Biknek's page

Biknek is a diminutive kobold with dark blue scales. His amber eyes gleam with intelligence and a just a twinkle of mischief. He generally dresses in dark clothing, with a flat cap. Slung over his back is a small pair of drums on a strap, which he also uses to hold them in front of him when he is performing.

Despite his sombre attire and the grim world he finds himself in, Biknek radiates an unshakeable optimism. With a sharp intellect and creative spirit, he infuses levity into even the most dire situations, using humour to uplift the spirits of his companions amidst crushing adversity. A non-conformist by nature, Biknek rebels against the societal norms and expectations, refusing to by bound by the limitations imposed by others.

His early life unfolded amidst the disciplined confines of his clan which lived perilously close to the borders of the Worldwound. Raised in a tightly-knit community, Biknek's upbringing was marked by rigid structure and strict adherence to the rules, and his carefree attitude often got him into trouble. Biknek found solace in the irregular rhythms of the world around him - the sounds of the picks as new tunnels were dug, the patter of rain that filtered down in the nights, even the rumble of the occasional earthquake had a music that could be found if you listened for it.

On a fateful day, he was with one of the surface groups hunting, when he heard the rhythm of war-drums in the direction of the Worldwound. This was normally the sign for the party to retreat back, but this time something drew him away. Slipping away from his band, he headed towards the sound of the drums. Venturing further than he had ever been before, he suddenly found himself trapped by a group of cultists. Alone and overwhelmed, Biknek resigned himself to his fate, when he was unexpectedly saved by a mysterious woman. Though her solemn demeanor rebuffed his attempts at conversation and levity, she led him back to near civilisation, where a patrol of crusaders found him and brought him to the city of Kenabres.

Reluctant to return to the confines of clan life, Biknek chose to remain in Kenabres, carving out a humble existence in the slums of the city. Here, amidst the other refugees and outcasts, he honed his skills as a storyteller and musician, using his talents to entertain and uplift those around him. It was here too that he once again encountered the symbol worn by his savior - a symbol he would come to learn belonged to the goddess Desna. As he learned more about her faith, Biknek has embraced her teaching and now follows the faith himself.

Bitnek was always different from the other kobolds in his tribe - mellower than his hatchmates, more content to hear the sounds of the world than to practice trapmaking. As he grew, he found he was able to use what he called "the rhythm" to create magical effects. This made him useful to the tribe, although his spontaneous poetry slams were not that popular and he remained something of an outsider.

When Tartuk arrived, Bitnek could sense that the foreign kobold was bad news. But unable to either oppose his magic directly or gather enough support to stage a coup, he decided to withdraw, initially volunteering for scouting expeditions and eventually just moving away and living on his own. When news reached him that Tartuk has been ousted, he returned to find out what had happening. Intrigued by the story of the adventurers who had aided the tribe and now had an alliance with them, when Chief Sootscale asked for a representative to assist their new allies (and to make sure they held up their end of the agreement), he raised his claw and was quickly chosen. (Whether this was for his diplomatic skills, or because the tribe was being reminded of his poetry was never stated)