Volshebnik Lizardmen

## **Volshebnik Lizardmen: Attuned To The Land**

With its many human and humanoid races, it's easy to dismiss the Setlaar as being a very mundane land, for all its technology. It is societies such as the many varieties of the Volshebnik of Dom that put the claim to rest, with their exotic culture and extreme dimorphism among their people. Not only that, but it is the appreciation for the natural world that the Volshebnik find natural which helps to ground the confederacy, and remind them of their roots. Without the likes of these scaly folk and their semi-druidic ways, it's entirely possible the Setlaar would have mentally divorced themselves from the very land that bore them, and forgotten the respect they should hold for the world at large in which they live.

### **Physical Description**

Long ago, the Volshebnik somehow became so intrinsically tied to their homeland of Dom that their very forms can now be entirely influenced by it. When in the first stages of pregnancy with a clutch, a Volsheb mother can ingest certain breeds of flora from the steppes and savannas to shape her brood. The Volsheb have largely used this mechanism to fulfill their societal needs, such as feeding expectant mothers with hardy roots to birth the large, muscular warriors lizardmen are known to be when in times of war. Other times, when in the midst of a cultural bloom, they can ingest narcotic mushrooms to create more lithe, gecko-like children with artistic sensibilities. In this manner, Volshebnik can vary in similarity to various reptiles and amphibians, from salamanders and toads to crocodiles and monitor lizards.

### **History**

#### Mysteries of Origin

If there is one thing the Volshebnik are careful with towards outsiders, of all things, it is their history. On a whim, it seems their elders can spin fantastic tales concerning their origin, with wild creation myths involving curious gods to a more scientific, evolutionary inception. Either way, it's difficult to separate fact from fiction, but the most that stubborn anthropologists have confirmed is this: the Volshebnik have been in Dom since the very beginning, and are not migrants from other lands who decided to settle in their home. Oral histories passed through generations, with various fragments of truth that have been verified with studies assisted by chronal magic, though much of what the lizardmen say has been denoted as exaggeration or half-truths besides the verifiable.

#### Advocates For The Abused

What is known is their more modern involvement in the Setlaar's history, such as their involvement in the initial forays into Eatash Alram. Though the diplomatic Soigner were the chief contacts for tribal authorities and official contracts, it was the Volshebnik that the Alrimal natives connected to the most, with their matching reverence for the land. While the humans of Patrie were more familiar, it was their exotic forms and philosophy that sparked the natives' wonder and curiosity for their guests which, unfortunately, opened them up to exploitation by the Alinibal Court's founders. Ever since their realization of their part in the Alrimal's dispossession of their home, the Volshebnik have been staunch allies in their welfare, and before the rise of The Son of Sand, the lizardmen were the closest thing the desert tribes had to protectors in the confederacy.

Similarly, when the atrocities of the Verk Empire in Etera became known to the Setlaar, it was the Volshebnik who led the side which wished to intervene against the Empire, and encouraged the use of their military power to stop the mad king. Again though, as with the Alrimal, there was little they could do when the Alinibal Court, in one of their very few bold acknowledgements of their true power over the Confederacy, utterly embargoed the Setlaar from interfering, and left the people of Etera to fend for themselves. Likewise, again as with the Alrimal, the Volsheb have since acted in Etera's favor since the official bridging between the two continents after the Hungering Sands Incident, lobbying for special trade rates to elevate the primitive, monster-plagued nation to a richer standard. With the rise of the Kingdom of Aetveris, they have found steady business partners with various Volsheb-owned corporations.

### **Culture**

If there is one word that defines the Volshebnik culture, it is "naturalism". A reverence for the land is present in every aspect of their society, with careful harvesting of its resources as well as consideration for ecological impact in their architecture and construction. Modern Volsheb are taught not only in the self-evident virtues of caring for their home, but also respect in the work of their ancestors to tame and preserve Dom. Of all the Setlaar States, Dom has the highest population of druids per capita, and most environmental groups throughout the Confederacy make use of the lizardmen as advisors and their industry leaders as sources of capital. Beyond patriotic sentimentality, this has roots in pragmatism, as much of the plantlife in Dom is deadly toxic if improperly ingested or even handled, with the most infamous being narcotic flowers whose spores carried in the wind can drug a man heavily enough to ensure he will starve or be easy prey for animals. The Volshebnik are only somewhat resistant to its effects, with completely immunity being reserved to their most honored of people, the Yazn'y Um.

