The Dragontouched

Kobolds breed and mature quickly compared to humans. As such, mutations happen more often per year on average. One of the more common mutations causes a pair of leathery wings to grow out of the kobold's back, giving them the power to glide or, if they practice with them long enough, the power to fly.

Other kobolds don't appreciate their winged kin, feeling jealous that these mutants can fly when they can't. Many die at the hands of jealous tribemates during puberty, when the wings fully develop. Many others find the Dragontouched, a group of winged kobolds bound together by religious zeal and clarity of purpose. They want the dragons to return to Beneterra, and they keep the Breath of the Recurring Scale prophecy alive, constantly consulting auguries and searching for the people to open the portal.

The dragons left Beneterra five centuries before, so the Dragontouched have been around for at least that long to care for the prophecy. They all know some magic, whether that's a single cantrip, a shaman's limited selection, or a full wizard's spellbook. Many study the magical arts, but all know about the prophecy. They stand ready to assist their greater cousins when they return.

Rumors speak of a central temple, well-hidden on a remote mountaintop, where the Dragontouched keep a library containing the original vellum copy of the prophecy. Most members never see it nor the temple, preferring to act as untouchable groups of shamans among normal kobold tribes. Dragontouched provide great value to a tribe, though they still operate outside the normal bounds of kobold society.

Dragontouched tend to live longer than other kobolds, with some reaching 250 years of age. They know they contain the blood of dragons, and they await the return of the dragons to awaken new powers in them. Whether these convictions hold true remains to be seen. Dragontouched and Pale Children (albino kobolds) have worked together in the past to hasten the dragons' return, though the loss of Whitecliff, the Pale Children's village in the shadow of Dragon Peak, has limited their reach and visibility.

Part of T.W.Wombat's Lore 24 project, detailing the world around Fellport.
For all city posts, see the Fellport Index. For posts about the wider world, see the Beneterra Index.