Tilsin Xiekivi- The Scaled Folk
We hunt together. We strive together. We die together. This is our way. For the Tilsin Xiekivi. For our KIN! FOR THE CLUTCH! FOR THE BROOD!
Tilsin Xiekivi, known as Lizard-folk by higher races, have had an interesting past and present for the current attitude of Acroshia. Appearing almost out of nowhere in the late 7th century of Shar from the swamps surrounding the DeepWoods, the invasive species have been contained to the small area in the Southern peninsula. Born into constant fighting due to their environment with the Natuk orcs, Deepwoods elves, Blackripper Galdur, and dangers of the swamp, the Lizardfolk have turned into a hardened race. Also due to the harsh environment of the swamp, they have adapted to withstand blistering heat and harsh wetlands of the swamps. The Lizardfolk have evolved into apex predators of the swamplands.
Most Lizardfolk that have been seen in Acroshia soil fall under two categories. The first are seen gladiators within battle arenas. Seen nothing more than monstrous savages, they are kept in tight cages. Only fed once in a blue moon, to keep their minds in an animalistic mindsets, so they can become worthy opponents in the arena. The other category are slaves to move large crates or as beasts of burden. Throughout the lands of Acroshia, the Lizardfolk are seen as a lower class compared to even the elven slaves. It is not unheard of for lizardfolk to have been seen wandering the empty roads of Acroshia searching for glory, or their next meal.
Characteristics of Tilsin Xiekivi (Lizardfolk)
Even though the lizardfolk appear to be similar in shape and build, their characteristics can greatly vary due to their growing conditions in their eggs. The lizardfolk take on characteristics from their gestation period from their environment. The standard lizardfolk reach up to a height around six to seven feet tall. Compared to humans, they are bulkier in weight due to their slow metabolism. Also due to the large carnivorous appetite, lizardfolk have an unlikely chance of developing weight problems if they were to ever grow to an old age. One common trait amongst all lizardfolk are their colorful frills surrounding their neck. A symbol of status within the community, the brighter and prettier one's frills were, the greater a chance the lizardfolk would find themselves in a higher nesting rank.
Variance
Two types of lizardfolk exist coming out of their eggs. They are divided into two groups known as carnivores and herbivores.
Carnivores
The typical lizardfolk many individuals would think of when hearing the name. Lizardfolk, with constant hunger for meat, have been equipped with sharper teeth for tearing away flesh from their prey. Out of every clutch of eggs, these make up the majority due toward the lifestyle of the lizardfolk. Under the correct conditions, these lizardfolk can grow to become the apex of the lizardfolk race. Many of the lizardfolk that are carnivores become the bulk of the raiders and hunters that provide for the tribe. Their color palette usually tended to have bright intense colors similar to bright blue, red, and orange allowing them to stand out.
Herbivores
Lizardfolk that don’t need the constant supply of meat to survive. They have taken on duller flatter teeth to help grinded plant materials. These types of lizardfolk have a rare chance of being born due to the mating rituals that take place. However, they have a greater chance of surviving if being born within a clutch. Herbivores, on average, have greater intelligences compared to their carnivoren brethren. They are seeked out and natured in special areas throughout the swamplands to grow into Shamans, and intelligents. Their color palette usually tended to have softer cooler colors similar to green, dark blue, and some purple.
Due to the environmental factors, lizardfolk gain certain tributes to better suit their needs. Higher ranking lizardfolk will place clutches of eggs within such environments in hope to gain benefits that a tribe will need. Examples of such traits are below.
With an increased amount of cold, lizard-folk come out toned and shorter compared to the standard lizardfolk.Their lean muscles allow them to absorb heat from the sun much quicker. A drawback to such means are their lack of strength compared to their stronger brethren. However, they have made up for such weaknesses with their increased mobility. These types of lizardfolk have become scouts for tribes when they move toward better hunting grounds. These lizardfolk are usually named Cold Ones.
With an increased amount of heat, lizardfolk come out stronger and beefer compared to the standard lizardfolk. Their increased muscle mass allows them to retrain heat to allow for longer bouts of travel and fights. With the added body mass, the lizardfolk are more durable allowing them to take on more damage and last longer within fights. A swing from a claw from these types of lizardfolk have been seen to cleave entire trees down in one mighty swipe. These are the main bulk of their raiding parties and beast of burden.
Brood and Clutches
One of the biggest issues within the lizardfolk civilization is that their life-span reaches to sixty years. Certain records show that due to their overall nature, most die to body diseases or battles. The oldest living lizardfolk are the shamans or battle hardened ancients of old. Due to such short life-spans, the egg clutches are the most important part of a tribe's identity. Without a successful hatching of a clutch, then the tribe will not survive. Members of the tribe understand that the only way that the tribe survives is for the clutch to hatch into a Brood.
Every three months, a ritual takes place to ensure a healthy clutch of eggs would be birthed. Only the strongest lizardfolk men are selected during the mating process. At a time, a female lizardfolk could lay up to six to twelve eggs at a time. Once the birthing process is completed, the eggs are distributed throughout the ranking system. Many of them will be placed into warm hidden caves so eggs can grow into the bulk of the lizardfolk populations. Few will be selected to be placed into underwater swamp caves to hide them from the heat. A selected special few will be placed into the Shamanic birthing grounds to grow the next generation of Shamans.