The Yazn'y Um, a term with unclear translation to Common, are cultural heroes of the Volshebnik. Whether chefs or painters, generals or priests, the Yazn'y Um are those who have provided great service to their people in various ways. It is quite easy to tell when a Volsheb is destined for such greatness, as all Yazn'y Um are born blind, and completely immune to the deleterious effects of Dom's flora, often training native shamen to administer doses of narcotics effectively so as to provide guidance through their visions, instead of mindless delusions and fevered nonsense. All Yazn'y Um are honored at their capital, though not all those possessing the gift are called such. Some grow to abuse their power for their own use, becoming known as ¨Temnyye¨, or ¨Dark Ones¨. Temnyye are few and far between, even for a rare population, but inevitably wind up causing great misfortune for their people.

A more minor aspect of Volshebnik culture is unrelenting positivity. No matter the situation, and no matter their shape, they seem to always be the sort to find silver linings in the worst circumstances. Not all of them are so enthusiastic in their optimism, some preferring to be more subtle, but it's hard to find a Volsheb that will simply collapse in dire situations. It's unknown what exactly drives them to act so positively, with theories often involving the influences of Dom's narcotic plantlife, though even the most cerebral of their kind will claim it simply comes natural. Perhaps it really is just in their blood to see the best in everything.

### **Religion**

As stated before, the Volshebnik venerate the land, and subsequently will often worship nature deities such as Erastil or Cernunnos and druidic organizations such as The Green Faith have strong footing in the state. Even the more generically spiritual among them will pay respect to the soil beneath them, especially when in Dom itself. They also worship the Yazn'y Um as living expressions of nature's favor, their immunity to the toxins of Dom's vegetation seen as sure signs of being blessed by ancestral spirits. The fey are generally treated with great respect, being naturally more attuned to the deeper powers of creation, and denizens of The First World will often have a home in either a Domian home or the shrines erected in the gigantic trees that dot the landscape. The Son of Sand also enjoys some worship among the Volshebnik, with his focus on family and encouraging the attitude of a benevolent keeper of the homeland, though his militancy against foreigners is sometimes ignored, if understood considering his Alrimal origins.

## **Racial Traits**

The many forms of the Volshebnik allow for a variety of characters, but both Setlaar scientists and the Volsheb themselves often categorize them into several groups differentiated by their intended role in society. No matter what their shape however, all Volshebnik possess the special Narcotic Resistance trait, allowing them to roll with advantage (roll twice, take highest) against drug effects and addiction saves.

### Boyets

The Boyets Volshebnik are the typical warriors expected of their kind, with the same Ability Score Modifier, Type, Size, and Natural Armor Bonus of traditional lizardmen. They also possess the same Natural Attacks of Bite and Claws, but replace their Swim with Fast (+10ft bonus to base Speed), being more naturally suited to combat on land than sea or swamp. In terms of aesthetics, they tend to resemble generic lizards, with dark coloration of the scales that befit Dom's dry, grassy environment.

### Koldun

The Koldun are dedicated casters among the Volshebnik, either as warmages in conflict or shamanic teachers in peacetime. They possess the same Type, and Speed of traditional lizardmen, but replace their +2 to Strength and Constitution with matching bonuses to Wisdom and Charisma. Their teeth and claws are not as sturdy as a Boyet's though, and their hide not as thick, lacking Natural Attacks and Armor Bonus. Instead, they have a greater aptitude for casting, with both Deep Magic (+2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance and a +2 racial bonus on dispel checks) as well as Arcane Focus (+2 racial bonus on concentration checks made to cast arcane spells defensively). Koldun are Small creatures, often resembling geckos and other less sizeable lizards.

### Zver

Zver Volshebnik are great creatures, dedicated rankbreakers in war easily capable of tossing away men and light vehicles, or moving loads of concrete on less bloody occasion. The Zver are often mistaken as beasts by foreigners, being quadruped instead of bipedal, and with lower intelligence (the rare Zver caster is usually taught to use their tail for somatic and material components of spells). Zver by default do not speak universal Common, only the Volsheb dialect, with a -2 to Intelligence and Dexterity, +4 to Strength and Constitution, with Slow Speed (base 20ft movement), Large Size, and Improved Natural Armor (additional +1 to Natural Armor Bonus). They also lack Swim, but gain Relentless (+2 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to bull rush or overrun an opponent. This bonus only applies while both the member of this race and its opponent are standing on the ground). In form, Zver resemble enormous crocodiles, monitor lizards, or other predatory reptiles.