Lizardfolk

The Lizardfolk, sometimes known as the Cold Ones or the Children of the Gods, are an ancient, savage, and intelligent race of cold-blooded reptilian humanoids that were one of the first civilizations to develop on Vitaea. Long before the rise of Dragonborn, Skaven or Aarakocra, the Empire of the Lizardfolk ruled supreme.
Alien, enigmatic, and without mercy, the Lizardfolk were there when it all began and will be there when the world draws its last dying breath, never tiring nor relenting until order is finally restored to this uncaring, chaotic world. Such is what they were made to do, for they are the ancient servants of the Old Ones, the one true protectors of this very world.
Once, in a long and forgotten age, the Lizardfolk ruled over it all, dominating the ancient world of Vitaea during an age of primeval monsters. Although their realm is now partly in ruins and overgrown, they seek once more to rise up and reclaim that which they have lost many millennia ago. While the task at hand remains near impossible, the Empire of the Lizardfolk still fight on - unleashing their cold-blooded savagery upon any who would stand in the way of their sacred mission.

Biology

The term Lizardfolk , is the name used by many outsiders to represent all of the intelligent cold-blooded denizens of the jungle-continent of Lustria. The Lizardfolk as a whole are a race of large, bipedal reptile and amphibian hybrids that live almost exclusively within warm tropical climates and jungle environments. Though many often find little distinction between each of the individual species that make up their civilization, the Lizardfolk race is not a single race but rather consist of a collection of vastly different species. Though they may be genetically related to other reptiles that inhabit Vitaea, only the Slann, Saurus, Skinks and Kroxigors are considered an actual part of the core Lizardfolk race.

Slann

The mystical Slann appear almost toad-like, with bloated sluggish bodies that contains an almost alien intellect. Large, unearthly creatures, the Slann are quite unlike anything else seen within the world. Their heads are large to match the mighty intellect held within, and their eyes are bulbous and all-seeing. They can live for thousands of years and their bodies become more bloated with the passing centuries.

Saurus

The powerful Saurus are like large, bipedal crocodiles whose entire body seems geared towards combat and warfare. They stand larger than a Man, with bony crest protecting their heads and neck, and tough scales that run down their backs, arms and spines. Even unarmed, Saurus are perfectly capable of slaying their enemies, for their tails and limbs are equipped with all manner of naturally hard spurs and talons, and their jaws are powerful enough to crush bone.

Skink

The crafty Skinks are small, agile, and intelligent creatures that evolved from the amphibious animals that lived in the swamps of Vitaea many millennia ago. The Skinks have the greatest variation in comparison to other Lizardfolk species, but all are universally small, skittish, stealthy and swift. This makes them exceptionally good hunters, stalking through the dense jungles and killing any warm-blooded creature that would dare to venture into their world. The Skinks have a natural affinity with water, and can swim swiftly through dark jungle swamps and rivers.

Kroxigor

The hulking Kroxigors are the largest of the Lizardfolk race. They are essentially giant cousins of the Saurus, bred for their brute strength and power. They are large, powerful creatures, yet their intellect and speech capabilities are far more limited than those of the Saurus. They are terribly strong creatures, able to bear enormous loads, and is encased within almost stone-hard scales of powerful reptilian armor.

Sarlati

In recent centuries, spawnings have been producing a fifth form of lizardfolk, sharing many of the traits of the other four. These new lizardfolk came to be known as the Sarlati, meaning 'unnatural' in the saurian language. The Sarlati are slightly smaller than Saurus, but posses intellect similar to that of the Skinks. Since they were first spawned they've been reviled by many other lizardfolk who see them as a sign the Great Plan is failing and the Sarlati have fought for centuries to make their place in the world.

Spawning

The Lizardfolk core species such as the Slann, Saurus, Skinks and Kroxigors are not born from eggs, like their feral reptilian cousins, but are birth from special pools and ponds located within sacred regions of jungle. This birthing of a new generation of Lizardfolk are called Spawnings. Every Temple-City has its own sacred ponds and expanses of marsh where these spawning events occur. Skinks and Kroxigors tend to spawn in ponds and swamps open to the sky, whereas Saurus and certain other Kroxigors are usually spawned in dank subterranean caverns. Pyramid Temples are frequently built over the top of the entrances to such caverns and outlying swamps are sometimes made into rectangular ponds encircled by stone.
Due to their amphibious origins, some days after the spawning event begins, little tadpoles emerge out of the water, growing in numbers and size at an extremely accelerated rate, feeding on the enormous number of tropical insects that hover above such waters. When the Lizardmen are fully developed they emerge unto dry land in enormous numbers all at the same time.
The interval between spawnings can be very long and usually a spawning will not recur in the same pond within the lifetime of the last generation that was born there. Thus each city is surrounded with multiple spawning pools which spawn at different times of the year. Each spawning is linked to astrological cycles and will always begin at certain conjunction of stars and planets. Since each generation emerge from different ponds at different intervals in time, there are always several dozen Lizardfolk of the same age and origins living within tightly-knit groups within their home city. Being of the same spawning, different age-groups will also have varying degrees of features which are unique to that particular spawning, such as different skin tones, unique markings, a calm and calculated attitude towards administrative duties or a more fierce and warlike attitude towards war.
These large groups of Lizardfolk are given a single directive or purpose upon their birth, such as either being formed into cohorts of tribal warriors or become the artisan and workers for their respective Temple-Cities. Those spawning that only birth a single individual usually means that this particular Lizardfolk is meant to be a leader among their kind. Due to the timing of spawnings, the Mage Priest have careful records which detail the time when a new spawning will occur, but not all are recorded and some spawnings will appear to happen at completely random intervals in time.

