Red Kharizhak faced Delhasha the Cold across the obsidian altar as the screams of the dying echoed across the plain. Kharizhak licked the blood off the tip of his ancestral blade. "The blood of the White Wanderers is sweet," he hissed. "I shall drink my fill as your tribe dies in fire."
Delhasha's pale eyes glittered behind the mask of white scales. Her voice was cool and calm. "You have been blinded by your flames, Kharizhak. It is the Selhastorh'ak who face final judgment, and yours will be a cold death."
Kharizhak laughed, lowering his blade to Delhasha's chest.
"You will fall this night," Delhasha replied. "But it is not my claws you should fear." She opened her hand, revealing a wyrmling's tooth engraved with draconic runes.
Kharizhak cried out in fear and rage but the sound was drowned out by the roar of the white dragon as she dived down from the moonless sky.
Heart and History
Any traveler passing near the coast of the Sarylis Ocean is sure to hear tales of the tribes of the Kaida Islands. These fierce creatures guard the islands of Kaida, and it is said that the waters of Ryu Beach run red from the blood of their victims. In song and story, the Lizardfolk are typically cast as horrible monsters – Raging beasts that consume the flesh of their still-living foes and sacrifice children to their draconic gods.
These stories are much exaggerated. The Lizardfolk are fierce warriors who will give their lives to defend the shores of Kaida from outsiders but they are not cannibals, and their reverence for dragons is more complex than simple awe of the mighty beasts.
Approximately thirty Lizardfolk tribes are scattered across the island line of Kaida. Every tribe has a legend of a draconic covenant: a tale of how their ancestors were brought from a distant land by a mighty dragon and charged to honor the dragon and defend the land from the weak and unworthy. The dragonspeaker priests say that the dragons are the embodiment of all that is best in the Lizardfolk spirit. When a Lizardfolk dies, his soul is judged, and if he has upheld the covenant, he is placed in the shell of a dragon's egg. When enough worthy souls are brought together in the egg, it hatches and a new dragon is born, distilled from the essence of all the noble souls that went before.
The Kaida islands are harsh and unforgiving, and the tribes exist in continuous conflict. The first recorded contact with the Lizardfolk comes from an ancient Shihobi account predating the migration from the dead lands. The civilization has changed very little over the millennia; the Lizardfolk are devoted to their traditions. Until the dragons themselves order a change, the Lizardfolk will continue to uphold the covenants. Any traveler who wishes to explore the land of the dragons will have to deal with these barbarians.
National Character
Each Lizardfolk tribe is defined by its draconic covenant. When considering a Lizardfolk tribe, it is important to consider the following questions:
• What color and alignment was the draconic founder (In Draco Moore, alignment and draconic color are not automatically linked)? Look to appearance, breath weapon, and elemental ties for things that the Lizardfolk tribe will use for inspiration. Traditionally tribes of the same color frequently act as allies despite different alignments and beliefs.
• The Lizardfolk are charged to protect Kaida from the unworthy and to honor the founder. This is a vague directive. What were the specific words of the founder? What does this tribe consider unworthy and how do they honor the founder? Because the Lizardfolk consider upholding the covenant to be their key to the afterlife, this is a major point. A violent, chaotic tribe could believe that they honor their founder by spilling the blood of anyone weaker than themselves. A more peaceful tribe could believe that they honor the founder by amassing knowledge or treasures.
• In addition to the general vow to protect Kaida, some of the tribes have specific, additional charges -- protecting a specific shrine or guarding a particular piece of treasure, for example.
Lizardfolk culture is very warlike, and a threatened or starving tribe will go to incredible lengths (even committing deeds considered abominable by other humanoids) to ensure survival. Lizardfolk are apt to attack at the drop of a hat if they perceive their foes to be dangerous or particularly loathsome in some way. If attacked, they can employ their natural weapons with deadly efficiency. Because of this, the people of The Empire and Zhatar have learned to avoid Kaida, leaving the Lizardfolk to spend most of their time fighting each other. Through these battles the Lizardfolk hone their skills and prove their worth as guardians. Only the strongest have a place on the shores of Kaida. Children and caregivers are generally spared during raids however, allowing tribes to eventually recover from defeat.
Central to all Lizardfolk communities is the hatchery. It is usually a squat building constructed of durable materials, located on some sort of natural heat source or containing a massive fire to incubate the eggs. It is from here that the Matriarch rules the tribe. After adolescence, males are rarely allowed to enter the structure. The main exception is mating season which takes place in early spring.
Assuming favorable conditions, a mated pair of Lizardfolk can produce one or two eggs per year. After hatching, young Lizardfolk mature quickly and are considered adults by the end of their tenth year, with all rights and privileges thereof. Before adolescent Lizardfolk become adults, they must go through a series of yearly moltings. At this time, their outer layer of warty scales begins to peel off revealing the progressively thicker and smoother hide of an adult. Unfortunately, an associated itchy sensation has a tendency to cause irritability and extreme aggressiveness. It is at this time that Lizardfolk are their most dangerous. Once they reach maturity, the process tapers off to roughly once a decade and they are expected to control their tempers better than their younger counterparts. Lizard folk have roughly the same life expectancy and use the same age categories as Half-orcs.
