Skora'chall Kobolds (Scor-ah-chal)

This dominant group of seasonally nomadic and subterranean kobolds live under the harsh conditions of the volcanic badlands of the Burning Arm of Lorthal (Otherwise known as Skoyche), naturally adapted to the ashen and smoky seasons, the changing landscape and deadly ecosystem. Most underestimate kobolds and treat them as dog-faced draconic pests, however most have never met a Skora'chall. They have developed and thrived under the seasons of smoke, fire and predatory vegetation - and taking full advantage of the terrain for themselves, appearing and disappearing in the subterraean tunnels and taking shelter under the devoured chitinous skeletons of the insectoid creatures that call the badlands and mountains their home.
They thrive under several petty confederacies of hunter-gatherers & sorcerer tribes ruled by elders, shamans and powerful draconic sorcerers, or by the ethnically-pure and sacred Urds (flying kobolds).
Kobolds are small, reptilian creatures who live in the underground tunnels they skillfully create. These underground homes offer much needed protection from other creatures, as many of them would enslave, eradicate, or otherwise harm kobolds if given the chance. Despite their small stature kobolds are dedicated workers and fierce opponents, at least when they're able to work together. They wish nothing more than to live in peace, dig tunnels, and raise their young within their underground homes.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

A kobold was a reptilian humanoid, standing between 2' and 2'6" (60cm – 75cm) tall, weighing 35 to 45 pounds (16 – 20kg), with scaled skin tinted with whole body hues or had multi-flecked hues that aligned with their respective ancestors. The most common scale-complexion was between reddish brown and black in color. All commonly shared burnt orange, bright yellow to red eyes, an inherent trait due to the environment they live in - however, it has been known that some kobolds are born with bright-blue or green eyes. Scales were sometimes known to lengthen and soften over generations into 'beauty feathers', much like how other races have moles or birthmarks, kobolds can grow small colourful feathery tufts. Some kobolds were capable of growing facial hair, rat-like whiskes and pointed chin beards. Their skull shape that varied from dog or rat-like with long thin snouts, to lizard-like flat and broad head structures. Their legs were sinewy and digitigrade. They had long, clawed fingers and a jaw like a crocodile or lizard. Small white or tan horns protruded from their head, frills behind their cheekbones and they had rat or snake-like tails. They would often smell of wet dog and stagnant water.
Dragonwrought kobolds are reptilian humanoids, standing between 2'8'' and 3'4'' (cm - cm) tall, weighing 40 to 50 pounds (18-22kg) had scales that were tinted in a hue that aligned with their respective ancestors. Mottles matching the color of their true dragon relative coated the eggs that dragonwrought kobolds came from, increasing in size and number over time. Some, but not all of these kobolds had a functional set of reptilian wings. Due to the size of their wingspan (6-8ft), these kobolds had to hunch down to the weight, but others were strong enough to stand upright.

APPEARANCE

The Skora'chall usually scavenge and hold sets of clothing made from sinuous-roots, bone adornments, leather or even chitin (should it fit their form). But black and orange-red are the favoured colours to wear, and the types of black or orange-red are used to delineate between different tribes and clans - but those with draconic blood seek to highlight and expose their tinted scales to show off their authority and heritage, dressing sleevelessly or without back covers. One clan may collect and trim griffon feathers that are black or red for earrings or elaborate necklaces, another would paint themselves in dyed mud or war paint.
Most Skora'chall kobolds were miners or tunnel-dwellers and so dressed in sleeveless tunics and breeches; but kobolds enjoyed dressing in more elegant clothing for festivities or in tribal gatherings. These included clothes made from silk or leather, but tailored clothes were only common among leaders. Garments were often made to compliment the wearer's eyes, which involved the use of orange or red dyes. Other garments might be dyed to demonstrate the wearer's affinity to a particular kind of dragon. Kobolds required the dexterity in their feet too often to wear footwear, and the soles of their feet were hard enough to cope with most surfaces. Due to the amount of time kobolds spend mining, gemstones were readily available, and they used these to adorn their clothing, and to make jewelry. Nomadic kobolds were dressed for agility and to weather the harsh storms and took from their environment and the natural creatures that inhabited the region. These clothes were more likely to be made from hardened leather and chitin, constantly restitched and remade through hunts and raids in different areas - the most elaborate were well treated, hard to burn, insulated to heat, resilient to acid rain, and were usually ashen or black coloured to match their environment. When delving into the eastern side of the peninsula, in the thick of vegetation, they polish their scale armour and chitin to be reflective, making it difficult to be seen and to blend in with their environment.