Government

The Lizardfolk are all ruled by the mystical Slann, the most intelligent and powerful of the Lizardfolk. It is they who rule the other Lizardfolk as a sacred caste of powerful magic-users, each one bearing the title of Mage-Priests. The Mage-Priest are in all practicality, the political and religious leaders of their entire civilization. All of the Slann living to this very day belong to this sacred caste, because they all possess the ancient intellect and magical powers bred into their race by the Old Ones of a halcyon age.
However, all of the Slann that are alive today are only the descendants of those that have seen the Old Ones in person. Those that actually came with the Old Ones are already long dead and their relics lost to time. Within the hierarchy of the Mage-Priest caste, the oldest of the Slann are the most powerful within their caste, each of which are divided into five spawnings in descending order in relations to power and importance.
Those of the First Spawning are the greatest and most powerful of them all. Unfortunately, all of them have since died out, leaving the Second Spawning to claim the title of Lord Mage-Priest. There are only five Lords left in existence, but each one reigns over one of the great and major Temple-Cities of the Lizardfolk Empire. The Slann of the Third Spawning, known as Master Mage-Priest, are twice as many in numbers and rule the lesser Pyramid-Temples within the Lizardfolk realm. The Slann of the Forth Spawning are known as Mage Champions and serve as the generals and leaders of the Lizardfolk army in times of war. The Fifth Spawning is the most numerous and are the most energetic and alert of them all. They also occupy the lowest position within their caste and only carry the simple title of Mage-Priest.
The Sarlati lizardfolk who live outside of the empire practice several different forms of government. Some following a structure very close to the traditional hierarchy with Slann directing everything while others rule by council or hegemony.

Religion

The Lizardfolk all revere the Old Ones as all-mighty deities, who they believe to be the ancient and long forgotten creators of this world. Many long, bloody millennia have passed since the collapse of the polar gates and the departure of the Old Ones. No living Slann Mage-Priest remains to speak of them and so they passed from memory into legend. Ever since then, the enigmatic Old Ones have come to be regarded not as benevolent rulers of an order spanning the universe and the dimensions, but now as a distant, long-lost pantheon of hungry Gods.
With no first hand knowledge of the Old Ones, and with their records scattered and incomplete since the Great Catastrophe, the Lizardfolk have but a fragmented picture of their creators. The sacred plaques are replete with oblique and obscure references to various Old Ones and their deeds, and from these the Lizardfolk have come to associate specific traits with individual Old Ones. Tlanxa, for example, is an Old One described in many glyphs as the embodiment of the warlike nature of the Lizardfolk , and a pair of matching glyphs sequence in Hexoatl and Itza make reference to him riding to war in a all-mighty sky-chariot.
Quetli is spoken of in the sacred plaques of Hexoatl as the "Protector of the True Way". Xhotl, the Old One after which the temple-city is named, is described in every sequence that mentions him as the chooser of those destined for greatness. As the Lizardfolk have come into conflict with more and more races, those Old Ones associated with the martial aspects of the Lizardfolk nature have come to the fore.

Veneration

Worship of the Old Ones is a highly ritualistic affair, but its exact form depends on the deity in question and the nature of the worshiper who conducts it. The Mage-Priest, for example preside over all manner of ceremonies that occur within his domain but yet remain impassive throughout the entire experience. A Mage-Priest may be carried to a high altar to make the ceremony an official event yet he would remain in his meditation trance all the while, completely unaware or uncaring of the ceremony itself. As such, it is the Skink Priests that actually carry out the many and varied observances, abasement's and rites associated with each Old One.
The Saurus too pay homage to the lost gods in their own, simple way. They may heap the bodies of fallen enemies before a totem to the warrior-defender Quetzl for example, or swallow whole the still-beating heart of the vanquished in honor of Tzcatli, he who grants strength to a warrior's arm. So too, do the Kroxigor make obeisance to the gods of the Lizardfolk. This worship comes from a resounding, low rumbling chant as the sun rises. Perhaps once, before the Great Catastrophe, the Lizardfolk communicated directly to their masters, or had no need to do so at all, since all their needs were already predicted and met. Long after their departure however, the Lizardfolk go to ever-greater lengths to enact the will of their lost Gods.

