Lizardfolk

## Description:

The Lizardfolk, once proud and powerful members of an ancient underground empire in the Hollow Earth, are no longer the symbols of civilization they once were. Cursed and abandoned by their gods, the Lizardfolk are known as one of the most savage, primitive, and primal races of the K2 Universe. The Lizardfolk, being cold-blooded creatures, prefer warm and tropical climates with easy access to water. Lizardfolk come in many shapes and sizes, depending on their heritage, and as such the height and weight ranges are large. Despite this, almost all Lizardfolk are athletic, even if they lack raw strength.

Lizardfolk commonly possess green, black, yellow, or red eyes. Lizardfolk do not have hair naturally, although some will adorn themselves with hair or feathers collected from other creatures, and instead have reptilian scales that can range in color from shades of green to blue to red; some subspecies of Lizardfolk have slick skin or skin that changes color.

Lizardfolk are seen as barbaric and monstrous by most other races, with some exceptions. The Dragonkin, for instance, often take pity on the Lizardfolk, while the Wad-Thet manipulate tribes of Lizardfolk into becoming slaves and workers.

While the other races think of the Lizardfolk as unintelligent and primitive, this underestimation is often used to the Lizardfolk's advantage. While some subspecies are less intelligent than normal humans, a majority of them are just as smart. This intelligence is muddled and hidden by the Lizardfolks' instincts, which supersede their intelligence whenever a conflict arises and can lead them to act immorally or brutishly. Applying morality to Lizardfolk is an unfair comparison, however, as their forms of philosophy and higher thought are purely pragmatic and do not care for emotions. Lizardfolk strive to survive against their devolving physical forms, and will do anything it takes to retain and regain their power. Because of this, Lizardfolk themselves are not seen as wise, although their ancient texts, murals, and works of art tell a different story; before they reached their current state of evolution, the Lizardfolk did, at one time, possess great power, wisdom, and intelligence.

Lizardfolk reproduce sexually, through the laying and insemination of clutches of eggs. These clutches of unborn young can range in size and number drastically, and change depending on the amount of available food and the situation of the birthing generation. Should a tribe be at war, their new young will be stronger, taller, and mostly male. Should a tribe be low on food, they will lay fewer eggs that produce smaller young in order to conserve supplies. Children are treated like nuisances or, at best, potential helpers and assistants; Lizardfolk are not above eating their young if food grows too rare, nor are they above using their children as soldiers in times of desperation.

Lizardfolk tend to live for fifty (50 to seventh (70) years, but this lifespan can be extended by magical means. Lizardfolk do not possess the technology to extend their lives.

### Personality:

The primary goal of every Lizardfolk is survival. They act on instinct, and seek only to continue their race's existence. Secondarily, Lizardfolk wish to preserve their history and territory as much as possible, and prove incredibly territorial as a result. Lizardfolk seek to prevent their race's further devolution into feral beasts, a process that has, as of the time of writing, continued to fail at every turn. Every Lizardfolk understands the danger their race is facing by the entropic effects of time, and seek to keep themselves alive in order to preserve the degenerated state they find themselves in.

Lizardfolk are entirely pragmatic creatures, and border on apathetic in most situations. As such, they tend only to pick fights they think they can win, and generally avoid allowing their anger to consume them. This being said, Lizardfolk are incredibly territorial and will seek to kill or drive away anyone encroaching on their territory. Lizardfolk do not have a sense of personal ego, and do not see themselves as superior or inferior to anyone; instead, they evaluate everything on an immediate basis to determine their likelihood of survival and success against a given foe.

Lizardfolk rarely take slaves, but will bring prisoners back from their camps to kill and consume at a later time. They treat their slaves like livestock, and house them all together.

Lizardfolk do not believe in hedonism, and view such practices as entirely wasteful and inefficient. Hedonistic tendencies frustrate Lizardfolk, and as such refrain from using anymore than they need. They will take more than they need, to ensure they have enough supplies for the future, but will not use those extra supplies without needing to do so. Modern Lizardfolk do not have many forms of art, and practice ritual dances, chanting, and basic cave paintings to express themselves; the ancient ruins and tombs belonging to their long-dead ancestors are all that is left of the Lizardfolk written language and their long forgotten works of art.

Despite their emphasis on survival, Lizardfolk are not paranoid. They focus their lives on survival and the improvement of their people, and will refrain from engaging anyone and anything they feel is beyond their ability to slay or capture, but they are otherwise calm and purely logical creatures.

