Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk are a species that lives in the most inhospitable, dangerous land in the world. The Swamps of Udai, on the Western Coast. Their coast is considered the farthest West point in the world, and they are surrounded on all sides by danger. Still, they have no choice but to adapt to their surroundings.
However, the main job of the leaders of the Lizardfolk is to run the military. The Lizardfolk are under constant threat from all sides, be it the Kamejin, the Orcs, or Reoma the Wretched (See Sidebar for More Details). Lizardfolk have the highest mortality rate in Totania, as they are constantly dying not only to external threats, but internal threats like political infighting and dangerous flora like the Spiteful Plant. After all, the land they live in is incredibly dangerous, moreso than anywhere else in the world.
Beshrok, a Lizardman who was only 20 years old at the time, led the Lizardfolk on ships through the Abral Islands. After a year of travel, some ships were sunk by the Kamejin navy. The Kamejin were not happy about the Lizardfolk trying to travel through their seas, and therefore the two engaged in combat. Beshrok, for the most part, tried to avoid any deaths and simply tried to escape.
Eventually, after making the Kamejin forever hate the Lizardfolk, Beshrok and the others landed in a place that already had a city built. Grandstone, it was called. They worried this, too, was Kamejin, but found that instead it was abandoned. They had no clue who had built this, what it meant, or why it was there. All they knew was that it was safe.
After all, this was already near the Temple of Kadakalan, the God of the Lizardfolk. It was a wonderful setting for them.
Government Structure
The Lizardfolk government is run by two major figures: the Owner General and the Manager Admiral. This is most notably due to the fact that the Lizardfolk government also functions as a company that runs things like trade and agriculture in their territory. Therefore, the leaders of the country must also be in charge of the company.Murdur by Jarhed
Owner General
This is why it is important to have a strong leader, like the Most Hated Lizard, Murdur, who took over the Owner General position. A good Owner General to protect the people and inspire morale. The Owner General is approached with all business decisions that would tank the Lizardfolk economy. They must then make all decisions related to this. The Owner General also leads all troops and makes speeches to keep up the morale of the soldiers and the people. Without the Owner General, the Lizardfolk likely would all die from losing the will to struggle and continue living.Manager Admiral
The Manager Admiral is in charge of all things off of the main continent of Udai. The island settlements and trade deals are for the Manager Admiral to take care of. They have a flagship, which they sail to all destinations, including to the Korvian City to trade with them. The Manager Admiral is thus in charge of most dipolmatic relations, and will be more likely to meet with any foreign leaders as the Owner General is more likely still in Lizardfolk territory, fighting for their lives.Settlements
All Lizardfolk cities are unbelievably dangerous. The only safe place for Lizardfolk is outside of their territory, and that is only if they can survive out there. Though, due to their harsh home environment, most struggles outside are easy for Lizardfolk who are able to and decide to leave. When they don't, they are likely to live in one of these places.Grandstone
The capital of the Lizardfolk, Grandstone was actually not built by them. It is unknown who built the city and why, but when the Lizardfolk made it to Udai, they found this place was waiting for them. It is one of the worlds greatest mysteries, which many have dedicated themselves to trying to solve. Reoma the Wretched will attack the city, but his attacks here are more calculated. He does not seek to destroy the city for some reason, which many attribute to the four strange obelisks at each corner of the city. No one knows the purpose of them, but they seem to do something or have a meaning at the very least that Reoma cares about. It is the smallest capital in the world, as any expansion does often get destroyed by Reoma. It is also cut off from most trade as explained in the sidebar, meaning they have little chance to grow thanks to external help.Scarde
Scarde is a defensive city on the eastern border of the Lizardfolk swamps, right up against the mountains that lead to the plains where the Orcs live. It is surrounded by four walls. The first set of walls, the outer walls, house the barracks for soldiers who defend the city and construction workers who repair the walls. The inner walls, then, hold forges and civilians. Weapons are made inside the inner walls, and those of value to the Lizardfolk live further into the walls. It is often under attack from both Orcs and Reoma, even sometimes holding out against joint attacks that happen simulatenously. The greatest Lizardfolk commanders and soldiers often try to defend this city.Mistholde
Mistholde is different from the other locations of Lizardfolk because they decided to combat the idea of Reoma finding them or killing them. It is the safest place for Lizardfolk to live because Reoma can never find them. Mistholde is not above ground at all. Instead, it is an underground system of tunnels beneath the swamp. Sometimes there are minor leaks or floods, but they are easily fixed. The largest problem the residents of Mistholde have is a lack of sunlight and the occasional Orc camp that appears above the entrance. In the case of Orcs settling above, they simply wait for Reoma to kill the Orcs and then clear out the supplies so Reoma doesn't suspect that location for anything. After all, they need to be very safe to avoid him.Ravenhaven
The closest Lizardfolk settlement to the home island of Reoma the Wretched, Ravenhaven is a normal town on the surface. However, one would find many ravens sit atop the town, nesting there. Outsiders often try and shoo the ravens away, but residents will stop them. After all, this is the turf of the ravens, and the Lizardfolk know not to mess with a beast in its home turf. Instead, they live with the ravens, and the ravens help them. The ravens, after all, know the land, and they are familiar with Reoma's flight patterns. Therefore, when the ravens take flight, the citizens know Reoma is coming and that they need to hide. They get into bunkers under the town and hide as Reoma flies overhead. Due to this, Ravenhaven has been safe for a long time. There is a common phrase in Ravenhaven that says:"When the black wings fly, the time is nigh to say goodbye to all our lives. We needn't die, escape the sky, like ravens, fly."
