One Page Lore: Lizardfolk (And Full One Page Lore Kickstarter)

LIZARDFOLK

Draconos. Spawn of Yig. Saurians. Lizardfolk. The reptilian people have many names, nearly as many as they have differing physical traits. Despite their varied appearances across the world, they share an ancestry, no matter where they reside or how different they appear.

Physicality

Lizardfolk vary in appearance more than any known people in the world. Height, build, bulk, color, markings, scale density, posture, even the shape of their hands and feet can vary dramatically from one lizardfolk to another.

However, there are some common traits. All lizardfolk stand upright and possess scaled skin, snouts, two arms with clawed hands, two legs with clawed feet, and a tail.

They grow to be 4-6 ft. tall by the time they are 20. Some remain slender while others nearly rival dwarves in heartiness.

Many lizardfolk suffer from carrier’s constraint, granting them bursts or  power at the cost of endurance.

Unique Features

Lizardfolk are known for having a vast variety of unique features among      bloodlines. Extendable tongues, independently moving eyes, detaching and     regrowing limbs, prehensile tails, neck dewlaps, elongated necks, armored crests, sharp spines, dorsal fins, adhesive pads on their hands and feet, camouflage, and elongated snouts are just a few of their possible features.

Never Stop Growing

Lizardfolk do not cease growing. After they reach maturity—around 20—they   continue to grow at a slower pace until death, allowing elders to be twice the size of young adult lizardfolk.

Cold-Blooded

Without internal means to regulate body temperature, lizardfolk rely on external means to stay warm. Fire and magic are among the two most common.

If they get too cold, they will get stiffer, losing dexterity and mobility. If they continue to freeze, they will slip into a deep sleep and either wake when properly warmed or die.

This also grants them advantages, such as using far less energy than        warm-blooded folk when idle. Lizardfolk performing tasks with limited        movement can do so for weeks without issue. If they remain motionless, they can survive for months, even without food and water.

Shedding Scales

As they grow, lizardfolk must shed their scales. If they wait too long, their scales harden further, granting them extra protection. However, it also restricts their movement, limiting their mobility. If they continue to refuse to shed their scales, the unshed scales will cause increasingly harmful problems.

Some delay shedding because the new scales will be soft for a short time, leaving them more vulnerable. However, this time of soft scales grants lizardfolk increased dexterity and a greater ease of movement.

Limbic System

Due to their unique evolutionary development, lizardfolk have key differences in their limbic system- sometimes called the lizard brain- from most other folk.

Because of this, many lizardfolk are quicker at physical reactions and decision-making. They also commonly have better memories than most other folk.

However, this can also make them have strong snap reactions to things like fear, anxiety, and aggression. Because of their own sudden emotional changes and quick reactions, some understand a creature or person’s initial reaction may not reflect their true feelings.

Life Cycle

All lizardfolk are oviparous. When breeding, lizardfolk have a unique choice. They can mate with a partner or reproduce via parthenogenesis, a form of asexual   reproduction where the development of an embryo occurs without fertilization.

Parthenogenesis will only produce female offspring. Because of this, females are the most common among lizardfolk.

Lizardfolk mature at a rate similar to humans until adulthood. Once they mature, they can easily live 100 years without any ill effects from aging. After 100, the effects of aging strike quickly, rarely allowing lizardfolk to live past 110.

Qualities

• Scales – Thick scales protect you from physical attacks
• Vomeronasal Organ – You can sense some things invisible to the eye
• Parietal Eye – Few things can sneak up on you
• Cold-blooded – You use far less energy than most folk do
• Gorge Yourself – You can eat enough food to last you a month in one sitting
• Burst of Speed – You can make quick movements without telegraphing
• Energy Conservation – By not exerting yourself, you can survive longer than most folk with less sustenance
• Advanced Limbic System: Reaction – You react quickly
• Advanced Limbic System: Memory – You have an incredible memory
• Thrive in Native Environment – You excel in your preferred       environment

Drawbacks

• Cold-Blooded – You require outside sources of heat to keep warm
• Gorge yourself – After eating a large meal, you’re lethargic for a several hours
• Burst of Speed – Most of your power comes from your first strike
• Advanced Limbic System – You feel and react upon emotions quickly
• Thrive in Native Environment – Adapting to other environments can be difficult

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