Adventures in Soliverance - NPC Lizardfolk

 2. LIZARDFOLK

Name - Sunytha

Lizardfolk take their names from the Draconic language. They use simple descriptives granted by the tribe based on an individual's notable deeds or actions. For example, Garurt translates as "axe", a name given to a lizardfolk warrior. A lizardfolk who likes to hide in a stand of reeds before ambushing might be called Achuak which means "green" to describe how she blends into the foliage.

Lizardfolk make no distinction between male or female in their naming conventions. Each example name includes it's translation in parenthesis.

Achuak(green), Aryte(war), Baeshra(animal), Darastrix(dragon), Garurt(axe), Irhtos(secret), Jhank(hammer), Kepesk(storm), Kethend(gem), korth(danger), Kosj(small), Kothar(demon), Litrix(armour), Mirik(song), Othokent(smart) Sauriv(eye), Throden(many), Thurkear(night), Usk(iron), Valignat(burn), Vargnach(battle), Verthica(mountain), Vutha(black), Vyth(steel).

Sunathaer is draconic for cleric

Nytha is draconic for mama 

So brought the two names together as the god who's word she spreads is the mother of gods.

Class - Cleric 

Having a cleric available as a choice for the group means bringing a religious element into the lore and background of the game. In this case the Lizardfolk's religion is based on the Aztec/Mayan mythos due to the aesthetic depiction of most lizard based races within the fantasy genre. 

With this in mind I looked through the list of Aztec deities and made the choice of having the particular god that this character is a follower of as Coatlicue - the mother of gods, partly to continue with the idea of this character having the potential of being the mother of the group and healer. The name is derived from the word coatl meaning "snake" and icue meaning "her skirt" so as to roughly be translated as "[she who has] the skirt of snakes" keeping a reptilian theme to the whole process of naming and class.

Coatlicue is represented as a woman wearing a skirt of writhing snakes and a necklace made of human hearts, hands, and skulls. Her feet and hands are adorned with claws and her breasts are depicted as hanging flaccid from pregnancy. Her face is formed by two facing serpents, which represent blood spurting from her neck after she was decapitated.

According to Aztec legend, Coatlicue was once magically impregnated by a ball of feathers that fell on her while she was sweeping a temple. She subsequently gave birth to the god Huitzilopochtli. Her daughter the goddess Coyolxauhqui then rallied Coatlicue's four hundred other children together and goaded them into attacking and decapitating their mother. The instant she was killed, the god Huitzilopochtli suddenly emerged from her womb fully grown and armed for battle. He killed many of his brothers and sisters, including Coyolxauhqui, who he decapitated, dismembered, and threw into the sky to become the moon. In one variation on this legend, Huitzilopochtli himself is the child conceived in the ball-of-feathers incident and is born just in time to save his mother from harm.

This would lead into specific aesthetic choices being made in the direction of the characters appearance and character traits.

Appearance - 

Taller than humans and powerfully built Sunytha stands around 6 1/2 feet tall and weighs around 200 pounds, whilst typically reptilian in appearance and often depicted as small humanoid dragon like creatures, I feel they should be more representable of the environment they grew up in like and evolved form to show a lengthy amount of time within this fantasy realm, so lizardfolk from volcanic environments would look similar to salamanders, those from more human settlements or who have interacted more with that race over the centuries would take on more human like qualities. With Sunytha having come from a religious ziggurat from a forest district of Soliverance her skin is mottled browns to blend in with the environment and jagged in nature with the appearance similar to an iguana in our world that hails from the amazon. Hunched over due to many interactions with smaller races with a long staff in hand to prop herself up, she can utilise her height by standing up straighter to impose a foreboding appearance onto others when wishing to impress upon another her strength that is often forgotten due to the peaceful reputation of most clerics.

Lizardfolk hail from lands lethal and uncivilized. They are born solidly in the middle of the food chain, and are taught to conquer it all… Or become food trying. Lizardfolk who survive long enough to become an adult are carved from this mold. Male or female, all Lizardfolk are muscled, tall, intimidating, but know how to stay subtle and out of the way when things aren’t going their way. Their scales are good for camouflaging in the jungle, but their claws and teeth make them quite noticeable in towns.

Lizardfolk are bred by logic. If something is worthy of fear, then the Lizardfolk avoids it. While they are more than capable of feeling emotions, they shun or abstract emotion enough that their typical fear is simply one of survival; don’t be in the way of that thing. Aggression is only necessary when the Lizardfolk is defending itself or needs to eat. They don’t get roused to fighting by insults or dares; however, insults might cause the Lizardfolk to feel that that particular creature is worthy of anger.

Pleasure is somewhat different. Lizardfolk don’t grow up with many sources of pleasure, such as delicious food or drink or an adventuring companion. If there is something that will allow them to avoid fear, then they will find it pleasurable. A very simple way to earn a Lizardfolk’s affection is to help them survive in a situation where they are sure they will die. Obviously, what can kill one of these draconic behemoths will be very scary indeed… But the trust of the Lizardfolk might be worth risking your life, because they will do much to protect those that bring them happiness. The “scaleless” are especially worth pitying; how are you supposed to survive without any sort of natural defences? Many Lizardfolk become guards and defensive party members out of pity.

The binary thought processes of the standard Lizardfolk is strange to most races. Dead companions should be eaten, because they are a viable source of meat. Love doesn’t exist because it is an obstacle for the sustaining of the tribe. A Lizardfolk who lives in a pleasurable environment might be taught emotions, but it will be a hard-fought battle to tear them away from their instincts.