Once the eggs are placed within their hatching nests, it takes about three months for them to hatch. During that time, they start to harden their scales, teeth, and claws. After three months, they hatch into crazed bloodthirsty creatures. Even though there are numerous eggs in each clutch, the risk of infertile eggs are at a higher risk.
Shamanism
The lizardfolk have adapted to adhere to nature throughout nature due to their connections within nature. In the beginning, the lizardfolk were mindless creatures that eat, sleep, and mate without a care in the world. No greater thought, no ideas, just animalistic tendencies just trying to survive. It wasn’t until Raxuz the First Great Shaman came into existence. Unlike any other lizardfolk, Raxuz was similar to the common lizardfolk today. However he had an uncanny connection with nature and the world around it. Raxuz expanded his mind slowly gathering more knowledge of the Weave, nature, and the world. During the Dark ages, Raxuz found something that has been henceforth called “World Tree '' within lizardfolk lore. The one thing that Raxuz found that he hated was that he had no one else in the world to share his intelligence. So, Raxuz took on a task to share his vast collective knowledge amongst his people. It took many years to finally plan a special ritual enhancing all lizardfolk with something called the Great Awakening. Raxuz channeled all the collective knowledge into a single wide burst of shamnic energy throughout the world. At first, nothing happened as Raxuz found that his fellow people were still the same simple creatures they previously were. Unfortunately for Raxuz, he would not live to see the next clutch of eggs to hatch. The New Brood came out of their eggs similar to Raxuz in almost every way. They were twice the intelligence of their previous brood. Over the decades, the lizardfolk slowly evolved into following the ways of Raxuz. Following the way of nature and the world, the way of the Shamans holds a special place amongst the various tribes throughout Shar. Shamans are considered the leaders of the Lizardfolk tribes demanding great power and respect. Considered the most knowledgeable, shamans usually tend to take on the role when reaching the age of forty. Some of the most skilled shamans are able to extend their life-spans due to the sheer connection with the lands. The shaman’s responsibility was to raise their clutch to meet the demands of the tribe. Hunting and Raiding Parties Even with an increased intelligence gifted from Raxuz, the lizardfolk still survived and thrived off hunting from the lands. Any and all prey were on the table when it came to a lizardfolk diet. Before the Great Awakening, they would rush prey from all sides trying to overwhelm them into a feeding frenzy. After the Great Awakening, the lizardfolk developed an unheard thing during their many years of Shar called tactics. The smaller of them would scout out the region looking for prey while the larger ones followed from behind. Once the smaller lizardfolk found the prey, the larger ones would surround the area. Laying in wait for the perfect moment, the lizardfolk would plague upon the unexpecting prey. Hunting packs range from usually ten to fifteen Cold Ones scouting the area out followed by forty to fifty regular lizardfolk hunters. During hunts, the lizardfolk can spend up to two weeks moving across their territory terrorizing all living things with their ravenous hunger. At any one time, about three or four hunting packs belong to a tribe. The smaller collection groups would follow behind the slaughtering trail taking them back toward the main tribe. Since the lizardfolk almost constantly eat due to their hunger, the hunting parties have become the main way of life for most lizardfolk. After a successful hunt, the lizardfolk would celebrate with a grand feast from their most fearsome beast that was slain. Each piece of bone, meat, and entrails go to use. An act that astounds races still today, the lizardfolk have found a way to use every part of a kill for their benefit. Bones to be used as weapons, tendons to be used as rope, pieces of the brain to be used as glue, and many other uses, the lizardfolk have never been one to waste a single part of a kill. It almost appears that they have a sixth sense for it. The first interaction with other races have always been strained to say the least. They have always been seen as creatures and monsters no better than the hollows that walked the plane. However with the increased intelligence, interactions became more interesting to say the least. The lizardfolk did not care for the materials of man, elf, or orc. They only cared about getting their next meal from any source. If they happened to come across a rather undefended village, or tent city, the lizardfolk had no issues with adding extoic meat to the menu. It took about a rather long time before Lizardfolk started to adapt to the idea of caring for a currency. Only the smartest of the shamans knew that the shiny things that other races cared about could be used to buy meat and easier ways to get meat. Another off branch of raiding parties were created for the sole purpose of gathering shiny things for trading with other races. Many of the lizardfolk today consist of thriving in hunting parties or raiding parties. It is considered a great honor to be a part of the two main sources of survival within the tribe. To do so, a Rite of Passage ensures that only the strongest lizardfolk could become a part of the packs. The Rite of Passage is an event held once a year at the Coverage of the Tribes. Once a lizardfolk reaches the age of maturity (age 5), they undertake the Rite of Passage. Many young lizardfolk come to test their strength in a battle against beasts of nature. The trail consists of tracking down, hunting, and successfully killing a dangerous beast known as the Exala (Greater Salamander). Depending on the result of the trail, the young lizardfolk either joins the raiding packs, the hunting packs, or becomes a meal for the swamplands. If a lizardfolk would fail the Rite of Passage and survive, they would become a part of the tribe that never leaves from the main hub. Resulting in cleaning, making weapons, and other mundane tasks. With passing the Rite of Passage, the lizardfolk would have their skills stained a certain color to show which pack they belonged to. The hunting pack have their scales stained green to match their environment of the swamplands. The raiding parties would have their scales stained bright red to strike fear into their enemies. Rumors