DRAGON BLOODLINES & SORCERY

The most important members of a Skora'chall Kobold tribe are those that hold lineages of draconic bloodlines - founded during the ancient period of the draconic empire, where servants of the dragonborn and dragons were gifted with their blood and magical power to better serve the empire of old. These Kobolds were highly prized and desired in the tribes, believing that they should sire new generations of pure-blooded kobolds to raise their tribes strength and influence with their bloodlines. This is with the hopes that they can sire hatchlings with the power of sorcery. But not all Kobolds with the draconic bloodline ever see the powers of their sorcery activate, merely holding the power within their bloodlines until it is finally awakened. Those that do, become precious commodities and powerful individuals within their tribe - though this does not go well sometimes, as this conflicts with the power of their Crownscale. So important are these bloodlines, that in fact, that many tribes compete and kidnap these individuals as eggs or as full-grown adults. As such, it is both a blessing and a curse in disguise. Using them as bargaining chips when tribes negotiate peace and truces - although the concept of a sacred marriage between individuals is a foreign concept to the Kobolds, who find love an impersonal act and reproduction only a practical means of survival and propagation. They do however, hold ceremonies in which the 'dragonwrought' would bargain to bring new hatchlings to a dominant clan through a temporary copulation with a Crownscale in exchange for their tribes survival or territory. These dragonwrought kobolds were thus 'married' to the dominant tribe and its ruler, but not in the traditional sense, rather it is a restriction and more the role of a concubine where they are not allowed to lay eggs with members of their own tribe, only through the dominant tribe. The most 'peaceful' and traditional of these practices is the 'Heritage Bond', a partnership in which two dragonwrought individuals would copulate together multiple times and change genders for the strict purpose of both becoming pregnant with purer hatchlings. Thus preserving and blending their bloodlines and strengthening them at the same time, for each tribe to prosper with a pure-blooded hatchling. It is the closest that Kobolds ever reach to an amicable relationship, as both parents take care and foster their eggs, then split them to their respective tribes. Quite literally, they become brothers from their 'other mother', or sisters from their 'other misters'.
They do not truly understand the nature of how the sorcery of their bloodline this arises, try as they have. But these individuals, Scale Sorcerers, are born with an innate talent to summon these magics, and spend their lives learning to control and take charge of their awakened magic. This can take the form of the dragon in which their heritage is strongest - due to the nature of their environment, Red Dragons are the most prominent in their bloodlines - but their ancestors held bloodlines from all kinds of true dragons, metallic or chromatic. It is possible for bloodlines to merge, but this only serves to empower the potential power of these bloodlines, and the direct draconic parent takes hold within their bloodline. The full reason that these Kobolds care so much for these Draconic bloodlines is that it gives them access to the two key powers that made their empire so powerful and so great: Dragonmarks & Dragonshards.

