Being a Kobold

Being a Kobold
Kobolds are small creatures, typically two and a half to three feet tall and 30-50 pounds. Taller and larger individuals do exist, but are not exceptionally common. As reptiles, they have little in the way of secondary sex characteristics. Kobolds themselves can easily tell who is what through a combination of scent, voice, and physical features (no, not those ones) likely too subtle for most other races to detect.

Their scales tend be a rusty brown in color with cream undersides, but both chromatic and metallic dragon colors exist in varying degrees of rarity, and certain patterns are even considered auspicious from tribe to tribe. Their eyes are typically yellow or brown, but blue, green, and even red and purple are not uncommon. They can see in the dark, but prefer low to moderate levels of light.

Kobold life span is typically expected to be around 40-50 years, although this is less their natural limit and more a result of the dangerous world around them. Especially cautious and hardy kobolds have been rumored to live for over a century.

Acting Like a Kobold
Being a kobold means that you are by nature selfish, mischievous, and opportunistic. You are likely not overly cruel, as you have some sense of empathy (especially for fellow kobolds), but you are what others might consider to be a bit of a scoundrel. This is likely compounded by your sense of pride: You and your ilk are the descendants of dragons, after all, and if you can't flaunt this in a world that is so much larger and scarier than you, then where's the fun in life?

As a kobold, you are part of a close-knit tribe of your fellow reptiles, led by the oldest and most clever among you, whether that be an individual or a council. Due to the highly communal nature of your life, you regard your kin at absolute least with the grudging respect one might reserve for an unfortunate family member. You were hatched among a clutch of whelps with no knowledge of or desire to know your true parents. You were raised along with your generation by the tribe itself, your caretakers narrowing to a specific few as your talents and interests began to develop until you came of age.

Your instincts tend to lean you toward your family's security first, and your personal gain as an extremely close second. This is not to say that you must bravely fling yourself in harm's way for your brothers and sisters at every turn, for you likely understand that this is known as "Being an idiot", and while you hold compassion or perhaps even love your kin, you are technically also a member of your family, and anything that will let you fulfill both instincts at once is likely fine by you. Of course, emotions are a curious thing, and the more hot-blooded among you may decide to be idiots anyway.

You also hold an innate obsession with hoarding, another call to your draconic heritage. What you hoard is up to you, however. Most choose precious stones and trinkets, while others collect weapons or contraptions, and still others choose the most abstract and nebulous of hoards: Knowledge.

Still, all kobolds covet something, and regardless of what it is, they will go to great lengths to procure as much of it as possible. If two kobolds covet the same thing, the solution is simple: If it can be obtained first or stolen from its previous owner, then they obviously didn't want it enough to take proper care of it. There are exceptions, however: Pilfering things that another needs to survive or similarly coldhearted gestures are frowned upon by all but the greediest of kobolds, and those who do so tend to find themselves punished or conveniently "lost" on expeditions.