Kobold

Kobolds are a species of the Blackblood family having descended from goblins. Kobolds did not evolve over time from goblins, but instead branched (either intentionally or accidentally) when goblins came into contact with draconic power. The draconic power changed the goblins and within a few generations these “kobolds” were expanding rapidly beyond their initial creation.

The draconic power gave the goblins not only a dragon-like appearance, but when they reach their second life stage, the ability to draw upon the power of the dragons upon this world. In addition, the power gave kobolds the ability to naturally change their shape; although to a far lesser extent than dragons.

Kobolds are a dying race. Their population peaked during the Classic Age and has been diminishing since that time. At the start of the Age of Heroes less that five-hundred thousand kobolds alive on Miranda (500,000 remaining).

Kobolds go through three very distinctive life stages. This is different from a normal mortal that goes from an infant to a child to an adult to elderly and eventually death. These life stages cause dramatic changes both physically and psychologically.

During their first stage is the only stage of a kobold's life they can draw forth the power of the Shadow Realms and use magic. If a kobold should die during this stage of their life they will pass on to the Afterlife. For this reason some kobolds choose to kill themselves rather than face their transformation.

A kobold during any stage of their life is completely immune to any form of mental magic. From a simple assault to any subtle influence they are protected as are all dragons. During their third stage they are also immune to any illusions, phantoms, or spells that would manipulate or bind their body.

• First Stage: 0 - 80 years
• Transition: 80 - 85 years
• Second Stage: 85 - 125 year
• Third Stage: 125 - 1,000+ year

During this stage the kobold will pass through life as most other mortals. They will born after their mother carries them for eighteen months (pregnancy: 18 months), become children then adults and finally elderly. The average lifespan during this time is seventy-five to eighty years (75-80 years). The reach physical maturity during their twenty-fifth year and end their child-bearing years during their fifties (childbearing 25-50).

Kobolds stand more erect that other goblinods and are incapable of knuckle-walking. Proportionally they more closely resemble elves with thin bodies and slightly longer fingers and toes. Females average height is four-feet eight inches and twenty-seven kilograms (female: 4'8“ ± 2”; 27 kg/60 lbs). Males are slightly smaller, but several kilograms heavier (male: 4'7“ ± 3”; 34 kg/75 lbs).

Kobolds have thick skin covered in proto-scales typically bronze to black in color. Large double-lidded eyes protected by a ridge, forked tonight, and elongated reptillian snout makes their dragon heritage believable. Their sense of smell is one of the best among mortal races to make up for their poor eyesight. They are near-sighted, but can see more chromatically within that spectrum than humans. Kobolds have vertical-slit shaped pupils similar to crocodiles and cats allowing them to see better at night than during the day.

During their reproductive life a kobold female will typically bear one child. Those that live in larger communities may bear a second child. For reasons unknown a kobold woman can only bear a single child with given male. All attempts to bear a second child with the same male fail to carry to term. It will be several years in-between a woman's fertility cycle, but when they are fertile it will last for several weeks.

The first stage of a kobold's life will commonly last into their eighties (80-90 year lifespan).

A nearly five year transition from the first stage of a kobold's life to the second stage is marked by their near passing. A kobold will instinctively seek out its own kind or an isolated space. By any physical measure a kobold in this transition will appear in a deep coma. They will be physically unresponsive, but still breathing and their pupils will respond to light. During this time their physical body will undergo a transformation into something more akin to a humanoid dragon.

When this transition has finished there will be no physical difference between males and females. They will grow in height to around five feet and three inches (5'3“ ± 3”) and gain considerable muscle mass weight over eighty-five kilograms (85 kg = 187 lbs). Their snout will elongate slightly and now be filled with a double row of sharp teeth. The ridge above their eyes will be more pronounced and continue into the slightly protruding bone that protects the back of their skull.

Their eyes have now fully developed. They are still super-chromatic, but are no longer nearsighted.

The tips of their finders and toes end is sharp talons. Their skin has hardened slightly and is now covered in full bronze-black sales nearly as hard as steel. This makes them more ponderous and less agile, but capable of greater feats of strength than in their first stage.

During this stage their draconic power will awaken as their spirit is completely cut off from the Shadow Realms. It will gain in power as the kobold ages just as found among the great dragons. The most powerful is their near total control over their physical body.

It is not just their body and undergoes a transformation, but their mind as well. During their second stage kobolds have decreased ability to concentrate on long tasks or scholarly pursuits. The “lizard brain” (Amygdala) has grown in size during the transformation giving them quicker decision making, greater memory, and stronger emotional responses. This has shrunk other functions of the temporal lob and the frontal lobe as well. Concentration, short-term memory, and reasoning are all reduced.

Should they die during this stage most of what was them will be lost. Only small fragments of their spirit that has not merged with their draconic power will eventually make it to the Shadow Realms.

This second stage of a kobold's life will continue near the quarter mark of their second century (80-125 years).

The transition to the third, and final, stage of the life happens over decades and begins sometime around quarter mark of their second century and will typically not complete until after the midpoint (year 125-150). Their body will slowly transform into that of a great wyvern. Their arms will shorten and their body will elongate gaining more muscle mass in their trunk and legs. Full wings will sprout from nodules on their back.

Their draconic power will continue to grow in power while their intellect will retreat. Even at their most powerful they are still a sapient creature, but now more driven by instinct that intellect. The draconic power within them has completely merged with their spirit. Should they die once they have fully become a great wyvern all that was them will be lost.

As with the great dragons a great wyvern's lifespan is nearly immortal, but also becomes less active as they age. When they reach their first millennia most great wyverns will only be active for a few months every century.

Draconic power is the power that eminates from the dragons of Miranda and is drawn from the Heart of Mir. A kobold will manifest their draconic power in the second stage of their life and will keep it throughout the rest of their life. This power is sparked to life when the kobold's spirit begins to merge with the dormant power within them.

Should this power be awakened while the spirit is still attached to their body it will drive the kobold violently insane and grant them incredible power for several hours before it tears them physically apart.

When a kobold's power manifests it will do so controlling some sort of natural order. The most common are fire, water, storms, earth, lightning, volcanoes, and flora. More esoteric natural phenomenon like luck, darkness, and decomposition are a rarity. A kobold can use their power to extend control over this natural order within their immediate surroundings. As they get older and gain in strength the reach of their control extends.

The draconic power gives the kobold incredible control over its physical body. Limitations of mass or even practically are no obstacles to their form. The only limitation seems to be that their body is always comprised of organic matter (i.e they cannot turn into stone or metal) and the further they get from their true form the more they are driven by animal instincts.

The second limitation applies if they grow beyond double their height or mass, shrink to less than half their height or mass, or add non-animalistic additions. Outside of this range further reduces their thinking and reasoning functions while heightening their emotional and instinctual responses.

Changing their looks across any sapient species is both easy and quickly done. Creating new abilities like fire breath, poison skin, spines on the arms, wings, or a prehensile tail are easy, but take several minutes to get correct. If they want a poisoned stinger tail that can elongate several meters then it may not only take several hours to build correctly, but it will strengthen their instincts at the cost of their reason.

When a kobold does a complete body change like turning into a spider, dolphin, or hawk it can not only take several hours but the instincts of the creature they are mimicking will drive them to behave as if they were a spider, dolphin, or hawk. A strong-willed kobold can resist this, but many kobolds have often spend months as an animal nearly forgetting themselves.

Any of these shifts can happen near instantaneously if the kobold is willing to risk losing themselves. Their spirit acts as a natural limiter on their draconic power, especially during the early years of their Second Stage. Allowing such a rapid change it decreases the number of years until the draconic power fully swallows their spirit.