History: (To be filled out once I've worked out his maiming)
Opinion of mortals: In the days when the earth was young Koy found great joy among the mortals; intelligent lifeforms were avid students of his teachings, and seeing them survive and thrive in the most extreme of circumstances endeared them to him greatly. Since his mutilation his demeanor has changed, he now trusts none but the beasts born of his own blood, the Kobolds- all others are seen as potential agents of the other divinities or conspiring mortals, seeking to destroy, rob, or cripple the wyrm god further. In this light, he sees the only wise choice to be to either avoid them, or betray them before they can betray him- worshipers of Koy who are not Kobolds must always be as alert and paranoid as their god, knowing he may orchestrate their death at any moment if he deems them either a threat or simply more valuable dead; more than a few tenacious heroes have fallen to Kobolds who already knew of their approach, effectively sacrificed to their lord when he deemed their own hoards tribute. He has a great fear towards Mati the Wastrel, his own avatar and daughter, thanks to her unpredictable nature and knowledge of his defenses.
God’s Domain:
(art credit to Ankama)
The home of Koy is a grand tower in a land of eternal twilight, reaching heights that seem impossible- in fact, should one attempt to scale the tower from the outside instead of traversing its innards they would find their destination always out of reach, even if they were to climb for centuries. If one enters instead they will find the tower to be an ever-changing gauntlet of traps, puzzles, and riddles, defenses accumulated over the ages and forever expanding and shifting. Navigating the tower is a bizarre experience, sometimes you may seem to be travelling sideways or down yet find yourself ascending, while in other times you may travel upwards and find yourself back where you started; to make matters worse the floors are often locales which should in no way fit within the tower, based on the most beloved locations of the god's youth. You may climb a ladder and find yourself on an arctic ice sheet, then dive beneath it to drop into a airless cavern, then break through a wall to find yourself in the depths of a primordial jungle. There are patterns to this madness however, and those who memorize the rules of his tower (a feat achieved by Koy, his Avatar, and a select handful of his most successful heroes throughout history) may ascend in relative safety in only a few days. The most well known of these patterns is the time- the higher a level truly is, the later it becomes. At halfway up the tower the floors have reached night, past that point the stars and celestial bodies wink out of the sky until you reach the perfectly dark final level. The final level of his tower is a sanctum filled with all his hoarded power and mad notes, only one being other than Koy is known to have entered in all of time. Koy communicates with magic artifacts, never appearing in person unless the situation absolutely demands it. The tower is maintained by the spirits of kobolds, who diligently re-arm traps, keep the place clean, and even work as mechanisms in the more elaborate systems. Leaving the tower is far easier than entering; assuming you can survive the fall, jumping off gets you to the ground in just a few minutes no matter how long your ascent took.
Title: Survival, Tenacity, and Hoarding. Previously was the god of Adaptability and Tenacity.
Gender: Masculine
Alignment: Neutral Evil
God Appearance: Koy's appearance was ever-shifting in the old times, but since the war of the gods he has become more stable with changes only when he sees fit. His common form is a great wyrm, hundreds of feet in length and thicker than the eldest trees. His body is pale, and similar in general structure to a greatly elongated axolotl covered in exoskeletal plates of fur-and-feather-spotted bone and an unsettling multitude of chitinous legs, while his maw has a wide array of teeth for consuming nearly anything he can fit inside it. He was said in olden days to often take the guise of mortals and beasts, that he may walk among them, but as far as anyone is aware he has done no such thing in some time. In all forms he bears a brutal scar, from his empty left eye socket down nearly all of his side, and his right eye is fogged from millennia in the dimness of his home. Despite his tough outer shell and intimidating size his body has grown weak (by divine standards) during his isolation.
Personality: Koy is secretive and paranoid, keeping to himself when possible as he suspects all around him of conspiracy. He is in a state of constant planning and preparation which produces little meaningful results, as much of this effort is towards safeguards against imagined threats. When he is convinced he is (moderately and immediately) safe he can be quite conversational, though always guarded and never revealing much of his deeper plans and thoughts. He is easily intrigued by promises of artifacts and knowledge of great wealth and power, craving new additions to his senseless hoard of defenses and contingencies.
History: (To be filled out once I've worked out his maiming)
Opinion of mortals: In the days when the earth was young Koy found great joy among the mortals; intelligent lifeforms were avid students of his teachings, and seeing them survive and thrive in the most extreme of circumstances endeared them to him greatly. Since his mutilation his demeanor has changed, he now trusts none but the beasts born of his own blood, the Kobolds- all others are seen as potential agents of the other divinities or conspiring mortals, seeking to destroy, rob, or cripple the wyrm god further. In this light, he sees the only wise choice to be to either avoid them, or betray them before they can betray him- worshipers of Koy who are not Kobolds must always be as alert and paranoid as their god, knowing he may orchestrate their death at any moment if he deems them either a threat or simply more valuable dead; more than a few tenacious heroes have fallen to Kobolds who already knew of their approach, effectively sacrificed to their lord when he deemed their own hoards tribute. He has a great fear towards Mati the Wastrel, his own avatar and daughter, thanks to her unpredictable nature and knowledge of his defenses.
God’s Domain:
(art credit to Ankama)
The home of Koy is a grand tower in a land of eternal twilight, reaching heights that seem impossible- in fact, should one attempt to scale the tower from the outside instead of traversing its innards they would find their destination always out of reach, even if they were to climb for centuries. If one enters instead they will find the tower to be an ever-changing gauntlet of traps, puzzles, and riddles, defenses accumulated over the ages and forever expanding and shifting. Navigating the tower is a bizarre experience, sometimes you may seem to be travelling sideways or down yet find yourself ascending, while in other times you may travel upwards and find yourself back where you started; to make matters worse the floors are often locales which should in no way fit within the tower, based on the most beloved locations of the god's youth. You may climb a ladder and find yourself on an arctic ice sheet, then dive beneath it to drop into a airless cavern, then break through a wall to find yourself in the depths of a primordial jungle. There are patterns to this madness however, and those who memorize the rules of his tower (a feat achieved by Koy, his Avatar, and a select handful of his most successful heroes throughout history) may ascend in relative safety in only a few days. The most well known of these patterns is the time- the higher a level truly is, the later it becomes. At halfway up the tower the floors have reached night, past that point the stars and celestial bodies wink out of the sky until you reach the perfectly dark final level. The final level of his tower is a sanctum filled with all his hoarded power and mad notes, only one being other than Koy is known to have entered in all of time. Koy communicates with magic artifacts, never appearing in person unless the situation absolutely demands it. The tower is maintained by the spirits of kobolds, who diligently re-arm traps, keep the place clean, and even work as mechanisms in the more elaborate systems. Leaving the tower is far easier than entering; assuming you can survive the fall, jumping off gets you to the ground in just a few minutes no matter how long your ascent took.
