Sawraiddyn Witch Doctor
As a rule, Sawraiddyn are not known for their towering intellects. A shocking portion of the vocabularay of their hissing, serpentine language are useful only for discussing violence, strife, and survival, with a few words set aside for glorifying the Dragon God. Ideas like art, knowledge, and philosophy are summed up in a single word--a sort of strangulated hiss that morphis into a cough--that translates loosely to "futility." While the dragon men can follow simple instructions as long as nothing comes along to distract, entice, or mate with them, the human leaders of the Dragon's forces consider them a blunt instrument at best.
There are, however, a handful of Sawraiddyn with intellects superior to their counterparts and perhaps even equal to humans. These gifted lizardfolk are usually selected to train with the tribe's shaman and learn the ways of magic and religion. During the Sawraiddyn coming of age ceremony, the Sawraiddyn presents a riddle to all of the newly-minted lizard men and lizard women. The riddle usually goes unanswered, but if any of the Sawraiddyn youth finds the solution, they are invited to become the witch doctor's acolytes. In the unlikely event that multiple dragonlings answer the riddle correctly, the shaman will devise further tests to determine the smartest among them. The loser is often sent off to another tribe to seal an alliance or serve as a peace offering in a dispute.
Because of their (relatively speaking) superior intellects, Sawraiddyn witch doctors are capable of fully understanding the human tongue, though their ability to speak it clearly is somewhat hampered by their reptilian physiology. They can also master the art of magic. While the typical witch doctor never learns much more than basic magic dealing with war, hunting, and tribal protection, those who are presented the ability to study magic more fully among humankind tend to be mentioned among the greatest sorcerers of their age. Many theorize that their acumen for the dragon magic has a simple explanation: they are more like dragons than men, which means they have a closer relationship to and understanding of the Dragon of All-Consuming Fire than a human could ever achieve.
The other thing that separates witch doctors from their simpler cousins is their ability to breath fire. According to some theories, this is an ability of which all Sawraiddyn are theoretically capable, but only a few actually manage to accomplish. Those who hold this belief often equate the breakthrough that allows this power with a sort of enlightenment, like opening the third eye or consulting the pineal gland. If this is the case, it's no surprise that only the most intellectually capable of the dragonmen can unleash the gift. The other populare theory is that the ability is either a show variation of standard fire magic or a parlor trick accomplished using slight of hand and alchemical or herbal mixtures.
While a Sawraiddyn tribe is led by a war chief, the witch doctor's superior intellect, magical power, and near-exclusive ability to communicated meaningfully with their human counterparts make them important members of the tribe, particularly for tribes who work closely with humanity.
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