Fangrim, Failed Dragon, Mindwyrm Mesmerist
Fangrim's early life is, by all accounts, unremarkable. The red wyrhmling hatched in the western mountains of Katapesh and grew into a young wyrm that did all of the things you would associate with a chromatic dragon - Burn down villages, pillage kingdoms and devour townsfolk and livestock.
Despite the unparalleled freedom and power he wielded as a dragon ransacking the unprotected rural settlements of Katapesh, Fangrim began to feel hollow. He could do whatever he wanted with almost no consequences, but he had no one to share his experiences with, no one he could relate to or connect with.
After some consideration, he endeavored to infiltrate the communities that he would normally dominate with aerial superiority. Donning the guise of a hound, Fangrim attempted to mingle with the little people. Despite his efforts, his attempts would all eventually end in failure. Either the immense ego, short temper, complete social ineptitude of the people he met, many of his endeavors would end in the arson of several buildings and the murder of those he had sought to connect with.
Frustrated, he convinced himself that he could only be friends with creatures equal to him. He would find local dragons to become his circle of most trusted friends and confidants. He would find, in time, that all of the other dragons were just as pompous and stuck-up as the mortals. Despite his charms, he would find himself consistently snubbed by the females at the dragon moots, and be looked down upon by the larger, more square-jawed males. He would find no kinship with such foul and unreasonable creatures.
If he could not find a dragon worth becoming friends with, he would simply make one. It was a simple matter to retrieve a book on magic item creation and craft a minor artifact out of his own teeth He would spend his entire hoard on it, but it would be worth the price. A Jar of Dragon Teeth, the recipe twisted to fit his needs. Instead of working for only one creature, he could shake the jar and offer a handfull of teeth to any creature he desired. If they swallowed one of the teeth, they would become a young dragon and he would have the companionship he sought. Only, every time he gave a mortal the power of a dragon, they would either be consumed with lust for power or suffer a panic attack that rendered them inconsolable.
Desperate, he would try one last plan. He would hire a party of adventurers to pose as his children, Making him seem the very image of a responsible father. Adventurers were possessed of the mental fortitude to resist panic upon becoming a dragon, and he would promise them a reward great enough to curb the lust for power that consumed lesser individuals.
As the moot grew closer, and Fangrim grew more desperate, eventually a group of worthy adventurers showed up at the meeting point, calling themselves the Wayfarers. A Rakshasa, an Otterling, a Rattaur, a Half-Orc, and a Tiefling. An odd group, for certain, but they didn't flinch when he tested them with his searing breath, and the rakshasa's words were infused with a supernatural charm that would surely be able to sway the stone cold hearts of the females at the moot.
The moot gambit was successful, despite Fangrim's awkwardness. When a pair of would-be dragonslayers attempted to crash the moot and kill the Wyrmlings, Fangrim was able to jump their aid thanks to a message from his 'children'. Adding to his success the rakshasa-turned-imperial dragon had managed to befriend the son of a mighty Solar Dragon, and in hopes of seeing his new friend, the wyrmling convinced his mother to give Fangrim a chance.
After one night of fitful passion between them, she left and promised to send for him. She never did.
Fangrim would just have to try again. He had the jar, he could make more 'children', then surely another female would see the greatness in him, appreciate him for who he was. But the jar was stolen. He attempted to steal it back on wings of fire and fury, Only just managing to retrieve it before being repelled by the otterling who had stolen it and his cadre of thugs.
The great red dragon was crushed, left alone and dejected in his cave without even enough coin to smother his sorrows in. Desperate and broken, he was forced to confront the truth of his past. It was his ego, short temper and social ineptitude that had ruined his chances with the mortals. It was his aloofness and pomposity that had ruined his chances with the dragons. It was his arrogance and impotence that had left his date unsatisfied and ruined his chances with the one dragoness who had been willing to give him a chance. It was his inability to use words that had lost him his jar.
he lay alone, curled around his jar in the dark, empty cave that reflected his life up to that point. It was all he could do to conjure illusions of a grand hoard, and the Wayfarers, the closest thing he'd ever had to friends. Even then, in his arrogance, he imagined them as kobolds feeding him honeyed lies to nurse the sucking wound to his fragile ego.
