Semuanya

The Survivor, The Breeder, The Watcher

Semuanya is the neutral and amoral god of the lizardfolk, embodying the ideal of reptilian survival and propagation. Revered by civilized lizardfolk tribes as the epitome of unemotional and instinctual existence, Semuanya represents the practical drive to survive, reproduce, and protect the race. Neither good nor evil, chaotic nor lawful, Semuanya is focused entirely on the continuation of the species.

Traits of Semuanya

• Weapons and Abilities: In battle, Semuanya wields a club lined with razor-sharp shells and has the power to summon minotaur lizards to aid in combat.
• Reptilian Command: Semuanya can command all lizards, embodying their instinctual and emotionless nature.
• Silent Watcher: Semuanya speaks only when necessary, emphasizing action over words.

Worship of Semuanya

Followers

Semuanya is worshiped by civilized groups of lizardfolk who have adopted his ideals of survival and propagation. Barbaric lizardfolk, driven by rage or chaos, often reject his unemotional creed.

• Worshipers: Primarily lizardfolk tribes, particularly leaders, shamans, and those living in structured communities.
• Places of Worship: Stone shrines in secluded swamps or riverbanks serve as holy sites for worship and sacrifice.

Shamans of Semuanya

The shamans of Semuanya are the spiritual leaders of lizardfolk tribes, embodying his stoic and practical ideals.

Characteristics of Shamans

• Gender: Male and female shamans are equally common.
• Attire: Bare-headed with hide kilts, reflecting simplicity and utility.
• Weapons: Typically wield clubs, the preferred weapon of Semuanya.
• Role in Society: Shamans often lead tribes, guiding them toward survival through pragmatism and ritual.

Shamanic Powers

• Immunity to Emotion-Influencing Magic: Shamans are unaffected by spells that manipulate emotions, such as fear, confusion, or hopelessness.
• Calming Touch: By touching an afflicted creature, shamans can grant another saving throw against emotion-based effects with a +4 bonus. This ability can be used once per round without limits.
• Sacrifice Rituals: Shamans must dedicate 10% of all hunting trophies to Semuanya as offerings.

Mythology of Semuanya

The Origins of Semuanya

According to lizardfolk lore, Semuanya came into existence to ensure the survival of the race. When the lizardfolk faced extinction from external threats and internal chaos, Semuanya rose as a guide, uniting them under his creed of emotionless survival.

• Creation Myth: Semuanya is said to have hatched from the first primordial egg, laid in a time when lizardfolk were without purpose or protection.
• The First Survival: Legends tell of Semuanya leading the first tribes to safety through flooded jungles and deadly predators.

Rivalry with Sess’innek

Semuanya’s neutrality and focus on survival often conflict with the ambitions of Sess'innek, the chaotic tanar’ri lord of domination and civilization.

• Philosophical Divide: Sess’innek advocates conquest and demonic power, while Semuanya remains focused on the simpler goals of survival and propagation.
• Rivalry Among Worshipers: Tribes that follow Sess’innek often clash with those who revere Semuanya, viewing them as stagnant and weak.

Role in Lizardfolk Society

Cultural Practices

• Survival First: Decisions are made based on what best ensures the survival of the tribe, with little room for sentimentality.
• Ritual Sacrifices: Regular offerings of meat, eggs, or trophies are made to Semuanya to honor his guidance and protection.
• Breeding Practices: The propagation of the species is seen as a sacred duty. Fertility rituals are common during seasonal changes.

Attitudes Toward Outsiders

• Avoidance: Civilized lizardfolk generally avoid humans, demi-humans, and humanoids, seeing them as potential threats to their survival.
• Pragmatic Interactions: Outsiders are either ignored, held for ransom, or used to further the tribe’s safety and prosperity.

Leadership Structure

• Shaman Leaders: Most lizardfolk tribes are led by shamans who emulate Semuanya’s taciturn and pragmatic nature.
• Council of Elders: Larger tribes may have councils where shamans and elder warriors decide on issues affecting the tribe’s survival.

