Kobolds

A once small and splintered group of tribes and warbands, Kobolds are a short, wiry reptilian race now united under a common banner and leading the land of Edrador in several technologies and arts, cementing their place as a major civilization. Inheritors of the Holy City of Muri'qal in the Bekilik di Mitne, a massive and isolated desert in the South of Gaelach Talamh, the Kobold sit happily in the largest city in the known world, despite their own small stature. Though they may be found throughout the world, Kobold tend to prefer life in their city, resulting in their presence in other lands being mostly of a diplomatic nature.

Physical Description
Rarely standing taller than the waists of other civilized races, Kobolds are small creatures, bearing a distinct appearance, both avian and reptilian in nature. They have long narrow snouts, three long, dextrous fingers on their hands with opposable thumbs, their middle toes are wickedly curved into a sickle shape. Their facial structure doesn't lend itself well to the typical expressions of other races, leading to the Kobolds tending to express emotion through body language, especially via their long flexible tails. Their frames are slight, their limbs almost spindly aside from the powerful muscles in their digitigrade legs, which when combined with the balance from their tail give them impressive landspeed, despite their size.

Kobolds are a feathered race, their bodies covered in a downy fluff, with proper feathers about the neck and limbs, with ridges of differently colored ones alongside the arms and the back of the legs, as well as the top of the head and along the shoulderblades. Kobolds have diverse ancestry, resulting in a significant array of coloration. Those who can trace their lineage to Shehadkitril, The Kobold King tend to have a distinct look, the feathers that cover the majority of their bodies being an incandescent black, shimmering blue in the light, with their accent features being brighter blues and even oranges. Colors amongst other Kobolds tend to be of more earthy hues, with bright feathers on the head, neck, and limbs. The scales visible on their faces, regardless of lineage, tend to be red-orange or brown, with some exceptions.

Amongst Kobolds with increased Psionic ability, green feathers and scales can sometimes be seen, their accent feathers varying wildly in color, why this is remains unknown. Eye color tends to be either orange, amber, or in some rare cases blue or green.

There are some signs of sexual dimorphism apparent in the race, females having smoother tails, whereas the males have slight ridges on the topside of theirs, and with males having a ridge of accent feathers running along their heads, females lacking this brightly colored display.

Height, Weight, and Age
1: Though a Kobold reaches physical maturity at around 16 years of age, she is not considered an adult until she serves as a member of the KDF, for average of 4 years after her occupation training finishes.

Society
Once meek and submissive to large races, the Kobold have since abandoned their small dreams and lack of ambition, making themselves a notable and important civilization, seeing themselves as equals to the other races largely thanks to the leadership of Shehadkitril. Having settled in Muri'qal, the Kobolds inherited lost technology in the form of firearms and advanced sewage collection and disposal methods which they quickly mastered and put to use.

While the Kobold King is their reigning leader, he takes a mostly hands-off approach to governance. He is venerated and respected as leader, but law, foreign policy, and the handling of expansion and infrastructure is handled by a variety of councils elected by owners of property in Muri'qal. Notable councils include the Board of Public Works, who handle everything from maintenence of streets and sewer system to the erection of new statues and establishing public spaces such as parks, and the multi-racial Cultural Assimilation Bureau, whose job it is to make sure that Muri'qal continues expansion by fostering the growth of its migrant population and better integrating them into the society of the city.

The Kobold have a distinct culture, from their somewhat alien means of conveying emotion, to their acceptance and appropriating of foreign ideals, methods, and technologies. They take much of their identity from their city, having no real architecture of their own, instead learning to replicate the arches, domes, and intricate detailing found in the Holy City. Likewise, their weapons bear the sandy colors and gold detailing of those found in Muri'qal, tending to be intricate and detailed pieces of art in addition to being weapons of war. Most popular among Kobolds are various firearms, a weapons technology that they discovered within the city, and have since used to great effect, crafting, distributing, and improving their weapons since first discovering how, even arming an entire militia, since named the Kobold Defense Force, or KDF, to protect Muri'qal and its people.

