Ruger examined Mona but saw no sign of the Oddity around her. It was said to be a portable space, but in truth, it was merely a concealed large fish pond. As for the finer details and what other effects the Oddity possessed, only Mona knew.
The campfire was lit.
A meal before departure was essential, and steaming tea shared around the fire was the proper accompaniment.
Slurp, slurp!
Ruger drank his tea in an utterly uncouth manner, making quite a racket. But he did not care in the slightest and continued noisily sipping from his cup.
"Is that how Kobolds drink water?" Mahama asked curiously from the side.
Ruger shot him a glance and ignored Big Guy. He noticed that Mona and Varin's expressions changed when they heard it, as though they were holding back laughter.
"I've heard of the outward manifestations of bloodline wizards. Those can include behavioral changes. For example, if the source of one's bloodline liked hoarding things, the modified individual might suddenly become miserly. That could indicate a problem, such as bloodline instability or bloodline collapse. And sometimes, subtle changes in certain signs are things the person themselves cannot notice—"
Big Guy solemnly analyzed Ruger's condition for him.
Slurp, slurp!
Ruger continued drinking tea. Anyone's bloodline could develop problems, but his was the least likely to.
He was not even a bloodline wizard.
His bloodline was sturdy as could be! Or rather, he would prefer it to develop some kind of problem and turn into something else, as long as it did not kill him.
Even his transformation from a Kobold into a Dragonborn Kobold was entirely different from bloodline modification. It had been hidden within the Kobold bloodline. Theoretically, Kobolds had no Dragonkin bloodline at all; that was beyond dispute. Yet why was there