S'sillaiah (ss - sill - EYE - ah)

The S'sillaiah are a relatively small and secretive tribe of Lizardfolk that live in the estuaries of Greymantle Marsh, dwell on the string of barrier islands off the coast, and inhabit the shallow sea between them both, and yet their existence and their wares are known by many communities far and wide.
For Lizardfolk, the S'sillaiah are surprisingly peaceful, being more known for their industrious craftwork than anything else. By moving continually between many different resource areas, as well as capitalizing on Greymantle's relatively mild shifts in season, the tribe is able to maintain a fairly reliable stream of food and other resources, enabling them to spend time on more specialized crafts.
A life spent almost just as much in the sea as on land affords access to a wealth of materials and resources, and the S'Sillaiah are masters of the niche they inhabit. With the plant and mineral materials they gather on land, and the aquatic creatures and algae they harvest from the ocean, the S'sillaiah create wares that cannot be found anywhere else (bymost settled, Common-speaking folk, anyway).
The goods that the S'Sillaiah are most known for are their pigments, ornamentation, and medicine.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Names that are considered "feminine" are not always given to female children, and new names can always be given or chosen later on in life, regardless of the sort of gendered feel to it. Whether a name has a "feminine" or "masculine" air to it generally has more to do with the sounds in the name than the meaning behind it. Among the S'sillaiah, the females generally tend to be a little larger than males, so names with deeper, heavier sounds are considered more feminine. Examples:
Yegurruh
Oonoah
Ussgur
Heskhoth

Masculine names

As males tend to be generally smaller or slighter in frame than females, and are known for their quickness, names with higher or repeating sounds are viewed as more masculine. Examples:
Irikhi
Tihassa
E'siirsiir
Khailiah

Family names

Family names can always be directly translated to an emblem that can be rendered visually. Examples:
Igres'sketh ("shark teeth")
Eskiksee ("three scars/slashes")
Ngeth ("seaweed")
Gerghu'ah ("turtle shell")
Khaigaur ("green whale")
Zheji Itah ("fishbones/dead fish")

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Unlike many other communities of Lizardfolk, the S'sillaiah very rarely show bright or pale coloration, and individuals tend to become darker with age. They make up for it by indulging in a rich tradition of painting their bodies while on land, and decorate themselves with scores of finely crafted jewelry for special occasions. S'Sillaiah pigments and decorative wares are highly prized by other denizens of Greymantle, even fetching a good price in the markets of Lockhinge.

Courtship Ideals

Lizardfolk are not known for displays of sentimentality, but courtships among S'Sillaiah cannot be mistaken for anything but deep and abiding affection. Even when taking multiple mates, the S'sillaiah lavish their partners with attention and small, sweet gestures of devotion. Though jealousy and competition inevitably show up from time to time, in general, S'Sillaiah form non-exclusive but committed relationships that eliminate much of the aggression seen between competing individuals.

Encompassed species

• Lizardfolk

Related Locations

• Greymantle Marsh