Lizardfolk

Lizardfolk are unlike most humanoids in many ways. They are some of the only sentient beings to lay eggs. They are one of the only races that is still almost entirely on a single island. They feel no need for expansion and don't practice agriculture. Most importantly they see the world differently, their minds are alien places even to those who magically intrude upon their thoughts.

Alien Minds

Lizardfolk experience most feelings as detached descriptions of creatures and situations. For example, humans confronted by an angry troll experience fear on a basic level. Their limbs shake, their thinking becomes panicked and jumbled, and they react by instinct. The emotion of fear takes hold and controls their actions. In contrast, lizardfolk see emotions as traits assigned to other creatures, objects, and situations. A lizardfolk doesn't think, "I'm scared." Instead, aggressive, stronger creatures register to the lizardfolk as fearsome beings to be avoided if possible. If such creatures attack, lizardfolk flee, fighting only if cornered. Lizardfolk aren't scared of a troll; instead, they understand that a troll is a fearsome, dangerous creature and react accordingly. Lizardfolk never become angry in the way others do, but they act with aggression toward creatures that they could defeat in a fight and that can't be dealt with in some other manner. They are aggressive toward prey they want to eat, creatures that want to harm them, and so on.
Pleasurable people and things make life easier for lizardfolk. Pleasurable things should be preserved and protected, sometimes at the cost of the lizardfolk's own safety. The most pleasurable creatures and things are ones that allow lizardfolk to assess more situations as benign rather than fearsome.

Cold & Calculating

Lacking any internal emotional reactions, lizardfolk behave in a distant manner. They don't mourn fallen comrades or rage against their enemies. They simply observe and react as a situation warrants. Lizardfolk lack meaningful emotional ties to the past. They assess situations based on their current and future utility and importance. Nowhere does this come through as strongly as when lizardfolk deal with the dead. To a lizardfolk, a comrade who dies becomes a potential source of food. That companion might have once been a warrior or hunter, but now the body is just freshly killed meat.
A lizardfolk who lives among other humanoids can, over time, learn to respect other creatures' emotions. The lizardfolk doesn't share those feelings, but instead assesses them in the same clinical manner. Yes, the fallen dwarf might be most useful as a meal, but hacking the body into steaks provokes aggression in the other humanoids and makes them less helpful in battle.

Utility & Survival

The lizardfolk mindset might seem unnecessarily cruel, but it helps them survive in a hostile environment. The lands they inhabit are filled with a staggering variety of threats. Lizardfolk focus on survival above all, without sentiment.
Lizardfolk assess everyone and everything in terms of utility. Art and beauty have little meaning for them. A sharp sword serves a useful and good purpose, while a dull sword is a dead weight without a whetstone. Lizardfolk see little need to plan more than a season or so into the future. This approach allows them to maintain their current level of influence in the world, but it limits their growth. Lizardfolk have no interest in developing writing, making long-term plans, or cultivating other methods to progress beyond their simpie existence as hunters and gatherers.

Speaking Patterns

Lizardfolk can master Common, but their mindset results in a speech pattern distinct from other humanoids. Lizardfolk rarely use metaphors. Their speech is almost always literal. They might pick up idioms, but only with some difficulty. Names confuse them, unless they are descriptive. They tend to apply their own naming conventions to other creatures using Common words. Liiardfolk use active verbs to describe the world. A lizardfolk in cold weather might say, "This wind brings cold" rather than "·I feel cold." Lizardfolk tend to define things in terms of actions, rather than effects.

Lizardfolk Religion

The Lizardfolk religion varies between tribes, each worshipping their ancestors and a select few spirits. The Cloudkin for instance are the only ones to worship Highdiver, their ancestor who first rode the giant eagles. Whereas the Blackscale worships Blooddark, from whom all Blackscale are descended. Jormungundir is one of two gods shared by all Lizardfolk. He takes the form of a giant dinosaur not unlike a T-rex. The other is Selethene who takes the form of a giant sea serpent. They together birthed Lizardfolk into existence, blessing them with all the natural advantages of reptilian life. While Jormungundir is a great warrior and worshipped by many it is Selethene who keeps the tribe strong and fertile.

Blackscale

The foremost ancestor of the Blackscale Tribe is Blooddark. Who was born with black blood and scales to match. He was larger than other Lizardfolk, more ferocious, and less cautious. They worship the beast within, believing in survival of the fittest and acting on instinct. They believe the strongest warrior should rule, only bowing to Bloodscale because of the King's martial prowess. Their Chieftan is honor-bound to accept all blood challenges by members of the Blackscale tribe. They are larger than any other lizardfolk and are believed by some to have dinosaur blood.

