Kobolds: The First People to Fly
-Dr. Yigski Ot , Kobold Anthropologist
Throughout Terra's history, flight has been an extraordinarily crucial key to success. From the first birds and insects to fly, to the ancient dragon wars, and eventually the worldwide application of flight as primary transportation.
But among individuals, flight, specifically the ability to do so, has been seen in various different perspectives over time. Some saw flight as a source of pride, while others saw it as something that needs to be shunned, all of which have their own nuanced reasons.
Kobolds are known for many things on Terra, and much of it has become a source of pride, but flight in particular has always had a controversial stance. Flight itself has not come from one solid source among kobolds either.
From those born to fly, to those who make it themselves, kobolds have a long and winding history with the wind beneath their wings.
The first instance of kobold flight did not actually occur in any of the recognized sapient kobold species.
The first known flying kobolds are only known from the fossil record, where an ancient kobold relative, Dracodactylus iefretti sharing almost identical traits with the modern "common" kobold, aside from the lack of hands, being replaced by winged limbs.
Reconstructions of these fossils depict these ancient kobolds as arboreal creatures that rarely came in contact with the ground, instead sleeping in trees. This evidenced by the seemingly fragile body composition, even compared to kobolds, and the fossils' proximity to large fossilized tree remains.
Despite this adaptation, these kobolds did not survive long enough to make it to the modern day, and this is likely due to many factors. The aforementioned fragility likely made them severely vulnerable to predation. Fossil evidence also supports that these ancient kobolds were a prime target for large, extinct wyvern-class animals, such as Jogra's Foghunter; a large, gliding wyvern distantly related to the extant Highland Wyvern.
The lack of hands also meant reliable tool use was out of the question, and cranial scans suggest that these kobolds were not nearly as intelligent as known kobold ancestors. It is up to debate on whether or not these creatures were even a social species.
Modern kobolds vary in flight in several different ways, which is paralleled by the wildlife in the environment around them. The only unmodified flying kobold species is the Jungle kobold, including all of its smaller subspecies, however the definition of flight in regards to these kobolds is loose.
Jungle kobolds are perfectly designed for their arboreal lifestyle in the southern jungles and rainforests of Terra. This flight is utilized to reach from tree to tree in the relatively dense jungle canopies.
They achieve this "flight" using their exaggerated cape of feathers which connects from their arms down to their back and tail. And because of the size of these "capes", it allows for the kobolds to use them as built-in gliding suits. This is, however, not flight, and is usually only considered as gliding. But some kobolds have maximized their usage of their feathers and arms, catching the wind just right, and using their arms to propel themselves up for longer. This takes rigorous training, and is incredibly resource intensive for kobolds, which have been adapted to a resource conservative lifestyle for as far back in the fossil record we can find.
So while this flight is very limited, and only occurs in specialized, trained kobolds, it is still considered flight.
The limitations of the mortal body have been challenged since the incorporation of magic into the lives of everyday people. Kobolds were the first to use magic to improve their harsh lifestyles, but humans were not far behind.
This only led to the competition of who can do what first increasing. Flight was no exception.
While using magic to compete against gravity seems trivial by today's standards, for the time, flight magic was only in it's infantile stages.
Humans had a lot more resources, while kobolds had numbers. But what it really came down to was physique. And for once, the diminutive stature of kobolds came to their advantage.
In 2437 BD., an apprenticing kobold sorcerer by the name of Tyral Thornwig was experimenting in the courtyard of St. Gharel's School of Magick when the young kobold began drifting upwards into the sky. This was not the first time an apprentice of St. Gharel's found themselves floating away, but unlike those before her, apprentice Tyral found her way back to the ground by her own will.
Through the manipulation of the air around her, the novice mage was able to lift herself off the ground and back down to it for a limited period. Her smaller size required less mana consumption, and a smaller risk of falling to her doom.
As rough and unpolished as it was, magical flight had been invented.
However impressive this was, and important going forward, it was heavily overshadowed by the dawn of the Age of Dragons in 2400 BD. a mere three and a half decades later.
True Dragons were the first sapient species that could definitively fly by their own means. And while it is true that their creation involved magical processes in the first place, their species was born to fly. Their hexapodal structure allowed them the inclusion of great, powerful wings without sacrificing fore or hind limbs.
And because of their original nature, docile and cooperative, True Dragons provided transportation that went unmatched, at least until modern day forms of travel. Most True Dragons were more than willing to provide safe transportation of humans, kobolds and cargo for long distances with little to no struggle, or seemingly any compensation in return.
