Story
The desert night was cool, the stars sharp as spearpoints above the dunes. Sir Hraak of the Black Sun sat by his Varrek, the beast curled like a watchful shadow at his side. The fire before him was small, its light barely reaching the edge of his bronze helm.
He had sworn never to retreat, to stand as the unyielding shield. Yet tonight his thoughts wandered, heavy as his armor.
Mistress Marrath had taken captives from a rival Tarrak that had yielded in honorable combat. Instead of ransoming them, as custom demanded, Marrath had ordered them dragged in chains through the streets, mocked and spat upon. Hraak had watched in silence, his jaw clenched, his scales burning with shame.
Now he sat alone with his doubts. His oath bound him to endure, to hold the line even when others broke. But what of his mistress? Could a knight stand firm behind a mistress who cast aside the codes of honor?
The Varrek lifted its head, sensing his turmoil. Its golden eyes caught the firelight, reflecting it back like judgment.
Hraak whispered, "If I leave her, I break my oath. If I stay, I betray it."
The fire hissed as a coal broke, sparks rising into the dark. Somewhere beyond the dunes, a jackal howled. The knight lowered his head, torn between his vow and his heart.
The horizon began to pale, the first hint of dawn bleeding into the sky. Hraak rose slowly, the weight of his armor pressing down on his shoulders, heavier than it had ever felt in battle.
His Varrek stirred, letting out a low growl as if to ask the question his heart had already answered.
Hraak lifted his lance, planted it upright in the sand, and tied Marrath's banner to it. For a moment he looked at the cloth, crimson and black, rippling faintly in the wind. Then he stepped back, leaving it behind.
He mounted his Varrek in silence. Without ceremony, without words, he rode into the rising sun.
By the time Mistress Marrath's men awoke, the knight was gone, and his banner stood alone in the desert, a silent judgment on the master he had deemed unworthy.

Description

West of the Basalt Teeth, beyond burning sands and endless dunes, lies the hidden kingdom of Ssar'et, the land of the scaled. Few outsiders ever glimpse its fortress cities of sun-baked stone and black basalt, for the lizardmen rarely leave their desert home.

Society and Structure

Ssar'et is a feudal realm, divided into holds known as Tarrak. Each Tarrak is ruled by a Ssar-mistress, always female, but the true heart of lizardman power lies in the wandering knights, the Zhorai. These warriors, clad in heavy bronze and iron plates over their own thick scales, ride fearsome war-beasts called Varrek, swift raptor-like mounts with hooked talons and razor teeth.

Unlike most mistresses, knights are bound not by blood or land but by honor. They serve a mistress only so long as he proves worthy, and when he falters, they leave without shame to find another master. A mistress with many knights at his side is honored, for it proves his worth.

Religion of the Eternal Kings

Their first king, Ssareth the First Flame, is remembered as both their founder and their first god. With each king's death, his soul is elevated, and he joins the pantheon of The Eternal Court. Kings are prayed to according to their deeds:

• Ssareth the First Flame, the first god-king, is prayed to when starting a new venture.
• Khrak the Unbroken is prayed to for strength in war.
• Zaarin the Plenty is invoked for fertile harvests and good egg-clutches.
• Morrath the Still is remembered for ending a civil war through ritual duels, and is prayed to for peace.

So far, they have 81 such god-kings.

When lizardmen die, they are said to join the god-king under whom they were born, serving him forever in the afterlife. Thus, loyalty to one's king is sacred, for it is eternal.

Succession is never to the eldest son by right. Instead, the reigning king must choose his heir among his sons, and only the chosen will ascend the throne upon his death. If no heir is chosen, the sons duel ritually, until one prevails or the others yield. This has occasionally plunged the kingdom into strife, but ritual combat prevents outright war.

The Role of Women

Though kingship is reserved for men, true daily power lies in the hands of women. Female lizardfolk are smaller but quicker, both in body and mind. The rule the Tarraks, the councils of law, the markets of trade, and most importantly, the priesthood. Only women wield magic, known as Ssarkesh, the arts of body and vision. Through their healing and foresight, they guide society. The king also has a harem of oracle-advisors to guide his actions.

Men fight, till the fields, build, and bleed, but women ensure the kingdom endures.

The Zhorai, Knights of Ssar'et

The Zhorai are the most honored warriors of Ssar'et. They are both symbols of the kingdom's power and living judges of a mistress's worth. A knight's loyalty is not bound by blood or law but by choice. To have many Zhorai follow you is proof that your honor is unquestioned. To lose their loyalty is a mark of shame.