• Dragonmarks, are inherent magical tattoos that manifest within draconoid races - however, much more rarer in Kobolds - that grant them inherent magical talents and power. Not only this, but the Dragonmark itself is a living essence of magic, although not intelligent enough to hold conversations, but it is able to learn and strategize and remember those it has bonded with throughout its generations - forming a bond with the one it marks, able to react in situations that threaten its life or sense danger apporaching. Dragonmarks can appear randomly within Kobolds, even those without draconic blood, but due to their lack of innate talent, they cannot control nor understand the magic they hold and believe themselves cursed. Whereas Scale Sorcerers are capable of harnessing the power of these Dragonmarks, and can access memories they hold within them, from the present, back to the moment of the Dragonmarks creation. Thus, this store of unyielded memories and knowledge can be utilised to teach and guide these kobolds to strengthen their power and teach them long lost methods from their draconic empire lost long ago... though it is limited because the memories can be clear, but do not allow the information to be coherent. (Much like how a person from the 1920s tries to explain a radio to an ancient Roman). 
• Dragonshards - a resource that can only be found in places that have been dominated by dragons for ages, with nearly limitless potential. Objects in which store the inherent excess power of a dragons magic, and can prove to be a deadly resource if mishandled or misunderstood. However, in the hands of dragons, or draconic races, who realise the secret of the Dragonshards - can turn this into a fuel source of limitless potential. Drawing forth the magic from the type of crystal, dims its innate glow and sparkle, reducing the well of power it houses within until it becomes inert and crumbles into worthless obsidian. These Dragonshards have been used to empower the old draconic empires capability of flight, powerful spells, ability to transform materials into different elements, turn solids into gases, liquids or desired shapes and structures. Thus, should a Scale Sorcerer get their hands on a Dragonshard, they can quite easily become all powerful and temporary tyrants and leaders until they drain the Dragonshard of all its power. 

KNOWN TRIBES & CROWNSCALES

The Skora'chall Kobolds are split into large extended family groups, tribes or clans and regularly compete with one another. Tribes would often be absorbed in larger clans, taking in their most adequate traditions and practical methods of survival for their own and intergrating it within their community. This competition drives their survival and their ceaseles ability to adapt to the harshness of their environment - this can tend o push out exiles or other tribes that cannot handle the competition or harshness of the lands, migrating out into the main continent but subjecting them to the harshness of the sun. Most tribes compete for territory (for shelter, status of dominance and hunting grounds), and for the claim to the most draconic-bloodlines - often raiding other tribes to kidnap dragonwrought kobolds or sorcerers, a difficult task, or use them to make peace and alliances together to form strong confederations. Each tribe is distinguished by the way they live, the creatures they hunt and the territory they reside in - but they are also defined by the vision and goals of their leaders, the Crownscales. Derived by the old hierarchical position that ancient imperial kobolds held within their cloistered groups, by metal circlets inscribed with draconic runes and glyphs, acting as the voices and guides of their people. In the present, it follows a similar path, though their responsibilities have been diminsihed unlike their imperial ancestors - acting more like petty kings, trying to keep hold of their power and the makeshift crowns they make for themselves. Only the strongest or the most draconic can seek to claim the title. But if they lack a vision, or a true foundation of belief for the potential of their tribes future, they will not last long - only those with great ambitions and hopes last long as Crownscales... otherwise they would be left and forgotten. It is expected that challengers would rise to claim the title of Crownscales, as they should always be challenged and show their strength, if one fails and his strength falters, then he was only a pretender in disguise and deserves to die.

