OLD POKON: EASTERN LANDS OF SESAMAR
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| ©Eugene Jaworski, Posted with Permission |
Pokon used to be a thriving mountain dwarf subterranean home in the Stocky Mountains. When a huge regimen of kobolds attacked Pokon, it was lost to the kobalds.
The mountain dwarves of Tolan still blame the hill dwarves of Xon for this loss because the dwarves of Xon did not come to their aid. However, the dwarves of Xon maintain they were unable to help due to a logistic issue of position in the mines. They also claim Tolan's dwarves were divided because they had to deal with goblin conflicts to the east. The argument will likely never be solved, which means there is a sour disposition between the two subraces of dwarves.
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Pokon, once a proud statement to dwarven industry and craftsmanship, now stands as a monument to fallen glory. Claimed by the reptilian kobolds, the city has fallen into ruin. These creatures, driven by a base hunger for resources, see no value in the intricate carvings or the towering edifices that once housed a thriving dwarven civilization. Utility reigns supreme -- grand halls lie empty, their purpose forgotten, while utilitarian tunnels snake further and further into the earth, the insatiable appetite of the kobolds the sole driving force.
Moss creeps across the grand statues that adorned the city's exterior, their expressions of dwarven deities obscured by a verdant veil. Weeds sprout from between the meticulously crafted stones, a silent reminder to the neglect that has choked the goodness out of Pokon. Dwarves who once called this city home return only to weep at its current state -- a poignant reminder of a glorious past devoured by combination of savagery and greed.
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Fortunately, the two subraces still conduct in trade; so, all is not yet lost. Also, the subraces of dwarves do rest their quarrels when uniting against common foes, like goblins, bugbears, and kobolds.
The kobolds here are very numerous. Like the dwarves of Tolan, their mines run very, very deep.
Kobolds routinely attack the dwarves of Tolan and Xon and sometimes team up with bugbears, too.
There is well-corroborated information regarding kobolds. Much is known about their living habits and battle tactics. Regarding the organization of their society, less is known.
Besides living almost entirely underground, these no more than 3-foot scaled lizards certainly avoid sunlight if they are ever found outside of their subterranean lairs. They seemed to have grown accustomed to darkness where they have excellent vision, like dwarves.
According to dwarves from both Tolan and Xon, kobolds are known to be of low intelligence. Yet what they lack in intellect is overcome by instinct with regard to battle tactics. Kobolds are never to be underestimated, especially in subterranean spaces. They often use superior numbers to their advantage. They also like to use their small size as an advantage: attacking from small crevices, like holes in walls or from behind crafted barriers.
Kobolds do offer one dimension of sophistication. They know how to use traps and ambush unsuspecting prey. This means kobolds are crafty and patient in building painful scenarios for those who stumble upon them. They like to divide a party of adventurers, pin down an opponent, and otherwise wear down their foes through battle fatigue and attrition.
It is assumed that kobold leadership must be from outside its own race. They are honestly too ignorant to build a society that feeds great numbers of kobolds, conducts mining campaigns for ore, and launches battle campaigns against the dwarves. Dwarves have reasons to suspect the kobolds are being led by a mysterious witch.
