Kobolds (FanT)

The Kobolds (Ko'yi: Ko'xun) are a race of reptilian humanoids. The average kobold has scaly skin, two arms, two legs and a tail, and stands naturally hunched at roughly one and a half metre tall. Male kobolds have frilled necks while females lack frills but have sharp spikes on their tails. Widespread and numerous, kobold can be found all over Ezevria. The vast majority of kobolds may be found in the Emerald Empire in the north-east, which is the sprawling homeland of the Kobolds. Kobolds are most famous for the engineering marvel that is the Emerald Wall, which blocks the Valley of Leng from the Kaiu Plains. For a hundred generations the kobolds have been defending the Emerald Wall against the hordes from the mainland, buying the rest of the realm peace with Kobold blood.

Besides the Emerald Empire, kobolds may also be found across _location_ in a vast array of communities, ranging from the cave Kobolds of Dije'xun to the Kobold Triads in the back alleys of the Stoport Concordat's cities. Kobold society is marked by strict social hierarchies and social customs, and is complex and cut-throat to the uninitiated, be it at the Ma'ching tables of a triad khao den or the perfectly manicured gardens of the Imperial Court at Uchotan. With Kobolds spread across the lands, adventurers are just as likely to encounter hostile bandit parties of the rogue clans as they are to meet a repentant Ron'gi seeking redemption for their past crimes.

Etymology
In the kobold language, Ko'yi, the race is known as Ko'xun. The word "kobold" comes from the Ko'yi word Ko'bōto, which refers to an individual of the Kobold race.

Kobolds are also colloquially referred to as lizards.

Biology
Kobolds come in many colours, ranging from green to blue, and even shades of red. They are actually chameleonic, though this ability is affected by what food or narcotics are ingested rather than environmental factors.

Reproduction
Kobolds reproduce sexually, and hatch from eggs. Females lay around two dozen eggs every year in total. The peak egg laying season is around the summer solstice, when up to a dozen eggs may be laid at once. However, the vast majority of eggs are not fertilised as males release a very low amount of sperm. Consequently, Kobolds reproduce at a slow rate, with Kobold families often having less than ten children. It is theorised by senior Kobold Xiseis that this is enforced by the creator goddess Yuna to prevent the population from growing too large and cause imbalance in the Ki.

Society and culture
Kobolds are highly spiritual and believe in an all-binding energy force known as the Ki.

They also have a rigid society with strict social customs and a hierarchical caste system, though it is possible to rise through the castes unless you are a Burong'gi (untouchable).

Kobolds are very good at elemental magic, and mainly rely on that.

Kobold names
Kobold personal names consist of family names, clutch names, seasonal names, and personal names, with many other names also bestowed upon a particular Kobold throughout his or her life due to great achievements or other such circumstance. For example, the current full name of the Grand Secretary, Chong'ran, is Ua'Senfu'Chong'jung'yi'haru'Omadare'hung'ran. Ua is an honorific name bestowed upon Kobolds of high governmental standing, Senfu is an honorific name bestowed upon scholars and teachers, Chong is his family name (typically from the paternal side), Jung'yi is his clutch name (which includes the family name of the mother, and an auspicious name for the clutch of hatchlings), Haru is his seasonal name, Omadare is a name bestowed upon him for his loyalty to the state, Hung is a respectful name bestowed upon Kobolds who reach 60 years of age, and Ran is his personal name. Personal names may change over time, and Chong'ran was actually born as Chong'guan.

For ease of use, Kobolds often shorten their names to just their family name and their personal name.

Emerald Empire
The Emerald Empire occupies the land known as Yuwong.

Clans
There are eight clans in the Emerald Empire. Take note that even though each clan has a certain 'affinity' for particular elements, the mages can learn any element they like. Some may even know multiple elemental styles.

Dragon
The Dragon Clan is one of the more powerful clans, and has traditionally raised the most troops to staff the Imperial Army. They are fine warriors, and specialise in the element of fire. Since the dawn of the Emerald Empire, Dragon Clan warriors have served as the Imperial Guards, so trusted in the Clan. Even then, the Dragon Clan officially holds no political aspirations, and the other clans hope to keep it that way, for it will be difficult to oppose them on the battlefield.

Crane
The Crane Clan is the wealthiest of the clans, with their province sitting on large mines of gold and jade. They are consequently the ones most able to indulge in arts and politics, and are often seen as the most refined families of the Kobolds. Though they often hold the upper hand in the Imperial Court, they are conservative and hold back in fear of upsetting the status quo and drawing the wrath of other clans, who are often eyeing the Crane's wealth. Crane mages often focus on the element of air. While Crane duellists and mages are very skilled at theatrics and beautiful displays, they may falter in actual combat.

Ox
The masters of agriculture and owners of the largest province in the Emerald Empire, the Ox Clan oversees vast farmlands that feed not only the Empire but also people across the realm. Their mages are down-to-earth, literally, using their power over the element of earth to aid in digging networks of irrigation canals and helping out with the harvest every year. It is because of these reasons that other clans are hesitant to wrong the Ox, for it only takes one withheld shipment to delay preparations for the winter months to make a painful statement, making the Ox amongst the most powerful clans in the Imperial Court.

