Shovani (Lizardfolk Nation)
A nation consisting largely of lizardfolk (sometimes called "Dragonborn"), the Shovani consider themselves the dominant military power on the continent, and they are certainly the most aggressive of any of the northern city-states . Shovani's most notable feature is that it is ruled by a hydra the size of a mountain that sits at the center of their capital, called simply "Leviathan." While Leviathan has final authority on all matters, in practice it speaks rarely except to a chosen order of priests, and a council made up of the leaders of various castes of Shovani society makes most of the mundane decisions.
Service to the state is critical in Shovani, so much so that lizardfolk are not permitted to have traditional families. Lizardfolk eggs are taken prior to their hatching and placed in mass nurseries, the parentage of a given individual deliberately lost to knowledge. For this reason, a given Shovani lizardfolk might have dozens or even hundreds of "siblings" for those of the same hatch refer to each other as brother and sister, but most have no idea of their parentage. Each group of hatchlings are raised communally by caregivers before they begin rotating amongst various castes of Shovani society, seeking their purpose. Promising candidates are mentored by those who have already risen in the ranks of various castes, from generals to diplomats to high priests.
It is taught that this aspect of Shovani society exists to prevent the nepotism that comes from hereditary attachment. Nonetheless, lizardfolk feel the same affection for their children as any other race, and there are those who seek to know who their children are, which is considered disgraceful, or even in the more rural areas to raise their children themselves, which is illegal. This tension animates the life of most Shovani lizardfolk as they come of age and begin desiring a family of their own.
Order is more important to the Shovani than individual rights, and they credit Leviathan from saving them from the anarchy of nature that would otherwise make life "nasty, brutish and short," as one philosopher put it. Shovani trials are more about displaying the power of the state than determining a just outcome, with trials by combat or highly perilous tests being common methods of determining "guilt." Those who serve the community well are held up as exemplars, and the Shovani frown on the perceived selfishness of those who live only for themselves.
There is a clear racial hierarchy in Shovani, with lizardfolk at the top (beneath Leviathan, of course). Next are lesser reptilians and amphibians, and finally mammals. However, for a racially stratified society the Shovani are surprisingly tolerant. Though mammals in Shovani will never ascend high in any of the nation's castes or occupy a position of leadership, their rights are respected nearly as much as those of the lizardfolk. The Shovani believe that a vital part of keeping order in occupied lands is demonstrating to their neighbors that those conquered by the Lizardfolk can expect fair treatment, and there is freedom of worship throughout the nation. That said, the lizardfolk are not shy about Leviathan's status as the greatest of all living beings, and the fact that they are its foremost children.
The capital of Shovani, called Shova, is a city of complex interconnected buildings that features numerous canals and even partially flooded areas for the use of the more amphibiously-inclined. Architecture tends to be fairly uniform, and most lizardfolk navigate Shova by ear rather than by eye. Lizardfolk are trained from an early age to recognize small distinctions in sound, and each crafts a wind chime as part of their entry into maturity. These chimes are subtly different, and to a lizardfolk merely hearing one can tell of an individual's caste, hatchery of origin, rank and many other details. Certain public areas have large instruments driven by waterwheels which repeatedly emit a sequence of chimes, giving those with the knowledge to understand them general directions concerning the local district. Some of the more expat-heavy areas feature signs, though.
Demographics
Largely lizardfolk, with a sizeable minority of other reptilian and amphibious species and a much smaller minority of mammalian creatures.
Type
National Territory
Inhabitant Demonym
Shova
Location under
Included Locations
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