In-Depth Information;

Appearance Lyzards are humanoid in stature with lizardlike faces, hands, tails, and feet; they are tall, bipedal creatures with scales covering their bodies. These scales can be either broad or small, depending on the individual, though never so broad that they appear bulky like their wrathful cousins, the shriekan. A naturally thin and willowy creature, lyzards grow taller as they age, only accentuating this feature as they grow older. Another feature common to all lyzards is their eyes; starting as bright as any color can, they eventually fade and turn white as the lyzard approaches death. There are three variants that all lyzards fall into; though hybrids of these are possible, they are greatly frowned upon.

Kaza'inr: Kaza'inr lyzards are the tallest, usually growing to near eight feet in their lifetimes. Their scales start as bright colors and shine with health during their prime. These colors eventually dull, though, as the lyzard grows closer to death. Kaza'inr are the most flamboyant in their love for the dragons, using priestly robes of purest white in their dress and leading the other groups in their worship of the beasts. Males of this variant may grow beards when older, though otherwise they are incapable of growing hair. The kaza'inr lyzards also rarely sport such mutations as spikes, feathers, or skin, though they are not completely unheard of.

Rakazuor: Rakazuor lyzards are indistinguishable from kaza'inr in their prime physically, but their young and old are almost completely opposite. Instead of starting bold and dulling over time, rakazuor start dull and grow bolder with age. They are prone to developing spikes, plates, and horns; sometimes, a rakazuor lyzard may grow a mane down their spine, while elders often grow long grey or white beards as their kaza'inr cousins do. Most rakazuor affect armor befitting their lives as paladins, though the very old and very young wear robes as do the kaza'inr. This armor can be of any color, style, and design, but those directly in the employ of the priests will always wear shades of white, silver, and gold.

Nizlhamr: The lyzards of nizlhamr are the shortest variant, regularly only growing to a still-astonishing six and a half feet. An oddity in the species, nizlhamr scales don't typically grow more or less vibrant as they age; instead, the scales grow less opaque, turning fully transparent as the lyzard nears their final years. Most nizlhamr may be found in an assortment of physical differences ranging from feathers, spikes, horns, plates, manes, and many other things. Nizlhamr wear various garb depending on where they may find themselves in the Realms, but they regularly adorn themselves with jewelry, favoring necklaces, tail rings, and iconography of dragons wherever possible. Those still living in Lizzarkyth will often wear clothes most commonly associated with rangers - light armor and clothing that blends well with their jungle surroundings.

Culture Calm to the point of frustration, this peaceful species firmly rejects any call to arms unless it is broached by a dragon, and even then their assent is not guaranteed. Vystriana is the only true ally the lyzards have made, though the lyzards will wait until their assistance is truly needed before going to aid them. The lyzard teachings are strict, and they can appear somewhat aloof to the "Scaleless" races, making foreign relations somewhat strained. Emotional outbursts are frowned upon and only allowed during certain celebrations, and outbursts are punished by kaza'inr high priests, resulting in an 'untouchable' period of time afflicted upon the offender. This means that the majority of lyzards always keep their emotions in check, causing them to appear cold and slow to trust on any given day.

Kaza'inr: The ruling class and that of the priesthood. The robes these lyzards use are marked with runes for various stations, further enhanced by the robes' base color. Servants are given brown, unadorned robes to wear, and are often punished should they decorate or change their garb. Novices wear dark, unadorned grey. Acolytes wear silvers marked with limited runes - the number and style of which depends on their skill and reputation. Priests often wear blues and greens, decorated to their own unique style. High-priests wear bold golds and oranges, where bishops will wear white. Those in the Council of Stones are high-priests and high-priestesses who wear white, opalescent robes that seem to shimmer and dance, often studded in jewels to proclaim their religious aptitude. It is possible to move up through these ranks by learning, and once you've taught a number of lyzards of the previous level something they didn't know, you are allowed to advance under the tutelage of a bishop or high-priest.

Rakazuor: Rakazuor lyzards are the paladins of their race, serving and protecting the kaza'inr with their lives. The action-based rakazuor are the companion counterpoint to the philosophical kaza'inr. Where kaza'inr lyzards sit and think on the workings of the worlds, these paladins are the few trained guards in charge of defense, though they often choose only to use non-lethal means. Rakazuor are the ones that enforce the laws and ideals of the high-priests or priestesses. There are regular contests of control within the rakazuor where competitors are dared to come as close to striking their opponent as possible without actually touching them; the first to lose control and actually strike their opponent is the looser. Honor is everything to a rakazuor, and to insult that honor is regarded among the highest of misdeeds.

Nizlhamr: Once called suzakr'n'tr, or 'wanderers' before their excommunication and exile, nizlhamr do not adhere to the hierarchy within the typical lyzard settlement any longer. They have a high respect for their elders and tribes of nizlhamr are often led by a group of older individuals. They dedicate themselves to remembering ancient lyzard oral histories, and often tell them to each other during meals; the younger members often join in by attempting to recite more recent events as the elders coach them on the art of storytelling. Sometimes, there are contests to recall the oldest story with the most accuracy and emotion. There are occasionally small bands of nizlhamr wandering by themselves, since their lack of respect for some of the higher ranked kaza'inr or the glorious missions of the rakazuor have made them extreme social outcasts. As such, many nizlhamr do not reside in Lizzarkyth, but travel abroad, populating the jungles and forests of many Realms they would not normally be found in.