Asgate
Asgate is a city on the southern tip of Tsuji-Torworth, an island split between the Kamejin and the Lizardfolk. It is often the final battleground in wars between the two, and due to this it is often destroyed and rebuilt. One will always find it under construction unless it is currently at war, and Lizardfolk construction workers nowadays have learned to adapt and build even during war.Torworth
Torworth is also known as a secondary side of the Kamejin city Tsuji. It is on the center of the island Tsuji-Torworth, and stands directly next to the Shi no Yosai, the Fortress of Death that houses the headquarters for the Kamejin military. The Kamejin not only claim this land as theirs, but they often invade it and take it. In peace negotiations, it is then returned to the Lizardfolk. However, it is a very dangerous place to live for Lizardfolk, as they live directly on the border of the Kamejin military itself.Attleset
The only successful attempt from the Lizardfolk to settle beyond the mountains on their eastern border. It did not last long, as Orcs killed all residents and took it for themselves.Mythscar
This was the location the Lizardfolk tried to settle first, an island north of Udai. However, they found it to be the home of Reoma the Wretched, filled with piles of gold and dead animals. All settlers were wiped out, and ever since it has been a location that everyone is afraid to travel to.History
The Lizardfolk were made by Kadakalan alongside the Ophidians (who were made by Tsukuyomi) in -1492, meant to live on the eastern coast of Elone. Bang Kruthiwat, then, was founded as a joint city for Lizardfolk and Ophidians. For some time, they lived there with the Ophidians until -835. It was then that many Lizardfolk grew disgruntled with the violent tendencies of the Ophidians. It had made the Lizardfolk, as a people, stronger, but it was something they could not live with forever. It was simply unsustainable.Beshrok by Jarhed
The Greatest Enemy
The Lizardfolk would go out on expeditions to found new cities. The most notable of these was when Beshrok sent them to an island, which they eventually named Mythscar. Here on Mythscar, the Lizardfolk built a settlement where more people could live. However, they were unaware that this was where Reoma the Wretched, the Black Dragon Lord, lived. He had piled up gold and corpses of animals, and upon seeing people encroaching in his land, he got angry and killed them all, wiping their town off the map. Reoma took his time making it to Grandstone. When he did, he did not stop to talk. He wiped out as many Lizardfolk as he wanted to until he was bored, spraying acid all over them with his breath weapon. He, however, did not destroy the city. In the end, Beshrok approached him and asked why he attacked, and Reoma simply answered that all of this land was his and the Lizardfolk should not dare to trespass. With that, he flew away. This would not be his final visit.Trade
Trade in Lizardfolk territory is very difficult. Due to their hostile relationship with the Kamejin, any trade vessel headed into or out of the Lizardfolk ports are sunk if they pass through the Abral Islands controlled by the Kamejin. Orcs block off land trade as well, making the Korvians the only regular trade partners of the Lizardfolk. Due to this, any goods or services sold by the Korvians to the Lizardfolk have an unbelievably high price tag. Still, the Lizardfolk need the goods and, for the most part, don't have conversation with enough people outside to know the prices are bad. It is due to this that the Lizardfolk currency, bonecoin, is worth unbelievably little.Bonecoin
Another reason for the low worth of bonecoin is their overabundance. They were made at first because there was no other resource to make currency from, so they simply carved the bones of the dead into coins. However, this would eventually cause overinflation with the absurd death-rate of the Lizardfolk.Reoma the Wretched
Reoma the Wretched is the Black Dragon Lord who lives in the swamp island off the coast of the Lizardfolk lands. He calls these lands his own and wishes to wipe out anyone who settles on them. This means that it is quite often that one will find Reoma the Wretched attacking the Lizardfolk. It is due to this, even, that all Lizardfolk settlements have some unique protections in place to save their citizens in the event of an attack. However, it is one of the most common causes of death for Lizardfolk: melting in the acid of Reoma, being crushed by Reoma, or something along those lines.Agriculture
