Tag: kobolds

#Lore24 – Entry #253 – Fantasy Month III #10 – A Guide Through the Canorath Wood

As Told by Kazumi, Druid of the Circle of Claw and Fang

“So, this one is finally deemed worthy of being spoken to, is she?  Ah…a Confessor…truly this one is honored to rate so highly.  Yes, this one recognizes your kind, mazoku; this one can smell the blood that lingers upon you.  Fair warning…this one is hungry, and her nature may very well take over if provoked.  Simply the nature of the beast within this one, you see.  Ask your questions, Confessor, and consider offering fresh meat in return, lest this one goes and finds it herself.

Initially, we were amused by the antics of the adventurers.  This one’s circle cares little for the spiders or the kobolds; we keep them in check so they do not cause harm to the Canorath.  Of course, we were aware of the adventurers soon after they entered the Wood.  We knew not their goals, but they seemed not to be there to cause harm, so we allowed them to continue.  We watched as they were captured and toyed with by the kobolds, yes.  This one was quite amused that it could happen at all, but if they were not strong enough to prevail over the pests, then what good were they, hmm?  Once they escaped and thinned the kobold population by some amount, we returned the favor by guiding them to the Circle within the heart of the Canorath, offered them respite and food for their services. 

Then we ushered them out of our wood quickly, for we did not wish them stumbling around more than they already had.  Of course, the paths had changed since the Erisayan had been there last; we do that from time to time; can’t have outsiders growing used to our ways, now can we?  This one was chosen as their guide outside the wood, and her involvement would have been finished there had it not been for the attack that came near the far side of the great Canorath, from those of your kind, the ones of fire and ice.  Your kind have a certain scent that is very distinct, mazoku, certainly not common in our wood, so this one knew of the ambush and provided warning, and we were able to drive them and their minions away, the ones that we did not kill.

This one may have been overzealous, for she slew several of the mercenaries with the mazoku before they could be questioned.  A great tempest of rage broke through when they hurled fire and damaged the trees, you see, and this one let it run wild, as it desired.  They were not prepared; they retreated with their magic, but for their actions, this one would see them punished, so this one was then attached to the adventurers.

Hmmm…yes, the mazoku of fire and ice were wearing spiked cuffs and collars, set with crystals.  The items were not hindering their spellcasting that this one could tell.  At that time, no, there was no known reason for their interest in the Erisayan, and it was then that this one learned of the others hunting the Yurisayan performer.  This one listened to the voice of the wood that night, and sensed that she would be needed, and should pursue this threat.  A strange journey this one has been on since.

You hear that, yes?  This one’s inner beast grows hungrier.  This one is starting to think that your flesh looks awfully good.  Perhaps you should consider getting this one some fresh meat?  For now, this one is content to remain, but if this one’s beast breaks free due to hunger, then this one cannot be held responsible for what will happen.  Send the cowardly man who did not wish to speak to this one if you wish; you may like the sounds this one will produce with him.”

#Lore24 – Entry #252 – Fantasy Month III #9 – The Confessor Arrives

As Told by Larissa no Synstralia de’Cordova, Confessor of Yurisaya

“The chill you feel in the air is my growing displeasure, captain.  Have we not discussed the fine art of interrogation many times previously?  Why is it that you have so little to offer in your report?  No, don’t bother to try to explain yourself.  I know exactly why you’ve failed to yield satisfactory results.  You’ve failed to gain their trust, failed to empathize with them in the slightest.  You’ve taken an adversarial tone immediately, trying to bully them into telling you what you wish to know.  I personally have trouble with empathy, for I have little in the way of emotion, but I have other methods that I may need to resort to now that you’ve put them in such a terrible disposition towards us.

It is the truth I seek, captain, nothing more, nothing less.  If I must result to torture I will, but I doubt it will come to that.  As unreasonable as you paint them, the fact that at least two of them are believers in the Dark Lady’s ways will smooth things, and the Erisayan champion will be easily enough dealt with, once she’s made to see reason.  For you see, finding common ground is key to getting the information one desires, and I’m certain I an do that, though you’ve undoubtedly made my work more difficult.

No, your presence won’t be required, captain.  I’ll salvage your interrogation, and you’ll simply owe my order a favor down the line.  See, I’m quite reasonable, aren’t I?  I trust you’ve at least made certain that the druid is contained in a cell that has no easy exits for small pests?  It would be most unfortunate for you, captain, should I step into their cell to find them missing before I’ve had a chance to question them.  Most unfortunate indeed.  You may go; the truth of this matter will be revealed, of this I am certain.  Is that doubt I see?  Or is that suspicion?  You think because I share faith with some of these prisoners that I will be merciful?  Might I suggest you improve your knowledge of Yurisaya’s ways?  I can offer you a first-hand experience if you so desire, one you certainly will not forget as you did with your interrogation techniques.”

#Lore24 – Entry #251 – Fantasy Month III #8 – A Wilderness Misadventure

As Told by Siduri Tamboura, Warrior for Hire

“You call this food?  It’s hog slop at best, and that’s being generous.  Thought you wanted details?  You’re not being very inviting.  I told you, you want the dirt, you’re going to have to offer something in return.  I don’t work for free unless I get to take it out of someone’s ass!  You heard me right, just like I was doing with Eri and Hatae and that box.  What, not into the hard kind of love?  Heh, whatever.