Avatar Name: Mati, also known as "The Wastrel", "The Eye", or "The Severed" among other titles
Avatar Appearance: Mati takes the form of a chimeric wyrm bearing features from a variety of creatures, though she is decidedly less decrepit, disturbing, and downright massive than her "father" and god, Koy. She takes human or Kobold form at most times and walks among the mortals as her father once did, though she tends more towards personal wanderlust and challenges than assisting others. Her mortal forms are not otherwise mutable, ie every time she turns human it is into the same human, and in all mortal forms her body is fit and dotted with scars, clearly that of an experienced adventurer. She has worn a wide variety of clothing throughout the ages, but as a constant traveler she often wears clothing which is considered bizarre by local standards. Visual refs-
(art credit to Polygraf)
(art credit to Azuma Kyoutarou)
Personality: Mati is a consummate wanderer, constantly seeking new challenges and extremes to overcome and new places to experience. She is surprisingly playful and competitive, those who knew Koy before his fall would see much of his mannerisms in the girl. She occasionally acts as guide or teacher, but specifically seeks to assist, not to handle problems for others outright- she can give them a fighting chance, but the final effort must be their own. She is most fond of assisting two groups- first of these is kobolds, as she feels kinship with the creatures and they in turn have great reverence for her. The second, more troublesome, target for her capricious assistance is those who her father Koy or other divine powers have marked for death- to deny the heavens their prey is an exceptionally entertaining pastime for her. Her relationship with Koy is complex, despite defying his will and his modern ideals she upholds the old ways and assists his chosen people; their interactions are infrequent and tense but clearly neither desires the other's destruction. Each is also tight-lipped about discussing the other, so discovering their feelings on the subject is difficult.
Magic Abilities: As avatar of the god of survival and all that remains of his lost purview over adaptation Mati is quite frustratingly difficult to kill. If an injury or inconveniencing force does not kill her outright she not only makes a full and shockingly fast recovery (not wolverine "heal before your eyes" fast, but few things can keep her down for more than a few days), but also grows more well adapted to the extreme circumstances to which she was exposed. This is less effective on divine and magical threats, but over her long life she has developed nigh-total resistance towards many mundane threats such as extreme temperatures, high and low pressure, mundane diseases, poisons, and venoms, darkness, bright lights, toxic or even nonexistent atmospheres, and prolonged starvation and dehydration. While she is naturally tough and fast-healing her adaptation does not apply to simple brute force (ie she cannot "adapt" to getting stabbed in the gut), and her adaptation is also less effective on things she simply can't reliably encounter often such as natural lightning. As stated earlier she may take a smaller human or kobold form, she can visually imitate any kobold breed she encounters but in all such forms has coloration like that of her Wyrm form, usually giving away her identity.
Mundane Skills: She is a veritable encyclopedia of natural knowledge and survival tips, able to identify nearly all animals and plants within Ashariel with little difficulty along with their dangers, weaknesses, and uses. She has no supernatural combative powers other than how difficult it is to kill her, but she has thousands of years worth of mundane combat experience. She has little need for medicine herself other than to mitigate scarring, but remembers it to teach others.
Avatar Appearance: Mati takes the form of a chimeric wyrm bearing features from a variety of creatures, though she is decidedly less decrepit, disturbing, and downright massive than her "father" and god, Koy. She takes human or Kobold form at most times and walks among the mortals as her father once did, though she tends more towards personal wanderlust and challenges than assisting others. Her mortal forms are not otherwise mutable, ie every time she turns human it is into the same human, and in all mortal forms her body is fit and dotted with scars, clearly that of an experienced adventurer. She has worn a wide variety of clothing throughout the ages, but as a constant traveler she often wears clothing which is considered bizarre by local standards. Visual refs-
(art credit to Polygraf)
(art credit to Azuma Kyoutarou)
Personality: Mati is a consummate wanderer, constantly seeking new challenges and extremes to overcome and new places to experience. She is surprisingly playful and competitive, those who knew Koy before his fall would see much of his mannerisms in the girl. She occasionally acts as guide or teacher, but specifically seeks to assist, not to handle problems for others outright- she can give them a fighting chance, but the final effort must be their own. She is most fond of assisting two groups- first of these is kobolds, as she feels kinship with the creatures and they in turn have great reverence for her. The second, more troublesome, target for her capricious assistance is those who her father Koy or other divine powers have marked for death- to deny the heavens their prey is an exceptionally entertaining pastime for her. Her relationship with Koy is complex, despite defying his will and his modern ideals she upholds the old ways and assists his chosen people; their interactions are infrequent and tense but clearly neither desires the other's destruction. Each is also tight-lipped about discussing the other, so discovering their feelings on the subject is difficult.
Magic Abilities: As avatar of the god of survival and all that remains of his lost purview over adaptation Mati is quite frustratingly difficult to kill. If an injury or inconveniencing force does not kill her outright she not only makes a full and shockingly fast recovery (not wolverine "heal before your eyes" fast, but few things can keep her down for more than a few days), but also grows more well adapted to the extreme circumstances to which she was exposed. This is less effective on divine and magical threats, but over her long life she has developed nigh-total resistance towards many mundane threats such as extreme temperatures, high and low pressure, mundane diseases, poisons, and venoms, darkness, bright lights, toxic or even nonexistent atmospheres, and prolonged starvation and dehydration. While she is naturally tough and fast-healing her adaptation does not apply to simple brute force (ie she cannot "adapt" to getting stabbed in the gut), and her adaptation is also less effective on things she simply can't reliably encounter often such as natural lightning. As stated earlier she may take a smaller human or kobold form, she can visually imitate any kobold breed she encounters but in all such forms has coloration like that of her Wyrm form, usually giving away her identity.
Mundane Skills: She is a veritable encyclopedia of natural knowledge and survival tips, able to identify nearly all animals and plants within Ashariel with little difficulty along with their dangers, weaknesses, and uses. She has no supernatural combative powers other than how difficult it is to kill her, but she has thousands of years worth of mundane combat experience. She has little need for medicine herself other than to mitigate scarring, but remembers it to teach others.
Kobolds, a Summary: The most common followers of Koy are the Kobolds, a name originally stemming from "Koy's Blood"- He created the creatures in ages long past, intended to be pioneers to the most dangerous places of the world, who could find the secrets to thriving in such locales and share them with the other races. To this end they were made rather weak, but extremely adaptable and clever. Their adaptability is their one truly mystical trait; when dropped into a location where they are poorly adapted they will change rapidly over the generations (which doesn't take long, as the short-lived creatures reach maturity in only a few years) until a new breed of kobolds begins to thrive in the new home. Thanks to this they come in staggering variation; they have been known to look like lizards, dogs, goblinoids, rodents, felines, and many other kinds of creatures and chimera, though they always have a few consistent physical traits. They are always diminutive, with the largest breeds being just under 5' on average and most ranging from 2'6" to 4', they are always roughly humanoid (bipedal, two arms two legs, occasionally a tail), rather cunning (though not exactly intellectuals or scholars- they rapidly learn and apply simple information, but usually have little idea how to work out complex mathematics and engineering), and they always mature and grow quickly. Despite their variety they have the uncanny ability to recognize each other as kobolds, and in fact are quite insulted at the implication that doing so is difficult. In the old days before the fall of Koy Kobolds were notably friendly and helpful, known for gladly sharing their secrets with travelers and working as guides, but his change has affected them greatly. They are now cagey and isolationist, and nearly all possess a depressing level of extreme pragmatism. They still associate with outsiders sometimes, and occasionally even do so without trying to rob them, but maintain a fair distance. Not all Kobolds pay worship to Koy, but those who have lost the faith are ostracized by their fellows. Some examples of Kobold breeds-
Hero: Miter, the Pupil
Rank/Reason: Current de-facto queen of Redeye. Her family line have led the elder council of Redeye for some time, having gained the favor of Koy by raising Mati.