### Abilities:

The physical abilities of many subspecies of Lizardfolk surpass normal humans. Many Lizardfolk are stronger, possess greater stamina and endurance, and possess strong predatory instincts that keep their bodies in the peak of their condition. While this is not true for all subspecies of Lizardfolk, all of them possess some superior physical attribute over an average human. Lizardfolk have acute senses of smell and are excellent natural hunters and trappers, and can see very well in darkness. Many subspecies of Lizardfolk are also excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for extended periods of time without issue. Their jaws are powerful and can pierce even plate armor, their hands tend to end in sharpened claws to use when their makeshift stone spear or axe breaks in combat, and many subspecies possess powerful tails used to balance, for utility, or for offense in combat.

Lizardfolk do not possess any innate magical abilities, but are known to draw power from the ruined temples and cities of their ancestors. Lizardfolk shamans and tribal leaders often make use of rudimentary totemic, shamanistic, or learned magic, and many possess one or more enchanted item. Ancient Lizardfolk tombs are regarded as some of the most dangerous and most lucrative types of site to find and scavenge from, being filled with ancient wonders of magic and technology alongside the unimaginable wealth in the form of gold and silver coins, artifacts, magic items, and more. These tombs are heavily guarded and protected by any nearby Lizardfolk tribe, in addition to being boobytrapped and magically warded against all manner of intrusions.

Lizardfolk possess few obvious weaknesses, but their pragmatic nature makes interpersonal relationships difficult and conflict common; additionally, Lizardfolk are often seen as evil or cowardly for their refusal to engage a foe they feel they cannot beat.

### Subspecies:

1. Quetzalcoatls: Massive flying feathered serpents (Dragons), believed to be remnants of an older form of Lizardfolk from before the race's current iterations of devolution; revered as gods for their magical powers, infinite lifespan, and wisdom.
2. Ranganae: Short frog-like humanoids that commonly fill the role of shaman or advisor; generally more cautious and wise than the other subspecies, with some being able to naturally produce their own very powerful poisons.
3. Crogodilians: Large and powerful amphibious Lizardfolk derived from mundane crocodiles and alligators, used almost solely as warriors.
4. Lacerpans: Human-sized Lizardfolk that make up a majority of the race's population; serve all kinds of roles, including as warriors and scouts.
5. Talipans: Similar in stature to the Lacerpans, Talipans are human-sized Lizardfolk with chameleonic skin that changes color and texture to match their surroundings; specializing in stealth, hunting, trapping, and poisons, these Lizardfolk are used primarily for combat and hunting.
6. Testugas: Large turtle-like humanoids with very durable shells on their backs, powerful snapping jaws, and sharp clawed hands that can break a man's skull with a single grip.

These subspecies are known to live in the same villages and within the same tribe, but separate groups of the same subspecies are also just as common.

## Culture:

The goal of Lizardfolk culture is to preserve the race's current state of being. The Lizardfolk wish to stop the devolution that plagues their people, most commonly by attempting to appease the gods their ancestors scorned. As a result, the Lizardfolk simultaneously revere their ancestors for their skills and knowledge and wealth and power, but also hate them for the crimes they committed against their gods. Lizardfolk culture is very egalitarian and centered around hunting and gathering; agriculture is only seen in certain tribes of Lizardfolk, these more advanced forms of civilization observed most commonly with the domestication of animals for eating, combat, and mounts. As such, Lizardfolk tend to see each other as equals, with recognition shown for demonstrated talent and skill; the Quetzalcoatls are a rare exception to this rule.

While each of the subspecies demonstrate a unique talent or specialization, any of them can hold any job within a tribe or village; such odd division of labor is especially common during times of difficulty and strife, when the population is low or otherwise preoccupied. A majority of each subspecies tends to stick with their physical talents and specializations, but some of each subspecies are known to diverge from their natural talents to seek other fields of work.

The Lizardfolk language has been reduced over the millennia to only a spoken one; the written Lizardfolk language remains only on the ruins of their ancestors and in their ancient and powerful scrolls and tomes hidden deep within their buried tombs and temples. The spoken Lizardfolk language is unpronounceable by most species other than Dragonkin and the Wad-Thet.

#### Military:

The Lizardfolk have no official military force, but every Lizardfolk is capable of combat and will defend themselves. While some subspecies are more naturally fitted for combat, all Lizardfolk are trained and equipped for some form of combat.

