Narkai

## Backstory: Welcome to the Jungle

Between the large trees of the jungle. Gigantic and majestic. There is no place for doubt, or second thought. This is the realm of the strong. The weak gets eaten. Survival is a daily fight, and killing is as common and inevitable as the pouring rain that covers the sea of trees in this tropical climate.

The ground is wet. Trees and ferns are basking in a mixture of water, mud and corpses. The bayou becoming swamp, and the swamp becoming bayou. Everything here has perfectly evolved to survive, in the deepest parts of the jungle, where the light barely pierces the leaves of the hundreds feet tall trees, witnesses of more than a millennia. Down there, in the dark, nature shows with cruelty, her most dangerous aspect, the game of life, and death.

In this green and dark hell, a hunter is lurking. A predator driven by hunger and irresistible instinct of survival. He hasn't had anything to eat in days, but his keen senses indicate that a prey is near.

He approaches slowly his prey. Silent and alert. Intensively following any single move his target makes. The plants cover his advance, the ambient darkness makes it hard to rely on sight, he uses it at his advantage. Without a single sound. Jungle is his ally.

The prey is still unaware. Peacefully eating something, without knowing that these seconds were probably the lasts in his life. But it is now unavoidable. The beast is now close, silent step after the other, bringing doom to his prey of choice.

It is time. The predator leaps on his target. This one doesn't react in time. trying vainly to take an escape jump. The maw of the creature is too fast for him. Closing on his flesh, and ripping his body apart. The unlucky prey was done. The rule of the jungle. The strong devours the weak.

This is with an amused interest that Narkai observes the spectacle of a small lizard jumping on a tiny mantis, up on a branch. The little reptile didn't seem to mind the giant lizard, silently eyeing his hunt. Probably more hungry than afraid.

In a few cracks of chitin, the insect was entirely devoured, and the lizard was now immobile on his branch, licking his chops from the remaining stains of blood. Laying there, waiting for his food to reach his stomach and be digested.

This had been quite entertaining. Narkai continues to observe the small lizard for a moment. Before getting reminded of his first goal, bringing back food to his clan. The reserves were almost over. And his tribe needed a lot of it. After all, it's hard to fill the stomach of dozens of 3 tons lizardfolk. But Narkai was one of the best hunters, and he would surely bring a consequent amount of meat, enough, he hoped, to last for a week.

As he kept marching in the depths of the jungle, as swiftly as such a large predator could, he started to smell a familiar and intoxicating scent. Blood. In enough quantity to be smelled from a mile. How lucky, an impaired prey, easier to take down, perfect. As the law of the jungle dictates, always take every opportunity, as we saw it earlier.

Narkai heads down in the direction of the smell. This might be his lucky day. Following the track, he goes deeper and deeper in what seems to be a small ravine. The dense vegetation covering his approach. Finally, he sees it. His prey. Sharp long teeth, large tusks, a long and muscular body, even larger than Narkai himself. This monstrous beast measured easily 20 feet long, it was a fearsome abomination resembling a boar and a tiger at the same time. His eyes, red and injected, betraying an instinctive sense of killing and rage. Enhanced by the terrible wound. Its flesh was ripped deeply on his leg, probably caused by one of its kind during a dual. But one thing was certain, even in that state, the creature was not to be taken lightly, even for a strong combatant like our fellow lizarfolk.

The beast was alert, key was surprise. The more steps he made, the closer he would be from his target, and distance could be proved fatal against an opponent whose charge meant having to meet with two 3 feet long tusks. The creature still had a sharp flair, and a self-preservation instinct deeply running in his blood. The beast shall not be slain easily, and as Narkai was about 30 feet from it, it sensed him, and charged. The horrible wound on his leg not seeming to impair him a single bit.

Narkai barely dodged the blow, his scales producing a high pinched sound as one of the tusks touches them. Adding another scar to his already impressive collection. The lizardfolk growls, not waiting a single second, he throws a huge blow of his claws, his hands larger than a man's head. It hits the monster, deeply marking its skin of three bloody furrows. It was done for.

