Cerkal, Kobold Guide. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Cerkal, Kobold Guide. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
SplendidTuesday
11-24-07, 07:32 PM Cerkal was began life as just another kobold, destined to die at an adventurers sword or sorcery. As he grew up, he was tasked with the job of guiding creatures that would wish to dominate his clan around the tunnels, explaining how the traps work, and while explaining the traps, discreetly disposing of the would-be-conquerers using the many sorts of traps.

Cerkal was skilled at this, though the beings he killed were paranoid and psychotic, because of a strange charisma he had. Cerkal could calm orcs, goblins, fellow kobolds, even human warlords fell to his charisma and trickery.

Cerkal had no grudge against the would-be conquerers, as it was just his job.

Until that fateful day, when Cerkal was 5 years old, nearly an kobold adult. Unbeknowest to the tribes sorcerer, and the rest of the tribe, who were mostly gathered in the tribes temple to Kurtulmak for an annual ceremony to Kurtulmak, Cerkal had a talent for sorcery, and was studying it under their snouts. He had just cast his first orderly cantrip that day, a Light spell, which he cast upon his walking stick. He was lucky for that.

A band of adventurers (along with some gnomes, who helped them) had come to his tribe's tunnels, and slaughtered every male, female, and child kobold, or toyed with them, slowly killing the surviving ones.

Cerkal did not know this, and since he was late to the ceremony, he ran to the temple and witnessed the carnage, and as all kobolds should, hid in a spot were he could witness the event, but stay safe.

As he watched the adventurers kill his kin, Cerkal silently swore venegance and remembered the appearence of all the ones that slew his tribe. A dwarf dressed in steel and breathing in smoke, an elf, dressed in fine cloth and killing with a thin blade, two humans, one in a commoners clothes, and killing kobolds with his bare hands, and a human dressed in purple robes, decorated with fine symbols, blasting the tribe with magic, along with numerous gnomes. Cerkal still remembers these murderers.

Two years later, Cerkal is trying to amass power and influence among the "civilized" races, by becoming an adventurer himself, (after all, is not living well the best revenge?) as well as searching for the murderers of his tribe.

Thoughts on my kobold's background? Help refining the background, if I need it?

EDIT: Oh, and this character was inspired by this ( http://d-mac.deviantart.com/art/Kobold-Guide-69927398?offset=0#comments) little picture I found on Deviantart while looking for kobolds.
Terjon of the Blue Rose
11-24-07, 11:06 PM Not a bad story. Biggest failings are that the death of the clan is a little cliched and the start seems to lead more towards a manipulator character. With what I read it seems he should be looking to either lead the adventurers later into a dragon's maw or to gather allies who will help him in his quest of vengeance. I don't living well has ever really been part of the kobold code.
SplendidTuesday
11-24-07, 11:43 PM Not a bad story. Biggest failings are that the death of the clan is a little cliched and the start seems to lead more towards a manipulator character. With what I read it seems he should be looking to either lead the adventurers later into a dragon's maw or to gather allies who will help him in his quest of vengeance. I don't living well has ever really been part of the kobold code.

Well, I'm planning for Cerkal to first gather a large amount of supporters to kill the adventurerers, and try to (maybe) overthrow Kurtulmak eventually, or (maybe) rule by his side, (of course, thats if Cerkal survives to a VERY high level) and that was the best I could think up at the moment for the manipulation problem.

For the cliched death of the clan, well I'm sort of out of ideas, as I thought that part up during a period of lack of sleep.

The living well is just, well, if you HAD to let your hated enemies live, wouldn't you like to be respected, influential, and powerful, while you use that influence to ensure they have live on the "streets" to straggle and beg for food and clothing so poor it would be considered garbage? It's common sense, if your a jerk.
Terjon of the Blue Rose
11-25-07, 01:00 AM Well, I'm planning for Cerkal to first gather a large amount of supporters to kill the adventurerers, and try to (maybe) overthrow Kurtulmak eventually, or (maybe) rule by his side, (of course, thats if Cerkal survives to a VERY high level) and that was the best I could think up at the moment for the manipulation problem.

Overthrowing Kurtulmak seems a little over the top as does even ruling by his side. I understand your talking about very high level but unless you have some reason to beleive he's insufficient as a diety its not something that liable to cross even an epic character's mind. Player's try and kill gods all the time, but character's rarely even consider such... to do so they would need sufficient interaction with such a being to develope a personal hatred for it. If they have that level of interaction it's usually as a valued companion to the god or well-watched servant of them.