Abilities Lyzards are gifted with strong mental magics; psychics and psions are very common, as are Seers and empaths. Elemental affinities range across the board, though all lyzards have some control over lightning and electricity, the strength of which depends on the individual. Those strongest may call bolts of incredible, devastating power, while those weakest are merely capable of a slight static shock. The color of this lightning varies from gold to white to blue to purple, and when in use, it flickers between each razor fang and along their scales. Otherwise, all lyzard variants have their own unique specialties.

Kaza'inr: The priesthood-focused kaza'inr lyzards are known to be gifted with great mental acuity, insight, and a vast thirst for knowledge. Their lightning energies tend to be of medium strength, though most - if not all - are very strong psions. More kaza'inr lyzards inherit the Sight than both of the other variants combined. Scholars, mapmakers, and inventors are common among them, and the average kaza'inr seeks to put their magic to use bettering themselves and others. They are meticulous and show great promise as leaders and innovators.

Rakazuor: The rakazuor are less gifted with mental magic, but have the strongest of electricity and have the most stamina of any lyzard type. However, as they are often able to predict the paths of their opponents and lead them to places where they will be unable to progress, many believe that the rakazuor are gifted with a rudimentary version of the Sight. They have an affinity for using this ability to craft traps for their opponents to fall in; and while these traps are often non-lethal, in the cases of extreme need some are. There are also quite a few with a strange ability possibly linked to light magic that can sense evil intent in another so long as certain conditions are met, much like Halgians who share similar values.

Nizlhamr: Nizlhamr lyzards are masters of moving unseen through the wilderness, sometimes gifted with chameleon-like abilities to change their colors so they may better avoid detection. They are adept at object manipulation, both physically and magically; often gifted in psychic abilities, they are able to move (and sometimes change) an object through accurate visualization. The memory of a nizlhamr is also near-perfect, and they make for excellent orators, often remembering small details that others have long forgotten.

subspecies

Yizhr
Classification: chameleon-like lyzard. Location: Lizzarkyth.

A short, chameleon-like subtype of lyzard, more closely related to the shriekan in their warlike, primitive tendencies. They are cunning jungle fighters, perfectly at home in the trees. They can hide almost anywhere, on the borderline of being invisible, but just shy of that degree. As a race, they have very little in the way of technology, having no skill for working metal; instead, they trade various fruits, berries, and insects for that resource. However, they are very artistically minded, making shockingly beautiful pottery and wood carvings which they sell and trade off to other races.

They are experts at using poisons and venom extracted from the natural world to bring down others, and are rumored to have once been trained by a Pestilence demon from Kurai. Being small, they do not stack up well when attacked up close, using hit and run tactics while the poisons/venom wears down the target. They are largely neutral, but often sell their assassin-esque skills to the highest bidders, used by both of their cousin species when the need is great enough. A shriekan may see them as weak, shattered versions of themselves and only use them if brute force fails, lyzards think they are little better then shriekans and tend to avoid them if possible.

Crelr
Classification: skink-lyzard. Location: primarily Lizzarkyth, but abroad.

Long and sinuous, they are humanoid reptiles who are just two legs away from being naga. They are very tall due to their stretched out bodies and relatively short limbs, averaging around eleven feet when fully grown, nearly twice that in length when counting the very long tail and bodies of these creatures. Also cousins to the shriekans and the lyzards, but seem closer to the lyzards and the yizhr. They are very primitive, meditative beings, having few tools to use with their minuscule arms.

A crelr will normally move much like a snakekind naga, only using their hind legs a steering fins, or to climb their craggy mountain peaks. Their paw pads are sticky and their claws long, better able to climb with, while they can use their tails and bodies to slip and slide around awkward obstacles others may have difficulty navigating.

They live in the high mountains, of magically forged temples where they forever sit, meditate and wait for the day that all reptilian races might join hands and be one at long last. In this meditative state, they will choose a large, round orb - magically crafted from the elders of the crelr - and place their small claws upon it, bending their head and neck forward to arch over it with their tail curled around. Like the lyzards, they worship dragons, but they also worship hybrids as well, seeing them as evidence that peace is possible between the different races. Many crossbreeds take refuge in these temples, under the crelr's protection. As a race, the crelr absorb passively and build up large amounts of magical energy, and are greater in power when they join their magic with others of their species, crafting spells together.

Blup'r
Classification:frog-lyzard. Location: Ristell and Lizzarkyth.

A humanoid cousin of the lyzard that appears froglike, brightly-colored, and highly amphibious. Most can be easily spotted in their swampy homes because of their wild markings and very bright, obnoxious coloration, marking them as extremely poisonous. Though rather intelligent, they are a completely neutral and very anti-war, refusing outright to take part in any conflicts as a whole. Because of their nature, they are very rarely provoked or attacked, and almost never hunted for food or bounty.

A blup'r's blood is infused with a unique poison that seizes the body and kills internal organs hours after ingestion. They release a toxin that produces similar effects, when their skin is broken - as such, blup'r alchemists have antidotes on hand at all times, in case a visitor happens to be around an injured individual. They are very adept at mixing potions and making ointments, and much of their trade has to do with this aspect of their culture.