Name: Vorastrix
Gender: Male
Race: Dragonborn/Dragonwrought (kobold)
Class: Dragonfire Adept
Alignment: Lawful Good
I'd like to play a small dragon who'd serve as the party's main blaster. To that end I'd propose a Dragonborn/Dragonwrought (kobold) dragonfire adept (or possibly warlock). The character's primary attack will be his ranged/area breath attacks. Combined with an assortment of special class abilities and the ability to fly he'd be versatile in combat. Outside of combat, he could perform aerial surveillance/reconnaissance.
Because of his inherent link with Bahamut, I'd imagine him to be good-natured, spiritual and self-assured of his purpose. Being a dragon, he'd naturally have a proclivity to covet wealth while his kobold side would make him a touch curious and craven.[Sblock=Background]Even before it was hatched, Vertrix the kobold All Watcher of the Drachenfell, cleric of Kurtulmak and Speaker of the mighty Drachenflagrion knew that the strange speckled egg would be a problem. It was clearly a dragonwrought egg and the reason he'd been summoned to the hatchery. Usually a clear sign of Kurtulmak's blessing and the Tiamat's favor, the laying of a dragonwrought egg was a reason to celebrate. The female fosterers however were all huddled together near the door while Vertrix examined the egg; their demeanor spoke only of fear and uncertainty. There would be no celebrating today for the odd silvery spots covering the shell of the egg could only mean that the embryo it contained had a unholy metallic dragon's blood.
It was Vertrix's responsibility to determine if the egg was a curse upon the tribe or not. He would have to decide quickly for rumors were already spreading throughout the warrens. Soon panic would disrupt the order of the warrens. The venerable kobold turned the egg over delicately in his claws, watching the torch light glinting off the silvery spots. Destroying it immediately would be the simplest course of action, but would it be the wisest? If it was a sign from his god wouldn't he be upset to have it destroyed? Perhaps it was some sort of test or even an odd blessing. Dragonwrought kobolds were usually the blessed paragons of a kobold tribe, serving as champions or even leaders of their kin. Did this egg hold such a being or if allowed to hatch and grow would it prove to baleful to his people? Perhaps it was meant to be a sacrificial offering meant for he to offer up to Kurtulmak as a show of fealty to their god and a reaffirmation of their rejection of the unholy metallics' nature.
But what of his master Drachenflagrion, the dragon king? How would he react to the news that such an egg had been laid? Would he care or simply wash his claws of the matter? Would he wish to keep the egg or perhaps sacrifice it himself? Would Vertrix arouse the great red's anger if he made the decision himself without consulting the king? This whole matter was fraught with peril. With resignation, the All Watcher wrapped up the egg in a swaddling cloth, stood and left the chamber. The king would have to be made aware, there was simply no other option.
******
Drachenflagrion, King of the Drachenfell, regarded the curious object from the side with a single slitted eye. "It was laid this morning?" asked the great beast. The prostrated old kobold could barely manage to respond, the might of the dragon chasing away any confidence he might of felt. "Y-yes your majesty." The red dragon turned his head to bring his snout closer to the egg. Opening his maw a few inches allowed the wyrm to flick his forked tongue across its surface, leaving a black smoking mark where it had made contact ever so briefly. "Hmmm... It stinks of a metallic's stench." Turning back to regard the softly whimpering kobold the dragon asked in a disinterested tone of voice "Have you thought of what to do with it?" "I-I-I threw the b-bones earlier and they sh-sh-showed that it would n-n-not be unfavorable to... destroy it." The dragon pondered Vertrix's response for a few long moments to further unsettle the tiny kobold. Dracheflagrion exhaled slowly, allowing the heat and stench of brimstone to wash across his servant, causing Vertrix to cough and quiver in ever growing fear. The red soon chose to relent before the little reptile in turn fainted or wet the floor of his audience chamber. "I am pleased that you have brought this to me. As you know, next year will be my one hundredth and first birthday. I think offering this thing's lifeblood to Tiamat would be a good way to mark the occasion; I hear that gods like that sort of thing. Take it, hatch it and bring the creature back to me at that time, along with my yearly tribute. It should at least taste life before I kill it, so that it'll know what it's losing to me. That's my will. Begone." Vertrix reached out, clutched the egg and quickly began scuttling backward out of the chamber and away from his master.
******
The tiny unhatched dragon didn't understand the meaning of the words it heard inside its shell, but it headed the call to action nonetheless. Instinctively it tried to straighten its spine, causing the small stubby horns at the back of its head to scrape the interior of the shell. A few such motions caused a crack to mar the previously intact egg. Immediately fluid began to drain away. In reaction the little reptile inside the egg spasmed more avidly until its frilled head finally broke through. The tiny helpless creature opened its glowing eyes for the first time and looked around confusedly at the world beyond. All watcher Vertrix leaned forward to examine the shining wyrmling's head up close. The venerable elder kobold's voice was, by comparison, cold and severe and made the newly hatched creature flinch. "Welcome to the world Ugly. Enjoy it while you can."
*******
The young dragonwrought kobold, Nurh, picked lightly at the raw meat on the ground before it. "What's the matter? Don't you like smoked gnome? There are plenty of kobolds who would be honored to be given such a meal." The All Watcher turned from the papers he was studying, an inventory of minted silver destined for the mighty Drachenflagrion's ever growing hoard, and looked at the small winged form chained to the foot of his worktable. As much as he disdained the creature, his lord and master had decreed that it should be kept alive until his birthday. Vertrix couldn't afford to let the accursed creature out of his sight for long until then, lest something unfortunate happen to it amidst the tribe.
The All Watcher turned back to his work. He made a few claw marks on a tally-stick tied at his belt and then riffled through the piles of parchment underneath. The elder pulled out a thoroughly detailed map of the Drachefell. He'd have to add the newly excavated mine tunnels to the map to have it ready to present to the king by next week. Concern caused his eyes to narrow and the light they shed to dim. The king wouldn't be pleased if the new tunnels weren't properly trapped by then; Voratrix had best head down there to review the trap-smiths' work himself. He turned to leave, only to see the silver-white dragonwrought silently standing at his side, carefully studying the map over his shoulder. The All Watcher wheeled about and snarled angrily at the bothersome wyrmling. Reining in his anger, Voratrix impatiently grabbed up his scrolls and papers and stormed out of the room. The kobold called simply "Nurh" settled back on the floor quietly. That same loving voice, his only real friend, came into his conscious mind as it often did: "Very good little Verastrix. Watch and learn. The righteous will have need of your knowledge soon."[/SBLOCK]I imagine that Vorastrix would have eventually been rescued from his kinsmen by the PC party when they attacked the kobold's warrens for their own reasons. With his insight into the place's layout and defenses Vorastrix would have proven an invaluable ally to the invaders.
In that respect the character comes with his own reason for being with the party, while also pointing at one of the group's previous adventures together.