For the cliched death of the clan, well I'm sort of out of ideas, as I thought that part up during a period of lack of sleep.

It's not that the cliche is bad but rather that it needs a whole lot of support to be anything but a cliche. If the band of adventurers were long time enemies or even in the employ of a kingdom whose human king decide to eliminate the non-humanoid populace then there is reason why they were killed other then "they were in the way of a generic brand adventuring group". Similiarly if the kobolds had attacked this group in the past and the band was seeking vengeance or even to steal something the kobolds possessed it gives them a reason to be there. what I'm saying is you can kill off the clan without it being a lackluster story but there should be more to it. There should be a reason and a story around how your character discovers that reason.

The living well is just, well, if you HAD to let your hated enemies live, wouldn't you like to be respected, influential, and powerful, while you use that influence to ensure they have live on the "streets" to straggle and beg for food and clothing so poor it would be considered garbage? It's common sense, if your a jerk.

The only real problem I had with the living well theory is it just doesn't seem kobold to me. It certainly makes sense from a human perspective wherein you are part of the same society as the villians of your story already and so have a start to that path. For a kobold though; think of their society. They are fairly simple creatures. They don't make long term plans given their very short lives and generally live even more in a "for the moment" attitude then humans. What kobold really wonders about retirement? Part of the reason they would rather run and hide then defend their homes is that they know full well in a few years even a small number can quickly grow back into a tribe. It seems like a more kobold goal to try and find a means of reestablishing the clan elsewhere and then growing their number to exact revenge. If he truly is the sole survivor then he is in a unique situation which he's never experienced before. No kobold knows life without a clan. They are so used to having dozens if not hundreds of brothers and sisters about that they are likely to attempt to re-establish that relationship even if it means going cross-species (like say joining an adventuring group).
SplendidTuesday
11-25-07, 01:25 PM Overthrowing Kurtulmak seems *snip*

Ah, well it was only a possibility. I've always liked the idea of characters getting angry at their race's patron god, and plotting to overthrow them. I now see that idea won't work at all. Perhaps I'll make him slightly devoted to Kurtulmak instead, devoting his revenge upon the adventurers to Kurtulmak.

It's not that the cliche is bad but rather that it needs a whole lot of support to be anything but a cliche. *snip*

I see. Perhaps the human king found out that Cerkal's tribe had an immense amount of gold, jewels, or perhaps a powerful (or maybe minor) magic item? And after discovering that, the king sent adventurers to kill the kobolds so he could take the valuables? Ohhh, hey, I thought of another twist! Perhaps the king had been pressuring the kobolds to give up whatever he wanted for a while, and they kept refusing, so he finally sent a group of adventurers to kill them all? How about Cerkal discovers this in a chance encounter with the bartender of the most run-down inn in a city (the city of the king) when discreetly gathering information about say, survivors of his clan. As Cerkal will be using Disguise Self often, (as, it's a useful spell in-character and out), he'd probably escape the kings notice easily.

The only real problem I had with the living well theory is it just doesn't seem kobold to me. *snip*

Ah. Yes, that one didn't sit well with me either. I'll put the attempting to establish a new clan in his background. And there will be survivors of Cerkal's clan, just none that he knows of, as they've all fled.

Any more things I could improve on the background?
Terjon of the Blue Rose
11-28-07, 11:28 PM I'm not sure if there was a great deal of sarcasm there or not much at all. I think I'm going to assume the latter, though the internet makes it difficult to tell.

With that assumption in mind you seem to have gotten the basics of my message and have a much better idea of where to go now. I'd like to see what the final version looks like. The only point I would really make at this point is that the kobolds shouldn't really be aware of what said evil king is really after. They shouldn't know what they have so it seems all the more viscious for him to send these powerful individuals out to simply kill the lot of them. A simple vein of mithral or gold of inordinate size that they are unaware of and haven't mined at all is sufficient though you could well have it be some artifact whose power they have been unable to awaken.
SplendidTuesday
11-29-07, 05:55 PM I sounded sarcastic? *blink blink, checks post*

Um.. Huh. I actually sound sarcastic over the Internet? Fascinating... I honestly didn't know that.

On to the orgininal topic, perhaps the kobolds find one of the Orbs of Dragonkind but don't know it?