Repeatedly, the best would charge again, but the first wound had severely damaged its muscles and nerves. And each time it came to counter attack, Narkai would just dodge, with more and more and more ease. Each time rending its flesh with a deep injury that would have instantly killed a weaker creature. This game continues for several minutes. At some point, the beast couldn't take it anymore, it charged one last time, but its limbs could barely support it anymore. Narkai didn't even dodge, simply grabbing its tusks with his giant clawed hands.

"You fought well" the giant lizardfolk says in his language, before dealing the coup de grâce. Striking its neck, piercing its throat in a loud bloody gurgling. The beast was dead, and so was Narkai's hunt. With such a mighty beast, he would be able to feed his whole tribe for days. But as he started dragging out the enormous body, he noticed something on the ground. A small creature, immobile, that he did not notice before as his attention got drawn entirely by his prey. It was wrapped in a weird metal cage, and a long weapon, a sort of lance, was lying close to it. It was a human.

His rib-cage had been pierced, as a giant bloody hole could be seen on his belly. And his face, motionless, was still showing an expression of challenge and desperate fury. Narkai now understood. It was not another creature who had inflicted such a great injury to his prey, it was this tiny human. A brave act it was for such a small creature to have tried to fight such a monstrosity. The lizardfolk let his prey for a moment, touching with one of his claws the dead man. "Rest in peace, little fellow."

After inspecting him for a few moments, he took off, bringing with him his gigantic trophy. Letting the unfortunate return to the earth. Narkai had always liked the smaller intelligent races. He had very rarely met any of them, and more than often they were too scared of him to approach. But he had witnessed that there were lots of kinds of 'small ones'. The humans, but also others, finer ones, with pointy ears. Others smaller with lots of hair on the mouth. Green ones with big teeth, and very tiny pink ones, who could have fit in his hand. They had always fascinated the lizardfolk. And he wished he could learn more about them. Their sophistication was... admirable.

It took 3 entire days for Narkai to bring the prize of his hunt to his tribe. A village with very few buildings that could be really called houses, some dug holes and a few stock areas. The only unusual thing in the village was at its center, where a huge shrine was erecting. Made out of a grey stone, the mold, moss and lichens didn't seem to stick on. On top of it, was laying a giant hammer. Made out of shiny metal, its long handle was supporting an enormous black ball, from which deadly spikes of golden steel were emerging. The weapon could easily be twice as tall as a human.

Narkai wasn't even in the village yet that he was hearing loud cheering and festive grunts. He continued to drag on the corpse of the fallen beast to the center. The flesh was damaged and some parts had started to rot, but nothing dangerous, or even unpleasant to the taste for one of the giant jungle lizarfolks. As he came closer, he found the members of his tribe, feasting over a pile of meat he couldn't clearly see. One of the other hunters had been as lucky as him it seemed, and faster as well. He let go off his trophy, and approaches the circle made of two good dozen lizardfolks, a few of them welcoming him to the center and showing him the mountain of food they were devouring.

Narkai's eyes go red instantly as he sees the subject of their meal. It was a pile of small ones. Dozens of them. Their corpses neglectfully piled up in a parody of buffet. Some of them he could identify as females, others as children... All dead corpses, their resting face being a grimace of fear and sadness. And the whole tribe was devouring them like animals.

Narkai makes a thundering roar. The power of his voice echoing between the thousand-year-old trees, and instantly stunning all the other lizardfolks in action. He then yells at everyone of his pairs, in the guttural language they use: "Is this what the mighty tribe of ours has come to ?! Feasting on the weak small ones ? Like animals ?! I told you I didn't want anyone to kill a small one ! But instead of that, you went and massacred one of their tribes ! Shame on all of you for preying on those who we shouldn't be preyed on !"

They seem all astonished, but one of the other lizardfolks walks up to him and comes face to face. He is a monstrous slaughtering machine, taller than Narkai, with dark blue scales and a deep scar going from one end of his head to the other. He says, with the same blaming tone: "And how dare you spit such non-sense to our ears. The giants are strong, the giants are mighty and the giants are the king of the jungle ! These petty tiny ones were trying to establish themselves close to our territory, they get what they deserve for crossing us. And even you cannot say otherwise, chef ..." he said that last word with a very spiteful tone.

