Life After Death

Lizardman are a race of humanoid lizards that come in a variety of reptilian breeds. Like humans, they have five fingers ending in short claws. The average height of an adult male Lizardman is about 190 centimeters (6'3") and the average weight is about 100 kg (220 lbs). Possessing scales more similar to those of a crocodile instead of a lizard's.

Lizardman have more muscle mass compared to humans. In addition to that, they possess a thick crocodile-like tail that extends from the hip. It is exclusively used for balance. Once the tail grows to 140 cm, it can be used as a potential weapon. Due to their conditions in their natural environment, Lizardmen have evolved to possess webbed feet for ease of movement on the wetlands, though not as adept overland. In addition, like all reptiles, they have very little tolerance for subzero temperatures. All Lizardmen are also born possessing dark vision.

While seen as savages by other civilizations due to their primitive technology and society, Lizardmen are one of the intelligent-demi-human races out there that possess their own sophisticated tribal culture. Living in a hunter-gatherer society, each tribe is led by a chief. Chiefs are selected every few years through a test of strength within the tribe so only the strongest rules. They have absolute authority on all matters and assembly of the tribe to discuss matters only happens once in a blue moon. Due to the hardship in gathering food in their living area, survival of the fittest is seen as the natural order of things, so war over resources was not initially seen as detrimental but they faced disastrous defeat in the hands of the dragons initially. Later they developed sophisticated tactics to turn the tables by hunting stray dragons.

Lizardmen are organized in a stratified social structure that sets the chief at top of the tribal hierarchy. Below the chief are other tiers that assist the chief in maintaining order throughout the community. Chief>Council of Elders>Warriors/Hunters>Tribesmen.

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The Dragon Mountain Range lay between the Great Lake on one side and the wasteland on the other. Its southern foothills were surrounded by a sprawling forest while the north was sparsely populated with shrubs and continued into an unending dessert. The average height of the mountain range was 80Km and is responsible for the rain shadow region in the north.

The Great lake was over 200 million square kilometers in size, and resembled a meteorite crater when viewed from space. It was divided into the Outer Lake and the Inner Lake. The Inner Lake was very deep, and was home to larger creatures, while the Outer Lake was where the smaller creatures lived.

The southern end of the Lake was surrounded by wetlands, and countless abandoned structures can be seen erected in this large, marshy region. This was the first settlement of Lizardmen before they clashed with the Dragons. Now it is used by the hunters of the Lizardmen as a relay station before their hunt. Due to the innate flight advantage of Dragons the Lizardmen suffered catastrophic losses initially. This forced them to flee and go underground. There are many underground lakes and tunnels around the marshes whose origin is unknown but now it became the home to the Lizardmen.

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The blinding sun hung high in the azure sky, with only a few ephemeral clouds to interrupt the endless expanse of blue. The weather was very good, and one could clearly see the towering peaks in the distance.

Among the many houses in the marshes a group of lizardmen can be seen resting and taking care of their crude equipment. It was a team of 10 with their leader being different from others.

This Lizardman's scales had a golden sheen to it and are tougher than the regular murky scales of his subordinates. This is because he is a descendant of the "Chosen ones" in his tribe. The Chosen ones are those who had experiments conducted on them by Aons. All the primitive civilizations located on MBN consider it a blessing to be a chosen one even with the huge fatality rate as the survivors who return can strengthen their tribe. Aons conduct only one experiment on an individual and the successful subjects are returned and monitored.

Lizardmen tribes were a strictly-ordered society, and the highest authority among them was the tribe's chief. The position was not hereditary; it was awarded to the strongest person within the tribe. Every year, they would conduct a ceremony to select a new tribal chief. Usually the chosen ones are elected but it is not uncommon for an exceptional individual to be born among the common members.

The chances of a mutated trait being passed down to next generation is low so the number of mutated members at any given time usually doesn't exceed 5%. So the Aons don't care about this as the chances of the original species becoming extinct is low and mutated specimens can also be used in experiments.

Lizardmen were omnivorous, but their main diet was a kind of fish which was around eighty centimeters long, and they disliked vegetables and fruits. Even so, the hunters still had to enter the forest for logging purposes. Since they lived in underground cave systems they need wood as source of heat to prevent deaths. The land was not safe for Lizardmen; thus specialists were needed. So hunting teams were formed with a capable leader as the center and individuals who are talented in scouting, melee, archery…etc. While the members could move as they pleased and make their own decisions, they were ultimately subject to the leaders authority.

The leader of this group is a capable mutant named Blag. He is respected by his subordinates not because of his lineage but his mind, which saved them from many dangers and score them a big catch in their expeditions. They are returning from an expedition and their harvest was bountiful as always. They never lost a member and this made them confident in him.

But their recent expedition are becoming more and more dangerous with the war nearing them. Although some intellectuals in the tribe are against an open war as the losses would be unimaginable but the public sentiment is riled up with the death of a council member.

"We should decrease the frequency of our activities to decrease the risk. No matter how careful and discrete we are it is just a matter of time before we encounter the enemy." Blag informed his subordinates of his decision. Although they were reluctant they had no say in this. Once Blag makes up his mind they knew how futile it is to try changing it.

"Now let's return home before the sun sets." And they began their return journey.