Kobold

The kobold (occasionally cobold) is a sprite stemming from Germanic mythology and surviving into modern times in German folklore.

Although usually invisible, a kobold can materialize in the form of an animal, fire, a human being, and a candle. The most common depictions of kobolds show them as humanlike figures the size of small children. Kobolds who live in human homes wear the clothing of peasants; those who live in mines are hunched and ugly; and kobolds who live on ships smoke pipes and wear sailor clothing.

Belief in kobolds dates to at least the 13th century, when German peasants carved kobold effigies for their homes. Such pagan practices may have derived from beliefs in the mischievous kobalos of ancient Greece, the household lares and penates of ancient Rome, or native German beliefs in a similar room spirit called kofewalt. Certain aspects of kobolds are analogous to goblins, gnomes, dwarves, and other spirits.

The name of the element cobalt comes from the creature's name, because medieval miners blamed the sprite for the poisonous and troublesome nature of the typical arsenical ores of this metal (cobaltite and smaltite) which polluted other mined elements.

Kobold in Every Inch a King

Cobolds were one of many sorts of wildunlife native to Schlepsig.

Kobold in "A Late Symmer Night's Battle"

A tribe of kobolds from Germany ran a mining operation in Greece until they were evicted by humans, and turned their eyes to the Faerie kingdom of Oberon and Titania. Under General Hinzelmann, the kobolds engaged the armies of Faerie while Oberon and Titania were on the their Second Honeymoon tour.

The battle proved to be a skirmish. While there were more kobolds, they were plainly physically weak and desperate. Then reremice attacked both both sides. The Faerie retreated to a deep cave the apprenctice Ghosh had found while digging. The kobolds had no defenses against the reremice. Realizing that a cultured people were being attacked by mindless predators, the fairy Mustardseed convinced military leaders General Pard and Lady Quill to allow her to ride to the kobold line under a flag of truce. The truce was further helped by the fact that Hinzelmann was injured, and that a colonel named Hödeken had taken command. The kobolds accepted the fairies offer of peace.

With this act, the war was over. Hinzelmann died of his injuries. With him gone, Titania and Oberon successfully negotiated an agreement with the kobold leaders. The cave Ghosh had found contained enough silver to support the kobolds for some time. For her part, while attending Peaseblossom's party celebrating Cobweb's return to archery training, Mustardseed took the opportunity to dance with Hödeken.