>>5301597>20And the kobold freezes stock-still, whimpering and yammering apologies in some distantly-derived dialect of the True Speech.
“Did not know! Did not know! Do not kill meeee!”
“Come here. Now.”
The kobold scurries towards you, dropping flat and pressing its face—its entire body—into the dirt.
“Did not know you were dragon! Would never hurt dragon!”
You can’t help but feel a little pleased with this instant recognition, and this reaction of submissive obedience. He is just a kobold, but it feels… Right. Moreover, it’s useful.
“Make it up to me, then,” you say. “Take me to your people, and to your leader.”
“B-b-b… But…”
The kobold looks up at your fearful of… Something else, something other than you. That’s no good. You narrow your eyes, adjusting your stance and focusing upon your Presence. The kobold yipes, and buries his head in the dirt again.
“But!” he shrieks, nevertheless.
“But WHAT?” you demand.
“But the OTHER dragon will be mad!”
“Other dragon?” the Novice asks, pushing her way through the retinue to join you in your interrogation.
You sigh. This female is utterly tactless and insubordinate. Still…
“Yes, what other dragon?”
“Our dragon! Kobold-dragon! The Dragonwrought!”
You blink a couple times, processing this. You’re… Unfamiliar with the term.
“A Dragonwrought kobold is a rare occurrence,” the Novice provides. “A throwback to earlier ages, to the kobolds’ overseers… Their highest classes.”
“They resemble dragons?” you ask, curious.
The novice shrugs. “So they say. I’ve never seen one, only read of them.”
“Bring me to this ‘Dragonwrought’,” you say.
“B-b-b”
“If he is angry,” you say, “I will handle him.”
The kobold cannot help but obey. You and your retinue follow him, as he leads you off the beaten path and through a series of half-hidden foot-trails. Thankfully, he seems well-appraised of all the traps in the area, as well he might be; none of you are injured, snared, netted, or fall into the strategically-placed pits of mud or sharpened sticks.
Do you ask the kobold anything as you travel? [Choose no more than two, please]
>Ask about the kobold—his name, his role, his purpose here>Ask about the kobold clan here—their culture, their beliefs, their lifestyle>Asl about the Dragonwrought—what does he look like? What is he capable? What kind of ruler is he?>Ask about the excavations into the deep places—what have the kobolds found?>Ask about the region, and its ecology and geography>Ask about the other sapient inhabitants of the area—humans and such>Write-in 