For those who don’t follow the vagaries and peculiarities of our regular Sunday game of Dungeons and Dragons, the wily kobold known as Odif was adopted by the group under highly irregular circumstances. He was discovered as a baby, and all attempts at finding his original parents failed. They took him into their hearts instead; named him, and clothed him, and raised him as best they could – while also fighting to save their little portion of the world. In time, he began to exhibit a tendency and talent for tinkering with objects around him. As he grew older, the group suspected he would move beyond simple toys and amusements and perhaps become an artificer. So, like all devoted parents they made training and tools available, and decided to let him pick his own path.

As the adventures of the DDC became more dangerous, and necessitated longer periods on the road, the Warforged rogue known as Coal volunteered to act step down from active adventuring. He would instead step up as Odif’s guardian. As part of that process he used his portion of the group’s earnings to buy and develop a club house for youngsters in need of shelter, distraction, education and perhaps the odd meal or two. He reckoned that this would also provide peers nearer Odif’s age as well as a more structured and less hazardous life.

Subsequent glimpses back by the DDC, as well as a one-shot adventure recently have shown that Coal’s Clubhouse is thriving. There are many people of all ages who drop in and support or are themselves supported – and it is mere conjecture and rumour-mongering to suggest that Coal has in fact set up a small and thriving Thieves’ Guild that operates out of the establishment. Odif and Coal are well-known in the area – and the one-shot consisted of local young adventurers being set a task of a “reverse heist” to deliver presents around the New Year festival.

In a vibrant and diverse city such as Fairhaven – especially in such close proximity to the University District – there are many strange and unusual individuals, but not many of those known to the wider public are kobolds. As a result Odif’s whereabouts are often remarked on. When another kobold appeared on the scene therefore, there was also intense scrutiny and conjecture as to whether they knew each other. Odif was a young male kobold without a biological family, and this new kobold maiden became known to the wider populace as Ufot Yloh.

Rumours began to fly as each were seen at the Clubhouse at various times, though there was no suggestion of impropriety beyond a shared predilection for pranks and leaving small traps or explosives for each other to find. Will they form a romantic link? Or is that perhaps expecting a little too much of two young kobolds with similar senses of mischief and ability to turn up in unusual places? If Coal has an opinion on the matter, he remains tight-lipped but positive. He has been supportive of both, and has been seen showing each of them around the area and including them in social events and gatherings at the Clubhouse.

A romance, or a friendship? Why not both?

And yet…

It would be tempting to leave this here and let imaginations wander – but this is the DDC, and they have very strange and queer adventures at the best of times. So time to draw the curtain back a little.

Odif gets his name from the meat provided by Tanglefinger the Boggart who lives in the DDC’s house. He was asked to get ‘an identifiable named meat’ and being a slightly malicious fey creature the meat he provided was certainly identifiable – it had a dog collar and tag labelled “Fido”. The reversed name stuck. During the travels of the group, the spell known as “Create Food and Water” was used to bolster rations – and the resulting bland but filling foodstuff was nicknamed “Holy Tofu” by the DDC

When creating the character sheet for Odif, I took the Faceless background which provides him with an alter ego and disguise that completely differentiates him and protects him. That alter ego, which is becoming better known than Odif in certain circles, is Ufot Yloh. A change of clothes, some greasepaint and fake horn extensions, and some practiced changes in how they move and suddenly there are two kobolds in the neighbourhood. Isn’t it lovely how they’re always talking about each other?

Kobolds are generally non-binary, don’t care about gender norms in the same way as some societies, and can slowly change sex as needed. How this will play out in the campaign is anyone’s guess – but I’ll remind you that the tagline for the campaign is “A Very Queer Adventure”