have it that with great feets of strength and cunning, lizardfolk can have other colors stained onto their body. A few lizardfolk have been seen to be stained with the color blue. It is unknown why they are stained this way, but from what it has been seen, they command great respect amongst the other lizardfolk. The Great Three Tribes After the Great Awakening, the lizardfolk started to see small differences between one another. Raxuz wanted to unite his people together, but he had shown how different one another were. Some were huge and consumed large amounts of meat, others were small, faster, and consumed small plants and nuts. Granting intelligence truly showed how powerful they could be together. However it caused a great rift between the majority of the race. Three major tribes blossomed from the Great Awakening. Laogzadix (chosen of Laogzed) One of the tribes that decided to stay in the old ways of the lizardfolk was the Laogzadix. Also known as just Laos, these creatures are more attuned with how lizardfolk used to live back before the Great Awakening. Refusing to believe in either of the sister tribes, they devoted themselves to a darker power. The God of Devouring, the eater of Souls, Laogzed had found it’s people in the Laogzadix. Being fueled by their constant need to satisfy their hunger, Laogzed blesses them with overwhelming stench. Once a year, the Laogzadix collect anything containing meat creating a huge feast for the honor of Laogzadix. The rumor has it that this is the only time that Laogzadix is powerful enough to appear on Shar itself. Many lizardfolk that come from this tribe have been seen as fighters, warlocks, and barbarians. Yaxchei (the Great Tree of Life) With the teachings of Raxuz still fresh in their brains, the Yaxchei decided to follow his teachings to the best of their ability.Also known as Yax, every decision that Raxuz made, the Yaxchei would try to follow that. Becoming an ideologist about nature and their place in the world, many Yaxchie lead lives to become shamans for many of the smaller groups of Lizardfolk. Yaxchei have been seen as peace-keepers among the rest of the lizard folks out within the swamplands as a whole. They believe that another Great Awakening will come soon with enough devotion to the “Great Tree”. Many lizardfolk that come from this tribe have been seen as druids, rangers, and clerics. Radix-Slithzerkai (the lightning strike of knowledge) One of the last major tribes decided on the knowledge aspect of Raxuz ideals. Also known as Radix, these lizardfolks tend to be smaller in body size, but with an increased brain capacity. They immerse themselves with the ideals of the arcane and the mystical weave of Shar. Their main goal is to gather the best understanding of anything and everything. Most of them are pacifist tending to stay away from the savage swamplands. Many lizardfolk that come from this tribe have been seen as wizards, and sorcerers. Burial Rites, Death, Afterlife The process of death within the realm of Lizardfolk is a process widely accepted way of life. For the lizardfolk, death is a part of the great cycle that eventually will lead them back to the earth. With the emergence of three main tribes within the lizardfolk, different customs started to appear within each one. Each of them following a similar lifestyle that would follow them into the afterlife. Yaxchei practices It is rumored that each death returns the lizardfolk to the “Great Tree '' to join the rest of the Brood. Yaxchei strive to become as perfect as Raxuz was in his own life. When a Yaxchei would die, their body would be returned to the nearest burial site that dot the region within their territories. A sacred place for the lizardfolk that has the greatest connection to the “Great Tree''. The process of burial begins with the removal of their heart. Once the heart is removed, the body is given over to the swamplands to nourish it. With nourishing the grounds, the Yaxchei believed that the “Great Tree '' would provide a greater clutch of eggs. The heart is placed in a special wooden container buried underneath the ground. The beating hearts will keep the connection to the “Great Tree'' alive and thriving. For if the connection with the “Great Tree'' is open, then the lizardfolk race shall thrive. Radix-Slithzerkai practices One of the more intelligent groups of lizardfolk, they have taken on the tradition of burial similar to other races within Acroshia. However they do tend to do a few special things with the bodies. At their heart, the lizardfolk are still creatures that do not wish to waste anything. Radix-Slithzerkai tend to leave small death rites that wish to have their body to be used for certain experiments. Even in death, the curiosity of a Radix-Slithzerkai always overcame their well being. A few notable experiments have been in attempts to bring the dead back to life, to transfer their brain into other creatures to see if they could retain their intelligence, and to construct stronger bodies. Laogzadix practices The Laogzadix have the nasty habit of consuming their dead after conflicts. A commonly held belief is that their body will be consumed and given over to Laogzed. All the meat, bones, and entrails fuel the Laogzadix into continuing their feeding frenzy. It is considered a high prize when the body of a lizardfolk is vomited out. It is seen as a sign of Laogzed that it’s body needs to be preserved and risen to continue feasting in the afterlife. A few creatures that make deals and pacts with Laogzed can bring back these chosen champions of Laogzed. However, they become twisted versions of their previous selfs. Being unable to satisfy the hunger, these champions of Laogzed wander the swamplands feasting on anything and everything they can get their hands on. Other Notable Clan Roles within all Tribes Nursery Guard Lizardfolk females that defend nesting grounds during the hatching process. Considered the most dangerous of the lizardfolk, they are twice the size of regular lizardfolk. A common trait amongst the females are the bright purple color scales that run amongst their bellies. Their scales have been reinforced to take full frontal assault from even the strongest capra demon. The Nursery Guard protects the eggs at all costs to their own life. Many believe that they give into their savage instincts to allow themselves to become better overall protectors. If encountering a Nursery Guard, it is common practice to show that you aren’t a threat by laying on the ground with your belly up. The Nursery Guard considers this an act of submission allowing