Lizardmen City States

he cold blooded Lizardmen of Austrolaria have no unified kingdom or empire of their own. Instead, they are divided into hundreds of regional city states spread across the length and breadth of Austrolaria. The cities are interconnected by a byzantine network of ever shifting political and military alliances. They continuously war amongst themselves and jockey for position in a never ending struggle for supremacy.
Thousands of years ago, all Lizardmen were united under the rule of the Great Lizard Empire, a pan-continental superstate that spanned the entirety of Austrolaria. The Empire was the first great mortal civilization, and presided over a golden age of peace, prosperity, and progress. Following the calamities of the Age of Crisis and the terrible wars between mortals and the Dark Powers, the Lizard Empire collapsed into anarchy and civil war, never to rise again.
Many of the great lizard cities of the present day were founded by the Ancient Empire, or built on top of the ruins they left behind. Others are more recent, having been built during the Age of Heroes or the Age of Conquest. Regardless, all of the Lizard Kingdoms lay claim to the illustrious legacy of the Ancient Empire, and each style’s itself as the Empire’s rightful and legitimate successor.
Each city state has its own unique traditions and system of government. Most are hereditary monarchies ruled by princes and petty kings, styling themselves after the emperors of old. This standard model of government has all manner of regional variations across the vast territory of the lizardmen. The Lizardmen are united by a deep reverence for the legacy of the ancient ancestors and a desire to reclaim the lost glories of ages past.

Type

Alliance, Cultural