Den'Shegri

The Den’Shegri are reptilian humanoids that inhabit the swamplands and deltas all over Thelos.  They are a primitive, war-like people who are just now starting to expand beyond their cultural and territorial boundaries, even attempting a modicum of trade with less discriminating neighbors.  They are still dangerous, mostly evil, and extremely confrontational, but they are beginning to stretch out into the modern world.

**Physical Appearance:** Den’Shegri stand a head taller than the average human, if they were to stand up straight.  Due to their hunched posture they appear shorter by comparison.  Their skin is covered in scales of various sizes and colors, and most have bony ridges that run down each side of their spine from the tops of their heads to the end of their three to four foot tail.  Like other reptiles, den’shegri are hairless, but do have a wide variety of spines and ridges that can form the appearance of hair or a beard.

Den’Shegri wear a mix of bone and hide armors and jewelry.  Their tools and weapons are also made of bone, stone and wood.  Metal is only present when they have been able to take it from their conquests, or what little trade has started to spring up.

**Society:** Because their young are self-sufficient almost from the moment of birth there is little in den’shegri society that separates males from females outside of caring for the eggs of the young.  Their tribes are ruled by the strongest male or female, and the work is shared equally.  They also do not have any sort of martial bonding ritual like other races.  When a female is ready she will look for the strongest male and sometimes fight other females for him.  This generally sparks a fight between the males, and if the female’s chosen one loses, or is injured, he may find himself replaced in her desires.

Only recently have the den’shegri begun to branch out into trade for what they need rather than conquest.  They don’t have much in the way of crafts but they are unparalleled trackers and hunters, and are starting to find a market for their skills and the fish and game of their regions.  It will be generations before the den’shegri join the rest of civilized society on Thelos, but they are starting to appear more and more outside their usual haunts.

**Relationships:** Personal relationships among the den’shegri just don’t exist outside the basic needs of a species to survive and reproduce.  This translates to their dealings with outsiders.  Den’shegri don’t really understand friendship, and have no capacity for love.  For them another individual is only important if they are useful to one’s survival.

For as long as anyone can remember the den’shegri have been a war-like and savage race.  Their dealings outside their territory are almost always hostile, except with the few that will trade with them.  They have no real allies, nor do they think they need any.

**Alignment and Religion:** Den’shegri society is based around rule of the fittest, which drives a very chaotic nature into the reptilian people.  They have no sense of honor, or law, only the dictates of the current leader, and only as much loyalty as the strongest is able to inspire.  In their dealings with others they tend to be neutral or evil on the moral axis, being savage and uncaring, even to their own people.

On matters of faith the den’shegri worship a great, winged serpent called On’Kohtl.  Outsiders have never seen the idols or temples to this mysterious deity, and lived to describe them, but the iconography can be seen on some of the den’shegri gear.  It’s believed that On’Kohtl is perhaps a dragon, or even a daemon, but one thing that can be agreed upon is the being is real and has some power.  The den’shegri do have divine casters among their tribes, and tribes that have never met worship the same being so there’s no doubt it is a deity of some sort.

**Adventurers:** Den’shegri adventurers are few and far between.  Some might be weak males that have been driven out of their tribe but escaped alive, or some that caught the bug to explore the world rather than ravage it.  They tend to be barbarians, warriors, druids, rangers and clerics, but it wouldn’t be unheard of to see some rogues.  They lack the mental aptitude for learned magic so wizards would be the rarest.

**Den’Shegri Names:** The language of the den’shegri is impossible to reproduce without magic if one lacks the anatomy of the reptilian species.  Because of this they will choose names that others can pronounce if they have to deal with outsiders.  Among their own people their names involve clicks, and whistles produced from multiple nostrils along their snout

**Den’shegri Racial Traits:** Den’Shegri are essentially lizardfolk of the core books and incorporated as a playable race on Thelos.

* +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence.
* Medium:Den’Shegri are medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Normal Speed:  Den’Shegri have a base speed of 30 feet.  They also have a swim speed of 15 feet.
* Hold Breath:  Den’Shegri can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 times their Constitution score before they risk drowning.
* Agility:  Den’Shegri have a +4 racial bonus to Acrobatics
* Weapon Proficiency: Bolo