KOBOLDS
CHAPTER 3
Dragons and kobolds have been immutably linked since sharpen many of these rocks, ensuring that climbing lines there first were dragons and kobolds. One sprang from the eventually slice in two. An inconspicuous set of narrow stairs has been built other. Dragons love precious metals and gems, and kobolds are the most industrious of humanoids when it comes to into the sinkhole wall, leading down to an entranceway extracting such things from the earth. Some kobold tribes that further descends into a gloomy dungeon of roughly hewn walls and labyrinthine corridors. This dungeon is even mint gold coins with a likeness of the dragon they serve. populated with giant vermin and undead monsters that Not even dwarves can compete with their productivity. never disappoint adventurers in search of a challenge. As neighboring peoples discovered the kobolds’ penIn reality, the dungeon is a front. It serves as a practice chant for mining and the kobolds discovered a demand ground for kobold trapmakers to implement their latest for their skills, the little reptiles quickly became suppliers for realms that have no desire to do business with dwarves. inventions and for young kobolds to test their mettle against Kobolds have been quietly underselling dwarves ever adventurers. Iejirokarthel’s kobolds deliberately created since, thanks to disguised and glamered kobold merthe dungeon as a ruse to deflect interest away from their chants. As their network of business connections grew, actual lair, located even deeper underground and accessed these merchants eventually established their own tribes, through hidden entranceways. becoming all-watchers themselves. The kobold cycle of The lair has 5-foot-high ceilings and a meticulous layout. Its wealth is thereby sustained. architecture incorporates images and sculptures of dragons The functioning of the kobold economy gives kobolds wherever space permits. Almost every wall in Iejirokarthel power on two fronts. First, kobold tribes that provide is adorned with a carved depiction of kobold history. wealth to dragons gain status among those dragons as if they were dragons themselves. Second, once civilizations Defensive Front become dependent on kobolds for metal, that region is The first tier of this kobold lair, where it is closest to the usually less of a threat to kobold existence and becomes surface world, primarily consists of barracks for augmenta tool in kobold schemes. ing sorcerers, offensive sorcerers, and warriors. These barracks are concentrated near each entranceway, along with quarters for any specialists trained in maintaining EXAMPLE LAIR: IEJIROKARTHEL the warriors’ equipment. The most obvious entrance to Iejirokarthel, translated from Svent, Dire Weasel Trainer: A wide den has been the Draconic as “Blood Home,” is located at the deepest part of an enormous sinkhole. The sinkhole is extremely mined out here to accommodate several animals. A kobold treacherous to climb, made more so by jagged rocks near named Svent breeds dire weasels in this den, and he trains the opening. The kobold inhabitants of Iejirokarthel them for fighting and riding. It is one of the most raucous
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