• The Cinderwind Strider Tribe: A large surface-dwelling tribe of hunter-gatherer & herder Kobolds that have domesticated and herded the agile Striders of the ashen badlands, claiming dominion within the hinterlands. Due to the prevalence of ash and fire-resistant insects and beasts, they use the chitinous exoskeletons and leathery hides to construct tents and hollowed domes to make their camps. Their tribe follows a tradition of remaining dominant on the surface, claiming it as their land under their leader, a Crownscale self-proclaimed as the King of the Cinderwind Steppe. They rely on each other to survive and with their relationship with the Striders, raised together as hatchlings, these Cinderwind Kobolds form a bond with their striders that are life-long and are able to traverse the vast regions of the Burning Arm of Lorthal quickly. However, they greatly fear the oncoming threats from the sky - and thus have developed a hardy tradition of griffon-slaying, even to the point of the very best of their tribe being able to slay legendary wyverns. Wyvern tails are the most valued treasures this tribe holds due to their harsh poisonous tips. Some are even known to go raiding beyond the lands of the Burning Arm. They believe that in their hardships and struggle to survive, that the longer they live, and the greater their number of kills that they will awaken the spirit of the dragon within them and they will be rewarded in the afterife and become reborn as a Dragon.
• The Wormscar Tribe: A subterranean dwelling group of tunnelers & hive-hunting Kobolds that stay primarily underground and have built a cliff-face tribe from one of the Great Scar Canyons, subsisting on the clear and boiled waters at the bottom of the ravines. Their greatest threat to them are cave-ins, insect infestations and the dreaded Thermaworm. They enrich themselves in the ores and crystals that grow within the natural tunels carved by old volcanic activity, vents and from the travels of Thermaworms - they mask their settlements and the walls of their protected tunnels with molten and cooled glass from ash and sands to ward and blind Thermaworms from their settlement; a ploy developed by their innate sorcerers. They work together to expand their domain deeper and further into the earth, amassing a hoard that they believe will bring them luck and one day would be used to pay tribute to the dragon they will one day raise for themselves and reclaim the surface of the Burning Arm for themselves. They distrust any outsider, and solely rely on themselves and their clan - each one marking themselves on their arms with Thermaworm teeth, ritualistically scarring themselves with the pattern and symbol of their tribe, a winged draconic silhouette emerging from an egg.
• The Glowblight Tribe: A kobold tribe that thrived on the eastern coast, known for their resourcefulness and ingenuity, nestled in the thick mushroom forest and coastline. Easily distinguished by other clans by their wide-brim mushroom cap hats, with holes to fit their horns (earning the name Shroomskulls, a derogatory term to liken them to Gnomes) wearing the reflective chitinous armour of Rock Caterpillars (able to blend in with their environment like chameleons) that they hold reverence too, observing how they transformed from ugly creatures into majestic moths that could set alight to vegetation - they believe that they too can be made and reborn into winged dragons. They rely on the natural cycle of the fungal Blight that spreads and reinvigorates the vegetation of the region seasonally to sustain themselves on mushrooms, lichen and moss - but they also eat the meat from creatures that wander into the fungal forest. and are avid fishermen. Using upturned and waterproofed mushroom caps as floating vessels to send teams of kobolds to harpoon and catch fish, dangling glow-worms to attract fish. They also protect the Tindermoths that populate the region, venerating them as the clans spiritual animal - giving them their belief in rebirth and reincarnation. They treat the natural wildfires as a time of rebirth and cleansing of evils, points in which they can elect or challenge their leaders for dominance or devote themselves to the nature of their land - some zealous Kobolds go as far as imbibing themselves as part of the Blight, allowing its spread across other tribes - known as the 'Renascitar' (the Reborn). They think that it is necessary for the land to become blighted and burned in order to allow the strongest and most resilient blodlines to rise, following these cycles of life and death in the land, they will one day retake their ancient heritage as great rulers.
• The Smokescaler Tribe: A brave and bold tribe of kobolds that lay claim to the caverns and craggs of the Blackrock Mountain, isolating among its peaks. Due to the proximity of their tribe being with the natural wyverns that dwell in these mountainous caves, they often pay fealty to them with tributes of food to ignore them and their tribes - but they are as likely to sneak in and stab the wyvern as they are to pay it tribute, whichever allows them to survive the longest. A high proportion of their tribe are known to be Urds, winged kobolds that can claim dominance in the air - and thus they are known to be the most unpredictable of the tribes, often ambushing and using surprise small-group attacks on any they can see from the sky above and quickly leaving with trophies in hand. Not only this, they have the highest proportion of sorcerers and pure-bloodlines, having a popular practice of kidnapping other tribes members and holding them for ransom, able to throw them over their cliffs or falling to the ground with ease. Most hold grudges against this tribe. However, the Smokescalers suffer greatly from their arrogance and their pride, believing they are greater than the other kobolds - but this also extends to their own tribe members; and many times do they challenge one another and replace their Crownscale through intrigue, plots and betrayal.