Fine, I’ll consider this worth a little more detail, but unless you start coughing up some real food, you’ll get nothing else from me.  You want to know about our little jaunt through the Canorath Wood?  It was a comedy of errors.  Oh, that first day went fine enough, aside from miss champion of Erisaya recounting her previous adventures along the way.  Problem with elves is that they talk too damn much about their too damn long lives!  That’s one reason I really enjoy it when I get to play rough with them, you see. 

Well, it turned to shit on the second day.  Now, Eri would swear the woods had changed after a certain point, old paths were missing, even some old church or something wasn’t where she thought it was, whatever, but my opinion is she was just lost and didn’t want to fess up for it.  You know how elves are, haughty bastards.  I’d make sure she paid up for that mistake later, but we stuck to our westward course as best we could and pushed through some rough terrain, making for the high ground so we could see where it was we were going.  Wound up going right through a damn giant spider’s nest, and after that fiasco, we wound up stumbling into a den of kobolds.  Less said about those little bastards the better.  Took us a couple tries, but we managed to escape and left them with a good bloody mess for the survivors.

Wound up stumbling into some more friendly territory a couple days later, some druid circle or whatever deep in the woods.  The fact that they didn’t attack us on sight was refreshing.  But, that’s all you’re getting out of me.  Come back with better food or offer up that ass of yours so I can work off my frustrations and we’ll talk more.  Fine, run off then, little man!  You aren’t worthy of me anyway!”

#Lore24 – Entry #75 – Fantasy Month #15 – Dragontail Isles

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

I would very much like to travel the seas someday, and perhaps at least view the Dragontail Isles from a distance, for exploring these islands is, at the very least, extremely dangerous, but the potential gains could be immeasurable if a proper expedition could be mounted and the gods were willing.  The Dragontail Isles are a smaller island chain that is attached to the southern region of a larger archipelago, the Dragonmaw, and are the only part of the archipelago that have been explored in any way since the Great Cataclysm, if not before.  Ancient magics of unimaginable power protect the main body of the Dragonmaw, and dangers far more mundane yet just as deadly protect the Dragontail Isles.

Consisting of a dozen small islands and countless atolls between them (the reefs of which make navigation through the area extremely challenging, as the alternative name for the Isles being the Great Graveyard of Ships indicates), the Dragontails share a generally long and narrow profile, and seem to have been formed through volcanic activity.  The climates are generally tropical, with frequent storms blowing in from the seemingly eternal tempests surrounding the greater Dragonmaw region, and most of the islands have some significant coverage of cypress trees in the coastal swampy areas, with some possessing nearly flat profiles, while others possess some significant rocky, nearly mountainous, areas.  The largest of these isles is approximately five miles long and two wide at the widest point.

The islands have varied inhabitants, though the locals mostly consist of pirate groups who use a few of the coves, and who have struck deals with the primary local population, kobolds.  The kobolds living here are tribal in nature, and generally more savage than those found within the Empire and other settled lands, and are especially territorial, not taking well at all to those who would dare set foot upon their lands.  They can be dealt with in some cases, as the pirates who make use of the islands have proven, likely through gifts and tribute (perhaps an echo of the ancient dragons receiving such gifts from those who would appease them).  Records are filled with stories from survivors of the savagery of these kobolds, who tend to slaughter interlopers without mercy, using their trained drakes as flying and swimming mounts and beasts of war.  Notably, some tribes are reportedly quite skilled saboteurs for all of their savage nature:  able to breathe beneath the waves, they approach moored vessels under the cover of night or during storms and proceed to tear the ships apart from below, collecting any stored treasures at their leisure once the crews have been dealt with.

It is the many hundreds of confirmed shipwrecks over the centuries that draw treasure hunters to the Dragontails, and one island in particular draws the most attention, Cypress Isle, the tip of the tail, so to speak.  Furthest from its sister islands, Cypress Isle is surrounded by the remnants of lost ships, but still has the easiest approach of all the islands in the chain.  Though not the largest, it has the most history associated with it, with tales of treasures buried upon it spanning centuries, and confirmed signs of habitation by groups other than the local kobolds, with at least one ruined fortification still visible along the coast.  Accounts from multiple survivors of shipwrecks upon the island likewise report smaller signs of civilization deeper within, reportedly even a graveyard haunted by the restless spirits.  It is the accounts of these survivors that also help to fuel the belief in great treasures upon the island, for their accounts are filled with descriptions of markers that supposedly point to treasures, manmade swamps filled with wrecked ships beneath the surface, even pits filled with deadly traps and ancient treasures.

Of course, such tales are not unique to this region, for there are countless such islands spread across the face of Andyllion, but I will admit, as skeptical as I am of such stories, enough similarities exist amongst the tales, and from multiple time periods, to make such stories at least plausible.  Likely there is a significant amount of wealth to be found from the shipwrecks alone, but what the kobolds do with their plunder hasn’t been determined.  Some assume they simply add it to their vast treasure hoards hidden within the volcanic tunnels below the islands, while some believe they may transport it, perhaps through these same tunnels or via their drakes, to the islands of the Dragonmaw, for it seems only the kobolds are able to reach these lands (as observed by a handful of explorers who noted their flight patterns from a distance, then tried to follow them in, only to be rebuffed by the storms).  I wonder if there is some intelligence to the storms, or simply an ancient magic preventing any who doesn’t share some form of draconic heritage from approaching them.  An expedition consisting entirely of kobolds could perhaps test the theory, but it is doubtful that any kingdom would fund such a folly.