"Perhaps dracons mean a different thing when they say empire," Ardasa said, taking the cup and drinking from it. "This is a story that every kobold learns from the moment they are born." She set the cup down and got herself comfortable on the chair. "So, it's not a short tale, but I'll see if I can condense it to one meal's time." Crossing, her legs and clasping her hands together, she began. "So, it all started with a leader of kobolds, who crossed over from the home continent through a tunnel under the sea . . ."

". . . His name was Arjun, chief of a grand tribe of our tunneling cousins. In his dreams, he heard the voice of Scen calling him to the surface, and with his pick, he hammered a tunnel straight up so wide that it became a cave on the surface. We cannot seem to find it anymore, sadly, but I have no doubt that it must exist somewhere. He led his tribe to the surface, to the blessed home that the gods had found for us. That would be this continent, of course."

"Yet all was not well. There already were peoples living here, who were taller, stronger, and far more magical than we the kobolds were. It is said that a great king of these people dishonored Arjun, speaking to him as if master to slave. In his anger, Arjun strangled the king with his hands, as well as his entire guard. There, he declared himself an emperor, making himself greater than all kings in the world, and thus may never be subject to one."