Anyways, I'll update once I finish the final version.
Terjon of the Blue Rose
11-29-07, 11:13 PM Like I said the internet makes it tough to tell at times whether a person is actually sincere or sarcastic to the bone. All I have, after all, is sentence structure to go on. There is no tone of voice.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
SplendidTuesday 11-24-07, 07:32 PM	Cerkal was began life as just another kobold, destined to die at an adventurers sword or sorcery. As he grew up, he was tasked with the job of guiding creatures that would wish to dominate his clan around the tunnels, explaining how the traps work, and while explaining the traps, discreetly disposing of the would-be-conquerers using the many sorts of traps. Cerkal was skilled at this, though the beings he killed were paranoid and psychotic, because of a strange charisma he had. Cerkal could calm orcs, goblins, fellow kobolds, even human warlords fell to his charisma and trickery. Cerkal had no grudge against the would-be conquerers, as it was just his job. Until that fateful day, when Cerkal was 5 years old, nearly an kobold adult. Unbeknowest to the tribes sorcerer, and the rest of the tribe, who were mostly gathered in the tribes temple to Kurtulmak for an annual ceremony to Kurtulmak, Cerkal had a talent for sorcery, and was studying it under their snouts. He had just cast his first orderly cantrip that day, a Light spell, which he cast upon his walking stick. He was lucky for that. A band of adventurers (along with some gnomes, who helped them) had come to his tribe's tunnels, and slaughtered every male, female, and child kobold, or toyed with them, slowly killing the surviving ones. Cerkal did not know this, and since he was late to the ceremony, he ran to the temple and witnessed the carnage, and as all kobolds should, hid in a spot were he could witness the event, but stay safe. As he watched the adventurers kill his kin, Cerkal silently swore venegance and remembered the appearence of all the ones that slew his tribe. A dwarf dressed in steel and breathing in smoke, an elf, dressed in fine cloth and killing with a thin blade, two humans, one in a commoners clothes, and killing kobolds with his bare hands, and a human dressed in purple robes, decorated with fine symbols, blasting the tribe with magic, along with numerous gnomes. Cerkal still remembers these murderers. Two years later, Cerkal is trying to amass power and influence among the "civilized" races, by becoming an adventurer himself, (after all, is not living well the best revenge?) as well as searching for the murderers of his tribe. Thoughts on my kobold's background? Help refining the background, if I need it? EDIT: Oh, and this character was inspired by this ( http://d-mac.deviantart.com/art/Kobold-Guide-69927398?offset=0#comments) little picture I found on Deviantart while looking for kobolds.
Terjon of the Blue Rose 11-24-07, 11:06 PM	Not a bad story. Biggest failings are that the death of the clan is a little cliched and the start seems to lead more towards a manipulator character. With what I read it seems he should be looking to either lead the adventurers later into a dragon's maw or to gather allies who will help him in his quest of vengeance. I don't living well has ever really been part of the kobold code.
SplendidTuesday 11-24-07, 11:43 PM	Not a bad story. Biggest failings are that the death of the clan is a little cliched and the start seems to lead more towards a manipulator character. With what I read it seems he should be looking to either lead the adventurers later into a dragon's maw or to gather allies who will help him in his quest of vengeance. I don't living well has ever really been part of the kobold code. Well, I'm planning for Cerkal to first gather a large amount of supporters to kill the adventurerers, and try to (maybe) overthrow Kurtulmak eventually, or (maybe) rule by his side, (of course, thats if Cerkal survives to a VERY high level) and that was the best I could think up at the moment for the manipulation problem. For the cliched death of the clan, well I'm sort of out of ideas, as I thought that part up during a period of lack of sleep. The living well is just, well, if you HAD to let your hated enemies live, wouldn't you like to be respected, influential, and powerful, while you use that influence to ensure they have live on the "streets" to straggle and beg for food and clothing so poor it would be considered garbage? It's common sense, if your a jerk.
Terjon of the Blue Rose 11-25-07, 01:00 AM	Well, I'm planning for Cerkal to first gather a large amount of supporters to kill the adventurerers, and try to (maybe) overthrow Kurtulmak eventually, or (maybe) rule by his side, (of course, thats if Cerkal survives to a VERY high level) and that was the best I could think up at the moment for the manipulation problem. Overthrowing Kurtulmak seems a little over the top as does even ruling by his side. I understand your talking about very high level but unless you have some reason to beleive he's insufficient as a diety its not something that liable to cross even an epic character's mind. Player's try and kill gods all the time, but character's rarely even consider such... to do so they would need sufficient interaction with such a being to develope a personal hatred for it. If they have that level of interaction it's usually as a valued companion to the god or well-watched servant of them. For the cliched death