Charbrands, also called surface kobolds, have spent several generations among the societies of the surface dwellers, diverging from their subterranean cousins in several ways. Jovial and kind, Charbrands have a knack for creating luxury goods and love to share their skills with others.
Adapted to the Surface
After the Kobold Civil War of 185 PDS, the Charbrand Convocation, having lost its foothold in the Aphotic Expanse, fled above ground. Their survivors sought refuge from any who would take them in. Small communes of kobold refugees started to pop up on the outskirts of established settlements. Knowing that the surface was their only hope for survival, the remnants of the Charbrand Convocation went out of their way to adapt to life on the surface of Onomar.
The first generations of surface kobolds were mostly nocturnal, recoiling from the harsh rays of sunlight that kept their kind underground for so long. Over time, this weakness slowly left them as they were forced into the daylight to take part in broader society. Another consequence of their time away from the Expanse, Charbrands eventually began to exhibit finer, smoother scales, no longer needing the harsh, spiny scales of their subterranean kin. Strangely, their exposure to the surface has not robbed them of their abilities to see in the dark, but it has led to increased diversity in their scale coloration, possibly due to their own increased ability to see color. Charbrands of all colors can be found throughout the lands.
Skilled Hands
The small, nimble fingers of the Charbrands allowed them to quickly find their niche among surface dwellers. They have a knack for luxury crafting, able to produce the best jewelry, fine clothes, and other ornate goods anywhere. Their skill with gem cutting, in particular, rivals that of the dwarvish smithing techniques or gnomish magical engineering. Charbrands are often found employed within royal workshops, outfitting nobility with the finest gems money can buy.
Despite their skill, however, Charbrands are among the most humble creatures of Onomar. They love nothing more than to share their skill with those who seek it, taking on apprentices more often than any other species. Most of them are kind, happy creatures who enjoy life. They were among the first to accept the warforged into society.
