Creature
Type: Humanoid
Saurians, the legendary lizardfolk, once ruled an empire that covered all of modern-day Paladium.
BEHAVIOR
Resembling reptilian humanoids with forked tongues, they have a natural kinship with snakes and reptiles. The females lay eggs underwater which hatch each spring. Parenting is unknown; Saurians mature quickly and live or die in a rough-and-tumble world.
HISTORY
In ancient days, the Saurians built cities. Cruelty and bloodshed reigned among their streets. Though now the Saurians are limited to isolated settlements in the Paladian hinterlands, the ruins of great cities such as Zethir and Zassoth remain.
The Saurians worshipped Dagan, demon lord of the depths. They believed Dagan’s spirit was contained within a giant snake called Syrax. Saurian troops expended great resources to feed Syrax —and Syrax loved the taste of humans.
It was the amazons, under Queen Hyacintha, that put an end to the Saurian Empire and slew their serpent god. The hero Chloe beheaded Syrax and left its immense body to rot.
CULTURE
After their power was broken, the Saurians retreated to the most isolated regions of Paladium, where they remain in small groups. They have learned to fear humans and will often flee or dive underwater at the sight of them. Thus the Paladians think little of them or consider them a myth altogether.
MYRMIDONS
Though the Saurians have passed into obscurity, the memory of their legendary Myrmidons lives on. During the ancient Saurian Empire, these reptilian warriors were clad head to toe in bulky iron armor, which was black in color and covered in enamel. They wielded halberds or spiked clubs and were considered — in ancient days — to be the greatest champions of evil. In the Empire, the memory of the Myrmidons lives on in the arena; one style of gladiatorial combat, the most heavily-armored, is called the Myrmidon.
