Physical Form
Kobolds are a short, lizard-like species originating in the Lobrandr Hills, with scaly skin, webbed hands and feet, rudder-like tails, and horns. Females' horns curve down then up again, whereas males' horns are mostly straight with a slight curve at the end. Kobold horns continue growing throughout their lives, with elders having horns almost too heavy to lift. Kobold scales are smooth and round, much like lizard or snake scales, and they shed their skin periodically throughout their lives. The thick rudder at the end of their tails allows them to move swiftly through the water, curving side to side much like a shark, and a dorsal fin at the base of their spine further helps with steering. A kobold's webbed hand and feet are helpful for guiding them up and down as well as propelling them in a much slower paddle stroke. Even very young kobolds are capable of swimming, and it's not uncommon to see a group of days-old babies sticking close to their mother as she swims.
Kobolds come in a variety of colors, but most are shades of blue, cyan, green, brown, russet, or grey to blend in when swimming. Many have mottled, speckled, or striped patterns that further obfuscate their shape. Colors often fade with age. Kobold eyes are pale yellow, green, or blue, with yellow being the most common.
Kobolds are generally 2'3" - 3'0" feet tall and 27 - 33 lbs on average. Females tend to be somewhat taller and heavier than males.
Lifespan and Reproduction
Kobolds can live up to 100-120 years if healthy and well fed. They enter the preteen stage at 6, hit puberty around age 10, reach adulthood at age 15, are considered middle aged at 50, and are considered elderly at 90.
Kobold mothers carry their eggs for 4 months before laying, and the egg must be kept warm another 2 months before hatching. Females have a fertile period yearly during the winter, which allows those that conceive to take advantage of the abundance of food during the spring and lay their eggs during the warmer summer months. Kobold clutches contain 1-5 eggs, with 2 and 3 being the more common numbers, and 1 being a particular rarity. Owing to the number of offspring conceived at once, higher ranking females will dictate reproduction privileges during times of scarcity, generally with only the strongest or highest ranking couples being allowed to bring forth new life. Even when living among other races, kobolds will pay close attention to resource availability, and often seek permission from those perceived to be higher rank before attempting to conceive.
Diet
Kobolds are largely a pescatarian species, and their sharp teeth point inward to help prevent the escape of their slippery prey. They will also happily feed on a variety of other oceanic creatures, including squids, octopi, clams, eels, and various crustaceans. Kobolds living further inland may eat the meat of more terrestrial animals. Kobolds generally do not eat any form of plant matter unless nothing else is available, and even then many such items are likely to make them ill. Grain in particular is to be avoided.
Notable Attributes and Abilities
Kobolds have excellent darkvision, which allows them to hunt in conditions involving low light, deep water, or both, as the case may often be. They also have nictitating membranes to help protect their eyes from saltwater and debris.
Kobolds have stellar lung capacity, with most individuals able to hold their breath for 8-10 minutes before resurfacing.
Adult kobolds are capable of producing a loud a grating screech that can disorient nearby opponents. The effect this causes is subtle, but the edge it gives the kobold and their allies can tip the tides in a fast-paces battle. Young kobolds often attempt this noise, but until they mature it comes out as an amusing squawk.
As underwater pack hunters, kobolds are highly attuned to the actions of their allies in a way that helps them coordinate in situations where communication is more difficult. Kobolds can easily capitalize on the efforts of their allies to judge that most opportune time to strike, often at the precise moment when their opponent or prey is distracted by their allies' actions.
Culture
Kobolds tend to live in family groups consisting of a dominant couple, any of their siblings and children that haven't left for a different group, and unrelated adults that may have joined, which may be the spouses of siblings or children. In the absence of a dominant couple, adults of either sex may vie for the position of leader, though the winner is expected to eventually seek out a suitable mate. They have a strong pack mentality and tend to be fiercely loyal to packmates, even more so than to blood family that have joined other packs. Lone kobolds are rare - they tend to become depressed without a pack surrounding them, and as a lone kobold is considered suspect to other clans (they may have been banished for crimes against their pack), they often have a hard time finding a new pack. Luckily, kobolds will also readily bond with other species that have no such hangups. Many a ship's crew has adopted a lone kobold and found in them a stunningly loyal crewmate for life.
Kobolds living in mixed-race groups will still tend towards pack behavior - many will identify a "dominant couple" among their cohort, even if the so-called dominant couple has not claimed such a distinction, and will listen and defer to that couple above others. A kobold couple that hasn't claimed the dominant status for themselves will tend to seek out permission to bear children even in mixed-race groups. Cities with a sizeable kobold population have taken to creating government positions to field such requests - an easy position that simply requires a married couple with some knowledge of the state of the area's resources to assuage the kobolds that there is indeed enough food for a extra clutch this year.
Races
Daru (DAR-oo): the original type of kobold, Daru hail from the rivers and lakes of the Lobrandr region. They are the smallest and slimmest race, and their scales are typically muddy brown, russet, grey, or stony blue. Their tail fins have a smooth, rounded edge to them. They are quite strong swimmers, well accustomed to traveling opposite to the direction of river currents.
Hestin (HEST-in): Hestin kobolds hail from the upper western coastline, nearest to the Lobrandr Hills. They are average in build, and their scales come in dull shades of blue, cyan, green, or grey. Their tail fins are somewhat sharp in appearance. They mostly live along the western coast, and they also make up the bulk of the Ethiviran population.
Mogrin (MOG-rin): originating from the Helion Sea, Mogrin are built for life entirely on the open ocean. Their tail fins are especially broad to propel them through ocean currents, and they have a natural ability to float while they sleep. Mogrin are typically grey or dull blue in color, with paler underbellies, affording them camouflage from above and below.
Kepril (KEP-rill): hailing from the northern coasts of Altandor, Kepril are short and stout, with a thick layer of fat to keep them warm in the icy waters. Their scales are pale grey, icy blue, or various shades of off-white, to best blend in among the snow and ice. Their fins are fairly jagged in appearance.
Vahsa (VAH-suh): Vahsa hail from the Southern Islands, where they hunt among the many coral reefs that wind through the area. Vahsa are the most colorful of the kobolds, with scales boasting bright shades of red, blue, orange, and green, with eye-catching patterns. Their tail fins have rounded barbels rather like lionfish have, and their ventral fins are longer than usual, making for a flashy, almost ornamental display.
Vular (VULL-ar): Vular kobolds originate from the middle western coastline, particularly from the area where the Flameheart volcano once stood. Their scales come in dark shades of grey, blue, and red, to blend better with volcanic stone and cooled lava, and they are the largest and stoutest of the kobold races, with tail fins that appear jagged. Vular are rare following the volcano's cataclysmic eruption, as the bulk of their population lived on or near the volcano at the time. They're a rare sight on the mainland, and in Ethiviran tribal territory they tend to be the dominant leaders of their communities, functioning almost as royalty among the Hestin majority.