Kobolds, whose name comes from the Old Imperial kuba-walda or walking-lizard, are dragonkin. Distant relatives who have no wings and no fire but who revere their larger cousins the wyverns and dragons (who, one might add, have little but contempt for them).

Good dragons look upon them as unruly children, to be cared for in a condescending way. Evil dragons see them as willing dupes and useful idiots, shock troops and agents for their various schemes. And wyverns see them as a free meal ticket, or perhaps just a free meal, since they’re not as pretentious as their more Machiavellian cousins.

The kobolds themselves seem to take this situation largely in stride. Some kobald cults believe that through sacrifice and servitude they can ‘level up’ into dragons in the next life–or possibly even in this one.

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