Personality: Miter is a wise and patient woman, as one needs to be to efficiently lead the largest kobold city in the world without it descending into chaos. Thanks to the blessing of Koy her bloodline are long-lived (for kobolds), so she is rather more experienced than many other kobold leaders. Despite her calm and motherly demeanor she is as clever as any kobold, and in her youth became quite an accomplished thief and illusionist (of both the mystic and mundane varieties). She is rather protective towards Mati, seeing it as her people's and her family's duty to keep the spawn of Koy safe.
Hero(es): Thomas the Miserable
Rank/Reason: Favored lost Kobold. His clan made the cocky mistake of attempting to steal a rather powerful artifact from a mortal wizard- they were nearly all massacred by the spellcaster, but Thomas succeeded in escaping and even in offering the artifact to his god. Koy felt some part of himself touched and impressed by this tenacity and devotion, and occasionally assists the miserable little thief in small ways.
Personality: Thomas has had to become more friendly with non-kobolds for the sake of his own survival, but is overall still untrustworthy and thieving. He primarily works to assist adventurers in need of a skilled roguish sort. On his own he is rather quiet and solemn, as one might expect from someone who lost their whole family.
Hero: Joaquin the Meddler
Rank/Reason: Frustrating Champion marked for death. Joaquin is among the few and foolishly brave non-kobold worshipers of Koy- such people are often granted great boons and assistance, but are inevitably eventually led into fatal traps once their lord deems them too dangerous or just more useful dead. Joaquin, however, has survived multiple such attempts on his life from his own god- most impressively, he has done so without killing kobolds or otherwise affronting koy or forsaking his worship. In some ways he represents many of the things Koy values most in humanity, in others the god finds him endlessly infuriating.
Personality: Joaquin comes across to many as lackadaisical and cocky, but in reality is a skilled and observant man. As someone who rose up from poverty to success through searching for buried treasures and uncovering ancient artifacts he is quite the adventurer, but his cocky lazy demeanor is largely an affectation to throw others off about his true intentions.
Terrain Preference: Kobolds are, by their nature, extremely adaptable. They have preference for locales which others tend to find extremely inhospitable, so that they can have very little competition in their small niches, but some small groups stick around more conventional societies to mooch off of them (usually in sewers, abandoned sections of town, and other disused areas)
Name of Kingdom/Empire: None- Kobolds work together when they encounter each other, but have no centralized leadership between the many tribes, clans, and minor cities.
Capital: The greatest city and arguably closest to a capital the Kobolds possess is Redeye, an extensive subterranean city beneath an island volcano. They survive off of the harvesting of the exotic sea life of their deep caverns, and have surprisingly comfortable living standards. Redeye is most famed for raising Mati in her infancy, and she treats the land as her de-facto home when she is taking a break from adventuring. The tunnel systems of Redeye extend all the way to the nearest lands, but these "subterranean lowways" as the natives have dubbed them are rarely used except to steal from or spy on other nearby nations. Redeye kobolds are scaled and heavyset, with eyes that are poorly suited to bright light and great ability to survive under extreme pressures with little breathable oxygen.
Major Cities: Some other large Kobold societies (and associated kobold breeds) include: The Underhold, an abandoned necropolis decimated by war and poisoned by foul magics, now inhabited by spindly kobolds in primitive protective masks to help keep the poisonous magics at bay. Clan Gaji, a loose association of feline-like kobolds in a deadly jungle, known for being rather low on the food chain but surviving via traps and rooftop homes. Anghome, one of the exceedingly rare truly aquatic kobold societies and breeds, a small city in the depths of a sea fissure inhabited by bioluminescent kobolds who can no longer survive lower pressures nor breath out of water. The Chaf, a group of fluffy batlike kobolds living in nomadic tribes around the highest peaks of a mountain range- they are known to be comparatively friendly, working as mountain guides for pay, but are still quite rude. These are just a few examples, and most areas will have to deal with their own local kobolds thanks to the creatures being about as hard to fully exterminate as overgrown roaches- luckily for everyone else, they very rarely form large enough groups or grow bold enough to be a noteworthy threat to anyone on a country or even city scale.
Society: (what is it like to live amongst your people? Are they friendly? Hostile? (Give at least 1 paragraph worth of description) you can use the titles below for guidance).
Kobolds are extremely xenophobic, with a powerful sense of comradery between them. Because of this, and the extreme environments they frequent, seeing outsiders living alongside them is extremely rare- those who stick around and are for some reason not expelled or left behind by more nomadic groups are usually treated as social pariahs, and granted no rights or protection. Speaking of rights and protection, the core concept of Kobold morality and social structure is based around cold pragmatism- each individual is safe when the group is strong, but each individual recognizes that their own chances rise if they can take just a bit more of any given cut- because of this attempted stealing within the group is common in times both lean and bountiful (though rarely successful thanks to kobold paranoia), and is rarely explicitly illegal unless one individual steals far more than they could ever hope to use. Assaults and murders, meanwhile, are exceedingly rare and profoundly forbidden- even if one of your fellows has committed a truly unforgivable slight against you, killing them hurts your own chances for survival and that of your group too much for it to be acceptable to most kobolds. Instead, kobolds tend to work out such conflict with the formation of a Turncoat Pact- this common tradition comes under many names, but it is effectively a publicly acknowledged agreement between two kobolds that, should one see the other in peril, they will do nothing to help if there is even the barest possibility of danger in doing so. This is considered far more acceptable socially then outright killing, firstly as cowardice is seen as acceptable and even commendable among many kobold societies and secondly as it is an effectively empty threat unless these two mortal enemies somehow end up in unrelated lethal danger alone together. Such pacts are not formed lightly; forming one is a declaration of eternal enmity, and a kobold who attempted to rescind one would be seen as untrustworthy for the rest of their life.
This pragmatism extends to discussions of who is protected under or factored into law and rulership. Children and adolescents are necessary for the future, but rather unanimously stupid, and so they are protected fiercely by kobold law but given no rights beyond what their parents and elders allow. If a kobold who has not reached adulthood commits serious crime the fault is placed on their guardians, for failing to keep the youngling in check, though children who are prone to constantly endangering the group regardless of how many lessons and/or beatings they recieve have been known to be exiled. The exact line between "child" and "adult" varies in the opinion of different tribes, firstly due to cultural differences but secondly because different breeds may genuinely mature at different rates. The de-facto leaders of kobold society are the eldest members of the group, luckily for kobolds they do not suffer from dementia and similar mental degradation of age, usually because the physical ailments and rough lifestyles they practice kill them before that could happen. If a younger kobold expresses great cunning and practicality they may earn leadership ahead of their elders, and an incompetent who has miraculously survived to old age may be denied a vote, but such matters vary from case to case and tribe to tribe. Violation of Kobold law is usually punished via fines to the kobold's personal hoard, assignment to dangerous tasks, or in the most extreme cases execution- adults are never exiled, only adolescents and children, adults know the group's ways too well, and could pose a serious threat.