Growling, Narkai asks him "You wish to challenge me for this place, Vargur ? You insignificant worm."

"I've always dreamed of it" he answers while licking his chops with a carnivorous look. "And I will prove to everyone that I am stronger than you."

The other lizards step back to make a big circle around the two. They're turning around each other, evaluating, sensing and showing their dangerous teeth. Vargur is the one who attacks first. Throwing a powerful blow from one of his claws, almost laughing of excitement. Narkai dodges it, but he doesn't see the following blow from the tail his rival had prepared, and takes it right in the mouth. Spitting blood, he attacks back by jumping on his opponent, clawing his shoulders and throwing him a few meters away with his titanic strength.

They keep exchanging a few blows, apparently of equal force. But Vargus looses his patience, charging recklessly yelling "Die Narkai ! This tribe doesn't need you !". But as he approaches him, Narkai's eyes become red, as well as the scales around his head, and shouting a thundering raging roar, he strikes at him. The blow is so powerful it tears off Vargus's lower jaw, splashing with blood the whole area. The rival falls, half of his face missing, dying quickly in a bloody chocking. Narkai quickly ends his rage, regaining his usual blue color. But as he looks around to meet the gaze of the tribe members, they were all looking at him with defiance and frustration. Apparently, they would have preferred another outcome.

Narkai grunts, and walks to the shrine in the center of the village. Followed by the other lizards. He reaches it, and takes the hammer from the shrine, under the severe stares of the tribe. "You can't take the hammer Narkai, it needs to be passed from one chef to another." one of them says.

"You don't deserve it anymore. So i will take it. And meet with the ones you so bestially ate." he answers, before making a path through all of them, growling and menacing them in case one of them tried to do something he would regret.

Thus began Narkai's journey to discover the civilized world. He left from his old jungle to meet with the vast lands south of the Serpent Jungle. Letting his steps guide him. He really wanted to meet with these small ones. See how they function, and how they built their villages. And who knows, maybe they would need his help.

## Appearance

Narkai is a gigantic lizardfolk. He measures more than 13ft tall, and weighs a good 3000 pounds. His scales are blue ocean, and on his shoulders, two heavy plates of bone and scales, like shoulder pads. His spine ends in a muscular and spiky tail. he is a perfect killing machine, trained to use manufactured as well as his own fangs and claws to rend all kind of preys.

When he rages, some of his scales turn red, which makes him a lot more frightening. His reptilian eyes as well take a sanguine tone, and his claws become even more threatening and long.

He usually wears no clothes. His scales being a good enough protection against small temperature variations. He also shows no apparent genital, as well as a complete obliviousness to common decency. He still wears a few pieces of metal and rings, usually permanently strapped on his body. He also showcases a few trophies of his most glorious hunts in the jungle, or souvenirs from passed out ones he knew.

His recent discovery of the civilized world led him to acquire a set of armor, adapted to his very unusual corpulence.

## Personality

Narkai does have something most of his other cold-blooded pairs don't seem to have: compassion. He can't help but want to protect the smaller intelligent races. And usually admires them when they seem to be able to defend themselves while being so tiny compared to him.

Despite this relative kindness of him, Narkai still follows the harsh rules of nature and its eternal neutrality toward any living creature. He will always be right against someone he is stronger to. This mentality sometime gives him troubles understanding the civilized races, where a small and weak can be king, and a strong warrior be a simple peasant. But Narkai's composure allows him to get accepted more easily in society than his terrifying physical appearance would suggest.

Intelligence is not his forte, and some things that could seem simple or easy to understand sometime give him a real challenge.

His deep link toward mother natures makes him have a great respect to it, especially in the task implying that the dead should be consumed in order to given back to the cycle of life.

To fulfill the needs of such a giant carnivore, Narkai carries a huge sack filled with raw meat. He refills it frequently, as his daily needs in meat are quite impressive.

## Allies

Narkai is the ally of any small one in need.

## Enemies

His tribe didn't appreciate his brutal and treacherous leave. He will probably not be welcome there for at least a generation.