To go along with their acceptance of foreign ideals, Kobold are typically amicable toward outsiders, not shying away from conversation, commerce, or other activities. They are a generally upbeat people, preferring not to dwell on what's wrong, but instead try to keep their mood elevated, and improve their situations. This can lead to some seeing them as aloof, and foolish, which may hold some truth.

The Kobold have a long-established practice of training the mind. This is in part due to their innate link to Psionic forces, granting them insight and even powers beyond normal minds. This natural talent for Psionics has led to the use of telepathy in some cases for communication between important members of Kobold society, and in the development of means to use this talent in both everyday life, and in combat.

Their love of culture and comfort in life has led to the founding of The Resplendent Brotherhood of Cookery, a guild of chefs looking to innovate and improve on everything culinary, leading the way in fusions of different foods found throughout the world, and making Muri'qal a popular place for foreign nobles and dignitaries.

Another group to be found within Kobold society, Ixenmiirik’s Binders are an often fanatical and nationalistic organization of warlocks, exchanging their etherial forms to gain a better lot in life. These men and women tend to be a bit more put-off by non-Kobolds, preferring the company of eachother to that of foreigners.

Beliefs
Kobolds tend to venerate their King as a sort of pseudo-deity, offering up tribute and even worship to him and looking to him for insight and guidance in times of trouble. But more often, they look to another. Found within halls and temples within Muri'qal, built long before the Kobold came to inhabit it, are artistic depictions of some God, whom the Kobolds have come to call Al-Kazai, or The Architect, the entity otherwise known as Skadnjr, The Living God. Their worship of him takes many forms, from daily thanks, to services held at various temples throughout the city, but always the Living God is held as the being, alongside Shehadkitril that made the Kobolds what they are today.

Their beliefs are not state-enforced, but commonly accepted. Some of the other races in Muri'qal even practice, giving thanks to the architect of their great city. Though not particularly superstitious, Kobold hold some things as sacred, or otherwise significant due to the symbology present in the architecture of Muri'qal.

Such beliefs include the idea that curved designs in weaponry, armor, and structures brings increased fortitude by appeasing Al-Kazai with their shape, that repetition of acts and designs in multiples of five are preferred, as they bring luck, that the desert is sacred, and not to be changed through technology or magic, and that all races are to praise Al-Kazai, although the reason behind this is disputed. Some say it is because The Living God is responsible for bringing them life in the first place, some say he is to be praised for not bringing to them death and destruction.

Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength: The Kobold are a clever, swift race, used to the deserts and city streets, but their wiry frames can't exert much force.

Draconic Heritage: Kobolds are humanoids with the reptilian subtype.

Small: Kobolds receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a -1 penalty on combat maneuver checks and to their CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.

Fast Speed: Kobolds have a base speed of 40 feet.

Fleet-Footed: Kobolds receive Run as a bonus feat and a +2 racial bonus to Initiative tests

Natural Armor: Kobolds receive +1 Natural Armor bonus to their AC

Kobold's Luck: Kobolds gain the following extraordinary ability: Once per day, when a Kobold makes a Reflex saving throw, it may roll the saving throw twice.

Stonecunning: Kobolds receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework, such s traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, wheather or not they are actively looking.

Kneecapper: A Kobold gains a +4 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks to trip an opponent.

Naturally Psionic: Kobolds gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat. If a Kobold takes levels in a Psionic class, it instead gains the Psionic Talent feat.

Languages: Kobold begin play speaking Common and Draconic. Kobolds with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Sorwathi, Kreen, Trollish, Infernal, Elven, Orc, Ignan.

Favored Classes
Kobold are restricted in combat by their size and lack of physical power. As such, they tend to face their problems using their swiftness and guile, rather than brute strength. Their talents in gunsmithing and psionics also influence their class choices.

Kobold have the following options when selecting favored classes:

Gunslinger
Add +1/4 to the dodge bonus to AC granted by the Nimble class feature to a maximum of +4

Rogue
Add +1/2 to the Rogue's trap sense bonus to AC

Marksman
Add +1/3 to damage rolls made with a ranged or thrown weapon when expending focus on Psionic Shot

Psion
Add +1/4 on manifester level checks to overcome power resistance

Bard
Treat the Bard's level as +1/2 level higher for the purpose of determining the effect of the Fascinate Bardic Performance