Most kobold economies are based on harvesting of the local resources- for some this means foraging and hunting, for others scavenging and tomb raiding, and for some "the local resources" means pockets and caravans. Those who must steal from outsiders to survive are in no way shunned by other kobolds, outsiders are seen as threats or resources, and only rarely as deserving of a kobold's pity. Within their society most trade is by way of barter, kobolds do not have official currencies but will barter the currencies of other nations like any other resource if they have means to spend it. Despite their pragmatism they still value creature comforts, and a definitely more useful item may be exchanged for one which makes the kobold more happy. Kobolds see this as a simple sign of success, that they are so sure of their survival that they may take minor risks to amuse themselves, but if an unsuccessful kobold attempts to trade away necessities in return for comforts his fellows will be rather worried, and possibly even deny the trade- not out of worry for the kobold per say, but more that encouraging such foolish behavior could put everyone at risk. Those who are not adults cannot own property nor conduct business, attempting to conduct any sort of business transaction with a youngling is tantamount to theft- ie, not illegal unless you cheat them out of too much, they have to learn to spot a con somehow after all. Less nomadic kobold communities to often have craftsmen, usually of comparatively simple trades but nevertheless effective- in the tribes and cities where they are present skilled craftbolds are highly valued, and often treated with respect befitting one more elder than usual.
Despite their pragmatic and cold rules Kobolds are not machines or outright monsters- they feel, form friendships, and even love, they simply know they will be overwhelmed by pragmatic instinct when the going gets tough and have structured their society accordingly. Kobolds hold celebrations in honor of many of the same events others would celebrate, such as birthdays and anniversaries, but such events are commonly small and personal affairs rather than ostentatious parties. Traditions regarding marriage and relationships vary greatly from tribe to tribe, but unanimously such arrangements are largely bereft of any kind of additional legal rules or boons around them (ie, a widow is no more legally entitled to her late husband's hoard than any other kobold in the tribe is). The only common (and even in this case not unanimous) law regarding romantic relationships is the prevalence of minor rules against infidelity, such actions cause too much internal strife. The only relationship with any unanimous legal bearing among kobold societies is that between a youngling and their parent or guardian; parental figures effectively control the youngling's entire life, but accept full responsibility for all their actions. Should a youngling's parents or guardians die their possessions may be taken by any kobold willing to raise the youngling, giving incentive not to simply abandon orphans. This is not simply free stuff for those cold enough to neglect said youngling however- if a guardian gets their charge killed through gross negligence, or fails to prepare them for the world by adulthood, the action is treated and tried as outright murder. Death is, as one may expect, not uncommon for Kobolds. When a kobold is killed or accidentally perishes the group members who were particularly fond of them will normally have a short ceremony in their memory, often involving the leaving of some epitaph or token in their memory, followed by stripping the fallen of all useful valuables. This is not seen as disrespectful in Kobold society, it is seen as giving the dead one last shot to help the group succeed where they could not. Once the corpse is stripped most tribes will have some way of putting it to use; in a few more extreme tribes this is outright cannibalism, but for most it is used as fertilizer or bait.
Faith in Koy is a rather assumed and low-key affair among most Kobolds. They tend to hold their small-scale celebrations in honor of holy days related to him, and elder kobolds have been known to occasionally achieve bits of insight they believe to be from the furtive wyrm himself. Despite their rather casual worship kobolds commonly hold the god in great regard, not only as he the genesis of their kind, but also as he is the reason they are able to survive and thrive where others of their caliber would fail gruesomely. For this reason apostates are often reviled, exiled, or even executed- to deny Koy is to not only bite the hand that feeds you, but to salt the wound for good measure; many tribes circulate rumors galore about all manner of afflictions Koy may cast on unbelieving kobolds ranging from poxes to infertility- but Koy thusfar has not seemed to resort to such practices, so long as his kobolds expell them from the group of course. Tribute is sometimes offered to the wyrm, this practice is seen by the kobolds effectively as barter on a much larger scale. Koy's tribute, when it is offered, is only in the form of mystically potent or bizarre items and artifacts which the wyrm may add to his horde- such things are rarely acquirred by kobolds, but when they are the one responsible often ascends to a hero of Koy.
Hero: Miter, the Pupil
Rank/Reason: Current de-facto queen of Redeye. Her family line have led the elder council of Redeye for some time, having gained the favor of Koy by raising Mati.
Personality: Miter is a wise and patient woman, as one needs to be to efficiently lead the largest kobold city in the world without it descending into chaos. Thanks to the blessing of Koy her bloodline are long-lived (for kobolds), so she is rather more experienced than many other kobold leaders. Despite her calm and motherly demeanor she is as clever as any kobold, and in her youth became quite an accomplished thief and illusionist (of both the mystic and mundane varieties). She is rather protective towards Mati, seeing it as her people's and her family's duty to keep the spawn of Koy safe.
Hero(es): Thomas the Miserable
Rank/Reason: Favored lost Kobold. His clan made the cocky mistake of attempting to steal a rather powerful artifact from a mortal wizard- they were nearly all massacred by the spellcaster, but Thomas succeeded in escaping and even in offering the artifact to his god. Koy felt some part of himself touched and impressed by this tenacity and devotion, and occasionally assists the miserable little thief in small ways.
Personality: Thomas has had to become more friendly with non-kobolds for the sake of his own survival, but is overall still untrustworthy and thieving. He primarily works to assist adventurers in need of a skilled roguish sort. On his own he is rather quiet and solemn, as one might expect from someone who lost their whole family.
Hero: Joaquin the Meddler
Rank/Reason: Frustrating Champion marked for death. Joaquin is among the few and foolishly brave non-kobold worshipers of Koy- such people are often granted great boons and assistance, but are inevitably eventually led into fatal traps once their lord deems them too dangerous or just more useful dead. Joaquin, however, has survived multiple such attempts on his life from his own god- most impressively, he has done so without killing kobolds or otherwise affronting koy or forsaking his worship. In some ways he represents many of the things Koy values most in humanity, in others the god finds him endlessly infuriating.
Personality: Joaquin comes across to many as lackadaisical and cocky, but in reality is a skilled and observant man. As someone who rose up from poverty to success through searching for buried treasures and uncovering ancient artifacts he is quite the adventurer, but his cocky lazy demeanor is largely an affectation to throw others off about his true intentions.
Terrain Preference: Kobolds are, by their nature, extremely adaptable. They have preference for locales which others tend to find extremely inhospitable, so that they can have very little competition in their small niches, but some small groups stick around more conventional societies to mooch off of them (usually in sewers, abandoned sections of town, and other disused areas)
Name of Kingdom/Empire: None- Kobolds work together when they encounter each other, but have no centralized leadership between the many tribes, clans, and minor cities.
Capital: The greatest city and arguably closest to a capital the Kobolds possess is Redeye, an extensive subterranean city beneath an island volcano. They survive off of the harvesting of the exotic sea life of their deep caverns, and have surprisingly comfortable living standards. Redeye is most famed for raising Mati in her infancy, and she treats the land as her de-facto home when she is taking a break from adventuring. The tunnel systems of Redeye extend all the way to the nearest lands, but these "subterranean lowways" as the natives have dubbed them are rarely used except to steal from or spy on other nearby nations. Redeye kobolds are scaled and heavyset, with eyes that are poorly suited to bright light and great ability to survive under extreme pressures with little breathable oxygen.
