velzek hawthorne

basic info

switch

cleric of suveesha and anthropologist

height

74 cm (2ʹ 5ʺ)

weight

18 kg (40 ℔)

age

32

year of birth

1187

alignment

neutral good

velzek is a kobold from a community called ekkel, north of the ruins of avaro’s dungeon. around eight years ago, she and four other kobolds arrived at the temple of berei, next to the green on the south border of marikest.

her companions are:

yarva bitterbrush

26, he/him

keshku aestivae

28, she/her

volek ruba

23, she/her

tokil arceuthus

25, he/him

until arriving in marikest, the concept of a surname was totally unknown to the kobolds, so they all invented names based on plants for themselves once they became needed.

the purpose of the kobolds’ arrival in marikest is to study outside cultures, in the hope of easing the ancient distrust between kobolds and surface dwellers. unravelling the common perception of kobolds as stupid and/or evil is hard work, so progress is slow. but the recent political situation has been very interesting to study as a group of outsiders.

ekkel

velzek’s old home, ekkel, consists of a network of caves within the windswept wall. despite the historical friction between kobolds and humanoids, ekkel has enjoyed peace for decades, due to its location far away from any major surface roads. like all burrows, ekkel is considered to be a single huge family; kobolds don't consciously keep track of closer kinship bonds.

the centre of ekkel is a large cavern; individual living spaces radiate out in a dense network of narrow tunnels. the central space is dominated by a huge temple to suveesha, which serves as a communal kitchen and dining room, as well as a school. outside of her studies into humanoid cultures, velzek’s duties at the temple included teaching young kobolds to read and write, and—like all priests to suveesha—helping in the kitchen.

ekkel is far from isolated. several of the outer tunnels dip into the underdark, and through there, are connected to other kobold burrows. in fact, due to its safe location, it has been steadily growing in recent decades as more precarious communities decide to migrate there. however, its current population is still only around six thousand.

suveesha

the goddess known to humanoids as berei, concerned with home and family, is commonly revered among kobolds in consecuar in a form known as suveesha. she is represented in this form as a four-horned kobold holding a golden flame; temples to suveesha generally have a pair of huge braziers outside the entrance, providing warmth to the community.

it is claimed by some senior members of the clergy that ekkel is particularly blessed by suveesha, and insulated from the troubles of the outside world. maybe it is. or maybe it’s just that, from the perspective of the surface world, it’s in the middle of nowhere.

while amongst the humanoids, velzek and the others have been instructed to adopt berei’s symbols for familiarity: a bundle of wheat, a sickle, and a rising sun.