Lizardfolk land is swampy, so it is not the easiest to grow crops there. However, there are some crops that grow quite well. Crops like rice, bananas, corn, sugar cane, and pepper are abundant. Lizardfolk grow their gardens as large as they can, as they need an overabundance of food to fit their ever growing and ever shrinking population. They love having excess, as it is so rare for them, and thus they often have more crops than they could ever do anything with.Religion
The Lizardfolk follow Kadakalan, the God of Survival and Overabundance. Prayers to him ask to be able to live another day, to survive long enough to enjoy life or have a family. Whatever the particular person wishes to do that they do not believe they would be able to do. The Lizardfolk also worship him for overabundance, as they have so little. They pray for more of anything, be it food, children, spouses, etc. This bleeds into their society with large farms, large families, and harems of partners.Diplomatic Relations
The Lizardfolk do not have great relations with many places in the world. They are surrounded on all sides by enemies who seek to tear down their kingdoms, so it would be impossible to diplomatically resolve most of their conflicts.Kamejin
The first and most prominent relation the Lizardfolk have with another people is their rivalry with the Kamejin. Their main dispute is over the island of Tsuji-Torworth, which houses the Kamejin military's base of the Shi no Yosai. On either side of this fortress is a Kamejin city named Tsuji and a Lizardfolk city named Torworth. However, the Kamejin often take control of Torworth, saying they have full claims to the island. It was in one of the few agreements the two made, mediated by the Jihdi, that the island would share the name of both cities to prevent war over the name alone on official documents. This also leads to the destruction of another Lizardfolk settlement: Asgate. Asgate is on the southern tip of Tsuji-Torworth, and is so often fought over and destroyed by the Kamejin that it is under constant construction. The Kamejin will also sometimes invade the Lizardfolk mainland on Udai, as the Kamejin have the goal of one day getting a land empire alongside their archipelago.Orcs
The Orcs believe the Lizardfolk to be particularly troublesome roadblocks. There are Orc camps past the mountains on the eastern border of the Lizardfolk swamps, and often these camps will send Orcs out to try and raid or conquer. The Lizardfolk once tried to settle beyond these mountains, but their settlement of Attleset was destroyed by Orcs. Since then, the Orcs and Lizardfolk have been constantly at war. They make up three-sided pyramid of Lizardfolk enemies, with Kamejin to the west, Reoma to the north, and Orcs to the east.Jihdi
The Jihdi Humans sometimes communicate with the Lizardfolk, though it is difficult as the Kamejin stand between the two nations. The Jihdi, for the most part, serve as mediators between the two when they can, helping in negotiations or stopping battles. For some Jihdi leaders, it is an acknowledgement of the weakness of the Lizardfolk and the ease with which they can be exploited. For others, it is genuine concern, or other miscellaneous reasons.Korvians
The Korvians are the only people who have direct, regular contact with the Lizardfolk who are only friendly to the Lizardfolk. As the Kamejin block off any sea-trade from the west or south, and the Orcs block all land trade, the Korvians who leave to the east are the only ones able to trade with the Lizardfolk. Often the Korvians charge exorbitant prices for their goods, and in truth the Korvians do not like the Lizardfolk much, but they appreciate their money. Lizardfolk often ask for Korvians help, and at most one or two Korvians will be sent to aid the Lizardfolk in one area or another.Anurans
The Anurans, frog-like people, live within the swamps alongside the Lizards. They are indifferent to the Lizardfolk, often visiting their cities. They have no formal diplomatic agreements, as the Anurans do not want Reoma to come after them. The Anurans live off of the land and do not build much from it, therefore keeping Reoma from being too mad at them.
Beshrok would train as he sent more people out and watched more die to Reoma. Eventually, he led a group against Reoma to try and kill him. It was in this conflict that all of Beshrok's best soldiers died, and Beshrok himself was defeated. When Beshrok asked Reoma why he hated them so much, the Dragon Lord simply answered:
"You entered my land. The moment you settled into a place that wasn't yours, your lives were not yours either. It is not hatred... it is proof of ownership. I can end each and every one of you whenever I want to. You simply live because I do not care."Reoma kept Beshrok alive for a few more months before killing him on a whim. Ever since then, Reoma attacked the Lizardfolk whenever he felt like it.