for the chance of escape at the perfect moment. Riders Cold Ones that have tamed wild dinosaurs to ride on. These are considered the apex predators amongst the scouting units of the lizardfolk. Many cold ones live alongside their beasts taking on similar characteristics to their beasts. An intense bond between rider and beast that when one would die, the other surely follows afterwards. Riders are mostly seen in larger colonies of lizardfolk near the fringes of the territory of the swamplands. They rely on having faster scouts to be able to communicate where the next largest amount of food is. Usually seen as cunning, the Riders have been known to take on trophies and make deals with other outside races. War with the World Ever since the Great Awakening, the lizardfolk have slowly turned into a nomadic tribe living amongst the swamplands near Acroshia. With the increased intelligence, the lizardfolk evolved into efficient killing machines. Being able to meet the demands of their diet faster, more resources started to be depleted in the surrounding lands of their territories. A population boom saw a large number of lizardfolk growing over the years since the Great Awakening. The population of the lizardfolk would start to need more food to meet the rising demands of their growing population. At first, a few raids would start to occur outside the main territories that the lizardfolk have carved out for themselves within the swamplands. An orcish settlement, an elven trade route, a human camp would be the first targets. The small number of survivors would all tell the same story amongst the larger number of races. “Giant Lizards! Eating! Killing!” The main issue in the beginning, the other major races didn’t consider the lizardfolk a non-threat to their realms. Unorganized creatures and monsters similar to hollows and demons, they would be laughed off as an unconcern. When the raids started to become more problematic, causing the trade routes to be shut down due to the number of attacks, the other races started to take notice. However the swamplands were a dangerous place due to the environment and wildlife. Would these unstoppable hungry lizards take over the world? Soon the lizardfolk found themselves at a great disadvantage the moment they started to affect the economic trade relations amongst the other races. Increased guards on caravans, mapped out territoires, and small campaigns wiped out the growing menace of the lizardfolk into a controllable nuisance similar to the galdur. The only thing that stopped the complete extinction of the lizardfolk have been two occurrences. The Massacre of The Thirty-Swords Grip and the Great Burning of Natuk. At one point, the lizardfolk had become organized under a great raider known as Kazk Spiked. At the height of his power, he led thousands of battle hardened lizardfolk through raids amongst the southern Swamplands. With many territories that were once wild swamplands under his control, he turned his sights on a larger target. The entirety of Acroshia. Instead of a land campaign, Kazk Spiked took on a water campaign against the Acroshia lands. However, one issue stood in the way between Acroshia and Kazk's final achievement, hobgoblins. The first encounter between the two forces ended terribly for the Lizardfolk. Untrained monsters with bone weapons never stood a chance against the trained forces of Hobgoblin might. One third of Kazk’s army was slaughtered in a two day battle at The Thirty-Swords Grip. While the Kazk’s army retreated, the hobgoblins mounted a counter attack to squash this disgrace of an army once and for all. It is one thing for a lizardfolk to attack a fortiable position with tons of resources and a trained legion. It is another thing to invade into the lizardfolk territory. It might be called the Hobgoblin way, or ensuring a menace was wiped out, but when the small hobgoblin legion was sent into the Southern Swamplands, they were never seen again. A small number of conflicts popped up here and there with bitter hatred between the two races. An understanding, however, has come between the two though. As long as each other’s race wouldn’t intrude on each other’s land, bloodshed could be avoided. The Great Burning of Natuk is not as it all seems. The great seat of power for the orc empire, it has stood as a beacon against the unruly parts of the eastern swamplands. While many elves and orc raiders would try to destroy the great seat of power, a lizardfolk known as, Ice Veined, came to the aid of the city a long time ago. Ice Veined was a shaman of a small tribe near the great city of Natuk during the early days of its construction. While the city would become known as the height of power, in the beginning, it suffered like every other city that started out on the plane of Shar. Demons, Hollows, invaders would be a common occurrence in the early days of the city. One fateful night, however, a group of invaders set a great fire toward the edge of the forest that surrounded Natuk at the time. Ice Veined, seeing nature being destroyed, jumped into action to save the forest. Having a greater connection to the “Great Tree”, he was able to stop the fire after casting a powerful incantation. After the fire was put out, the Natuk Orcs found Ice Veined dead defending the forest and by extension, their home. That small gesture was remembered by the Natuk orcs declaring that lizardfolk in the surrounding areas had the protections of the Natuk Orcs. Even with the small amount of lizardfolk in the area, the lizardfolk saw an increase in intelligence working alongside the Natuk Orcs defending them when the time would come. . Relationships with the Surrounding Territories/Races A brief look into the relationships with major races surrounding the territories of the lizardfolk. Other interactions have been noted over a number of years from various races. An overall idea of the lizardfolk are large brutes that can easily be persuaded with enough meat. Humans/Acroshia The humans of Acroshia, in recent years, have thought of the lizardfolk similar to the beasts of burden. If they were successful in capturing one, they would be stripped down and treated like basic animals. Kept in small cages and fed to keep them in a perpetual state of hunger, the lizardfolk would be tasked with moving carts across the desert as great beasts of burden. Many of these creatures slowly develop back into their previous mindsets of beasts, while others hold bitter resentment to humans. However, during the early days of Acroshia with the Rise of Mhim, certain humans would hire groups of