Major Cities: Some other large Kobold societies (and associated kobold breeds) include: The Underhold, an abandoned necropolis decimated by war and poisoned by foul magics, now inhabited by spindly kobolds in primitive protective masks to help keep the poisonous magics at bay. Clan Gaji, a loose association of feline-like kobolds in a deadly jungle, known for being rather low on the food chain but surviving via traps and rooftop homes. Anghome, one of the exceedingly rare truly aquatic kobold societies and breeds, a small city in the depths of a sea fissure inhabited by bioluminescent kobolds who can no longer survive lower pressures nor breath out of water. The Chaf, a group of fluffy batlike kobolds living in nomadic tribes around the highest peaks of a mountain range- they are known to be comparatively friendly, working as mountain guides for pay, but are still quite rude. These are just a few examples, and most areas will have to deal with their own local kobolds thanks to the creatures being about as hard to fully exterminate as overgrown roaches- luckily for everyone else, they very rarely form large enough groups or grow bold enough to be a noteworthy threat to anyone on a country or even city scale.
Society: (what is it like to live amongst your people? Are they friendly? Hostile? (Give at least 1 paragraph worth of description) you can use the titles below for guidance).
Kobolds are extremely xenophobic, with a powerful sense of comradery between them. Because of this, and the extreme environments they frequent, seeing outsiders living alongside them is extremely rare- those who stick around and are for some reason not expelled or left behind by more nomadic groups are usually treated as social pariahs, and granted no rights or protection. Speaking of rights and protection, the core concept of Kobold morality and social structure is based around cold pragmatism- each individual is safe when the group is strong, but each individual recognizes that their own chances rise if they can take just a bit more of any given cut- because of this attempted stealing within the group is common in times both lean and bountiful (though rarely successful thanks to kobold paranoia), and is rarely explicitly illegal unless one individual steals far more than they could ever hope to use. Assaults and murders, meanwhile, are exceedingly rare and profoundly forbidden- even if one of your fellows has committed a truly unforgivable slight against you, killing them hurts your own chances for survival and that of your group too much for it to be acceptable to most kobolds. Instead, kobolds tend to work out such conflict with the formation of a Turncoat Pact- this common tradition comes under many names, but it is effectively a publicly acknowledged agreement between two kobolds that, should one see the other in peril, they will do nothing to help if there is even the barest possibility of danger in doing so. This is considered far more acceptable socially then outright killing, firstly as cowardice is seen as acceptable and even commendable among many kobold societies and secondly as it is an effectively empty threat unless these two mortal enemies somehow end up in unrelated lethal danger alone together. Such pacts are not formed lightly; forming one is a declaration of eternal enmity, and a kobold who attempted to rescind one would be seen as untrustworthy for the rest of their life.
This pragmatism extends to discussions of who is protected under or factored into law and rulership. Children and adolescents are necessary for the future, but rather unanimously stupid, and so they are protected fiercely by kobold law but given no rights beyond what their parents and elders allow. If a kobold who has not reached adulthood commits serious crime the fault is placed on their guardians, for failing to keep the youngling in check, though children who are prone to constantly endangering the group regardless of how many lessons and/or beatings they recieve have been known to be exiled. The exact line between "child" and "adult" varies in the opinion of different tribes, firstly due to cultural differences but secondly because different breeds may genuinely mature at different rates. The de-facto leaders of kobold society are the eldest members of the group, luckily for kobolds they do not suffer from dementia and similar mental degradation of age, usually because the physical ailments and rough lifestyles they practice kill them before that could happen. If a younger kobold expresses great cunning and practicality they may earn leadership ahead of their elders, and an incompetent who has miraculously survived to old age may be denied a vote, but such matters vary from case to case and tribe to tribe. Violation of Kobold law is usually punished via fines to the kobold's personal hoard, assignment to dangerous tasks, or in the most extreme cases execution- adults are never exiled, only adolescents and children, adults know the group's ways too well, and could pose a serious threat.
Most kobold economies are based on harvesting of the local resources- for some this means foraging and hunting, for others scavenging and tomb raiding, and for some "the local resources" means pockets and caravans. Those who must steal from outsiders to survive are in no way shunned by other kobolds, outsiders are seen as threats or resources, and only rarely as deserving of a kobold's pity. Within their society most trade is by way of barter, kobolds do not have official currencies but will barter the currencies of other nations like any other resource if they have means to spend it. Despite their pragmatism they still value creature comforts, and a definitely more useful item may be exchanged for one which makes the kobold more happy. Kobolds see this as a simple sign of success, that they are so sure of their survival that they may take minor risks to amuse themselves, but if an unsuccessful kobold attempts to trade away necessities in return for comforts his fellows will be rather worried, and possibly even deny the trade- not out of worry for the kobold per say, but more that encouraging such foolish behavior could put everyone at risk. Those who are not adults cannot own property nor conduct business, attempting to conduct any sort of business transaction with a youngling is tantamount to theft- ie, not illegal unless you cheat them out of too much, they have to learn to spot a con somehow after all. Less nomadic kobold communities to often have craftsmen, usually of comparatively simple trades but nevertheless effective- in the tribes and cities where they are present skilled craftbolds are highly valued, and often treated with respect befitting one more elder than usual.
Despite their pragmatic and cold rules Kobolds are not machines or outright monsters- they feel, form friendships, and even love, they simply know they will be overwhelmed by pragmatic instinct when the going gets tough and have structured their society accordingly. Kobolds hold celebrations in honor of many of the same events others would celebrate, such as birthdays and anniversaries, but such events are commonly small and personal affairs rather than ostentatious parties. Traditions regarding marriage and relationships vary greatly from tribe to tribe, but unanimously such arrangements are largely bereft of any kind of additional legal rules or boons around them (ie, a widow is no more legally entitled to her late husband's hoard than any other kobold in the tribe is). The only common (and even in this case not unanimous) law regarding romantic relationships is the prevalence of minor rules against infidelity, such actions cause too much internal strife. The only relationship with any unanimous legal bearing among kobold societies is that between a youngling and their parent or guardian; parental figures effectively control the youngling's entire life, but accept full responsibility for all their actions. Should a youngling's parents or guardians die their possessions may be taken by any kobold willing to raise the youngling, giving incentive not to simply abandon orphans. This is not simply free stuff for those cold enough to neglect said youngling however- if a guardian gets their charge killed through gross negligence, or fails to prepare them for the world by adulthood, the action is treated and tried as outright murder. Death is, as one may expect, not uncommon for Kobolds. When a kobold is killed or accidentally perishes the group members who were particularly fond of them will normally have a short ceremony in their memory, often involving the leaving of some epitaph or token in their memory, followed by stripping the fallen of all useful valuables. This is not seen as disrespectful in Kobold society, it is seen as giving the dead one last shot to help the group succeed where they could not. Once the corpse is stripped most tribes will have some way of putting it to use; in a few more extreme tribes this is outright cannibalism, but for most it is used as fertilizer or bait.
Faith in Koy is a rather assumed and low-key affair among most Kobolds. They tend to hold their small-scale celebrations in honor of holy days related to him, and elder kobolds have been known to occasionally achieve bits of insight they believe to be from the furtive wyrm himself. Despite their rather casual worship kobolds commonly hold the god in great regard, not only as he the genesis of their kind, but also as he is the reason they are able to survive and thrive where others of their caliber would fail gruesomely. For this reason apostates are often reviled, exiled, or even executed- to deny Koy is to not only bite the hand that feeds you, but to salt the wound for good measure; many tribes circulate rumors galore about all manner of afflictions Koy may cast on unbelieving kobolds ranging from poxes to infertility- but Koy thusfar has not seemed to resort to such practices, so long as his kobolds expell them from the group of course. Tribute is sometimes offered to the wyrm, this practice is seen by the kobolds effectively as barter on a much larger scale. Koy's tribute, when it is offered, is only in the form of mystically potent or bizarre items and artifacts which the wyrm may add to his horde- such things are rarely acquirred by kobolds, but when they are the one responsible often ascends to a hero of Koy.