Getoh by Jarhed
Getoh
Some few hundred years prior, there lived a Lizardman named Getoh. He lived in Bang Kruthiwat, but he traveled often because he hated the violence. He had a theatre troupe which he traveled with and performed shows that he wrote. His first play that he wrote was Sandman, written in -1364, which traveled to many places around the world to share a global myth. In -1334, after 30 years of performing the play, Getoh and his troupe-members were attacked by Reoma when they traveled around the swamps that would one day be settled by the Lizardfolk. They were trying to perform for their God, Kadakalan, but instead of surviving, most of the troupe was killed. However, Getoh survived. He did not know when, but he had at some point acquired Life Magic, which allowed him to survive anything. As a matter of fact, now he was unkillable. For the remainder of history, Getoh would write plays that told stories of all people in Totania. His most well known work is A Dreamless Sleep, but he is also known for the lovestory of the Elf and Dwarf known as Auravir and Jennadyl, or The Korvian's Folly. He is known as the greatest playwright in Totania, and will live for eternity to write and perform.Vonlichter by RovaRed
Von Lichter
Not everything is known about Von Lichter. It is known he was born in Bang Kruthiwat after the migration, with one of his parents or grandparents being a Lizardfolk who chose to stay with the Ophidians rather than go with the others. Exposed to violence at a young age, Von Lichter was often in great danger with the Ophidians. However, at one point in his life, he saw Kilprax Ildial, the first Grand Wizard of the Draconians. He saw Kilprax perform a spell and, ever since, Von Lichter was obsessed with magic. He was sure it was the way to escape death. Von Lichter would go on to do many horrible things to escape death and see what can be done with death. He was a Necromancer, after all. A forbidden art that was forbidden for a reason, and the Lizardman Lich surely showed the great taboos of Lichdom and Necromancy. Ultimately he would hide in Yirthum, a Draconian village, to hide away from the various sins he committed over the course of his long life. He would be challenged from time to time, such as by a group of Magic College students in 547. They defeated a man who Von Lichter was trying to get to kill them, and Von Lichter fled Yirthum, at least escaping the students.The Man by Jarhed
The Man
The Man was a Lizardfolk scientist obsessed with a way to stop Reoma and save Lizardkind. He did many unorthodox experiments, coming to many conclusions. His first was that Humanity was the key in some way or another. He was able to turn himself Human and made himself ageless. He, for a time, simply wanted to make other people immortal. He was a member of the Evil Eight, a group of people opposed to the heroic Orc Zork. Eventually, he gained test subjects from that like Zork and Surgeon Seastar. With them as test subjects, the Man realized he could do more than just make Humans. He could make the perfect Lizard. His greatest experiment was Deltesh. The Man believed it was possible to make scales that even Reoma could not penetrate. Then, the Lizardman fighting Reoma would be safe from all piercing attacks. However, the test seemed to fail on the young Lizard named Deltesh, and the Man gave up on him as Deltesh shed all his scales. Unbeknownst to the Man, Deltesh regrew them all. Now, they were unbreakable, and he had a desire for revenge. The Man still does experiments on many Lizardfolk to make the Reoma-killer. He has no intention of stopping until the Lizardfolk are safe in their own lands, and his scientific curiosity is sated. Neither of these things seem possible.Captain Zuzk the Reaper by genuinetrickster
The Harem Horde and Lizardfolk Piracy
There is a Lizardfolk pirate crew named the Harem Horde. They are a harem of Lizardfolk who are gathered under the Captainship of Zuzk the Reaper. They are a group of romantic partners of various genders and sexual orientations who commit crimes on the high seas. They represent a large uptick in piracy, as they are not the only Lizardfolk who took to the seas. It is, in fact, a common occurance for Lizardfolk who feel spited by the Lizardfolk government and by Kamejin aggression to instead turn to taking the seas. They, then, raid Kamejin outposts and ships for anything they can get. The Harem Horde managed to commandeer a Kamejin warship, Karamaru, and turn it into the Lust of the Plunder. They even converted a Kamejin navy officer to join their side.The Most Hated Lizard
Murdur participated in the Grand Crowning, a coup by the World Court to take over every government in the world. Murdur had, previously, been hated for killing a Spiteful Plant. However, with his power and hatred, the World Court made him into their perfect weapon for oppressing the Lizardfolk people. As his name entails, he has no value for life, and will gladly kill anyone he can find who stands in his way. He became Owner General in 548 after a the coup of the Grand Crowning, and was supported by the World Court during his time in power.Culture
Art
Lizardfolk art is quite beautiful, as it is made from their shared experience of trauma and struggle. Many who see Lizardfolk art are often taken by its beauty, showing joy within a painful, hateful world. There is an art movement called Lizard Expressionism, where they express their inner turmoil and feelings. Their early art, however, is defined by the great Lizardfolk playwright Getoh. He has written many plays considered to be masterpieces such as A Dreamless Sleep, which have become cultural touchstones across the many cultures of Totania.Lizher the Nightmare by Jarhed
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