And while the creation of True Dragons meant a lot for humans and kobolds alike, for kobolds, it meant the beginning of the draconic bloodline.
What's Left of the Dragons
However, as we all know, True Dragons are no longer around, at least in any capacity that they once were. After Dragon Fall, dragons were no longer the primary source of transportation, setting the world back by centuries of development.
What did persist, however, were Urds.
Urds, or urdism, is a magically originated mutation for kobolds, whereas the individual is born with an extra set of limbs that act as fully functional wings. Not only is this abnormal for a tetrapod animal, but these limbs are also the only synapsid limbs, or any sapient tetrapod limb that can be completely regrown after being removed from the body without magical intervention.
As expected, these kobolds were gifted with flight. But after Dragon Fall, Urdism was not seen in such a positive light. To many, it reminded of the horrible misdeeds of dragons, the memories of the destruction wrought upon their families, friends and ancestors. Some Urds were hunted for their mere existence, others for their valuable, abnormal wings, which were often sold in underground markets.
However, this unjustice upon innocent Urds woud not last forever. By 506 AD., discriminations against Urds as outlawed in all major provinces, and most minor. And while this did not make the world safe for Urds immediately, it was the start of greater change.
Today, Urds experience little to no discriminations in modern society, and remain the only people with natural-borne flying abilities.
While Urds continued to exist, as well as the return of magical flight as a viable form of transportation, neither could match the results of the dragons.
By 530 AD., mechanical inventions began to take the world by storm, and flight once again became sought after. Kobolds were on the forefront of incredibly chaotic and often unregulated science. Many kobolds deserve to recognized for their contributions to the science of aviation. A few to mention would be:
Firewhyrl Tizto (546-561 AD): A kobold known for the invention of the hot air balloon. The invention came as a bit of an accident, as the original test was that of a parachute, but during one test, the parachute ended above an open flame, to which Tizto observed the rising properties of heat on the balloon.
Weeks later, Tizto tested this again but with a basket and a controlled flame.
The kobold was successful, but also failed to plan for what could have gone wrong. The weather conditions caused the balloon to veer very far off trajectory, causing the balloon to crash into a nearby mountain, catching fire.
Tizto survived the crash, but died weeks later from their injuries.
"Crazy" Friyo (560-570 AD): A kobold with a short stature, short fuse, and short lifespan. Known by all to be profoundly ignorant and naïve, this kobold found himself in dangerous situations on the regular. However seemingly stupid he may have been, his extremes often broken barriers.
His craziest, and final stunt involved him riding off of the edge of a cliff on a cycle with wings attached on both sides. The craziest part is that the cycle got decently far before the kobold plummeted to his demise.
What exactly he was trying to prove is still a mystery.
And despite how doomed he was from the beginning, he was remembered for his courage and creativity, no matter how foolish it may have been.
Goro & Pigie (572-??? AD): A pair of kobold inventors remembered as the "founders of modern aviation". These two were responsible for the invention of the first successful aircraft. Crafted by Goro (who happened to be an Urd), and piloted by Pigie, the aircraft took flight for the first time in 591 AD, and made several successful flights until 593 AD, when a separate pilot took the aircraft for a spin, causing it to crash.
The original aircraft was only fit for a kobold, with the pitch and yaw controlled by the hands and arms of the pilot, and propelled by the legs, which attached to pedals. Said pedals could power propellers on either side of the wings.
A later version of this aircraft would be larger, incorporated a half-manual, half-gas powered motor, and could fit multiple kobolds, or one average sized human, kat, or theropian.
Goro & Pigie would make one final model, to which they used to fly across the Yandril's Strait. They were never seen again after this flight, and it is unknown if they truly made the flight, but kobolds claiming to be their descendants would share their stories several decades later.
Such inventions would be outclassed by the superior, more well-rounded designs born from the combined effort of humans and kobolds, but nonetheless proved their worth as important stepping stones in Terran's ever evolving aviation history.
With modern day technology providing new forms of travel that outmatch even the dragons of old, the need for individual flight is far from necessary, and is seen more as a convenient commodity. Those who have it benefit from it, and those that don't, simply live life as is.
In summary, flight has been ever evolving, with kobolds on the frontline with every step. As times continue to change, its no doubt that kobolds will continue to push the boundaries and challenge the definition of what it means to fly.
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