I wrote a large hunk of this at about 7am with no sleep, so I'm sorry if it's rather jumbled and incomplete but this is the basics so far. I left the locations of the kobold cities I mentioned largely ambiguous, because I wanted to ask if anyone was interested in having said nests of vermin (or another settlement altogether than the examples I mentioned) in their lands. The exception is Redeye- My idea was the small volcanic island forming the surface of Redeye would be somewhere in the empty ocean between Nova Yoro, Boulanger Isles, and Atlalantae. I'll look more over what people have said and responses to this after I've had some sleep.
Last edited:
almostinsane
Well-known member
Alright, here we go, WIP
God Name: Koy, the Furtive Wyrm
Title: Survival, Tenacity, and Hoarding. Previously was the god of Adaptability and Tenacity.
Gender: Masculine
Alignment: Neutral Evil
God Appearance: Koy's appearance was ever-shifting in the old times, but since the war of the gods he has become more stable with changes only when he sees fit. His common form is a great wyrm, hundreds of feet in length and thicker than the eldest trees. His body is pale, and similar in general structure to a greatly elongated axolotl covered in exoskeletal plates of fur-and-feather-spotted bone and an unsettling multitude of chitinous legs, while his maw has a wide array of teeth for consuming nearly anything he can fit inside it. He was said in olden days to often take the guise of mortals and beasts, that he may walk among them, but as far as anyone is aware he has done no such thing in some time. In all forms he bears a brutal scar, from his empty left eye socket down nearly all of his side, and his right eye is fogged from millennia in the dimness of his home. Despite his tough outer shell and intimidating size his body has grown weak (by divine standards) during his isolation.
Personality: Koy is secretive and paranoid, keeping to himself when possible as he suspects all around him of conspiracy. He is in a state of constant planning and preparation which produces little meaningful results, as much of this effort is towards safeguards against imagined threats. When he is convinced he is (moderately and immediately) safe he can be quite conversational, though always guarded and never revealing much of his deeper plans and thoughts. He is easily intrigued by promises of artifacts and knowledge of great wealth and power, craving new additions to his senseless hoard of defenses and contingencies.
History: (To be filled out once I've worked out his maiming)
Opinion of mortals: In the days when the earth was young Koy found great joy among the mortals; intelligent lifeforms were avid students of his teachings, and seeing them survive and thrive in the most extreme of circumstances endeared them to him greatly. Since his mutilation his demeanor has changed, he now trusts none but the beasts born of his own blood, the Kobolds- all others are seen as potential agents of the other divinities or conspiring mortals, seeking to destroy, rob, or cripple the wyrm god further. In this light, he sees the only wise choice to be to either avoid them, or betray them before they can betray him- worshipers of Koy who are not Kobolds must always be as alert and paranoid as their god, knowing he may orchestrate their death at any moment if he deems them either a threat or simply more valuable dead; more than a few tenacious heroes have fallen to Kobolds who already knew of their approach, effectively sacrificed to their lord when he deemed their own hoards tribute. He has a great fear towards Mati the Wastrel, his own avatar and daughter, thanks to her unpredictable nature and knowledge of his defenses.
God’s Domain:
(art credit to Ankama)
The home of Koy is a grand tower in a land of eternal twilight, reaching heights that seem impossible- in fact, should one attempt to scale the tower from the outside instead of traversing its innards they would find their destination always out of reach, even if they were to climb for centuries. If one enters instead they will find the tower to be an ever-changing gauntlet of traps, puzzles, and riddles, defenses accumulated over the ages and forever expanding and shifting. Navigating the tower is a bizarre experience, sometimes you may seem to be travelling sideways or down yet find yourself ascending, while in other times you may travel upwards and find yourself back where you started; to make matters worse the floors are often locales which should in no way fit within the tower, based on the most beloved locations of the god's youth. You may climb a ladder and find yourself on an arctic ice sheet, then dive beneath it to drop into a airless cavern, then break through a wall to find yourself in the depths of a primordial jungle. There are patterns to this madness however, and those who memorize the rules of his tower (a feat achieved by Koy, his Avatar, and a select handful of his most successful heroes throughout history) may ascend in relative safety in only a few days. The most well known of these patterns is the time- the higher a level truly is, the later it becomes. At halfway up the tower the floors have reached night, past that point the stars and celestial bodies wink out of the sky until you reach the perfectly dark final level. The final level of his tower is a sanctum filled with all his hoarded power and mad notes, only one being other than Koy is known to have entered in all of time. Koy communicates with magic artifacts, never appearing in person unless the situation absolutely demands it. The tower is maintained by the spirits of kobolds, who diligently re-arm traps, keep the place clean, and even work as mechanisms in the more elaborate systems. Leaving the tower is far easier than entering; assuming you can survive the fall, jumping off gets you to the ground in just a few minutes no matter how long your ascent took.
Avatar Name: Mati, also known as "The Wastrel", "The Eye", or "The Severed" among other titles
Avatar Appearance: Mati takes the form of a chimeric wyrm bearing features from a variety of creatures, though she is decidedly less decrepit, disturbing, and downright massive than her "father" and god, Koy. She takes human or Kobold form at most times and walks among the mortals as her father once did, though she tends more towards personal wanderlust and challenges than assisting others. Her mortal forms are not otherwise mutable, ie every time she turns human it is into the same human, and in all mortal forms her body is fit and dotted with scars, clearly that of an experienced adventurer. She has worn a wide variety of clothing throughout the ages, but as a constant traveler she often wears clothing which is considered bizarre by local standards. Visual refs-
(art credit to Polygraf)
(art credit to Azuma Kyoutarou)
Personality: Mati is a consummate wanderer, constantly seeking new challenges and extremes to overcome and new places to experience. She is surprisingly playful and competitive, those who knew Koy before his fall would see much of his mannerisms in the girl. She occasionally acts as guide or teacher, but specifically seeks to assist, not to handle problems for others outright- she can give them a fighting chance, but the final effort must be their own. She is most fond of assisting two groups- first of these is kobolds, as she feels kinship with the creatures and they in turn have great reverence for her. The second, more troublesome, target for her capricious assistance is those who her father Koy or other divine powers have marked for death- to deny the heavens their prey is an exceptionally entertaining pastime for her. Her relationship with Koy is complex, despite defying his will and his modern ideals she upholds the old ways and assists his chosen people; their interactions are infrequent and tense but clearly neither desires the other's destruction. Each is also tight-lipped about discussing the other, so discovering their feelings on the subject is difficult.
Magic Abilities: As avatar of the god of survival and all that remains of his lost purview over adaptation Mati is quite frustratingly difficult to kill. If an injury or inconveniencing force does not kill her outright she not only makes a full and shockingly fast recovery (not wolverine "heal before your eyes" fast, but few things can keep her down for more than a few days), but also grows more well adapted to the extreme circumstances to which she was exposed. This is less effective on divine and magical threats, but over her long life she has developed nigh-total resistance towards many mundane threats such as extreme temperatures, high and low pressure, mundane diseases, poisons, and venoms, darkness, bright lights, toxic or even nonexistent atmospheres, and prolonged starvation and dehydration. While she is naturally tough and fast-healing her adaptation does not apply to simple brute force (ie she cannot "adapt" to getting stabbed in the gut), and her adaptation is also less effective on things she simply can't reliably encounter often such as natural lightning. As stated earlier she may take a smaller human or kobold form, she can visually imitate any kobold breed she encounters but in all such forms has coloration like that of her Wyrm form, usually giving away her identity.