Major Old Ones

Sotek - God of Blood and Serpents
Tlanxa - God of War
Quetli - Protector of the True Way
Xhotl - Chooser of Greatness
Tzcatli - God of Strength

Language

The Lizardfolk language known as Saurian is a primeval reptilian tongue. It is almost unpronounceable for any race other than the Lizardfolk to speak, due in part because it contains so many unique sounds that can't be spoken in other tongues. Only a Lizardfolk can voice these or interpret them as words or sentences. The Lizardfolk's written language is much more understandable, mainly being composed upon glyphs chiseled unto bare stone or gold. It is doubtful whether the Saurian tongue was spoken by the Old Ones as they probably communicated with the Slann by means of telepathy. As such, many scholars believe that the Saurian language is one unique to the Lizardfolk race.

Society

The society of the Lizardfolk is highly sophisticated and ancient beyond reckoning. It was they who first became the Vitaea's first true civilizations, erecting their cities of ancient stone long before the rise of their neighbors of today. It was they who once ruled the world as the most dominant civilization, writing down ancient mathematics and astronomy upon chiseled tablets of stone long before other Vitaeans had learned to write.
While many other civilizations have arisen and fallen over the long millennium, it is the Lizardfolk who have endured through the ages. Even throughout all this time, Lizardfolk society has remained unchanged for millennium, being focused around a highly structured and strictly enforced caste system. This caste system was built and formed by the orders of the Old Ones, whom themselves created each of the separate Lizardfolk species to fulfill a certain role in their society.
Each individual of the core species is born into one of these castes. Within the system, each caste is composed strictly of one or two of the core species meant to fulfill an extremely important part of Lizardfolk society as dictated by the Old Ones instructions, either as workers, warriors or rulers.

Ruler Caste

The Caste of the Slann are meant to provide the leaders and priest of the Lizardfolk cities. The Slann originally came alongside the Old Ones, acting as the organisers, architects and techno-mages of their society, who are responsible for building the cities to the specific design of their masters. Unlike the rest of the Lizardfolk species, the Slann are notoriously few in numbers, with population usually consisting of no more than a few dozen individuals at any given place.

Warrior Caste

The Caste of the Saurus were bred by the Old Ones to become the warriors and guardians of their society. Bred from the reptilian life that had already dwelt within the primeval jungles during the time of the Old Ones, they were bred specifically for the purpose of warfare. From the moment they are grown enough to crawl from their spawning pools, they know how to fight, enact military formations and to carry out simple yet effect battle plans. They are extremely stubborn and ferocious fighters, encased within natural and highly effective reptilian body armor.

Worker Caste

The Caste of the Skinks and Kroxigors were bred by the Old Ones specifically to be the workers, artisans and labourers of their society. The Skinks were bred to be physically and mentally agile, capable of executing complex tasks that their larger cousins can't comprehend. This allows them to perform many roles that requires a quick mind to work such as being translators, scribes, artisans and administrators of their own communities. Highly organised and sociable creatures, they are perfectly adapted to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the Temple-Cities. Alongside the smaller Skinks are the monstrous Kroxigors that act as powerful labourers for their smaller cousins. The Skinks work closely with their Kroxigor cousins to enact large construction projects that would require their immense strength in order to finish.

The Casteless

There are some Lizardfolk who, for one reason or another, don't fit into the structured caste system of the Old Way. Perhaps due to a greater sense of individuality and purpose, they have difficulty being a part of regular lizardfolk society and often separate from the established empire to create communities among themselves or strike out on their own seeking travel and adventure. These more independent lizardfolk have been rare in past spawnings, but in recent centuries, their number has grown, leading many to believe they are a sign the Great Plan is not being properly followed.
The Sarlati make up a large portion of this group as they are often not allowed to take a place within traditional Lizardfolk society, though Saurus, Kroxigors, Skinks, and even Slann have spawned with the individuality that defines the casteless and have created societies of their own independent of the empire.

Saurus Clubber by Total War: Warhammer II

Lizardfolk Marching by Total War: Warhammer II

Lizardfolk Fighting Demons by Warhammer

Skink Dartblower by Total War: Warhammer II

Skulking Sarlati by Diego De Almeida

Old Slann by Jasper Sandner

Kroxigor Warrior by Total War: Warhammer II

Saurus Soldier by Total War: Warhammer II

Slann Priest by Stefan Kopinski

Chameleon Skink by Lsdrake

Green Sarlati by Elder Scrolls: Online

Saurus Templeguard by Total War: Warhammer II

Slann Casting a Spell by Warhammer

Headdressed Sarlati by Yuxiang Wang

Hulking Kroxigor by Unknown

Finned Sarlati by Unknown

Swampland Kroxigor by Unknown

The lizardfolk of Vitaea are adapted from the lizardmen of the Warhammer Fantasy lore. The content on this page has been adapted from the page on their lore on the Fandom wiki. Credit goes to the author of that page.