>>5284582>>5284573>>5284281>>5284272>>5284055>>5283998>>5283982>>5284040>>5284106>>5284150>>5284181“…Very well,” you say, after some deliberation.
This THING is absolutely, one-hundred-percent NOT a kobold. That much is obvious. But what IS it? Your morbid curiosity wins out in the end. Besides, something about it is strangely endearing and, fi worse comes to worst, it will make fine experiment-fodder.
You take the creature’s chain, and use your other hand to scrawl your mark upon the chit that the merchant eagerly presents. Your authority offers you great leeway in what ‘supplies’ you can procure for the expedition, at the expense of the Serpent Priesthood—a peculiar slave and test-subject can easily be justified if you are asked to present your rationale. Or hidden among other sundries.
To half-walk, half-drag the ‘dogbold’ along. It follows loyally and obediently, you find, except when you take your eyes off of it, or give it any slack; at that time, it begins to claws at its iron collar, rubbing its scaleless neck raw against the metal in its attempts to squirm free. Only the gagging and hacking sounds give it away, and the sudden tension in the line. A firm yank redirects it, commanding its attention, but the moment you cease to pay attention it makes another escape attempt. You attempt to affect the Fearsome Presence but, outside of your Dragonshape, this has little to no effect on a non-reptile… And this so-called ‘kobold’ is NO reptile. It seems afeared regardless, you suppose.
Eventually, your reach your quarters. Out of curiosity, compassion, or both, you offer the bizarre beast a fragment of one of your rations. It wolfs it down rapidly and, for the first time, looks at you with something other than disoriented terror, its usual brachycephalic panting and wheezing replaced by a pitiful whine.
How will you command this thing’s loyalty?
>With food and headpats>With a firm hand and a fierce discipline>Foist it off on the Novice—it will be funny>Beat it to near death and cage it>Write-inWhat do you name it?
>Name it after the Novice>Noname>Something else [write-in] 