diff --git a/Species of the Galaxy/Lizards/Lizards.md b/Species of the Galaxy/Lizards/Lizards.md index 98efb74..c695d3d 100644 --- a/Species of the Galaxy/Lizards/Lizards.md +++ b/Species of the Galaxy/Lizards/Lizards.md @@ -1,7 +1,9 @@ # The Lizards ### A Basic Rundown -Lizardpeople originally hail from Tizira, in the Rizkalon system, though throughout their four centuries in the stars prior to meeting humanity they have spread over several planets and systems. This outward expansion was hindered by a lack of plasma and bluespace resources in their local sector, stunting their technological advancement and therefore their development (and rollout) of effective FTL engines, with many vessels within the navy not having been fitted with them prior to First Contact. Their technological level remains below that of their human rivals, aggravated by a limited transfer of ideas between the two species. +Lizardpeople originally hail from Tizira, in the Rizkalon system, though throughout their four centuries in the stars prior to meeting humanity they have spread over several planets and systems. This outward expansion was hindered by a lack of plasma and bluespace resources in their local sector, stunting their technological advancement and therefore their development (and rollout) of effective FTL engines, with many vessels within the navy not having been fitted with them prior to First Contact. Their technological level remains generaly below that of their human rivals, aggravated by a limited transfer of ideas between the two species, and, most of all, lack of resources. + +Where capable, however, especially during the wars, lizards have shown great technological ambition and potential, notably achieving great fits in spaceship construction, prompted by insufferable losses recieved due to its neglect prior to contact with humans. Azik Intersellar methaphotically skyrocketing in market value alongside more literal premiere launches of their prototypes. In many ways, lizard designs are more thrifty and ingenious than human counterparts, which is very visible with resource-expensive products such as starships. Though leaning into such, forced by scarcity of resources, slows down the progress on effectiveness of the product, which is more visible in areas such as shielding and weaponry, and ultimately costed lizards the war, leading to heavy damage of one of the moons above their homeworld. Tizira is notably more arid than Earth, with small, shallow seas and less arable land. In addition, the planet has a diminished ozone layer, leading to higher-than-average levels of solar radiation reaching the planet's surface. As cold blooded creatures, the lizards thrive in this environment, with major cities being built close to the coastlines and smaller settlements spread across the wide drylands and deserts. @@ -9,11 +11,20 @@ Lizard society emphasises strict militarism and a rigid caste system. The caste As one travels further from the core systems however this culture softens. A century and a half of contact with humanity and a limited projection of power from Tizira has made lizards on the frontier of the empire much more humanlike in their mannerisms. There are many lizards alive today who have never lived within the borders of the empire, and care little for its customs. +Biologically, lizardfolk are not very dissimiliar to now mostly extinct, earth-born and non-sentient reptiles, based on which they were named by human explorers. Most apparent shared features include cold blood, scales covering the skin, claws, and extruded jaw allowing them to easier dig in into food where upon they pre-emptively digest it more thoroughly. In most natural state, their legs are digitigrade, specialized for running after prey on open fields in the wastes and stabilized by a tail when it comes to walking or standing in place. Their scale colours range through different saturations of green, presumably to stand more clashing with the desert and appear more dangerous. + +However, they are also one of the most mutable species in the galaxy. Human xenologists counted several 'genotypes', often natively refferenced as 'bloodlines'. Even on their home planet one can be met with unquantifiable varieties of horns and body markings, mostly present in noble families, which are entirely superficial beyond aesthetic standpoint. Similiarly, though more commonly off homeworld, there's an emergence of aesthetic spinal protrusions and unnatural vivid colorations. Most extreme cases of this rapid diversification can be found in lizards of the Zeriobasssa, an aquatic world with 99% of its surface covered with water, and an enclave for lizards of former islander nation of Zeriob. Though it was one of the first interstellar colonies of Tizirian empire, partially made to push out zeriobians, it is noted that they had since specialized remarkably fast, growing features such as fins, anglerfish-reminescent petrusions which are bioluminescents underwater, and even, combined with some genetic tampering, gills. + +The genetic flexibility of lizards grants them, as a species, huge advantage in the field genetics and bio-engineering, which they greatly exploit as one of main pillars of their technology. Soldiers and menial labourers often opt for strength enhancements, technicians can get ahold of gene modifications which make them attune to radio-waves around them or easier to mesh with cybernetics, and on common consumer level, limited alteration of child's physical traits while they are still developing inside an egg and gene-alterations in order to mitigate some of birth defects had long been normalized. Those who choose to live their life among the stars, and perhaps among alien species such as humans or moths, might save up money for extensive surgery supported by gene therapy involving breaking their legs bone structure to remodel then as plantigrade; and thanks to the gene therapy, results of such surgery will carry over to next generations! + +Particularly rich lizards use genetic therapy to alter themselves towards fictional figures of Tizirian mythology, most often, and most easily, the Silverscales, 'enforcers of the gods'. Given their role of hiding among common lizards, barely any alterations are needed bar high-quality general purpose ones, a rich lizard is already nearly bound to have. There is however one rather specific and costly characteristic of Silverscales; their capability to turn into statues of silver "so that they might be preserved onto the next generation, watch, and arbiter accordingly". Though only maufactured by one company, using extremely rare ingridients, a gene therapy giving such capability exists, at nearly absurd price. To avoid tampering with the brain, which was put under heavy regulations, the process is activated by a specific flicker of the tounge which is also used to reverse it; tounges of such modified lizards becoming then their most prized possessions, and reminders of a money debt for years to come. + ### Fun Factoids: -* The moon of Tizira was famously bombed by the TerraGov Expeditionary Corps during one of lizardkind's many conflicts with humanity, creating a noticable "scar" across the surface which can be seen from the planet. The Planet Cracker drink is named for this event. +* The moon of Tizira was famously bombed by the TerraGov Expeditionary Corps during one of lizardkind's many conflicts with humanity, creating a noticable "scar" across the surface which can be seen from the planet. The Planet Cracker drink is named for this event. Lizards, especially ones following sitalesse are very displeased by this, given the moon's cultural significance and portreyal as a warrior god. Imperial nationalists claim it was due to humanity's "unfair" naval supremacy, which is why they began more heavily pushing on their own spaceship construction in following years. * The Imperial Lizard Army is famous for their melee skirmishers, who utilise throwing weapons and short-ranged firearms to great effect alongside razor-sharp blades. Despite their embarassing defeat by humanity, they're still well respected within lizard society. * The Draconic spoken by lizard crewmembers is a Spacer form of the language, created by decades of isolation from Tizira. Lizards from the core systems speak a distinct form of Draconic, known as "High Draconic" or "The Emperor's Draconic". * With the newfound (and uneasy) peace between humans and lizards, some degree of cooperation between the species has blossomed. Tizira lends an expeditionary force to the human-led Anti-Xenomorph Coalition. Much of this cooperation is pushed by the present ruler of Tizira: the young Empress Arael-Daesa I, who has used her limited power to pursue a more pro-human foreign policy than her predecessors in bold opposition to the parliament- much to the chagrin of both the military old guard and a significant portion of her people. +* Plantigrade lizard are often discriminated in wider lizard society for beign "too human-like". * Pronouncing X as "ecks" is badass. ### Tizira: The Jewel of the Empire