lizardfolk to become bounty hunters for the swamps. These groups were supplied with better materials, weapons, and overall knowledge to succeed where other lizardfolk have failed. Becoming known as Hardened Scales, these groups would take jobs from hunting and slaying beasts for humans, killing other groups that threatened trade routes, to even murdering their own kind. Seen mostly as outcasts, many Hardened Scales live amongst the wandering roads of Acroshia stopping ever so often to eat, take a job, and move on. Elves/Deepwoods One of the most bitter rivalries within the surrounding forests of Swamplands, the elves have been in a constant war with the Lizardfolk. Many see them as an invasive species into their once proud home. In the beginning, before the Great Awakening, it was easy to defend against mindless beasts. Setting traps usually killed many of the lizardfolk that wandered into their forests looking for a snack. After the Great Awakening, a constant war has been brewing between the two races over the last four hundred years. It wasn’t until very recently that the elves started losing grounds. Since the conflict with the dwarves, the elves have receded further within the forest abandoning many of their lands, the lizardfolk surged forward claiming new territory. Small raids have been seen marching into the Deepwoods every so often, never returning except for the lucky few Cold Ones that rushed away from combat. For the bulk of the lizardfolk race, they see the Deepwoods as the ultimate conquest for their race. It will take years before the race could even attempt a successful campaign into the heart of the Deepwoods. Orcs/Natuk While many of the savage orcs within the swamplands hate the lizardfolk race, the Orcs of Natuk have great respect for Radix-Slithzerkai and Yaxchei tribes allowing them access into the city. The Orcs of Natuk see the lizardfolk almost as an asset for a number of reasons. Yaxchei allows the orcs to gather an impressive amount of natural resources. Radix-Slithzerka allows the orcs fresh resources, examples and test subjects that would see the expansion of knowledge. The other savage orcs have a love/hate relationship with the rest of the tribes. While the lizardfolk are almost comparable to the idiotic savages, both races tend to butt heads over the same resources. The Laogzadix have the biggest issue with the savage orcs of the swamplands seeing them compete with their own endless hunger. Any Laogzadix goes out of their way to murder and eat any orc seen wandering the swamplands. Galdur/Blackrippers One of the newer threats that the Lizardfolk have come to meet, a galdur clan overtook the southernmost tip of the swamplands. The Blackrippers corrupted the lands transforming it into a paradise for corruption and filth. Many situations arose because of the corrupting of the lands within the swamplands, reducing the amount of food open to the lizardfolk. One thing to note is never get in between a lizardfolk and their meal. With the lands losing valuable resources, the lizardfolk migrated further away pushing into the Northern and eastern swamplands. Another situation was that these Blackrippers would figure out a way to steal with a nest site using the eggs for their file mutations. A stain across the life of the lizardfolk, any and all galdur have been murder if spotted within a ten mile radius of a nesting site. Out of all the enemies, the lizardfolk take zero tolerance to the galdur.
The lizardfolk have adapted to adhere to nature throughout nature due to their connections within nature. In the beginning, the lizardfolk were mindless creatures that eat, sleep, and mate without a care in the world. No greater thought, no ideas, just animalistic tendencies just trying to survive. It wasn’t until Raxuz the First Great Shaman came into existence. Unlike any other lizardfolk, Raxuz was similar to the common lizardfolk today. However he had an uncanny connection with nature and the world around it. Raxuz expanded his mind slowly gathering more knowledge of the Weave, nature, and the world. During the Dark ages, Raxuz found something that has been henceforth called “World Tree '' within lizardfolk lore. The one thing that Raxuz found that he hated was that he had no one else in the world to share his intelligence. So, Raxuz took on a task to share his vast collective knowledge amongst his people. It took many years to finally plan a special ritual enhancing all lizardfolk with something called the Great Awakening. Raxuz channeled all the collective knowledge into a single wide burst of shamnic energy throughout the world. At first, nothing happened as Raxuz found that his fellow people were still the same simple creatures they previously were. Unfortunately for Raxuz, he would not live to see the next clutch of eggs to hatch. The New Brood came out of their eggs similar to Raxuz in almost every way. They were twice the intelligence of their previous brood. Over the decades, the lizardfolk slowly evolved into following the ways of Raxuz. Following the way of nature and the world, the way of the Shamans holds a special place amongst the various tribes throughout Shar. Shamans are considered the leaders of the Lizardfolk tribes demanding great power and respect. Considered the most knowledgeable, shamans usually tend to take on the role when reaching the age of forty. Some of the most skilled shamans are able to extend their life-spans due to the sheer connection with the lands. The shaman’s responsibility was to raise their clutch to meet the demands of the tribe. Hunting and Raiding Parties Even with an increased intelligence gifted from Raxuz, the lizardfolk still survived and thrived off hunting from the lands. Any and all prey were on the table when it came to a lizardfolk diet. Before the Great Awakening, they would rush prey from all sides trying to overwhelm them into a feeding frenzy. After the Great Awakening, the lizardfolk developed an unheard thing during their many years of Shar called tactics. The smaller of them would scout out the region looking for prey while the larger ones followed from behind. Once the smaller lizardfolk found the prey, the larger ones would surround the area. Laying in wait for the perfect moment, the lizardfolk would plague upon the unexpecting prey. Hunting packs range from usually ten to fifteen Cold Ones scouting the area out followed by forty to fifty regular lizardfolk hunters. During hunts, the lizardfolk can spend up to two weeks moving across their territory terrorizing all living things with their ravenous hunger. At any one