### Religion:

The Lizardfolk practice a polytheistic faith with no preference for either gender that focuses inwards on the reverence of the gods and the elimination of sin within the practitioner as a way of appeasing the gods and preventing further devolution. Divine interaction for the Lizardfolk is indirect, and comes in the form of interactions with the artifacts and locations of the race's ancient ancestors; the Lizardfolk's gods abandoned them long ago, and now they are left to fend for themselves. Unsurprisingly, the Lizardfolk religion focuses heavily on holy sites, objects, religious services, and holidays. For the Lizardfolk, the Afterlife is not a pleasant one, as they feel that the gods are so displeased with their kind that death is just the beginning of a new stage of servitude in the name of their pantheon of deities; for some, this is hope that they might one day accomplish their goal and win back their gods' favors, but many others view it as an inevitable cycle of worship. Lizardfolk see the supernatural in their shamanistic practices, magic, technology more advanced than their own, good and evil nature spirits, the weather, and in the artifacts and locations previously constructed by their ancestors. As mentioned previously, holidays are numerous and celebrate the race's ancestral sites, artifacts, people, and events.

#### Pantheon:

1. Quetzalcoatl: Feathered serpent God (Dragons) of the sky, birds, creation, the Sun, wind and other weather phenomena, redemption, non-humanoid reptiles (includes dinosaurs), etc.; believed to have been responsible for the Lizardfolk's creation, and one of the few gods to resist turning their back on the Lizardfolk mortals. Quetzalcoatl leads the Lizardfolk pantheon as the most powerful deity among the rest.
2. Rhoshk: God of the Underground and Hollow Earth, earthquakes, etc.; believed to have been responsible for the destruction of the Lizardfolk's underground cities in the Abandoned Abyss.
3. Athraxl: God of Destruction, magic, fire, revenge and vengeance, evil nature spirits, etc.; believed to have been the god behind the destruction of the Lizardfolk's ancient civilization and the one responsible for convincing the other gods to aid him.
4. Yuth'Lisk: Goddess of the surface world, trees, benevolent nature spirits, alchemy, etc.; believed to be responsible for evicting the Lizardfolk's ancestors to the surface of Earth.
5. Ss'Rez: Goddess of decay, entropy and rot, death, the Afterlife, etc.; believed to be responsible for the physical and mental devolution of the Lizardfolk as a result of the mortals' rejection of the gods many millennia ago.
6. Yid'Sseht: God of Deceit and lies, snakes and serpents, poisons and venoms, trickery; believed to be responsible for the creation of the Wad-Thet from the Lizardfolk's original forms; worshipped only by the Wad-Thet.

\*there are believed to be many more gods/goddesses that have yet to be recorded; list is open to additions as further research is conducted\*

#### Clergy:

The clergy come in the form of shaman for the Lizardfolk, and serve the purpose of maintaining the sites and artifacts of their ancestors, maintaining the race's oral history of myths, legends, lessons, and stories, and managing the worship of the gods amongst their community. Lizardfolk shaman are critical members to Lizardfolk communities; communities will collapse if left without a shaman as its members migrate to join another nearby tribe that has a shaman.

Shaman live lives better than the other Lizardfolk in their villages, and can be from any of the subraces (although Lacerpan are most common and Crogodilian most rare); they are considered the most important member of the village and occupy a higher sociopolitical status than even village leaders, kings, and warriors. Shaman are expected to have children so the traditions and lessons may be passed down for the next generation.

#### Cultural Aspects:

Holy symbols for Lizardfolk come in the form of their ancestors' hierogylphs (that modern Lizardfolk cannot read or write) and depictions of the gods. Holy colors are various shades of green and black. Learning is passed down orally, and the Lizardfolk maintain a creation myth as a result of the gods; the pantheon came together several times to make multiple versions of the planet before settling on the current one, and believe that the current one is also subject to destruction if nothing is done to improve it in the Lizardfolk image.

Deadly sins for the Lizardfolk are atheism/nay-theism, greed and gluttony, and disregard/disrespect for the ancestors. The highest virtues are devoted faith in the gods, reverence and respect for the ancestors, and superior combat/survival skills.

Art associated with the Lizardfolk come in the form of ancient structures (murals, hieroglyphs and writing, moving illusions equivalent to movies, etc.), songs and theatrical performances, and storytelling.

Lizardfolk come of age when an adolescent reaches the age of fifteen (15; coming of age involves a ritual specific to the individual's specialties and their subrace, often involving some difficult task.

Lizardfolk marriage is a very important ceremony, as childbirth is an incredibly important ordeal that often involves the entire village. Marriage rituals include great ceremonies for many days, fertility testing and divination rituals, etc.

Lizardfolk are often suspicious of outsiders, and are rarely outright hostile, but will defend their territory fiercely and will not back down if challenged to a fight.