Due to the fact that Lizardfolk are already equipped with armour due to their scaled skin they often wear very little extra armour as is the case with Sunytha who wears flowing blue cleric robes with golden embellishments of occult symbology, especially symbols related to her goddess which can be seen throughout her design especially symbols of the frog - a far more common and joyful emblem, showed happiness. It is still being determined why this is the case, although it is possible that the Aztecs considered frogs humorous. In addition, frogs were a sign of fertilization, the life cycle of restoration, and mortality, as a continuation of the life cycle. Feathers are also an integral part of the design based on the mythos around Coatlicue and a feathered headpiece adorns the skull of the lizardfolk with more blue and orange colourings.

Interactions 

Lizardfolk character mistakes the Kenku's necklace as a symbol of another of her gods as an Imix symbol (her religion is based on the Mayan one and the Imix is a symbol of the underworld and representative of the very idea of multiple different dimensions and existences. Consequently, it's also associated with madness and insanity). Due to not being able to explain otherwise due to lack of voice brings frustration to the Kenku.

good - After conversing with both characters you understand the mixed communication due to the Lizardfolk being blinded by her faith and the Kenku unable to use language, and are able to act as a go between and explain what each character believes the symbol is to each other

neutral - You pay no attention to these characters and learn nothing of their squabble over the necklace and it goes no further.

evil - You understand both sides of the characters belief over the necklace but take one side over the other depending on your own perceptions;

 If you take the lizardfolks side you believe that the Kenku has succumbed to a madness due to their own curse and defend their plan to remove the creature from the group during the trip in the tomb where they attempt to attack the Kenku who stabs the Lizardfolk with their Sapphire-eyed dagger.

If you take the Kenku's side you believe that the Lizardfolk's god is a false god and is actually the patron who cursed his race and she has been sent to cause more pain to his already insufferable life and she is actually one of his marks, allowing him to take her life with his ruby-eyed dagger.

The Dwarf being an artificer and a creator lends heavily into the Lizrdfolks beliefs and her chosen goddess being the creator of all gods she is fascinated by his ingenuity questioning where he gets his creativity from however the dwarfs are based on Norse mythology and themes and whilst he himself is not religious can understand the Lizardfolks inquisitiveness since he himself often likes to break things down to see how they work.

good - The dwarf agrees to begin working on a monument back at the village for the Lizardfolk to worship at, so their journey can come to an end and they can finally call the village home.

neutral - The dwarf tries to dissect a comprehend how the Lizardfolks beliefs in a non physical form can work however lacking physical components to understand this theoretical construct frustrates both parties.

evil - Tiring of the Lizadfolks constant need for answers and devout ramblings the dwarf berates them in response the Lizardfolk damages their hands in a way so as to never be able to create anything again.

The Wood elf loves nature and the cycle of life itself so listens intently to the stories the Lizardfolk tells of their goddess and her creations, opting to take inspiration from them with how she views nature itself. Yet depending on the players relationship with the wood elf they can choose to take the players side in disregarding the Lizardfolks request to stop hunting or not.

good -  They will side with the Lizardfolk and take up a life of preservation of nature when in the past they would kill in order to survive they have a new found respect for the lives they take and will pray to this new god in thanks to their creations as a form of sustenance for their own continued survival.

neutral - Whilst not ignoring the lizard folks beliefs that have their own beliefs in themselves and even though enjoying their stories it has no meaningful impact on how they continue forward with their life.

evil - Seeing belief as a fabrication and manipulation of others views for what is essentially witchcraft the Wood Elf will remain apprehensive of the lizardfolk even going as far as to attempt to cast them out of the party or threaten to oust them through messages to witch hunters from her clan.

The Warforged and the Lizarrdfolk are at odds when it comes to belief structures, in part due to the Warforged knowing and having existed alongside their creator as well as an in built conscious system based on logic where belief in something that isn't tangible or with any evidence seems illogical. The Lizarddfolk is steadfast in her beliefs and is on pilgrimage for her goddess to find evidence of her at work in the world.

good - Given that the Warforged's creators must themselves have had creators this pure act of creation from conceptualisation is the evidence that the lizard folk puts forward as her goddess at work, gods are covert in their methods and thus a more tangible piece of evidence would give way to their existence being too prominent for all creatures, believers are there to look and acknowledge the work at play. The Warforged understands now that to believe is a choice with the acts of understanding the work of deities is unfathomable merely the act of choosing to believe in them creates their existence.

neutral - The characters remain amicable with each other choosing not to argue over their own reasons and beliefs but concentrating on the here and now and what thy can provide as individuals to the party whether that is healing or technological skills.

evil - The Wafered constantly mocks the Lizardfolk for her beliefs which have no substantial evidence or provide any logical rationale for her actions, berating her and providing constant streams of dialogue with reasoning for the lack of deities or their existence causing her to go through an existential crisis and a loss of faith now a wreck and constantly questioning what she has done with her life, and where she should go now that her entire pilgrimage was for nothing. She has become lost.

The half-orc sings songs of legend and can see the Lizardolks preaching as an alternative to song almost like a spoken word performance, yet when the lizardfolk insists her goddess is just as true as the heroes from his song he can either belittle this notion as her seeking stolen valour or practice new songs of gods nd goddesses himself not necessarily becoming devout but gaining an understanding of how age can temper tales into something new.

The changeling being a representative of the player themself will use this to question the players own faith or lack thereof. Choosing to show empathy for another characters beliefs will allow for miracles to occur to further extend the lizadfolks beliefs and perhaps a more positive alignment with other players however choosing to diminish these beliefs and be ignorant to the characters own beliefs can lead to the changeling attempting to take on the supposed appearance of their goddess and mock them by committing sinful acts.