Kobold Questions

[Scurvy_Platypus]

Ok, for any of those people out there (3 of us I think ) that have a deep burning need to know more about these FIERCE creatures, I've got some thoughts about them. Please note that these have been pulled from the air, and I have _zero_ clue how well it meshes with the reality. Odd to talk about reality in regards to fantasy, but whatever.

So, in no particular order, heres my random thoughts (Kissik is based from a slightly crazed view of this):

Kobolds are born in a "clutch" (I belive this is the term used to describe a reptile's nest). Actual parents don't mean much as the young are raised in a tribal setting, with the community as a whole being responsible.

Just for something different, I decided that Kobolds (or at least Kissik) wouldn't clap, laugh, show sorrow in the same way. Instead, their tail thumping is their expression of laughter, a "vocalization" (Kissik howls) is their way of showing appreciation (like clapping), and expression of sorrow is done where the teeth click together rapidly. This teeth clicking for sorrow ties in to a typical "good luck" wish: May you not be eaten.

Might makes right in Kobold society...it explains why Kobolds wind up being the servants/slaves so often. The tougher you are, the more power you have. Strength and wealth are all things that should be easily shown. Money, combat prowess, females, and so forth are all outward manifestations of a person's power.

That's the assumptions I made to build Kissik. Now it'd be nice to have everything else handed to me, but the answers to these questions would be nice:

Are Kobolds warm-blooded? We know they're reptillian-like, but not how far it goes (sorry I don't have a 3E book, and don't plan on buying one ) is unknown. Just how tough are those scales? Clearly not enough to function as armor, but are they rough and tough like leather, or just like pink-skins but with a scaley look?

About laughing: I know there are animals that "cough" as a warning. Some large species of cats for example. I thought that Kissik would interpret laughing as a warning mechanism. Of course, Kissik's interpretation, and a normal Kobold's interpretaion, are two totally differnt things I suspect. Is this totally unreasonable? The only real impact it has is not for Kissik, but really for the other Kobolds tht deal with Kissik. The implication is, is Kissik an absolute loon? Has he just drawn some wrong conclusions about things and consequently he's only half-mad? Make no mistake, Kissik isn't intended to be an example of what a Kobold _really_ is. I'm just trying to find my baseline for just how crazy he really is.

Once I get some of these answered, I'll be able to make some headway on the word list. For example, if Kobolds aren't everyone's bitches, then basing the word "safe" from the concept of "not being eaten" doesn't quite work. Thanks again for the effort you guys have put into this, and for letting us players take your creations and ruin them. I mean _run_ them.

[Scurvy_Platypus]

Update.

Went a bit of a different way with the word list. My ideas above are still perfectly able to be used, but I went a different way for the initial list at least. I have submitted my language document to Orl for review, and am waiting on his comments, and the comments of a couple of others before uploading it.

[ashzz]

Kissik must be on his way to being the most powerful kobold in Avlis...all those powerful females willing to enslavee themselves to him because they like rubbing his head.



Sounds really good to me, i like the teath chattering for anger more than sadness however...sadness would be more, tucks ears in and cowers a bit? sorta like a dog.

[Scurvy_Platypus]

Teeth bit is related to Kissik's bit about not being eaten. With a reptillian background, and the fact that Kobolds get used by everyone, being eaten is a large enough concern to weigh in for them. At least it was in the past. In lieu of any solid information, I'm clearly making it up as I go.

Also, with what I've seen of the models, like reptiles, the ears really don't have an external component.

The other reason I admit for picking some of the things I have, is in an attempt to jar outsiders a bit. This isn't just a human or elf with scales. They're a fundamentally different species, and have a very different perception of the world.

[GreyLynx]

I like your suggestions/reasonings on kobold behaviors. I've brough my Mythosian kobold, Graktus, over. He was generated a while back, so a few of his behaviors are very different - he definitely laughs, and always has. He's also been trying to learn to smile, although it's not terribly accurate. Luckily he's cute in that muppet kind of way, so folks seem to like him anyway! Still, it suggests that Mythos kobolds also don't naturally smile, although laughing seems to be natural. In terms of sadness, he learned from his friend Buppi the fine art of pouting! Works great! Still, that's also a learned behavior, and fits in with the idea of the natural kobold behavior for sadness being different. I had not used teeth clicking or tail movements (except a bit of tail-wagging specifically), but Graktus has been trying hard to fit in with the soft-skins' society.
Finally, Mythosian kobolds are also born in clutches of eggs (or at least so says Graktus' bio!).