time, about three or four hunting packs belong to a tribe. The smaller collection groups would follow behind the slaughtering trail taking them back toward the main tribe. Since the lizardfolk almost constantly eat due to their hunger, the hunting parties have become the main way of life for most lizardfolk. After a successful hunt, the lizardfolk would celebrate with a grand feast from their most fearsome beast that was slain. Each piece of bone, meat, and entrails go to use. An act that astounds races still today, the lizardfolk have found a way to use every part of a kill for their benefit. Bones to be used as weapons, tendons to be used as rope, pieces of the brain to be used as glue, and many other uses, the lizardfolk have never been one to waste a single part of a kill. It almost appears that they have a sixth sense for it. The first interaction with other races have always been strained to say the least. They have always been seen as creatures and monsters no better than the hollows that walked the plane. However with the increased intelligence, interactions became more interesting to say the least. The lizardfolk did not care for the materials of man, elf, or orc. They only cared about getting their next meal from any source. If they happened to come across a rather undefended village, or tent city, the lizardfolk had no issues with adding extoic meat to the menu. It took about a rather long time before Lizardfolk started to adapt to the idea of caring for a currency. Only the smartest of the shamans knew that the shiny things that other races cared about could be used to buy meat and easier ways to get meat. Another off branch of raiding parties were created for the sole purpose of gathering shiny things for trading with other races. Many of the lizardfolk today consist of thriving in hunting parties or raiding parties. It is considered a great honor to be a part of the two main sources of survival within the tribe. To do so, a Rite of Passage ensures that only the strongest lizardfolk could become a part of the packs. The Rite of Passage is an event held once a year at the Coverage of the Tribes. Once a lizardfolk reaches the age of maturity (age 5), they undertake the Rite of Passage. Many young lizardfolk come to test their strength in a battle against beasts of nature. The trail consists of tracking down, hunting, and successfully killing a dangerous beast known as the Exala (Greater Salamander). Depending on the result of the trail, the young lizardfolk either joins the raiding packs, the hunting packs, or becomes a meal for the swamplands. If a lizardfolk would fail the Rite of Passage and survive, they would become a part of the tribe that never leaves from the main hub. Resulting in cleaning, making weapons, and other mundane tasks. With passing the Rite of Passage, the lizardfolk would have their skills stained a certain color to show which pack they belonged to. The hunting pack have their scales stained green to match their environment of the swamplands. The raiding parties would have their scales stained bright red to strike fear into their enemies. Rumors have it that with great feets of strength and cunning, lizardfolk can have other colors stained onto their body. A few lizardfolk have been seen to be stained with the color blue. It is unknown why they are stained this way, but from what it has been seen, they command great respect amongst the other lizardfolk. The Great Three Tribes After the Great Awakening, the lizardfolk started to see small differences between one another. Raxuz wanted to unite his people together, but he had shown how different one another were. Some were huge and consumed large amounts of meat, others were small, faster, and consumed small plants and nuts. Granting intelligence truly showed how powerful they could be together. However it caused a great rift between the majority of the race. Three major tribes blossomed from the Great Awakening. Laogzadix (chosen of Laogzed) One of the tribes that decided to stay in the old ways of the lizardfolk was the Laogzadix. Also known as just Laos, these creatures are more attuned with how lizardfolk used to live back before the Great Awakening. Refusing to believe in either of the sister tribes, they devoted themselves to a darker power. The God of Devouring, the eater of Souls, Laogzed had found it’s people in the Laogzadix. Being fueled by their constant need to satisfy their hunger, Laogzed blesses them with overwhelming stench. Once a year, the Laogzadix collect anything containing meat creating a huge feast for the honor of Laogzadix. The rumor has it that this is the only time that Laogzadix is powerful enough to appear on Shar itself. Many lizardfolk that come from this tribe have been seen as fighters, warlocks, and barbarians. Yaxchei (the Great Tree of Life) With the teachings of Raxuz still fresh in their brains, the Yaxchei decided to follow his teachings to the best of their ability.Also known as Yax, every decision that Raxuz made, the Yaxchei would try to follow that. Becoming an ideologist about nature and their place in the world, many Yaxchie lead lives to become shamans for many of the smaller groups of Lizardfolk. Yaxchei have been seen as peace-keepers among the rest of the lizard folks out within the swamplands as a whole. They believe that another Great Awakening will come soon with enough devotion to the “Great Tree”. Many lizardfolk that come from this tribe have been seen as druids, rangers, and clerics. Radix-Slithzerkai (the lightning strike of knowledge) One of the last major tribes decided on the knowledge aspect of Raxuz ideals. Also known as Radix, these lizardfolks tend to be smaller in body size, but with an increased brain capacity. They immerse themselves with the ideals of the arcane and the mystical weave of Shar. Their main goal is to gather the best understanding of anything and everything. Most of them are pacifist tending to stay away from the savage swamplands. Many lizardfolk that come from this tribe have been seen as wizards, and sorcerers. Burial Rites, Death, Afterlife The process of death within the realm of Lizardfolk is a process widely accepted way of life. For the lizardfolk, death is a part of the great cycle that eventually will lead them back to the earth. With the emergence of three main tribes within the lizardfolk, different customs started to appear within each one. Each of them following a similar lifestyle that would follow them into the afterlife. Yaxchei practices It is rumored that each death returns the lizardfolk to the “Great Tree '' to join