Blademaw

The Blademaw tribe largely worships an ancient warrior known as Tyran. He was the first Lizardfolk king to unite the five tribes under one banner and throw off the Hansolan colonial efforts. They devout their entire lives to the blade, or ritual combat in general. They believe that inward perfection begins with discipline, and there is no better teacher than the blade.

Bloodscale

The Bloodscale believe they are direct descendants of Jormungundir. They worship him more fervently than any other tribe. The current Lizardfok King is Bloodscale though in becoming King he theoretically gives up his tribe.

Cloudkin

The Cloudkin tribe live in the mountains at the center of the island. While they are migratory they migrate between three large temples/aviaries. They keep Giant Eagles, often forming strong bonds with their mounts and believing themselves to be family. Unlike the other Lizardfolk tribes, they do not eat their dead. Instead, they bring them to a place known as Mount Stratus. The western mountain on the island, at the top of a cliff face there lies a Roc nest. They worship Highdiver the only Lizardfolk known to ride a Roc into battle. The Roc is one of what the Cloudkin call the Three Kings, each king rules a mountain. The Roc rules the western mountain, The Aerosaur rules the east, and in the middle of the dormant volcano lives the Dragon. The Cloudkin have synced their migration cycle to the creatures' habits. They live in the west during the wet season(Spring) when the Aerosaur is most likely hunting in the east. They live in the east during the dry season(Fall) when the Roc is stocking up for winter in the west. Finally they live on the dormant volcano in the winter when the dragon is least active and the volcanic vents can keep them warm. While they revere all three of these Three Kings, they only worship the Roc. This is because the Roc never attacks Giant Eagles or their riders, this is why in return the Cloudkin leave their dead for it. The Cloudkin believe that flying represents the pinnacle of freedom, the connection they have with their mounts is also a connection to their ancestors. A single line of Giant Eagles will often serve multiple generations of Lizardfolk.

Ironhide

The Lizardfolk of this tribe have particularly hard scales leading to their name. It is believed that they absorb the hardness of the stone around them. They are the only tribe to have a single city and live a non-nomadic life. Instead, they care for herds of Rothé, underground cattle native to the Underdark. Their city resides beneath the mountains where ancient lava tubes and hidden caves give access. Strangely they are also the most trade-savy of the tribes because they have had dealings with the Duegar. They are also the only ones to partake in large-scale agriculture in the form of mushrooms. They worship the spirit of the mountain, who keeps them safe from many threats. They emulate him seeking to endure rather than expand.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

Lizardfolk mate once a year lay 2-5 eggs,  females that don't mate are shamed and lay 3-5 female only eggs.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

The Lizardfolk of Gigantaros are organized into 5 tribes. Blademaw, Blackscale, Bloodscale, Ironhide, and Cloudkin.

Beauty Ideals

Lizardfolk generally value bright or deep coloration of scales and clean, sharp claws and teeth.

Gender Ideals

Lizardfolk do not have any separation of gender, pregnant lizardfolk continue daily activities until a week before birth. Births are predicted by the shamans of each tribe.

Courtship Ideals

Lizardfolk don't have romantic relationships. Instead females are likely to mate with those they find attractive or who are their friends.

Average Technological Level

Lizardfolk are tribal, violent, and nomadic, leading to a low technology level. They are very resourceful, however, using bones, shells, fur, wood, and stone to make tools and weapons.

History

Lizardfolk historically inhabit Gigantaros, an island off the southern coast of Hansola, though over the years various tribes and individuals have left the island.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

At their core, lizardfolk view other humanoids with an indifference verging on pity. Born into the world lacking stout scales and sharp teeth, it's a wonder they have managed to survive for so long. The typical human would barely make it through a day in the swamps.
Still, if other creatures prove useful to lizardfolk, those creatures can trigger a prote,ctive response made all the stronger by their apparent weakness. The lizardfolk assess such beings as hatchlings, young ones incapable of protecting themselves but who might prove useful in the future if they receive care.

Lizardfolk As PC's

As a lizardfolk, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Size. You are Medium.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
Bite. You have a fanged maw that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with it, the strike deals ld6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time.
Hungry jaws. You can throw yourself into a feeding frenzy. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your Bite. If the attack hits, it deals ts normal damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Natural Armor. You have tough, scaly skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your base AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Nature's Intuition. Thanks to your mystical connection to nature, you gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival.

Lifespan

60

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Lizardfolk scales very widely in color and pattern. Often those of the same tribe will have similar colored scales, largely scale color does not impact a lizardfolk's life. There are two important exceptions. Those with purple scales are said to be especially gifted in magic leading them to become shamen for their tribe.

Geographic Distribution

• Gigantaros