It was in this pitiful state that the Rattaur and Otterling found him. The otterling apologized for stealing the jar, and the rattaur even called him friend. It was all he could do not to break down in tears at the notion that even one creature in the world had a kind word to say about him. They needed help. Their town was under attack by a powerful efreet, and only he could be powerful enough to stop it.
In that moment, Fangrim would not, could not, let anyone threaten his... his ᶠʳᶦᵉⁿᵈˢ. In an act of impossible selflessness, Fangrim offered the use of his Jar to the entire town, leading an army of tiny dragons into battle against the mighty jinn. Though they failed to slay him, they forced him into retreat... but not before Jhavul let the otterling and the cracked jar of dragon's teeth plummet to the ground.
Fangrim heart shattered when the jar hit the ground. As the jar splintered into hundreds of shards a wave of magical backlash crashed through Fangrim's body. The wayfarers would find Fangrim curled up and sobbing around the ruined remains of his precious jar, his once grand and powerful form reduced to a tiny red kobold. He'd gained friends, but in exchange lost everything.
Or at least that's what he thought. He was surrounded by the small group of kobolds that had emerged from the scroll when Jhavul did. Gremmel, Sucil, Emerald, Snax, and Nil.
Gremmel was the first one he got to know. An abrasive dragonblooded kobold that cursed everything Fangrim had once aspired to be - considered Dragons to be a myth, and if not a myth, then not even worth considering for the common man; That Dragons had abandoned kobold kind and had never lifted a claw to help them.
Sucil thought the opposite - that Kobolds were merely Dragons that forgot how to Dragon, and that if he could just tap into that forgotten power, that he could teach other kobolds how to become dragons too.
It was hard for him not to break down when Gremmel denied him the one action that had cost him everything, hard for him not to take it personally when he had lifted a claw and been slapped down for it. He found hope in Sucil's words. If Sucil was trying to become a dragon, then surely he could help Fangrim return to his grandeur. Between Gremmel's denouncement and Sucil's hope, Fangrim learned that he still had a dragon inside of him.
It wasn't until Gage appeared, a positively round Unicorn Aasimar full of grand stories and amusing hypnosis, that he connected with the dragon inside himself. Gage taught him that dragon is more of a state of mind than a state of being, and that if he believed in himself, everyone would see him as the dragon he believed himself to be.
Fangrim still feels the sting of loss, and he still struggles with his ego and his temper; but the warmth of his friends, kobold, aasimar and otherwise, helps him grasp control of himself. He might not admit it, but despite everything, he's happier now than he ever was as a dragon.
Fangrim is a hot tempered, egotistical kobold that is constantly at war with himself. His natural urges demand that he be a high and mighty dragon, but he knows from experience that his ego only pushes people away from him.
Gage is probably the most significant person in Fangrim's life. The Aasimar gave him some fragment of himself back when he taught him how to be a mesmerist, and Gage is the first person that Fangrim has allowed himself to truly get close to. His outfit is designed closely after Gage's, and the pin that keeps his cravat-like scarf in place was given to him by the huge Aasimar as a keepsake.
Fangrim's scarf and tail wrap are from when he was a dragon. The ragged scarf is probably somewhat comforting to him, given the condition it's in. I can imagine it almost being some sort of safety blanket. The scraps of scalemail are also from when he was a dragon. They're a macabre magic item made out of the hide of a gold dragon wyrmling. It grants him immunity to fire damage, and temporary HP up to his Fire Resistance, as the armor absorbs heat in much the same way a fledgeling dragon would absorb its mother's warmth.