Knights are technically free of feudal bonds, though they come from noble and warrior bloodlines. Many leave their birth-hold at adulthood, seeking a mistress whose deeds match their own ambitions. Some stay loyal for life, others wander from mistress to mistress, their banners changing as the desert winds shift.

The Oath of Scales

When a lizardman becomes a Zhorai, he undergoes the Oath of Scales. Before the Eternal Kings, he swears to uphold loyalty, justice, and the glory of Ssar'et. His scales are ritually scarred and painted with red ochre, marking him as one who lives not for himself but for the honor of the realm.

Breaking the oath is unthinkable. Dishonored knights are stripped of their armor, branded with acid across their crests, and exiled to wander the desert until death claims them.

Weapons and Armor

Unlike most of the world, the knights of Ssar'et wear heavy armor. Layered bronze plates are fitted over their scales, giving them a bulk that seems impossible in the desert heat. Their armor is etched with glyphs of the Eternal Kings and polished until it gleams like fire under the sun.

Their weapons vary, but the most sacred are the Zharesh lances, long shafts tipped with steel, designed for devastating charges atop their war-beasts. Many also carry curved swords called Kra'thar, or long spears for fighting on foot.

War Mounts

No Zhorai is complete without a Varrek, the raptor-like steed that only knights may ride.

Varrek are lean, two-legged hunters with hides ranging from sand-gold to obsidian black, their crests lined with jagged quills. Their calls are shrill and piercing, echoing across the dunes like hunting horns. In battle they circle prey with uncanny precision before striking with hooked talons and snapping jaws. Despite their savagery, once bonded, they are loyal unto death.

Each knight tames his Varrek in a rite known as the Blood Bond. The creature is not broken like a horse but befriended through shared battle. The bond is said to last until death, and when a knight falls, his Varrek refuses all riders, often starving itself beside its master's grave.

Varrek are adorned with bronze mask-helms and scale barding, making them as fearsome as the knights themselves. Together, they form a cavalry charge that few armies in the world can withstand.

The Knightly Orders of the Zhorai

Each Zhorai declares his Varrak'tal, the Supreme Order, at the time of his oath. It is a lifelong vow, never to be forsaken, and it shapes both his deeds and his reputation.

The Order of the Burning Fang

These knights embody ferocity and relentless assault. They vow to always strike first and without hesitation, to be as flame on dry grass. They are desired to by mistresses who want fearless champions at their side. A Burning Fang knight would rather die than hold back in battle.

The Order of the Silent Sand

These knights embody patience and endurance. Their vow is to endure hardship without complaint, to remain silent as the desert itself, and to strike only at the perfect moment. A Silent Sand knight is slow to act, but when he does, it is with devastating finality.

The Order of the Black Sun

These knights vow to never retreat. They are the shield against despair, the wall that cannot fall. Once a Black Sun knight commits, he will fight until the last breath, no matter the odds. They are admired for their grim loyalty, but also feared for their stubborn refusal to yield.

The Order of the Shifting Scale

These knights vow to adapt, to be as quick in mind as in body. They embody cunning and change, prizing victory through cleverness as much as strength. A Shifting Scale knight is often seen as unreliable by others, but in truth, he simply bends as the desert wind does, never breaking.

The Order of the Eternal Hunt

These knights vow to never abandon the chase. Whatever enemy they mark, whatever oath they swear, they pursue it to the very end. Some are famed hunters of beasts, others of men, and many of both. The Eternal Hunt is seen as the most dangerous vow, for obsession consumes those who swear it.

The Order of the Crimson Scale

These knights vow to place their mistress's honor above their own. Unlike others, who may leave an unworthy master, the Crimson Scale will remain and counsel, striving to restore their mistress's worth before abandoning him. This order is rare, for it demands patience and self-sacrifice.

A knight's chosen order is his identity. It shapes how mistresss view him, how enemies fear him, and even how he is viewed after death. Statues of fallen knights often bear the mark of their chosen order carved into their armor, so all will know the Ideal they lived and died for.

These orders are not organizations, they are simply a declaration of the ideals of the knight.

Knights and Mistresses

The relationship between Zhorai and mistress is sacred but fragile. A knight serves only as long as his mistress remains worthy. If a mistress acts dishonorably, the knight will remove his banner and leave at dawn, speaking no words. Mistresses fear this more than rebellion, for without knights, a Tarrak is powerless.

A knight will never discuss his decision to leave with others, not even other knights. It's a personal decision, and is respected regardless of personal opinions.

Reputation Beyond the Desert

To outsiders, the Zhorai are myth. Tales speak of scaled riders who thunder across the dunes like a storm, of knights who fight until their armor is shattered and their blood runs dry, of beasts that hunt as fiercely as their masters. Few have seen them, but those who have swear that no knightly order of men could stand against them.