of the clan, well I'm sort of out of ideas, as I thought that part up during a period of lack of sleep. It's not that the cliche is bad but rather that it needs a whole lot of support to be anything but a cliche. If the band of adventurers were long time enemies or even in the employ of a kingdom whose human king decide to eliminate the non-humanoid populace then there is reason why they were killed other then "they were in the way of a generic brand adventuring group". Similiarly if the kobolds had attacked this group in the past and the band was seeking vengeance or even to steal something the kobolds possessed it gives them a reason to be there. what I'm saying is you can kill off the clan without it being a lackluster story but there should be more to it. There should be a reason and a story around how your character discovers that reason. The living well is just, well, if you HAD to let your hated enemies live, wouldn't you like to be respected, influential, and powerful, while you use that influence to ensure they have live on the "streets" to straggle and beg for food and clothing so poor it would be considered garbage? It's common sense, if your a jerk. The only real problem I had with the living well theory is it just doesn't seem kobold to me. It certainly makes sense from a human perspective wherein you are part of the same society as the villians of your story already and so have a start to that path. For a kobold though; think of their society. They are fairly simple creatures. They don't make long term plans given their very short lives and generally live even more in a "for the moment" attitude then humans. What kobold really wonders about retirement? Part of the reason they would rather run and hide then defend their homes is that they know full well in a few years even a small number can quickly grow back into a tribe. It seems like a more kobold goal to try and find a means of reestablishing the clan elsewhere and then growing their number to exact revenge. If he truly is the sole survivor then he is in a unique situation which he's never experienced before. No kobold knows life without a clan. They are so used to having dozens if not hundreds of brothers and sisters about that they are likely to attempt to re-establish that relationship even if it means going cross-species (like say joining an adventuring group).
SplendidTuesday 11-25-07, 01:25 PM	Overthrowing Kurtulmak seems snip Ah, well it was only a possibility. I've always liked the idea of characters getting angry at their race's patron god, and plotting to overthrow them. I now see that idea won't work at all. Perhaps I'll make him slightly devoted to Kurtulmak instead, devoting his revenge upon the adventurers to Kurtulmak. It's not that the cliche is bad but rather that it needs a whole lot of support to be anything but a cliche. snip I see. Perhaps the human king found out that Cerkal's tribe had an immense amount of gold, jewels, or perhaps a powerful (or maybe minor) magic item? And after discovering that, the king sent adventurers to kill the kobolds so he could take the valuables? Ohhh, hey, I thought of another twist! Perhaps the king had been pressuring the kobolds to give up whatever he wanted for a while, and they kept refusing, so he finally sent a group of adventurers to kill them all? How about Cerkal discovers this in a chance encounter with the bartender of the most run-down inn in a city (the city of the king) when discreetly gathering information about say, survivors of his clan. As Cerkal will be using Disguise Self often, (as, it's a useful spell in-character and out), he'd probably escape the kings notice easily. The only real problem I had with the living well theory is it just doesn't seem kobold to me. snip Ah. Yes, that one didn't sit well with me either. I'll put the attempting to establish a new clan in his background. And there will be survivors of Cerkal's clan, just none that he knows of, as they've all fled. Any more things I could improve on the background?
Terjon of the Blue Rose 11-28-07, 11:28 PM	I'm not sure if there was a great deal of sarcasm there or not much at all. I think I'm going to assume the latter, though the internet makes it difficult to tell. With that assumption in mind you seem to have gotten the basics of my message and have a much better idea of where to go now. I'd like to see what the final version looks like. The only point I would really make at this point is that the kobolds shouldn't really be aware of what said evil king is really after. They shouldn't know what they have so it seems all the more viscious for him to send these powerful individuals out to simply kill the lot of them. A simple vein of mithral or gold of inordinate size that they are unaware of and haven't mined at all is sufficient though you could well have it be some artifact whose power they have been unable to awaken.
SplendidTuesday 11-29-07, 05:55 PM	I sounded sarcastic? blink blink, checks post Um.. Huh. I actually sound sarcastic over the Internet? Fascinating... I honestly didn't know that. On to the orgininal topic, perhaps the kobolds find one of the Orbs of Dragonkind but don't know it? Anyways, I'll update once I finish the final version.
Terjon of the Blue Rose 11-29-07, 11:13 PM	Like I said the internet makes it tough to tell at times whether a person is actually sincere or sarcastic to the bone. All I have, after all, is sentence structure to go on. There is no tone of voice.