Mundane Skills: She is a veritable encyclopedia of natural knowledge and survival tips, able to identify nearly all animals and plants within Ashariel with little difficulty along with their dangers, weaknesses, and uses. She has no supernatural combative powers other than how difficult it is to kill her, but she has thousands of years worth of mundane combat experience. She has little need for medicine herself other than to mitigate scarring, but remembers it to teach others.
Kobolds, a Summary: The most common followers of Koy are the Kobolds, a name originally stemming from "Koy's Blood"- He created the creatures in ages long past, intended to be pioneers to the most dangerous places of the world, who could find the secrets to thriving in such locales and share them with the other races. To this end they were made rather weak, but extremely adaptable and clever. Their adaptability is their one truly mystical trait; when dropped into a location where they are poorly adapted they will change rapidly over the generations (which doesn't take long, as the short-lived creatures reach maturity in only a few years) until a new breed of kobolds begins to thrive in the new home. Thanks to this they come in staggering variation; they have been known to look like lizards, dogs, goblinoids, rodents, felines, and many other kinds of creatures and chimera, though they always have a few consistent physical traits. They are always diminutive, with the largest breeds being just under 5' on average and most ranging from 2'6" to 4', they are always roughly humanoid (bipedal, two arms two legs, occasionally a tail), rather cunning (though not exactly intellectuals or scholars- they rapidly learn and apply simple information, but usually have little idea how to work out complex mathematics and engineering), and they always mature and grow quickly. Despite their variety they have the uncanny ability to recognize each other as kobolds, and in fact are quite insulted at the implication that doing so is difficult. In the old days before the fall of Koy Kobolds were notably friendly and helpful, known for gladly sharing their secrets with travelers and working as guides, but his change has affected them greatly. They are now cagey and isolationist, and nearly all possess a depressing level of extreme pragmatism. They still associate with outsiders sometimes, and occasionally even do so without trying to rob them, but maintain a fair distance. Not all Kobolds pay worship to Koy, but those who have lost the faith are ostracized by their fellows. Some examples of Kobold breeds-
Hero(es): Will fill out later but I have multiple ideas already
Rank/Reason:
Personality:
Terrain Preference: Kobolds are, by their nature, extremely adaptable. They have preference for locales which others tend to find extremely inhospitable, so that they can have very little competition in their small niches, but some small groups stick around more conventional societies to mooch off of them (usually in sewers, abandoned sections of town, and other disused areas)
Name of Kingdom/Empire: None- Kobolds work together when they encounter each other, but have no centralized leadership between the many tribes, clans, and minor cities.
Capital: The greatest city and arguably closest to a capital the Kobolds possess is Redeye, an extensive subterranean city beneath an island volcano. They survive off of the harvesting of the exotic sea life of their deep caverns, and have surprisingly comfortable living standards. Redeye is most famed for raising Mati in her infancy, and she treats the land as her de-facto home when she is taking a break from adventuring. The tunnel systems of Redeye extend all the way to the nearest lands, but these "subterranean lowways" as the natives have dubbed them are rarely used except to steal from or spy on other nearby nations. Redeye kobolds are scaled and heavyset, with eyes that are poorly suited to bright light and great ability to survive under extreme pressures with little breathable oxygen.
Major Cities: Some other large Kobold societies (and associated kobold breeds) include: The Underhold, an abandoned necropolis decimated by war and poisoned by foul magics, now inhabited by spindly kobolds in primitive protective masks to help keep the poisonous magics at bay. Clan Gaji, a loose association of feline-like kobolds in a deadly jungle, known for being rather low on the food chain but surviving via traps and rooftop homes. Anghome, one of the exceedingly rare truly aquatic kobold societies and breeds, a small city in the depths of a sea fissure inhabited by bioluminescent kobolds who can no longer survive lower pressures nor breath out of water. The Chaf, a group of fluffy batlike kobolds living in nomadic tribes around the highest peaks of a mountain range- they are known to be comparatively friendly, working as mountain guides for pay, but are still quite rude. These are just a few examples, and most areas will have to deal with their own local kobolds thanks to the creatures being about as hard to fully exterminate as overgrown roaches- luckily for everyone else, they very rarely form large enough groups or grow bold enough to be a noteworthy threat to anyone on a country or even city scale.
Society: (what is it like to live amongst your people? Are they friendly? Hostile? (Give at least 1 paragraph worth of description) you can use the titles below for guidance).
Kobolds are extremely xenophobic, with a powerful sense of comradery between them. Because of this, and the extreme environments they frequent, seeing outsiders living alongside them is extremely rare- those who stick around and are for some reason not expelled or left behind by more nomadic groups are usually treated as social pariahs, and granted no rights or protection. Speaking of rights and protection, the core concept of Kobold morality and social structure is based around cold pragmatism- each individual is safe when the group is strong, but each individual recognizes that their own chances rise if they can take just a bit more of any given cut- because of this attempted stealing within the group is common in times both lean and bountiful (though rarely successful thanks to kobold paranoia), and is rarely explicitly illegal unless one individual steals far more than they could ever hope to use. Assaults and murders, meanwhile, are exceedingly rare and profoundly forbidden- even if one of your fellows has committed a truly unforgivable slight against you, killing them hurts your own chances for survival and that of your group too much for it to be acceptable to most kobolds. Instead, kobolds tend to work out such conflict with the formation of a Turncoat Pact- this common tradition comes under many names, but it is effectively a publicly acknowledged agreement between two kobolds that, should one see the other in peril, they will do nothing to help if there is even the barest possibility of danger in doing so. This is considered far more acceptable socially then outright killing, firstly as cowardice is seen as acceptable and even commendable among many kobold societies and secondly as it is an effectively empty threat unless these two mortal enemies somehow end up in unrelated lethal danger alone together. Such pacts are not formed lightly; forming one is a declaration of eternal enmity, and a kobold who attempted to rescind one would be seen as untrustworthy for the rest of their life.
This pragmatism extends to discussions of who is protected under or factored into law and rulership. Children and adolescents are necessary for the future, but rather unanimously stupid, and so they are protected fiercely by kobold law but given no rights beyond what their parents and elders allow. If a kobold who has not reached adulthood commits serious crime the fault is placed on their guardians, for failing to keep the youngling in check, though children who are prone to constantly endangering the group regardless of how many lessons and/or beatings they recieve have been known to be exiled. The exact line between "child" and "adult" varies in the opinion of different tribes, firstly due to cultural differences but secondly because different breeds may genuinely mature at different rates. The de-facto leaders of kobold society are the eldest members of the group, luckily for kobolds they do not suffer from dementia and similar mental degradation of age, usually because the physical ailments and rough lifestyles they practice kill them before that could happen. If a younger kobold expresses great cunning and practicality they may earn leadership ahead of their elders, and an incompetent who has miraculously survived to old age may be denied a vote, but such matters vary from case to case and tribe to tribe. Violation of Kobold law is usually punished via fines to the kobold's personal hoard, assignment to dangerous tasks, or in the most extreme cases execution- adults are never exiled, only adolescents and children, adults know the group's ways too well, and could pose a serious threat.