Most of the Lizardfolk tribes have a similar social structure. Lizardfolk are a strangely mixed society, with each tribe being ruled over both by a gerontocratic council and a meritocratic Alpha. The council of dragonspeaker mystics, use wisdom and magic to guide the tribe in all spiritual and domestic matters. Dragonspeaker is a lifelong post, with authority within the council based on age. The tribe’s Alpha, is its mightiest warrior. This position is based purely on skill, and any member of the tribe can challenge the Alpha during a time of peace. The Alpha oversees all military action: patrolling the land, organizing raids, training young soldiers. Unfortunately due to the violent tendencies of their society, the holder of this title can change with alarming regularity. Despite the warlike nature of the Lizardfolk, Dragonspeakers hold ultimate authority within a tribe and can even force an Alpha to step down from their position.
Appearance and Physiology
Lizardfolk are cold blooded reptiles with extremely limited ability to regulate their body temperature. They thrive in hot, humid environments, but suffer greatly when exposed to cold. In cold environments, their bodies become sluggish and lethargic.
The Lizardfolk claim that the dragons brought them from many lands and their appearance backs this up. All manner of builds, sagital crests, dorsal spines and scale patterns can be found among the Lizardfolk. Due to their internal bone structure and tail, Lizardfolk have difficulty sitting down. They are most comfortable squatting with their tail wrapped loosely around their legs. While not true amphibians, Lizardfolk are comfortable both on land and in the water. This ability to adapt to their environment has given many an enemy a most unpleasant surprise. Many Lizardfolk seem to regard the ambush as almost an art form.
Lizardfolk culture is primitive. Warriors typically wear little to no armor relying instead on their scales with the possible addition of a shield. Weapons are made from wood, bone, obsidian or shell. Each tribe, however, possesses heirloom arms and armor handed down from the draconic founders. These can be both traditional items such as tail weapons, Chahar-Aina and Dastana armor, or items made from dragon bones or claws. Scarification is a common practice on the islands; as Lizardfolk warriors win victories in battle, they earn the right to have ritual symbols carved across their bodies. It is particularly important that the marks be done deeply enough to avoid being lost when a skin is shed but not so deeply as to hamper mobility or strength.
As Lizardfolk rise in influence and reputation, they are allowed to wear clothing and accessories matching the color of the draconic founder. Dragon scale and dragon bone ornaments are reserved for the greatest heroes of the tribe. Such treasures are not passed to descendents upon the owner's death but rather returned to the tribe to be awarded to the next hero who proves worthy.
Character Classes
Lizardfolk are raised to be as fierce in battle as the dragons that they revere. The harsh life of the islands lends strength to those who survive it. Many adult Lizardfolk have at least one barbarian class level. A few clans with martial traditions mingle barbarian with ranger or monk but these are rare (and respected).
The dragons taught the druidic secrets to Lizardfolk and most Dragonspeakers are druids following the traditions of their patron. Another common path within the Dragonspeakers is the bardic tradition. They use tales of past glory and ancestral deeds to bind communities together and inspire them to a greater future. Sorcerers can also be found among the Lizardfolk occasionally. Sorcerers typically develop powers related to the tribal founder (fire spells for a red sorcerer, for example). While sorcerers are usually considered blessed, a sorcerer who develops spells that seem out of line with the tribal founder -- e.g., fire spells for the tribe of a white dragon -- might be driven from the tribe.
Sample Lizardfolk Tribes
Approximately thirty barbarian tribes are spread among the islands of Kaida. A few representative tribes are described below.
The Bringers of Fire were founded by a chaotic evil red dragon. One of the largest and most dangerous tribes, they are one of the only tribes known to completely exterminate Lizardfolk clans that they view as unworthy. The Bringers of Fire paint their skin red before battle and make use of flaming oil. They are renowned for their volatile temperaments.
The White Wanderers were founded by a true neutral white dragon. They are a nomadic tribe charged to protect a series of shrines. They believe in the power of knowledge and magic, and have a high percentage of literacy and Dragonspeakers. Explorers and outsiders looking for Lizardfolk to deal with would do well to focus on this tribe. White Wanderers have a cold, chilly demeanor, and never let their emotions show.
The Stormwalkers were founded by a lawful evil blue dragon. Although one of the smallest tribes, they are nonetheless dangerous and thus, highly respected. The Stormwalkers developed a martial, monastic tradition emulating the natural attacks of the dragon.
The Frostblades were founded by a lawful good white dragon. While they ruthlessly defend the land from outsiders, they also seek to preserve weaker tribes from the depredations of more violent clans such as the Bringers of Fire. Frostblade Dragonspeakers know the secret of alchemist's frost and sometimes use this as a weapon in battle.
The Ryu Guardians are not a tribe. Rather, they are an alliance of elite soldiers drawn from many tribes. These are the defenders of Ryu Beach and the Great Barrier of Kaida. Their recruits are drawn from the dreams of dragonspeaker priests who receive dream-visions ordering particular warriors to Ryu Beach to join the guardians. In a few special cases, dragons have personally visited a tribe to call a Lizardfolk to the guardians. A Ryu Guardian possesses at least six character levels and may possess levels in various prestige classes.
Additional Information
Lizardfolk Characters
Common Lizardfolk Feats
Lizard Folk Equipment
