Saurian

Thorntail (Stegosaurus)

Hightop (Sauropods)

SnowHorn (Mammoth)

Red Eye (T-Rex)

Sharp Claw (Allosaurus/Raptor)

Mostly quadrupedal,

Predatory subspecies appear bipedal

**Saurians** are a group of many different species of reptilians from planet Sauria. Not as advanced as their stellar neighbors, they classify themselves into one of several tribes according to their specific species. It is exceedingly rare to see members of the larger subspecies away from their homeworld.

## Appearance and Biology

### Appearance

Saurians are, at their core, all related by one simple fact: they all came about on the same planet. That said, that is where the relationship between their different groups ends. Each tribe is wildly different in physical appearance, temperament, and each often has a particular natural advantage or adaptation.

The most common "Tribe" to see beyond the planet Sauria is the Sharp Claw. Arguably the most well-suited of the tribes to interact with the technology of other races, they appear as bipedal predatory reptiles that usualy stand as tall, if not slightly taller, than the average Lylattian or Meadoan. Due to their physical build, they are able to manipulate items like the mammalian species around them. Skin tones among this subspecies tends towards sandy browns and yellows or greens that allow them to blend more readily with dense forest foliage.

### Biology

Each of the Saurian tribes has its own unique biology. While all called Saurian, it is in fact impossible for members of different tribes to breed and hybridize. The genetic differences between each subspecies are simply too great to overcome with anything less than genetic engineering.

#### Earthwalker

One of the ruling tribes of Sauria, Earthwalkers are the middle-ground of Saurian sizes. Weighing in excess of 5 tons, an adult Earthwalker is capable of impressive feats of strength. They are identified by their quadrupedal stance, thick hide, and heavy bony frill that is able to shield most of their body from frontal attack.

#### Cloudrunner

One of the ruling tribes of Sauria, Cloudrunners are one of the lightest of the Saurian subspecies. Intelligent and aloof, they are the only Saurians able to fly naturally, and tend to use this ability constantly. It also makes them extremely easy to identify, as well as injure as their bones are hollow and exceedingly light.

#### Redeye

Little is known about the Redeye tribe. They are large, strickly carnivorous bipeds that (according to Saurian authorities) show no signs of true sentience and do not speak the Saurian tongue. Their entire subspecies have been the captives of the Earthwalkers for longer than most any Saurian can count. Requests to study these captives have been denied repeatedly by the Earthwalker royalty. However, several Redeyes were said to have escaped during the Apparoid attack on the planet, meaning there could be reptilian carnivores three times the height of a Meadoan wandering the wilds with a hunger for flesh.

#### Sharpclaw

Sharpclaws are the youngest and oddest of the subspecies. History says they were mutated into the form known today after Sauria's second moon colided with the planet in the location known as Moon Mountain Pass. Analysis of their DNA confirmed an alarming amount of strange genetics that is present across the species. They are one of the most varied in appearance in terms of size, ranging from the more common 6 foot tall specimens to some individuals that approach 10 feet.

One of the most notable examples of the Sharpclaws was the warlord known as General Scales, who stood a full 11 feet 2 inches tall and held himself with in a more erect posture that would not become common until decades later.

## History

### Recent History

Most histories of the Saurians were passed down through oral tradition over many generations. As such, many variations of historical events existed throughout their culture. Exploration of ruins across the planet by Lylattian archeologists after the end of the Sharpclaw War was able to piece together some of the facts. However time, weather, and the Apparoid invasion of the Lylatt system saw the destruction of many historical sites and any clues that they may have held towards the true history of Sauria. What history is documented and accurate happened around the time of the Sharpclaw War and the events that nearly destroyed the planet.

The warlord General Scales of the Sharpclaw tribe petitioned the Earthwalker and Cloudrunner tribes for inclusion of his tribe in the ruling council. After rejection of the petition, and the subsequent ignoring of further communications, Scales turned to violence. Taking full control of his tribe, he somehow oversaw the construction of technology beyond anything that any Saurian of any tribe had previously conceived. Within months, Sharpclaw forces had swarmed across the territories of the other tribes and objects known as Spell Stones had been removed from their homes inside the Forcepoint Temples. Incredible amounts of energy from within the planet set off sensors as far away as Cornaria, and the Earthwalker royalty activated a beacon that broadcast a planetary S.O.S. on all channels.

From here, the story is widely known across the Lylat system. The Cornarian Navy turned to the legendary Star Fox squadron to investigate the S.O.S. Squadron leader Fox McCloud embarked on an epic across the surface of Sauria, that ended with the deposing of General Scales, the return of the Spell Stones to their temples, and the revelation that Scales had been manipulated by the last spiritual echoes of the maniacal scientist Andross.

### Post Sharpclaw War & the Apparoid Invasion

After Star Fox departed Sauria, the situation on the planet shifted dramatically. Weakened by the influence of Andross and the sudden severing of that connection, General Scales was displaced as leader of the Sharpclaw by internal factions that had sought to take his power from him. Immediately following this, infighting broke out among the Sharpclaw as groups loyal to Scales fled into the forests across the planet. And, not long after the fighting started, a united force of the other tribes assaulted Moon Mountain Pass, the Sharpclaw homeland. Swiftly defeated by the tribes they once had conquered, the Sharpclaw bowed to the ruling council's will and provided them with all the remaining tools, weapons, and schematics to build them they possessed. The minds that had learned to make advanced technology were also sent away to work under Cloudrunner supervision and teach them what they had learned.

Only a year later, the first prototypes of Sauria's planetary defenses were tested by a foe even Cornaria could not easily defeat. Gun emplacements defended the Earthwalker's Walled City and the Cloudrunner Fortress as the tribes fought valiantly against the mechanical attackers. However, the tide would not turn until Star Fox squadron once more arrived on the world and lent their skill and weapons to the fight. As the Lylattian heroes moved on to chase the enemy, the Saurians stepped from their shattered homes and began to rebuild. Save for one location. Guns had not been placed around the fortress at Moon Mountain Pass, and it would remain closed off to the surviving Sharpclaw indefinitely from this point forward. This would mark the beginning of the Sharpclaw tribe's new dependency on the other tribes.

### The Bombing of Sauria >>WIP<<

They were plentiful in numbers until the Kreet invasion; the Kreet's orbital bombardment of the planet and the rest of the Lylat System whittled their numbers down to only a few tens of thousands. The Krazoa Guard form the bulk of the survivors, having been advanced enough to own a fleet which they used for evacuation.