- "The chief once asked me what kobold warriors could do to counter the tactics of adventurers. All I could come up with was, "Kill themselves to deprive the adventurers of the pleasure.""
- — Mokumok the Shaman
Mokumok the Shaman is a kobold best known as co-author of the hilarious Ecology of the Adventurer, Dragon #342 (Apr 2006), p.60-65.[1]
Appearance and personality[]
Mokumok is known only from his writings, and his exact appearance is unknown. It can be presumed that like many kobolds of his world, he is a short, reptilian humanoid with brown or green scales. Mokumok is missing the tip of his tail, which he lost in a tavern scuffle with human adventurers.
Mokumok is highly intelligent, and a cynical realist. He is brave, but sensible and careful. He is noted for his breadth of knowledge on many subjects.
Many kobolds are lawful evil in alignment. Mokumok's behavior is consistent with this. He cares significantly about duty and tradition, but considers it a boon when weaker members of his tribe are culled.
Abilities and traits[]
Mokumok is a spellcaster, and in particular is capable of casting summon monster I and various healing spells.
Languages[]
Mokumok speaks Draconic. Rarely among his tribe, he is literate, capable of both reading and writing.
Home[]
Mokumok inhabits the Crypt of Cystus, a vast and magnificent dungeon whose entranceway can only be unsealed on one day of the year. His tribe is believed to have inhabited this crypt for over a thousand years.
The Crypt of Cystus is noted for its dangers, including monsters and annual raids from adventuring parties. Despite several deaths per day, the kobold tribe thrived, partly due to the species' high breeding rate. The kobolds inhabit one of the upper levels of the dungeon, and rarely descend below.
Treasure[]
Mokumok is a high-status individual in his tribe. He possesses a pair of spectacles of literacy, which he keeps in a padlocked silver and electrum chest.
Relationships[]
Tribal role[]
Mokumok is shaman of his tribe, an important position which reports directly to the chieftain. His duties are numerous, and keep him very busy.
Mokumok is responsible for maintaining the cultural history of the tribe, of which he is highly knowledgeable. He records deaths and births for the chieftain, and issues formal death certificates stamped with the chieftain's seal, despite the fact that most in his tribe cannot read.
He heals the sick and injured, although critically injured kobolds frequently die waiting for his services while he takes his afternoon nap. He also has an important religious role, interpreting omens, making spooky jewelry from teeth, maintaining the artworks of the tribe's deity, and supervising potato-sack races.
Family[]
Mokumok has thirty-one wives. Owing to the high death rate among warrior males, the ratio of females to males in the tribe has reached 11:1.
Mokumok's mother has survived no fewer than eleven raids on her kitchen.
Enemies[]
Mokumok particularly hates adventurers.
History[]
Little is known of Mokumok's past except for the time he accidentally teleported himself into a tavern of adventurers, and the spike pit trap accident that somewhat impedes his ability to appreciate the benefit of having many wives. He once accidentally fed Jimp a potion which caused severe mutation.
Publication history[]
Mokumok appeared in Ecology of the Adventurer, Dragon #342 (Apr 2006), p.60-65 by Tony Mosely, who credited Mokumok the kobold shaman as co-author, and from whose perspective the article is written.