Naming Traditions

Unisex names

Kobold names are short and sweet. Most of the tones in their names are harsher, but some more melodic and softer tones are found here and there as well. Kobold names are supposed to have meanings based on the individual's appearance or behavior, but these meanings are only known to those who speak their language. Due to kobolds being able to change their gender when their numbers are small or under fire straights, they do not hold specific masculine to feminine distinctions.

Family names

Skora'chall Kobolds do not have personal family names, as the nature of their parentage is kept unknown - except for those believed to hold draconic blood, and chieftains of their tribes. Instead, they adopt their adoptive tribes name for themselves and add the first syllable of their foster parent to the end of their name.
Ashstride'Zhur Dustclaw'Ag Hazechaser'Rax Rainlash'Shree Tupequemos'Tak

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The Skora'chall speak, read and write in an adapted evolved version of Draconic, a harsh and guttural language that is lighter and less deep than regular draconic, as the Kobolds do not have the same strong larynx's or powerful lungs - relies on additional grunts, yips, and clicks. But the Skora'chall also rely on communicating with their eyes - each Kobold is capable of releasing a chemical in their eyes that light up the flecks within their iris, and have developed a silent secondary language that relies on recognising the patterns and shapes that develop in their eyes. This has helped them adapt in the subterranean conditions and complete darkness of the tunnels, and allow them to communicate without making any noise - thus, many can mistake kobolds holding staring contests when in actuality they are having a conversation. Leading to misconceptions that they are daydreamers.

Culture and cultural heritage

The Skora'chall know that they are the descendants of the fragmented Draconic empires of old, seeking refuge in the lands which they crashed into after the Fall of the Dragonaughts. Due to their ancient heritage, they have bloodlines that hold potent draconic blood from their ancient rulers. Some kobold tribes have been known to travel through the lands and return to their homeland, integrating back into the clans and tribes within the Burning Arm of Lorthal.

Shared customary codes and values

Power for the Skora'Chall is valued above all else, defined by their ability to survive. For Kobolds, they believe honour is a foolish code of belief - thinking that practical means are more acceptable. You take what you want, so long as you can and can keep it - therefore, they do not see thieving or robbing an issue, rather a means of borrowing. All the Skora'chall do follow a rite of claiming when it comes to possessions, whomever saw it first holds the claim. Should one try to dispute this, then the object is thrown in a random direction and whoever gets it first claims it. When it comes to food or other consumables, it is very much the same - whoever can take it first holds claim to it. They also believe that cowardice is a virtue, not a vice. Fear keeps them alive, fear can make them run faster, jump higher, survive longer. Therefore, they do not jump into battle or are heroic figures - rather, they take pride in running away. So long as they can gain their vengeance - and the Skora'Chall never forget a grudge or a slight, and will wait patiently to take their vengeance.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Kobolds by nature are highly fertile and reproduce rapidly - capable of becoming pregnant and laying an egg after two weeks, incubating it for two months before hatching. All eggs are kept together in the same hatchery, a warm place underground where they can be protected and monitored by their tribe or clan. However, the parents do not claim their child - rather, the tribe as a community fosters the hatchling or hatchlings as a community, their parents remaining anonymous - keeping them within their dens until they grow of age after 6 years. Usually, a newborn catchling is cleaned in baths of hot water, and then ceremoniously washed in ash by a Crownscale - and given their name.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

These Kobolds are fascinated by draconic features. They aspire to become like these dragons one day. This is due to their reverence of their majesty, rather than wishing to simply be dragons. Those who hold draconic blood have different tints to their scales, their 'dragon side', are seen to be more attractive & beautiful.

Gender Ideals

Survival is the primary goal - and for the survival of the tribe, everyone must contribute - since they are able to change their genders under duress or hardship, they do not have specific gender ideals. So both males and females are expected to work and make contributions to their tribe and families. While they valued their lives, the lives of the tribe and their draconic blood took precedence above all else.

Courtship Ideals

They did not practice monogamous relationships, due to the importance they hold upon propagation and the continuation of draconic bloodlines - they choose mates based on practical decisions. Thus, relationships are an impersonal act.

Relationship Ideals

They did not practice monogamous relationships,