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Chapter One: Money for Nothing
 
*WHUMP!*
 
The ragged corpse of a rat-like creature flopped on the wooden with a dull, meaty whack. The abrupt dropping of the rodent snapped the bartender from his absent-minded reverie of wiping tankards clean. The rugged man's eyes widened at the diseased creature making its new burial site where he would serve patrons. With a growing grimace, the barkeep leaned over to eye the executioner of said creature, me.
 
“Job's done!” There was a distinct height difference between us. I took a modicum of pride knowing the barkeep had to lean over my vile quarry just to meet my eyes. I secretly prayed that he'd fall onto it.
 
The corner of his lip curled up. “Took ya long enough, 'bold. Didn't know pest extermination takes a full nightfall. Did you manage to get every single one of them?”
 
“Yup.” A smug grin drew its path along my maw. “Found the nest as well and poisoned it. Ya shouldn't have any problems in the future.” 
 
Well, that was partially true. I was hired by this human to take care of his little rat infestation. Little was an understatement, a tremendous understatement. The little bastards were everywhere. They managed to infest every nook, cranny, barrel, and loose floorboard available. The job was horrid and paid very little for the effort needed. No self-respecting adventurer would've taken up this quest. So I was the poor sap who took it. I need the coin and this job wasn't beneath my personal pride... 

Well, close, but not beneath it.
 
Against my better judgment, I took the extra, under paid effort to check all those tiny, cramped crevices. I hunted down every last one of the vermin that conquered the property. And yes, I did indeed locate the nest. The truth ended there. I didn't poison it, I set it on fire. I use a humie dinner knife as a dagger, you think I have the coin for poisons? It was a partially controlled fire though. I just happened to burn a bit of the man's personal things. He didn't need to know that though.
 
The bartender's fierce demeanor lightened up slightly at the prospect that the source of his problem was taken care of. “Well-well Scrapper, seems I... underestimated you a little.” His voice was strained with half-assed sincerity. “Not bad for a 'bold.” That last bit I had to snort at. He definitely was resistant to praise me just for being a kobold. Well, eat my tail casings softskin.
 
With a disgusted sigh, the bartender gingerly picked up the corpse by the tail. Repulsion quickly turned to bafflement as he noticed the head flopped oddly against the gravity. “D-did you snap its neck?”
 
“I snapped all their necks.” I was proud of that little bit. It wasn't necessary to do in the slightest, but it was a wonderful stress relief when I exhausted all Draconic and Trade cusses I knew. “Hey, guarantees they're all dead.”
 
“... true.” The barkeep tossed the dead creature into an empty barrel. “I pray that you disposed of the bodies.”
 
Most of them... I think. “Yeah I did.” I clapped my claws together as I'm getting a little impatient with this stalling via passive aggressive criticism. “But let's talk payment, my tall friend. Little Scrapper here needs her coin.” 
 
A terse grunt escaped his being. He reached underneath the counter for what I assume is where he kept his lockbox. Gentle clinks can be heard as the softskin fumbled with the contents. Oh... that sound is magical. Granted, I knew of the meager pay of five copper we had agreed on. Yes, terrible pay but at least I found someone willing to hire a kobold. However, I do hope the extra bit of dealing with the nest may add a nice bonus. Maybe make it a full silver piece? 

The man's hand hovered back above the surface with a closed handful of coin. Everything went to slow motion as he dropped my payment on the table. I salivated as the coins slowly cascaded from the man's calloused fingers.
 
*Clink* The prelude to building my desired fortune. 
 
*Clink* The accompanying friend to the former, everything worked better off in pairs.
 
*Clink* The third, the plans set into motion for the future conquest.
 
*Clink* The fourth, the journey escalates along with my anticipation.
 
*Clunk* The fifth, not everything works as planned, yet...
 
*Clink* The sixth, only strong perseverance keeps you going.
 
…
 
…
 
…
 
Um... that's it? I scrambled to climb one of the seats to get a better view of my pay. My heart sank when all I saw was the six dull copper coins that lay before us. One copper. One extra copper? One gods damned copper!? He was only giving me one extra copper for the hard work I put in!?!?
 
I snarled through clenched teeth. “Seriously!? Only six copper!?”
 
“You act like my business has been thriving with this infestation in play.” Blunt, but he did have a point. This place was devoid of patronage since I had arrived. It would make sense he hadn't been doing any business since the rats took root. “Besides, I have to dock your pay for the clean up of dumping your diseased kill where I serve people.”
 
Various ways to kill this man with my dinner knife started to formulate. “Not like these things probably haven't blazed trails everywhere here.”
 
“Can't really prove that if I haven't seen it myself.”
 
“You can't deny it either!”
 
“Take it or leave it. Either way, I'm the one who comes out on top.”
 
Dammit, he's right... the rats are thoroughly routed regardless. I've should've taken an advance on the job... 
 
With a defeated sigh, I scooped up the six coins and deposited them in my makeshift leather pouch. My spirits were barely kept afloat with the collective clinking of the new additions to the light funds I already had. It's a start, an awful start, but a start nonetheless. 
 
A few more irrelevant words were exchanged before we were done with each other. I took my leave to find my next business venture. I needed to find more fruitful methods of amassing funds or surely I'd lose my mind. I just have no damn clue where to look. 
 
<-O->
 
The so called “Holy City” of Tham was the most expansive city in this region. It used to be the central home of some prominent religion the dominant races blindly followed around here. Things... well, they changed for the worse and that's putting it nicely. Something tremendous went down way, way before I  hatched that tore apart the religion and left this city to become a neutral zone. Or something along those lines. I don't really care what things were like beforehand, but I do like what Tham became today.
 
Money talks here. Money rules Tham. From the rumors, tales, and schoolhouse lessons I've eavesdropped on, the fall of this religion led to ventures in collecting coin becoming very, very successful 'round here. People of all kinds flock to Tham to take a swing at becoming the next self-made noble here. Whether they be the honest milkdrinker or the scum of all the realms, coin was going to move fast here and everyone wanted to stake their claim. 
 
I sighed as dreams of riches swam through my skull. The reverie of riches, endless seas of gold and jewels, cascaded and made me quiver down to my core. Oh... how I can't wait to hold those beautiful treasures in my little claws. I do wonder how a gold coin feels and... oh... Bliss never lasts long however. Reality has an awful way of stamping out those dreams when you realize you only have twelve copper coins to your name. I sigh again, this time replace dreamy with devastation.
 
Making money as a kobold ain't easy. Well, living as a kobold ain't easy. Period. Softskins always eye me like I'm just as bad as the rats I had just slaughtered without remorse. Granted, I know of plenty of 'bolds who have ruined the money making dream for everyone else... especially the native 'bolds here. 'Round here, kobolds were treated worse than gobbos. Disgusting.
 
The idea of a kobold going the straight and narrow was absurd. Hells, dommies always cling to their money pouches like a lifeline to them whenever I pass by. Sure, I could attempt to make a living off pickpocketing, but that would barely yield anything worthwhile in the long run. And with every visible and invisible eye on me while I breathe... eh, not worth the guaranteed risk of capture. 
 
Well... back to looking for loose coin on the streets I guess...
 
-Expense and Revenue Report-
+6 Trinity Copper (Preexisting Funds)
+6 Trinity Copper (Rat Extermination Quest Reward)

-Total Funds-
12 Trinity Copper

-Assets-
None