Commissioned for and colored by rabidbadger
Despite the unparalleled freedom and power he wielded as a dragon ransacking the unprotected rural settlements of Katapesh, Fangrim began to feel hollow. He could do whatever he wanted with almost no consequences, but he had no one to share his experiences with, no one he could relate to or connect with.
After some consideration, he endeavored to infiltrate the communities that he would normally dominate with aerial superiority. Donning the guise of a hound, Fangrim attempted to mingle with the little people. Despite his efforts, his attempts would all eventually end in failure. Either the immense ego, short temper, complete social ineptitude of the people he met, many of his endeavors would end in the arson of several buildings and the murder of those he had sought to connect with.
Frustrated, he convinced himself that he could only be friends with creatures equal to him. He would find local dragons to become his circle of most trusted friends and confidants. He would find, in time, that all of the other dragons were just as pompous and stuck-up as the mortals. Despite his charms, he would find himself consistently snubbed by the females at the dragon moots, and be looked down upon by the larger, more square-jawed males. He would find no kinship with such foul and unreasonable creatures.
If he could not find a dragon worth becoming friends with, he would simply make one. It was a simple matter to retrieve a book on magic item creation and craft a minor artifact out of his own teeth He would spend his entire hoard on it, but it would be worth the price. A Jar of Dragon Teeth, the recipe twisted to fit his needs. Instead of working for only one creature, he could shake the jar and offer a handfull of teeth to any creature he desired. If they swallowed one of the teeth, they would become a young dragon and he would have the companionship he sought. Only, every time he gave a mortal the power of a dragon, they would either be consumed with lust for power or suffer a panic attack that rendered them inconsolable.
Desperate, he would try one last plan. He would hire a party of adventurers to pose as his children, Making him seem the very image of a responsible father. Adventurers were possessed of the mental fortitude to resist panic upon becoming a dragon, and he would promise them a reward great enough to curb the lust for power that consumed lesser individuals.
As the moot grew closer, and Fangrim grew more desperate, eventually a group of worthy adventurers showed up at the meeting point, calling themselves the Wayfarers. A Rakshasa, an Otterling, a Rattaur, a Half-Orc, and a Tiefling. An odd group, for certain, but they didn't flinch when he tested them with his searing breath, and the rakshasa's words were infused with a supernatural charm that would surely be able to sway the stone cold hearts of the females at the moot.
The moot gambit was successful, despite Fangrim's awkwardness. When a pair of would-be dragonslayers attempted to crash the moot and kill the Wyrmlings, Fangrim was able to jump their aid thanks to a message from his 'children'. Adding to his success the rakshasa-turned-imperial dragon had managed to befriend the son of a mighty Solar Dragon, and in hopes of seeing his new friend, the wyrmling convinced his mother to give Fangrim a chance.
After one night of fitful passion between them, she left and promised to send for him. She never did.
Fangrim would just have to try again. He had the jar, he could make more 'children', then surely another female would see the greatness in him, appreciate him for who he was. But the jar was stolen. He attempted to steal it back on wings of fire and fury, Only just managing to retrieve it before being repelled by the otterling who had stolen it and his cadre of thugs.
The great red dragon was crushed, left alone and dejected in his cave without even enough coin to smother his sorrows in. Desperate and broken, he was forced to confront the truth of his past. It was his ego, short temper and social ineptitude that had ruined his chances with the mortals. It was his aloofness and pomposity that had ruined his chances with the dragons. It was his arrogance and impotence that had left his date unsatisfied and ruined his chances with the one dragoness who had been willing to give him a chance. It was his inability to use words that had lost him his jar.
he lay alone, curled around his jar in the dark, empty cave that reflected his life up to that point. It was all he could do to conjure illusions of a grand hoard, and the Wayfarers, the closest thing he'd ever had to friends. Even then, in his arrogance, he imagined them as kobolds feeding him honeyed lies to nurse the sucking wound to his fragile ego.