Adventure Hooks for Players

Exploration and Diplomacy

• Swamp Shrine: The players must locate a hidden shrine of Semuanya in the Fens of Tor to recover a relic while negotiating with wary lizardfolk.
• Tensions with Sess’innek: A tribe divided between Semuanya’s worshipers and Sess'innek’s cultists seeks outside mediation or intervention.

Combat and Survival

• Sacrificial Trial: The players are mistaken for invaders and must prove their strength to the lizardfolk through a series of trials.
• Protection of the Tribe: The players are hired to defend a Semuanya-worshiping tribe from encroaching followers of Sess’innek.

Secrets of Semuanya’s Shrines

• Primordial Eggs: Ancient shrines of Semuanya may contain primordial eggs imbued with divine energy, sought after by both lizardfolk and outsiders.
• Minotaur Lizards: Guardians summoned by Semuanya’s shamans, these creatures protect sacred sites and relics from intruders.
• Sess’innek’s Infiltration
• Corrupted Shamans: Sess’innek’s influence may corrupt certain shamans, turning them against their tribe and the ideals of Semuanya.
• Ancient Rivalry: The Fens of Tor hold ruins from a time when Sess’innek briefly supplanted Semuanya, providing rich opportunities for exploration and conflict.

Conclusion

Semuanya is the unyielding guardian of lizardfolk survival, a deity whose amoral pragmatism ensures the continuation of the species. For adventurers, his followers and shrines offer both opportunities and challenges, presenting a fascinating glimpse into the survivalist culture of the lizardfolk. Whether players encounter Semuanya’s shamans as allies or adversaries, his influence promises a story of resilience, pragmatism, and the enduring will to survive.

Tenets of Faith

The philosophy of Semuanya is simple yet deeply ingrained in lizardfolk culture:

• Survival: The primary goal is to ensure the safety and continued existence of the lizardfolk race.
• Propagation: Life and reproduction are sacred and essential for the survival of the species.
• Detachment: Emotions are distractions; survival depends on cold pragmatism.
• Self-Reliance: External alliances or relationships are only useful insofar as they aid survival and reproduction.

Semuanya God of Lizardmen

Titles: The Survivor, The Breeder, The Watcher
Alignment: Neutral (AL N)
Symbol: A wooden egg
Plane of Existence: Concordant Opposition (Outlands)
Portfolio: Fertility, the Hunt, Lizardfolk, Swamps
Domains: Animal, Fate, Healing, Plant, Water, Protection, Renewal, Scalykind, War
Manifestation: Appears as a normal lizardman, albeit physically imposing and swift in both mind and body.

Divine Classification

Lesser god

Symbol of Semuanya by 3orcs

Semuanya’s Shaman

(Lizardfolk Shaman Class Variant)
Medium Humanoid (Lizardfolk), Neutral

• Armor Class: 14 (natural armor)
• Hit Points: 8 + Constitution modifier per level
• Speed: 30 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA
14 (+2) | 12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 10 (+0)

• Saving Throws: Wis +5, Con +4
• Skills: Nature +3, Survival +5, Insight +5
• Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13
• Languages: Draconic

Class Features

• Immunity to Emotion Magic (1st Level).
• Semuanya’s shamans are immune to any magic or effects that influence emotions, such as fear, confusion, or hopelessness.
• Calming Touch (1st Level). As an action, the shaman can touch a creature affected by an emotion-influencing effect. The target can immediately make another saving throw against the effect with a +4 bonus. This ability can be used once per round without limits.
• Guidance of Semuanya (3rd Level). Semuanya’s shamans gain advantage on saving throws against magical charms or compulsions.
• Trophy Sacrifice (Tribal Ritual). Shamans are required to sacrifice 10% of all hunting trophies to Semuanya, granting the tribe protection and ensuring their survival.

Weapons and Armor

• Weapons: Proficient with simple weapons, favoring clubs and spears.
• Armor: Natural armor and hide clothing (AC 14).
• Challenge Rating: Equivalent to level or tribe role, typically CR 1-3 for low-level tribal shamans.