Fiddler

From Praemal

Fiddler is small, even for a kobold, and has a more brownish hide than is typical. He has bright yellow eyes that are always moving, taking in everything around him. He is something of a dandy for a kobold, and typically wears a puffy white shirt, tight red brocaded vest and black silk breeches.

He is regarded as the greatest bard among the Green Mountain Kobolds, which is more of an achievement than most outsiders would think. The kobolds love to dance, and kobold musicians are a fixture at most events. Fiddler is something of a fiddle-playing prodigy with a lively wit and performance style. His fingers appear to just be a blur when he plays his masterwork fiddle.

Fiddler -- who would not suffer to hear his real name spoken by anyone other than a kobold or dragon, and so just uses his pseudonym -- seeks to humiliate gnomish bards in open contests held around the barony to further the glory of Kurtulmak. When he first wandered down to the Cat & the Fiddle in Maidensbridge three years ago, he had to bring hired human adventurers as bodyguards. Now, whenever a musical contest is held in the barony, it's expected that Fiddler will show up, his masterwork fiddle tucked under his arm. Although everyone wants to see him lose, his skill is undeniable, and the sight of musicians trying to outplay one another has made his appearances highlights of musical competitions. He otherwise does not get involved in tribal politics, as partisans have a bad habit of falling prey to "malfunctioning" traps.

Non-kobolds tend to be surprised at how articulate he is, although Fiddler has an enormous chip on his shoulder about the obvious superiority of the kobold race and a loathing of gnomes. He prefers to let his fiddle do his fighting, though, and as yet has never engaged in hand-to-hand combat with any of his gnomish rivals. When the subject of conversation is neither kobolds nor gnomes, he can be quite pleasant and charming, although his vision for Green Mountain and the Tulgey Wood as a kobold state is obviously at odds with those living in the Barony of Midwood.

Fiddler knows a great deal about the dungeons of the Green Mountain Kobolds, but he would rather die than disclose it to an outsider. He also has traveled with the Black Reavers and has been a hired mercenary working for Khenemet-Apep and knows a great deal about them both, which he could be theoretically persuaded to divulge, should the reward be greater than the risk.

He is easily distracted and Fiddler can sometimes be caught composing music in his head, his fingers working the neck and bow of an imaginary fiddle.