Cities and Holds

The capital, Varr'thol, rises from the desert like a black jewel, its walls built of volcanic rock and sun-polished sandstone. Polished basalt towers reflect the scorching sun, and the great Temple of Eternal Kings looms above all, with statues of every god-king lining its halls.

Other strongholds include:

• Ssarveth, known as the City of Spears, famed for its knightly training grounds.
• Torrakh, the oasis-city, where water is drawn from the deepest wells.
• Zharrakul, a river town, known for it's rich farming.
• Ssarveth, the City of Spears, famed for its knightly training grounds.
• Krazzeth, a city of forges, where bronze and iron are worked into knightly armor and weapons.
• Morrak'thul, known for its great necropolis where god-kings and honored knights are entombed.
• Thressal, a desert port at the highest point where the Zulul river is sailable, rare gateway for foreign trade.

Relations with the Outside World

Few outsiders know of Ssar'et, for the lizardmen thrive only in their sun-scorched lands. Cold-blooded as they are, they shun the damp jungles and chill nights beyond the desert. Rarely, river ships reach Torrakh to trade for steel blades, raptor hides, and desert spices, leaving behind delicacies and fine silk in exchange.

But to most of the world, Ssar'et is nothing but a rumor whispered by traders who claim to have seen scaled knights riding swift-beasts across the dunes.

Possible Secrets

A Forgotten Order

There was once an order of knights, the Veiled Scale, who vowed loyalty to no king but only to the first god-king Ssareth. They were purged, but whispers say their bloodline survives, secretly working against the throne.

The Wrong Heir

One past king may have chosen the wrong son, manipulated by diviners loyal to the queen. If true, the current royal line may be illegitimate, with a forgotten cousin holding the rightful claim.

A Hidden Daughter

Though kings must be male, one lizardwoman born to a past king showed strange signs of both martial and magical talent. She was hidden away, but her descendants may still live.

The Eternal Court Divided

Not all dead kings are united. Some whisper that the god-kings wage war in the afterlife, their conflict spilling into mortal visions and shaping the fates of the living.

A King Who Refused Godhood

One king of old, shamed by failure, begged not to be raised among the gods. The priestesses ignored his wish, but his spirit is restless and may be whispering to mortals.

The Egg of the First Flame

Legends tell that Ssareth the First Flame left behind an egg, hidden deep in the Temple of Eternal Kings. If it hatches, it may bring forth a new kind of ruler.

The Varrek's Origin

The raptor mounts are not natural beasts but bred from something far more intelligent. Some still carry echoes of that ancient mind, which might one day awaken.

Adventure Hooks

The Knight Without a Mistress

A famed Zhorai knight has left his mistress in shame and wanders the desert seeking a new master. Many mistresss want him, but he will only follow one who proves worthier than all the rest. The adventurers may be asked to win him over or ensure that he doesn't select a certain mistress.

Duel of Ideals

Two knights of different orders have come into conflict. One refuses to yield, the other refuses to retreat. Their mistresss fear bloodshed, and outsiders may be called to judge the honor of their dispute.

The Oathbreaker's Return

An exile branded as oathbreaker has returned at the head of a Varrek warband, claiming he never broke his oath at all. The truth of his past dishonor must be uncovered before war breaks out.

The King's Choice

The reigning king is near death but has not yet chosen an heir. His sons circle like carrion birds. Each seeks outside help to sway the king's decision, and the adventurers may be caught in the middle of the royal struggle.

The Silent Court

Priestesses whisper that one of the god-kings has gone silent in the afterlife. No prayers to him are answered. The adventurers may be tasked to uncover why - perhaps his tomb has been disturbed, or his soul stolen.

The Varrek's Cry

A plague has struck the Varrek, the knightly steeds. Without them, the knights cannot fight. A cure may lie in the venom of a desert serpent that few dare hunt.

The Sand Without End

A cursed storm has covered a Tarrak-city, burying it beneath the dunes. The mistresss fear it is the work of oathbreakers or a forgotten god-king. Adventurers must venture into the sand-choked ruins.

Trade at the River

A rare caravan of lizardmen comes upriver to trade, but one of their sacred relics is stolen in the night. They accuse the outsiders, and unless the relic is returned, warbands may descend from the desert.

The Young Blood

A newly anointed Zhorai has yet to bond with his Varrek and faces the rite of the Blood Bond. His Tarrak-mistress fears he will not survive the trial and secretly seeks outside help. The adventurers must accompany the knight into the desert, where predators and rival knights both wait to test him.

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