Glossary

Shunzog Darkbender – Male Mage (Acarva Summoner mage; uses hunting rats and has an enchanted Skindrum to summon them)

Timgleh Clawgrazer – Female Shaman

Cluv Molteneyes – Male Mage (Acarva fire mage; is able to briefly shapeshift into pure flame for a limited time) Because this magic does not lend itself to subtlety, despite being eager to teach, Cluv rarely has students).

Kvegok Cairnbuilder – Female mage (Sharpscale Mala of Power [magic])

Zidi Shadowchaser – Female Shaman (Sharpescale Mala of the Blade)

Brug Steelbelly – Chieftain Warrior (Sharpscale Mala of War)

Vetrik Bonewatcher – Elder male shaman; (Pandita Listener his primary magical abilities are related to spirits and perception – his name ‘bonewatcher’ comes from his skill at oracular casting) rarely takes students, but accepted Degra after Shunzog declined to teach her.

Manifestations/initiate paths usually found in Koboldkin (representing a sort of racial potential or innate talent):

Fire (including taking a fire shape; having a salamander type pet)

Animal (possibly also having a related familiar/totem which will usually be cat, marten/weasel or snake)

Tree/plant (quite rare and thought to be legendary; can enhance crop fertility; this can depend on if the particular tribe or the group within the tribe has much contact with the surface. Kobolds strongly prefer caves, so on occasion this talent will be seen as much more of a curse than a blessing)

Stone (mining, ore, crystals, including salt)

Tribe names:

Sharpscale; Sootscale; Thunderscale; Truescale; Blackclaw; Bloodclaw;

Titles used by the Koboldkin:

Mala – leader; usually there will be a Mala of war (a sort of chieftain) a Mala of spells (wizard) and a Mala of Spirit (usually called “Mala of [the local name for the deity]”). Within a tribe or gen there will be only one of each type of Mala, though there may be multiple war bands, multiple deity affiliations. Usually there will be very few spell slingers; partly because of the suspicion that this is viewed by most Kobolds. An affiliation with a god is understandable (no one wants to get on the bad side of a deity); a war chieftain is understandable (physical violence being one way to gain/hold power).

Pandita – elder wise one (while this can be used for a priest or mage it denotes more social than esoteric rank)

Acarva – teacher or sensei “one who has knowledge”

Unsui – student or apprentice to esoteric teaching

Egg guardians – persons charged with care of a particular hatching, and guiding those successfully hatched to useful adulthood. During a given season or cycle females will deposit their eggs (both fertile and unfertile) in the hatchery. Once all the fertile eggs have hatched, the Egg guardians will guide the growth of that hatching until maturity is reached, at about age 5-6. The theoretical lifespan is up to 120-150 years but this is rarely reached; as conflict, predation and disease (but primarily the first) takes a heavy toll. It is considered irregular bordering on blasphemous for any kobold male or female to take an interest in their personal offspring. It is not uncommon for the group of a hatching to have (or to be given) a name, such as “Cold Winter” or “Gnoll War” usually denoting a major event at the time of or within the first year of growth. This often strongly influences the choice of vocation of the members of that hatching.

Pantheon used by Koboldkin:

Blade – deity associated with shadow, conflict, traps, tactics and aggression (including social tactics). Much more associated with indirect or secretive conflict than open conflict. Could be incompletely described as a god of thieves and tricksters, but negotiation, trade and politics would also be reasonably accurate. Other associations might be death and darkness. Not associated with any particular gender.

Bowl – deity associated with alchemy, poisons, cooking, enchanting. The idea of making or crafting, possibly including crops, birth, fertility. Not associated with any particular gender.

Musical instruments used by the Koboldkin:

Nevel (or Nebel depending on dialect) – a very basic type of harp; it is a U shaped instrument with an upper crosspiece, the strings run from the crosspiece to the bottom of the U.

Kalimba - wooden soundboard with steel keys that players depress and release with their fingers to create a tranquil, bell-like sound. (Similar to mbira – differentiated by a double row of keys on the mbira and a single row of keys on the kalimba). Sound can be similar to a music box.

Skindrum – essentially a bodhran which is a hand held slightly-larger-than a tambourine type drum played with use of a wide short stick which his held in the middle to allow for quite rapid rhythms. The name comes from the fact that this instrument must be made from the hide of an enemy (sentient or non-sentient); and usually requires either a ritualist/enchanter or a priest. Attempting to make one from a lesser foe will be quite dangerous in terms of what happens during the ritual, and this applies to the one seeking as well as to the one blessing.

Wind instruments

The kin do not have an easy ability to “close” their mouths around small openings (as their mouths are more like the maws of hounds) but some of their allies (goblins and orcs) play instruments and at a major cross-clan festival these may be in use.

Shofar – a horn, somewhat akin to a trumpet. It takes a skilled user to be able to get multiple notes/tones out of this instrument. Most common use is ritual or war; for example it was used to announce the new moon (Usually made from some member of Bovidae; practically speaking often a cow/aurochs or ram, antelope, gazelle, goat)

Ocarina (also called an “Egg flute”) – hollow roundish instrument blown; usually 4-6 finger holes to adjust the sound.

Schools of Magick (slightly different from talents)

Listener (often found amongst priest class) one who can hear spirits; this may be spirits of place (genus loci), deceased members of the tribe, and (in theory) one who can bind the spirits of defeated enemies. Some listeners are said to have the power to enhance living entities making them more powerful (such as a vine becoming mobile, or a normally not intelligent beast becoming much more so).

Dancer. Physical adept which can include increases in physical capability, health recovery and healing from most wounds and decreased need for sleep. Some dancers develop enhancements that are more subtle such as incredible vision (including outside the normal range for their species), hearing including ultra or sub sonic.

Shaper. One who can make changes in the physical world; this is the enchanter, the alchemist and so forth, many of the more powerful abilities are slow and take time and preparation to use, so often this type of practitioner will prefer to only act from a well defended and well supplied lair. As this is the type who would most successfully prepare potions and enchanted weapons and armor, they are often very valued. However those who prefer a more “hasty” approach may focus on shaping such things as stone, fire, water or air to produce showy, powerful but not permanent effects.

Clothing:

Chiton (usually pronounced Kiton) – sleeveless tunic/robe of variable length generally fastened with pins or broaches at the shoulders. Occasionally belted.

Strophion – breastband type garment; but worn by both genders to display colors/clan or tribal affiliations rather than use of some type of sash or more loose garment.

Animals:

Ferret – Bite is technically a marbled polecat, but it’s a lot easier to just go with “spotted ferret” as an easy descriptor.

Aurochs – think an oversized longhorn crossed with an American Bully (mastiff) but with long legs. About double the size of a buffalo (or more) heavily muscled in the front of the body including head, and capable of greater speeds than most current wild bull/bovines, these are technically herbivores, but quite aggressive.