The Draconic Theocracies (Various City States)

Vast city states in the frozen north lead by God-Like dragons and filled with reptilian followers.

Population: 500,000

Heraldry: The three remaining City States each have Heraldry reflecting their Dragon God-King. Yetiken, A golden wingless dragon wrapped around a spear. Torgamenon, a great Blue wyrm spewing lightning. And Sleshmetta, a faerie winged red dragon, with jade claw talons.

Racial Breakdown: 80% Kobold, 18% Lizardman, 2% other.

Government type: City States lead by God-Kings.

Current rulers: God-Kings  Yetiken, the Wise. Torgamenon the Fierce, and Sleshmetta the Compassionate.

Current known alliances: The remaining Draconic Theocracies have no national alliances at this time.

Current Wars: The Eternal Empire, but no battles have been fought since the year of Entfall.

### Home Nations/Region

All three of the God King city states are in the far north west of the continent. Most of the land is barren tundra, littered with hot springs that open up to vast heated cave systems flush with underground flora.

### Life span

Lizardfolk live approximately 100 years. Kobolds lay 2-3 eggs once every two years. Lizardmen fertilize them. It is the duty of the Lizardmen to protect the clutches. From laying the eggs, until they hatch the Kobolds have no commitment. After hatching, Lizardfolk are tiny but fully functional versions of their parents.

### Physical Appearance

The lizardfolk are reptilian as their name implies and have short, non-prehensile tails and pebbled, often colorful, skin. Dragon motifs are popular in their clothing and accessories and many go so far as to layer their clothing in such a manner as to give them the appearance of having wings folded across their body. The female members, called kobolds, are especially fond of armor. The dimorphism between the sexes is extreme to the point that the lizardmen and kobolds are often mistaken as separate species. The kobolds are built short and thick with powerful arms and legs. The lizardmen stand at least half as tall as the kobolds but with narrow torsos and slender appendages.

Though none can truly breathe fire, they can belch small flames. The flames are seen as a gift from the gods for their piety, with the more devout being granted longer flames. It is often worked into things like poetry or theatrics. It is not hot enough to cause any lasting harm.

Despite the cold climate, the internal body temperature of the lizardfolk runs high enough that it does not negatively affect them and their clothing is light and flowing.

### Origin

Eons ago, the hero Nilrissa gathered the reptilian people from the southern swamps and led them north to fight the Black Blood, those tainted by a Source Leak. Though their losses were heavy, she rallied the people and with their support, she struck down the beast that attempted to rise from the pit. In that moment, those that followed her fell down in worship and Nilrissa was remade, not in their image, but as something greater than them. She Ascended with faith to become the first God-King of the Lizardfolk, taking on the form of a massive yellow scaled wyrm.

### Faith

While there is respect for Dragon-Kings of other City States, Lizardfolk are exceedingly loyal to their own Dragon-Kings.

### Culture

When clutches of lizardfolk hatch, they are tested for aptitude and intelligence within the first few days of their life. They are then sorted and assigned to Kobolds and Lizardfolk who begin to teach them trades and skills. Those Kobolds of particular physical ability or talent for strategy are given to the Kobold warrior caste to raise. The duties of Lizardmen of the same talent base is always clutch defense.

Within the various cities, all professions are practiced and respected. The lizardmen lean towards more craft based professions and are the caregivers to both the eggs and the youngest of their society while the kobolds lean more towards military roles. Everything in the community is organized and shared. Foods are harvested and taken to centralized locations where it is prepared and communities eat in large feasting halls. If one needs clothing they go to those who make clothing and are provided for. The passing of coins in Draconic society is not commonplace and things like jewelry have only sentimental not material value.

In the past, there were hundreds of the Dragon Kings protecting the cities of the north but the rise of the lesser races has impacted the Theocracies severely. Border skirmishes from up and coming would be empires, heroes of other races wishing to prove their worth by defeating a dragon, and the wholesale slaughter of worshipers have left the world with just three of the Dragon Kings. More than one has fallen into a form of madness upon losing all of their worshipers. They still roam the tundra, more beast than god and a threat to all around them.

Those that still exist have turned inward, protecting both themselves and their people from the outside world in gloriously radiant cities. When the Source came, where armies of Dragon Kings rose up to defend against it in centuries past, only one answered the call and has not been heard from since. Cut off from the larger world by both the walls of their cities and the vast wasteland that they live in, the lizardfolk are largely unconcerned with events that fall outside their borders though news is welcomed as an interesting change of pace.

### Draconic Theocracies’s stereotypical views

Note:  These are General beliefs but as every Dragon King is a God unto him/herself, some may vary.

#### Refugees/Neppen

“Maybe we can not repeat the mistakes we made with the last group we encountered.”

#### Truefolk

“They wish for treasures and stare at our cities with nothing but lust in their eyes. It is curious how so few of the affluent we actually see at our doors. ”

#### Dwarven Peoples

“They rise, like an Ascendant, to find faith in themselves. But must they quench their thirst with blood?”

#### First Elves

“It is sad that some of us remember them more than they remember themselves. Do they curse themselves, or is it a curse of this land? Is this the beginning of our own Fading?”

#### Wracked Elves

“They do so much with so little. There is one of us who was once one of them. If only more were. Her heart is as large as a mountain and she is truly the idol of her people.”

#### Slegorians

“Some have taken up the title of Dragonslayer and hunt us when we leave our cities. They are tenacious and fierce as the tundra wind. We respect their prowess but to fight and kill for the mere right to breed seems a step backwards in our eyes.”

#### LizardFolk

“They lay these mantles on our shoulders. It is…our privilege to serve.”

#### Smaragdine

“Once a good and honorable people, if oddly driven. Bil’Hanna lost much when their empires fell.”

#### Tarabuthian

“Birth in Rage by one Mantle’s shame, and another’s rage. Bizarre because of how closely the two are related. Sad how it carries on after all these years, after the Mantles have passed.”

#### The Eternal Empire

“They have come for us. We should have come to them. The battle against the Black Blood that cycle had taken many of us from this world. In our moment of grief we ignored theirs. I am unsure if it is our lack of compassion or their lack of acceptance that has led to these wars. But we fear they won’t stop until every egg is broken.”

#### The Necropolis of Myr

“They have been in this world before we were. Always, in that one place. Sometimes they would join us in stopping the Black Blood. Other times they would not. Usually without any explanation. They are awfully finicky for a long-lived race.”

#### City State of Vrosa

“What they did in the high towers of Vrosa was an abomination. Were not the Empire between us and them, we would have rend their city brick by brick and returned that which was bound to its proper place.”

#### Kingdoms of Anwyn

“Their diplomats have recently arrived in our cities. We worry that it could be an Imperial trick, we have seen thus in the past. They preach of honor and integrity and their venom towards their kin is more virulent than our own. Yet, can we trust them? So many have fallen to these human’s ….siege… weapons. Yet, we remember the High King.”