It was in this pitiful state that the Rattaur and Otterling found him. The otterling apologized for stealing the jar, and the rattaur even called him friend. It was all he could do not to break down in tears at the notion that even one creature in the world had a kind word to say about him. They needed help. Their town was under attack by a powerful efreet, and only he could be powerful enough to stop it.
In that moment, Fangrim would not, could not, let anyone threaten his... his ᶠʳᶦᵉⁿᵈˢ. In an act of impossible selflessness, Fangrim offered the use of his Jar to the entire town, leading an army of tiny dragons into battle against the mighty jinn. Though they failed to slay him, they forced him into retreat... but not before Jhavul let the otterling and the cracked jar of dragon's teeth plummet to the ground.
Fangrim heart shattered when the jar hit the ground. As the jar splintered into hundreds of shards a wave of magical backlash crashed through Fangrim's body. The wayfarers would find Fangrim curled up and sobbing around the ruined remains of his precious jar, his once grand and powerful form reduced to a tiny red kobold. He'd gained friends, but in exchange lost everything.
Or at least that's what he thought. He was surrounded by the small group of kobolds that had emerged from the scroll when Jhavul did. Gremmel, Sucil, Emerald, Snax, and Nil.
Gremmel was the first one he got to know. An abrasive dragonblooded kobold that cursed everything Fangrim had once aspired to be - considered Dragons to be a myth, and if not a myth, then not even worth considering for the common man; That Dragons had abandoned kobold kind and had never lifted a claw to help them.
Sucil thought the opposite - that Kobolds were merely Dragons that forgot how to Dragon, and that if he could just tap into that forgotten power, that he could teach other kobolds how to become dragons too.
It was hard for him not to break down when Gremmel denied him the one action that had cost him everything, hard for him not to take it personally when he had lifted a claw and been slapped down for it. He found hope in Sucil's words. If Sucil was trying to become a dragon, then surely he could help Fangrim return to his grandeur. Between Gremmel's denouncement and Sucil's hope, Fangrim learned that he still had a dragon inside of him.
It wasn't until Gage appeared, a positively round Unicorn Aasimar full of grand stories and amusing hypnosis, that he connected with the dragon inside himself. Gage taught him that dragon is more of a state of mind than a state of being, and that if he believed in himself, everyone would see him as the dragon he believed himself to be.
Fangrim still feels the sting of loss, and he still struggles with his ego and his temper; but the warmth of his friends, kobold, aasimar and otherwise, helps him grasp control of himself. He might not admit it, but despite everything, he's happier now than he ever was as a dragon.
Fangrim is a hot tempered, egotistical kobold that is constantly at war with himself. His natural urges demand that he be a high and mighty dragon, but he knows from experience that his ego only pushes people away from him.
Gage is probably the most significant person in Fangrim's life. The Aasimar gave him some fragment of himself back when he taught him how to be a mesmerist, and Gage is the first person that Fangrim has allowed himself to truly get close to. His outfit is designed closely after Gage's, and the pin that keeps his cravat-like scarf in place was given to him by the huge Aasimar as a keepsake.
Fangrim's scarf and tail wrap are from when he was a dragon. The ragged scarf is probably somewhat comforting to him, given the condition it's in. I can imagine it almost being some sort of safety blanket. The scraps of scalemail are also from when he was a dragon. They're a macabre magic item made out of the hide of a gold dragon wyrmling. It grants him immunity to fire damage, and temporary HP up to his Fire Resistance, as the armor absorbs heat in much the same way a fledgeling dragon would absorb its mother's warmth.
Commissioned for and colored by rabidbadger
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Posted using PostyBirb
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Lizard
Gender Male
Size 2252 x 3000px
Did he ever feel regret for all the people he incinerated?
Fangrim as a kobold is a less awful person than he was as a dragon but that in no way means he's a good person now. That said, he's been moving in the right direction since hitting rock bottom. I wouldn't bet on him feeling regret for burning people any time soon though.
Daaaw he looks so awesome and cuuute! ^///^
Love the design!
Love the design!
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