Swordfish
The Swordfish Clan, masters of water and the seas, control almost the entirety of the Empire's coastline, including the rich Soshi Delta, where the port city Sanhama boasts itself as the second-largest city in the Empire, only behind glorious Uchotan. Thanks to their control of the vital seas and the bountiful farmlands in the Soshi Delta, the Swordfish can lay claim to influence on par with the Ox, despite being barely half the size. Naturally, Swordfish mages focus on water as their element.

Scorpion
The Scorpion Clan, located in the north-eastern hills, is primarily concerned with the most important of all tasks, and the very purpose of the Emerald Empire: protecting and maintaining the Emerald Wall. It is the Scorpion that owns the farms and workshops that lie behind each of the eight layers of the Wall, and it is the Scorpion that permanently mans the garrison. It is not that the Scorpion see themselves as above the Imperial Court as they do not see the point in involving themselves in the machinations of the state. Hardened warriors and pragmatists, the Scorpion mages focus on earth magic, though also often dabble in other disciplines like fire to enhance their combat prowess. Few Scorpion champions bother to travel beyond the borders of the Empire, making them a rare sight in foreign lands.

Mantis
The Mantis Clan, making their home in the hills, amongst rich deposits of coal and metal, are the masters of industry. Nowhere in the world can one find a kao sharper or more expertly-made to specifications as one forged by the Mantis. Mantis scientists, ever devious, have even created carts that can move themselves, cannons that load themselves, and golems of steel that walk like giants, spewing fire across the battlefield. Naturally, the element Mantis mages focus on is metal, for this is as useful in the workshop as it is at the front lines.

Snake
Living in and around the vast Heu Swamp, the Snake Clan is one of the least understood of the clans. Unlike the other clans, the Snake does not openly provide any major resource or service to the running of the Empire, and it seems to the layman that the Snake's function is to be the caretakers of the spiritual mangrove. However, the truth is that the Snake Clan is home to the best spies and scouts of the Empire, often ranging throughout the region to inform on the Empire's rivals and even beyond the Emerald Wall to keep an eye on enemy movements. It is rumoured that the Snake also spies on their fellow clans, making them untrusted by the rest. Snake mages often focus on water elemental magic, though it is not unheard of for them to use exotic magics from other realms, even Elf Magic.

Dije'xun
The Dije'xun are the inhabitants of Dije, a vast city-state of interconnected tunnels and caverns near the _Dwarf Civilisation_, occasionally encroaching on Dwarf caves and territories and sparking bitter hatred between the two. Also known as the Cave Kobolds, the Dije'xun have distinct physical differences compared to other Kobolds, adapted to their low-light conditions by becoming near-white with bioluminescence, with larger eyes for seeing in the dark. As a consequence, Dije'xun rarely venture onto the surface any more, except for purposes of trade.

Descended from two of the Disgraced Clans that refused to join the Emerald Empire at its inception, the Dije'xun have largely created their own culture based around communal sharing and scarcity of resources. Trading minerals with surface dwellers and dwarves, the Dije'xun are fiercely territorial warriors, and rarely leave Dije or its mines. Yet, as Dije continually expands, they come more and more into open conflict with the Dwarves. Dije'xun that emerge in the day are typically easy to spot in full-body wrappings and turbans to protect themselves from the sun.

Che'gi
The Che'gi are Kobold spiritual monks who wander the world in search of enlightenment, congregating in monasteries and shrines in the high mountains. They can be easily spotted in their deep green robes. Many Che'gi are young Imperial Kobolds on pilgrimage, vowing to only return to their families upon receiving a divine message from the Gods that can better this world, while others still are criminals or outcasts seeking spiritual redemption. Che'gi can be found everywhere in the realm, from the human cities to the Concordat, carrying out kind acts and preaching the Way of the Ki to anyone who bothers to listen.

Ron'gi
Ron'gi are Kobold soldiers or champions who have committed a grave error or crime, which was not severe enough to demand immediate ritual suicide. These were given the choice between redeeming their honour through ritual suicide or service as a Ron'gi, a wandering warrior, travelling the realm and offering their sword towards noble causes in an attempt to redeem their spirit. It is rare for Ron'gi to return to their home and be absolved of their past misdeeds, as most die along the way, but at least a few have actually made it.

Rogue Clans
When the Emerald Emperor formed the Empire several generations ago, some of the Kobold clans refused to join the Empire, and were expelled from Yuwong. These Clans died out over time, but a few managed to survive to the modern day. Some hide out in the hills or quiet corners of the realm, occasionally coming into conflict with neighbouring civilisations or sending warbands to raid settlements for resources. Some have fully transformed into criminal gangs.

Organised crime
Kobold organised crime often involves organisations referred to as the Kobold Triads, which are so named because the gangs often have three leaders. Kobold triads operate all over the realm, though mostly in the Stoport Concordat's cities. They are involved in drug trafficking and sale, exotic goods trafficking, piracy, thievery, illegal gambling, slavery, protection rackets and more. An emerging form of Kobold gang is the "Xin'gi", so-called Honourable Societies, which focus on even higher-level crimes such as political assassinations, market manipulation, money laundering, and more, while operating fronts of legitimate businesses. Brutal gang wars between Xin'gi and more traditional triads have broken out recently, with both sides displaying the characteristic violence of Kobold gangs.

Both types of Kobold gangs also frequently come into conflict with other gangs in areas they encroach on. Race prejudices against them play a major part in drawing support for the Kobold gangs amongst Kobold expatriate populations.