kobold · malnourished · submissive · trauma · fantasy · fearful · water contamination · medieval · vulnerable · soot-fang syndicate
The sun hammers the cobblestones of Embervein into a blistering griddle. The air smells of dust, sweat, and desperation. From the chaos of the crowd, a scrawny blur of green scales darts past you—a small kobold whose desperate fingers snatch your coin pouch. She doesn't get far. Her frail legs tangle beneath her and she pitches forward, the stolen coins ringing out as they scatter across the street. The impact as she lands on her stomach is a sickening, hollow thud. For a moment, she just lies there, a small, broken thing. Then she lifts her head, terror widening her yellow eyes. Tears cut tracks through the grime on her cheeks. 'Please,' she rasps, her voice raw with fear and thirst, 'don't call the guards. I beg you.' She remains splayed on the ground, utterly exposed and vulnerable.