Makilek

*For information on this race as an adversary in campaign mode, see Makilek Enemy Types.*

## Description & Development

Armored reptiloids with short snouts, stub tails, and elongated talons on each middle finger. They are commonly referred to as "lizard men", though they are technically related to neither. They have a very unique physiology adapted to life in high temperature, nutrient-poor environments and are able to alter their metabolic rate at will. Their stomachs are remarkably efficient, able to break down hard substances most other creatures cannot digest, and are able to safely extract nutrients from almost anything. This particular trait was of special significance during their evolution as it eventually lead to the ability to ingest raw materials like crystal and metal and incorporate it directly into their skeletal structure. Their claws especially contain very high concentrations of iron and platinum and can carve through wood and stone just as effectively as they can flesh; that being the case, Makilek do not craft tools like knives, chisels, or utensils as they are already biologically equipped with their rough equivalents.

Developing metal infused anatomy gave the Makilek a clear advantage in the arms race to master fire. Simply scraping two claws together is enough for most healthy adults to produce a spark, and so their species was able to experiment with starting and using fire long before the Ubaan and Dryll. With fire making and adaptive metal "tools" already at their disposal the Makilek were able to leap ahead in their development and were the first to invent practices like cooking, cauterization, sculpture, and architecture.

## Culture

While there are various splinter groups with different world views and customs, most Makilek live together in one connected civilization, an extensive network of underground cities carved from stone and lead by a council of highly accomplished elders. Their society is one focused on intellectual progress, with an emphasis on stone-age engineering, architecture, and chemistry. Makilek value scholars and craftspeople, individuals who have trained their minds and hands extensively and can contribute to the advancement of society overall. For as well equipped as they are for combat they are actually quite fiercely opposed to interspecies violence and have strictly enforced laws against it; infighting is considered primitive, backwards, and self-destructive, a sign of a small mind and reckless apathy.

The vast majority of Makilek are atheists. They have no history of deity worship and do not believe in the gods or spirits of the other races, though they do have a special reverence for certain ancestors. Past leaders, innovators, and protectors who improved Makilek society in meaningful ways are elevated as timeless heroes and honored with monolithic statues. This being said, there is not a total absence of folklore in their culture and some modern terms in their language are derived from myths; the sulfuric slurry "Deepblood", for example, is widely referred to as the literal blood of a giant, ancient monster who was slain by the Makilek hero Thraik in spite of it almost certainly being a hydrothermal phenomenon. Customs such as these are fairly rare and tongue in cheek, carried out mostly in honor of past generations.

## History

Originally surface dwellers, the Makileks of old lived on the mountainous, sub-tropical forest continent Kharnham. They prospered for almost a thousand years before being displaced by the violent eruption of a local volcano, Black Spire Mount, which threatened to melt their stone cities and kill millions. Determined to survive by whatever means necessary, they went underground in an effort to better understand the inner workings of the mountain and attempt to divert its flow. This ultimately was not successful, but sufficient living spaces were found in subsurface caverns and so the ancestral Makilek were able to relocate and wait out the eruption underground.

Unfortunately for both the Makilek and their wild cohabitants the surface world was doomed. Toxic vapors and ashfall devastated the continent, but even worse were the effects of the Makilek expanding their civilization underground. Massive cave-ins destroyed forests and sunk bodies of fresh water while vents constructed to aerate their upper tunnels exacerbated the spread of poison gas. Strip mining and hoarding of resources (wood, water, and large herbivores that could be kept as livestock) further contributed to the destruction of old Kharnham, and it would not be until the Great Conjoining many generations later that any signs of life would again appear.

As of the dawning of the Age of Fire the Makilek have been underground for almost twice as long as they were on the surface of Kharnham. They suffered multiple setbacks during their early development, including famines, the "Softfoot Plague", and the destruction of two capital cities by seismic activity- one of which contained the largest collection of ancient stone tablets from their time on Kharnham's surface. In spite of all this the Makilek have flourished, gradually but confidently overcoming the problems of the past and finding new ways to adapt to their surroundings. They are more sophisticated than they were when they lived on the surface and have made great leaps in the understanding of geology and seismology. Had The Great Conjoining not wreaked such havoc on their tunnels they most likely would not have bothered to surface again.

## Special Ability

* **Spark** - Press circle to scrape two claws together and make a spark. Deals no damage but creates a tiny amount of light and sets flammable materials ablaze.

## Items

* **Brightpowder** - A fine white powder used to coat claws. Creating a spark with Brightpowder applied creates a brilliant flash that blinds enemies. Max stack 10.
* **Burnpowder** - An orange powder used to coat claws. Creating a spark with Burnpowder applied creates a small explosion, setting enemies ablaze. Max stack 20.
* **Deepblood** - A highly acidic substance that can be used to coat claws. Temporarily raises attack powder and inflicts a chemical burn status that slowly saps enemy health. The player's character doesn't have the tools to contain it themselves and must look for pre-stored vials. Max stack 5.

## Interactibles

* *Ore Deposits* - Attack white rocks to harvest Brightpowder and orange rocks for Burnpowder.
* *Grindstones* - Attack to temporarily increase melee damage.
* *Deepblood Pools* - Natural hazards that can quickly burn through the player's health... while also refilling all Deepblood vials.

## Stat Ratings (Age of Fire)

* Movement speed: **4th** best
* Swimming speed: **4th** best
* Jump height: **4th** best
* Unarmed attack: **1st** best
* Damage resistance: **1st** best

## Turret

* **Flamebelcher** - A proper (if somewhat rudimentary) war-machine made from nothing but rock. Large stone discs and earthen gears allow it to aim freely and rotate a full 360°. Sophisticated for its time yet deceptively simple, the entire structure can be built without any tools. It houses a giant bellows that blows Burnpowder through an open flame, shooting out long and continuous jets of flame. Able to deal huge amounts of damage up close and set targets on fire. Quite sturdy and the range isn't bad all things considered, but the turning speed leaves much to be desired.

## In the Age of Fire

While a great mercy and opportunity for the lands of the surface, The Great Conjoining proved to be catastrophic for the Makilek. The tectonic shift that brought Kharnham into Pangaea caused widespread destruction underground, both to their cities and roads and to the natural resources they relied on. They had little choice but to brave the surface again and were surprised to find that they were not alone.

Initially the Makilek were not interested in war with the other races even though they did look down on them. Their primary goal was to re-establish surface cities in old Kharnham and keep to themselves as much as possible, but when the central mountain began to smoke it became clear that the ancient past was repeating itself. They spread out into Pangaea and came into conflict with the other races not because it was their intent, but because they are determined not to fail their second trial by fire. They mean to dig under the volcano and divert its flow, sending the deadly magma and gases out to sea away from Pangaea. Their success would benefit all four races, though it seems they are not terribly interested in forging interspecies alliances and would probably work toward their goal even if it didn't.

That being the case, there is not necessarily a rivalry between the Makilek and other races like the Dryll and Rith. While it's true they do look down on them for being less advanced they are not officially enemies, and are engage with as a necessity, not out of hate. The Ubaan on the other hand are their sworn enemies, seen as greedy, power hungry fanatics too focused on the future to thrive in the present. They resent them for their superstitious "lizard man" devil-mythos and are very critical of the speed at which they've developed, believing it to be suspicious and unsustainable.