Lizardmen

The ferocious, reptilian lizardmen are the heirs of the Great Lizard Empire of old and the primary indigenous inhabitants of Austrolaria. In truth “Lizardman” does not refer to a single species or culture. Rather it is a blanket term for the wide variety of sapient reptilian humanoids who call the New World home. Be that as it may, there are a number of unifying cultural and physiological characteristics which bind all lizardmen together, making it a useful category in spite of its vagueness.
History
Among all the peoples of the known world, the Lizardmen of Austrolaria proudly claim the title of first great mortal civilization. Lizard history is long, and much of it is so ancient as to blur the line between history and myth. It is believed that the lizardmen built the earliest known towns and cities along the riverbanks of the New World over 7,500 years ago. About 5,000 years ago the powerful city of Oxacalla began to consolidate its rule over its neighbors, laying the foundations of the Great Lizard Empire. By the end of the millennium the Empire had grown to span the whole continent, uniting all Austrolaria under its rule in a true ‘pax lacerta”. The next 1500 years, known as the Age of Wonders, were a golden age for lizard kind. The Lizard Empire explored the far corners of the world and achieved marvels of science and technology never equaled before or since.
In the end, no matter how great its achievements, no empire can endure forever. Doom came for the Great Lizard Empire when the dark powers invaded the mortal world during the Age of Crisis. The long struggle against the forces of the Archenemy bled the empire dry as rebellion, invasion, and civil war ripped it apart from within. Though the Grand Alliance would eventually turn back the forces of darkness, the empire would not live to celebrate the victory, falling into ruin and fading into the mists of history forever.
In the present day, Lizard civilization has largely rebounded from its devastation all those centuries ago. There are hundreds of small independent lizard city states and kingdoms spread all over Austrolaria. Though several ambitious conquerors have made attempts to restore the Empire of old, none have yet succeeded. The arrival of settlers from the Old World on Austrolaria’s shores has presented the lizardmen with a new threat to their civilization. Clashes, raids, and even full-blown wars between the Lizard kings and settler communities have become an all-too-common occurrence.
Culture
The lizardmen have a legacy of great cultural and intellectual accomplishments stretching back for millennia, and indeed they take tremendous pride in this fact. However, the lizardmen are and always have been first and foremost a warrior people. Hyper militarism has been an enduring hallmark of lizard society throughout the eons. Today, almost all of the lizard kingdoms boast highly professionalized standing armies modeled on the legions of the Ancient Empire. Warfare, both amongst themselves and against outsiders, is almost constant. Amongst the lizardmen, no profession is more highly honored than soldiery, and no decoration more celebrated than the scars of battle. Unlike most of the peoples of the Old World, among the lizards both sexes participate in warfare, and all able-bodied adults are expected to bear arms in service of the state. The lizardmen are also avid slavers, enslaving both one another and members of other species captured in warfare. Lizard slaves fulfill all manner of functions, from manual labor, to military cannon fodder, to royal court functionaries.
Though fearsome in battle, the lizardmen are far from simple, violent brutes. They possess a rich intellectual tradition and pride themselves on a fondness for scientific inquiry and unlocking the mysteries of the universe. Throughout the ages, lizardmen have made many great advancements in astronomy, ecology, medicine, and more. True to form, the lizardmen have a strange tendency to treat intellectual pursuits as simply another form of war. Viewing the great mysteries of the cosmos as yet more enemies that must be laid waste with (cognitive) fire and sword.
Due in large part to their geographic isolation, lizard religion is substantially different than that of the peoples of Eridas. Like most good aligned humanoids, the lizardmen worship the Eight Divines. However, they know them by different names, characterize them very differently, and even ascribe them different spheres of influence. Some variations of the lizard rite also incorporate blood sacrifices, ritual cannibalism, and other macabre practices.
In the 16th Century GR Lizard civilization is engaged in a struggle for its very survival. Ever growing encroachment by the colonial empires of the Old World pressures the lizardmen from every side. Many lizards have taken a stand to fight back against the invaders and drive them from Austrolaria. Others, however, have followed the scent of opportunity and taken up the call of adventure. Adventuring lizards often serve as guides on expeditions into Austrolaria’s interior. Many of them also find service as military scouts or as sellswords, fighting both for and against the Old -World empires.