Most kobold economies are based on harvesting of the local resources- for some this means foraging and hunting, for others scavenging and tomb raiding, and for some "the local resources" means pockets and caravans. Those who must steal from outsiders to survive are in no way shunned by other kobolds, outsiders are seen as threats or resources, and only rarely as deserving of a kobold's pity. Within their society most trade is by way of barter, kobolds do not have official currencies but will barter the currencies of other nations like any other resource if they have means to spend it. Despite their pragmatism they still value creature comforts, and a definitely more useful item may be exchanged for one which makes the kobold more happy. Kobolds see this as a simple sign of success, that they are so sure of their survival that they may take minor risks to amuse themselves, but if an unsuccessful kobold attempts to trade away necessities in return for comforts his fellows will be rather worried, and possibly even deny the trade- not out of worry for the kobold per say, but more that encouraging such foolish behavior could put everyone at risk. Those who are not adults cannot own property nor conduct business, attempting to conduct any sort of business transaction with a youngling is tantamount to theft- ie, not illegal unless you cheat them out of too much, they have to learn to spot a con somehow after all. Less nomadic kobold communities to often have craftsmen, usually of comparatively simple trades but nevertheless effective- in the tribes and cities where they are present skilled craftbolds are highly valued, and often treated with respect befitting one more elder than usual.
Despite their pragmatic and cold rules Kobolds are not machines or outright monsters- they feel, form friendships, and even love, they simply know they will be overwhelmed by pragmatic instinct when the going gets tough and have structured their society accordingly. Kobolds hold celebrations in honor of many of the same events others would celebrate, such as birthdays and anniversaries, but such events are commonly small and personal affairs rather than ostentatious parties. Traditions regarding marriage and relationships vary greatly from tribe to tribe, but unanimously such arrangements are largely bereft of any kind of additional legal rules or boons around them (ie, a widow is no more legally entitled to her late husband's hoard than any other kobold in the tribe is). The only common (and even in this case not unanimous) law regarding romantic relationships is the prevalence of minor rules against infidelity, such actions cause too much internal strife. The only relationship with any unanimous legal bearing among kobold societies is that between a youngling and their parent or guardian; parental figures effectively control the youngling's entire life, but accept full responsibility for all their actions. Should a youngling's parents or guardians die their possessions may be taken by any kobold willing to raise the youngling, giving incentive not to simply abandon orphans. This is not simply free stuff for those cold enough to neglect said youngling however- if a guardian gets their charge killed through gross negligence, or fails to prepare them for the world by adulthood, the action is treated and tried as outright murder. Death is, as one may expect, not uncommon for Kobolds. When a kobold is killed or accidentally perishes the group members who were particularly fond of them will normally have a short ceremony in their memory, often involving the leaving of some epitaph or token in their memory, followed by stripping the fallen of all useful valuables. This is not seen as disrespectful in Kobold society, it is seen as giving the dead one last shot to help the group succeed where they could not. Once the corpse is stripped most tribes will have some way of putting it to use; in a few more extreme tribes this is outright cannibalism, but for most it is used as fertilizer or bait.
Faith in Koy is a rather assumed and low-key affair among most Kobolds. They tend to hold their small-scale celebrations in honor of holy days related to him, and elder kobolds have been known to occasionally achieve bits of insight they believe to be from the furtive wyrm himself. Despite their rather casual worship kobolds commonly hold the god in great regard, not only as he the genesis of their kind, but also as he is the reason they are able to survive and thrive where others of their caliber would fail gruesomely. For this reason apostates are often reviled, exiled, or even executed- to deny Koy is to not only bite the hand that feeds you, but to salt the wound for good measure; many tribes circulate rumors galore about all manner of afflictions Koy may cast on unbelieving kobolds ranging from poxes to infertility- but Koy thusfar has not seemed to resort to such practices, so long as his kobolds expell them from the group of course. Tribute is sometimes offered to the wyrm, this practice is seen by the kobolds effectively as barter on a much larger scale. Koy's tribute, when it is offered, is only in the form of mystically potent or bizarre items and artifacts which the wyrm may add to his horde- such things are rarely acquirred by kobolds, but when they are the one responsible often ascends to a hero of Koy.
I wrote a large hunk of this at about 7am with no sleep, so I'm sorry if it's rather jumbled and incomplete but this is the basics so far. I left the locations of the kobold cities I mentioned largely ambiguous, because I wanted to ask if anyone was interested in having said nests of vermin (or another settlement altogether than the examples I mentioned) in their lands. The exception is Redeye- My idea was the small volcanic island forming the surface of Redeye would be somewhere in the empty ocean between Nova Yoro, Boulanger Isles, and Atlalantae. I'll look more over what people have said and responses to this after I've had some sleep.
It's looking good. I've added Redeye on the map. I'll have the final map up once @Shipmaster Sane gives me his land claims.
Quick question, are we assumed to be all the gods that exist or are there other gods within the pantheon besides established players?
almostinsane
Well-known member
We are all the gods that exist. Any future gods will be newcomers.
almostinsane
Well-known member
almostinsane
Well-known member
Reimu Hakurei
Fantasy Heaven
I believe so! What's your idea, Draco?
Yukitama
Well-known member
I had a rather busy but productive day.
I'll work on finishing the rest of the huntlands and also work out an outline for the first Wild Scourge. Just like the first Scarlet Reclamation I'll poke a few people to get an idea of how people have fit in.
I feel the Avuvian Conferderation would be a good cornerstone for the opposition with the Wild Scourge not quite adjusting to a naval war as well as simply running over other lands. Some impatience on Hydraenus's part as a result leading him to spread out his forces for a more divide and conquer approach that leaves wide spread damage but also leaves him open to defeat in piecemeal.
Finally a climatic battle between a few heroes and perhaps Caspian, and another avatar or two might be a good way to end it on a boat or something.
But yeah hit me up if you want to be more involved beyond the general macro of fought beastmen in a bloody world-wide war for the first time.
Timeline-wise I'm thinking 50 years or so after the first Scarlet Reclamation? Enough time for things to settle, but with scars left still upon the world from the earlier conflict and still in the same sort of lifetime for the generation of the reclamation. It would certainly also make things reasonable that it's a different cast that ends up shining.
- "What do you mean a war on ten fronts isn't a good idea?"
I'll work on finishing the rest of the huntlands and also work out an outline for the first Wild Scourge. Just like the first Scarlet Reclamation I'll poke a few people to get an idea of how people have fit in.
I feel the Avuvian Conferderation would be a good cornerstone for the opposition with the Wild Scourge not quite adjusting to a naval war as well as simply running over other lands. Some impatience on Hydraenus's part as a result leading him to spread out his forces for a more divide and conquer approach that leaves wide spread damage but also leaves him open to defeat in piecemeal.
Finally a climatic battle between a few heroes and perhaps Caspian, and another avatar or two might be a good way to end it on a boat or something.
But yeah hit me up if you want to be more involved beyond the general macro of fought beastmen in a bloody world-wide war for the first time.
Timeline-wise I'm thinking 50 years or so after the first Scarlet Reclamation? Enough time for things to settle, but with scars left still upon the world from the earlier conflict and still in the same sort of lifetime for the generation of the reclamation. It would certainly also make things reasonable that it's a different cast that ends up shining.
- "What do you mean a war on ten fronts isn't a good idea?"