the rest of the Brood. Yaxchei strive to become as perfect as Raxuz was in his own life. When a Yaxchei would die, their body would be returned to the nearest burial site that dot the region within their territories. A sacred place for the lizardfolk that has the greatest connection to the “Great Tree''. The process of burial begins with the removal of their heart. Once the heart is removed, the body is given over to the swamplands to nourish it. With nourishing the grounds, the Yaxchei believed that the “Great Tree '' would provide a greater clutch of eggs. The heart is placed in a special wooden container buried underneath the ground. The beating hearts will keep the connection to the “Great Tree'' alive and thriving. For if the connection with the “Great Tree'' is open, then the lizardfolk race shall thrive. Radix-Slithzerkai practices One of the more intelligent groups of lizardfolk, they have taken on the tradition of burial similar to other races within Acroshia. However they do tend to do a few special things with the bodies. At their heart, the lizardfolk are still creatures that do not wish to waste anything. Radix-Slithzerkai tend to leave small death rites that wish to have their body to be used for certain experiments. Even in death, the curiosity of a Radix-Slithzerkai always overcame their well being. A few notable experiments have been in attempts to bring the dead back to life, to transfer their brain into other creatures to see if they could retain their intelligence, and to construct stronger bodies. Laogzadix practices The Laogzadix have the nasty habit of consuming their dead after conflicts. A commonly held belief is that their body will be consumed and given over to Laogzed. All the meat, bones, and entrails fuel the Laogzadix into continuing their feeding frenzy. It is considered a high prize when the body of a lizardfolk is vomited out. It is seen as a sign of Laogzed that it’s body needs to be preserved and risen to continue feasting in the afterlife. A few creatures that make deals and pacts with Laogzed can bring back these chosen champions of Laogzed. However, they become twisted versions of their previous selfs. Being unable to satisfy the hunger, these champions of Laogzed wander the swamplands feasting on anything and everything they can get their hands on. Other Notable Clan Roles within all Tribes Nursery Guard Lizardfolk females that defend nesting grounds during the hatching process. Considered the most dangerous of the lizardfolk, they are twice the size of regular lizardfolk. A common trait amongst the females are the bright purple color scales that run amongst their bellies. Their scales have been reinforced to take full frontal assault from even the strongest capra demon. The Nursery Guard protects the eggs at all costs to their own life. Many believe that they give into their savage instincts to allow themselves to become better overall protectors. If encountering a Nursery Guard, it is common practice to show that you aren’t a threat by laying on the ground with your belly up. The Nursery Guard considers this an act of submission allowing for the chance of escape at the perfect moment. Riders Cold Ones that have tamed wild dinosaurs to ride on. These are considered the apex predators amongst the scouting units of the lizardfolk. Many cold ones live alongside their beasts taking on similar characteristics to their beasts. An intense bond between rider and beast that when one would die, the other surely follows afterwards. Riders are mostly seen in larger colonies of lizardfolk near the fringes of the territory of the swamplands. They rely on having faster scouts to be able to communicate where the next largest amount of food is. Usually seen as cunning, the Riders have been known to take on trophies and make deals with other outside races. War with the World Ever since the Great Awakening, the lizardfolk have slowly turned into a nomadic tribe living amongst the swamplands near Acroshia. With the increased intelligence, the lizardfolk evolved into efficient killing machines. Being able to meet the demands of their diet faster, more resources started to be depleted in the surrounding lands of their territories. A population boom saw a large number of lizardfolk growing over the years since the Great Awakening. The population of the lizardfolk would start to need more food to meet the rising demands of their growing population. At first, a few raids would start to occur outside the main territories that the lizardfolk have carved out for themselves within the swamplands. An orcish settlement, an elven trade route, a human camp would be the first targets. The small number of survivors would all tell the same story amongst the larger number of races. “Giant Lizards! Eating! Killing!” The main issue in the beginning, the other major races didn’t consider the lizardfolk a non-threat to their realms. Unorganized creatures and monsters similar to hollows and demons, they would be laughed off as an unconcern. When the raids started to become more problematic, causing the trade routes to be shut down due to the number of attacks, the other races started to take notice. However the swamplands were a dangerous place due to the environment and wildlife. Would these unstoppable hungry lizards take over the world? Soon the lizardfolk found themselves at a great disadvantage the moment they started to affect the economic trade relations amongst the other races. Increased guards on caravans, mapped out territoires, and small campaigns wiped out the growing menace of the lizardfolk into a controllable nuisance similar to the galdur. The only thing that stopped the complete extinction of the lizardfolk have been two occurrences. The Massacre of The Thirty-Swords Grip and the Great Burning of Natuk. At one point, the lizardfolk had become organized under a great raider known as Kazk Spiked. At the height of his power, he led thousands of battle hardened lizardfolk through raids amongst the southern Swamplands. With many territories that were once wild swamplands under his control, he turned his sights on a larger target. The entirety of Acroshia. Instead of a land campaign, Kazk Spiked took on a water campaign against the Acroshia lands. However, one issue stood in the way between Acroshia and Kazk's final achievement, hobgoblins. The first encounter between the two forces ended terribly for the Lizardfolk. Untrained monsters with bone weapons never stood a chance against the trained forces of Hobgoblin might. One third of Kazk’s army was slaughtered in a two day battle at The