The oral record of the Kobold warrior Kensh Bloodspring
“The thing of it, you see, is that we don’t talk about it. Some things you never say, not unless you want to be Noticed. And there are things that - well, there are Things. It’s like them Adventurers, see? No one sane goes into the empty cities, down into the ruins and the tunnels that have never seen sunlight. No one at all goes into the old magic towers unless they want to die.
“The thing of it, you see, is that we don’t talk about it. Some things you never say, not unless you want to be Noticed. And there are things that - well, there are Things. It’s like them Adventurers, see? No one sane goes into the empty cities, down into the ruins and the tunnels that have never seen sunlight. No one at all goes into the old magic towers unless they want to die.
"But some do the former. Some seek treasures, follow myths, or they’re running from something bad. And so they go into the old places. And they change. I’m not saying goblins are *nice* - we ain’t got no time for nice, y’ ken, but spend enough time in those places and it twists you up inside. Everybody has some good in them, like everybody has some evil - or lots of it, depending. But too long in those places and there’s nothing good left inside you.
"And when they come back, they bring something of that awfulness with them. It’s why we kill them on sight. There are bodies even trolls won’t eat. We don’t have a word for it. Don’t want to give it power with a name. But Adventurers meet those things that look like goblins, and that sticks with them something fierce. And then they meet us, and treat us just the same. Not saying we’re favoured by the gods - nothing like that - but the gods listen to us the same as to everyone else.
"No god listens to those who dwell in the broken places. At least not any god we’d care to know.”
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