Example Lair: Iejirokarthel

Dragons and kobolds have been immutably linked since there fi rst were dragons and kobolds. One sprang from the other. Dragons love precious metals and gems, and kobolds are the most industrious of humanoids when it comes to extracting such things from the earth. Some kobold tribes even mint gold coins with a likeness of the dragon they serve. Not even dwarves can compete with their productivity. As neighboring peoples discovered the kobolds’ penchant for mining and the kobolds discovered a demand for their skills, the little reptiles quickly became suppliers for realms that have no desire to do business with dwarves. Kobolds have been quietly underselling dwarves ever since, thanks to disguised and glamered kobold merchants. As their network of business connections grew, these merchants eventually established their own tribes, becoming all-watchers themselves. The kobold cycle of wealth is thereby sustained. The functioning of the kobold economy gives kobolds power on two fronts. First, kobold tribes that provide wealth to dragons gain status among those dragons as if they weredragons themselves. Second, once civilizations become dependent on kobolds for metal, that region is usually less of a threat to kobold existence and becomes a tool in kobold schemes.

The most obvious entrance to Iejirokarthel, translated from the Draconic as “Blood Home,” is located at the deepest part of an enormous sinkhole. The sinkhole is extremely treacherous to climb, made more so by jagged rocks near the opening. The kobold inhabitants of Iejirokarthel sharpen many of these rocks, ensuring that climbing lines eventually slice in two. An inconspicuous set of narrow stairs has been built into the sinkhole wall, leading down to an entranceway that further descends into a gloomy dungeon of roughly hewn walls and labyrinthine corridors. This dungeon is populated with giant vermin and undead monsters that never disappoint adventurers in search of a challenge. In reality, the dungeon is a front. It serves as a practice ground for kobold trapmakers to implement their latest inventions and for young kobolds to test their mettle against adventurers. Iejirokarthel’s kobolds deliberately created the dungeon as a ruse to defl ect interest away from their actual lair, located even deeper underground and accessed through hidden entranceways. The lair has 5-foot-high ceilings and a meticulous layout. Its architecture incorporates images and sculptures of dragons wherever space permits. Almost every wall in Iejirokarthel is adorned with a carved depiction of kobold history.

Defensive Front

The fi rst tier of this kobold lair, where it is closest to the surface world, primarily consists of barracks for augmenting sorcerers, offensive sorcerers, and warriors. These barracks are concentrated near each entranceway, along with quarters for any specialists trained in maintaining the warriors’ equipment.

Svent, Dire Weasel Trainer: A wide den has been mined out here to accommodate several animals. A kobold named Svent breeds dire weasels in this den, and he trains them for fi ghting and riding. It is one of the most raucous