Thirty-Swords Grip. While the Kazk’s army retreated, the hobgoblins mounted a counter attack to squash this disgrace of an army once and for all. It is one thing for a lizardfolk to attack a fortiable position with tons of resources and a trained legion. It is another thing to invade into the lizardfolk territory. It might be called the Hobgoblin way, or ensuring a menace was wiped out, but when the small hobgoblin legion was sent into the Southern Swamplands, they were never seen again. A small number of conflicts popped up here and there with bitter hatred between the two races. An understanding, however, has come between the two though. As long as each other’s race wouldn’t intrude on each other’s land, bloodshed could be avoided. The Great Burning of Natuk is not as it all seems. The great seat of power for the orc empire, it has stood as a beacon against the unruly parts of the eastern swamplands. While many elves and orc raiders would try to destroy the great seat of power, a lizardfolk known as, Ice Veined, came to the aid of the city a long time ago. Ice Veined was a shaman of a small tribe near the great city of Natuk during the early days of its construction. While the city would become known as the height of power, in the beginning, it suffered like every other city that started out on the plane of Shar. Demons, Hollows, invaders would be a common occurrence in the early days of the city. One fateful night, however, a group of invaders set a great fire toward the edge of the forest that surrounded Natuk at the time. Ice Veined, seeing nature being destroyed, jumped into action to save the forest. Having a greater connection to the “Great Tree”, he was able to stop the fire after casting a powerful incantation. After the fire was put out, the Natuk Orcs found Ice Veined dead defending the forest and by extension, their home. That small gesture was remembered by the Natuk orcs declaring that lizardfolk in the surrounding areas had the protections of the Natuk Orcs. Even with the small amount of lizardfolk in the area, the lizardfolk saw an increase in intelligence working alongside the Natuk Orcs defending them when the time would come. . Relationships with the Surrounding Territories/Races A brief look into the relationships with major races surrounding the territories of the lizardfolk. Other interactions have been noted over a number of years from various races. An overall idea of the lizardfolk are large brutes that can easily be persuaded with enough meat. Humans/Acroshia The humans of Acroshia, in recent years, have thought of the lizardfolk similar to the beasts of burden. If they were successful in capturing one, they would be stripped down and treated like basic animals. Kept in small cages and fed to keep them in a perpetual state of hunger, the lizardfolk would be tasked with moving carts across the desert as great beasts of burden. Many of these creatures slowly develop back into their previous mindsets of beasts, while others hold bitter resentment to humans. However, during the early days of Acroshia with the Rise of Mhim, certain humans would hire groups of lizardfolk to become bounty hunters for the swamps. These groups were supplied with better materials, weapons, and overall knowledge to succeed where other lizardfolk have failed. Becoming known as Hardened Scales, these groups would take jobs from hunting and slaying beasts for humans, killing other groups that threatened trade routes, to even murdering their own kind. Seen mostly as outcasts, many Hardened Scales live amongst the wandering roads of Acroshia stopping ever so often to eat, take a job, and move on. Elves/Deepwoods One of the most bitter rivalries within the surrounding forests of Swamplands, the elves have been in a constant war with the Lizardfolk. Many see them as an invasive species into their once proud home. In the beginning, before the Great Awakening, it was easy to defend against mindless beasts. Setting traps usually killed many of the lizardfolk that wandered into their forests looking for a snack. After the Great Awakening, a constant war has been brewing between the two races over the last four hundred years. It wasn’t until very recently that the elves started losing grounds. Since the conflict with the dwarves, the elves have receded further within the forest abandoning many of their lands, the lizardfolk surged forward claiming new territory. Small raids have been seen marching into the Deepwoods every so often, never returning except for the lucky few Cold Ones that rushed away from combat. For the bulk of the lizardfolk race, they see the Deepwoods as the ultimate conquest for their race. It will take years before the race could even attempt a successful campaign into the heart of the Deepwoods. Orcs/Natuk While many of the savage orcs within the swamplands hate the lizardfolk race, the Orcs of Natuk have great respect for Radix-Slithzerkai and Yaxchei tribes allowing them access into the city. The Orcs of Natuk see the lizardfolk almost as an asset for a number of reasons. Yaxchei allows the orcs to gather an impressive amount of natural resources. Radix-Slithzerka allows the orcs fresh resources, examples and test subjects that would see the expansion of knowledge. The other savage orcs have a love/hate relationship with the rest of the tribes. While the lizardfolk are almost comparable to the idiotic savages, both races tend to butt heads over the same resources. The Laogzadix have the biggest issue with the savage orcs of the swamplands seeing them compete with their own endless hunger. Any Laogzadix goes out of their way to murder and eat any orc seen wandering the swamplands. Galdur/Blackrippers One of the newer threats that the Lizardfolk have come to meet, a galdur clan overtook the southernmost tip of the swamplands. The Blackrippers corrupted the lands transforming it into a paradise for corruption and filth. Many situations arose because of the corrupting of the lands within the swamplands, reducing the amount of food open to the lizardfolk. One thing to note is never get in between a lizardfolk and their meal. With the lands losing valuable resources, the lizardfolk migrated further away pushing into the Northern and eastern swamplands. Another situation was that these Blackrippers would figure out a way to steal with a nest site using the eggs for their file mutations. A stain across the life of the lizardfolk, any and all galdur have been murder if spotted within a ten mile radius of a nesting site. Out of all the enemies, the lizardfolk take zero tolerance to the galdur.
Comments