The Village
1. Blackscale Breeding Pool: This fetid pool is where poisoncales hatch and grow large enough to come out onto dry land.
2. Brew House: This building is kept far from the village due to the danger of fire and explosion. In it the tribe boils wild sugar cane and ferments it into rum.
3. Greenscale Breeding Pool: This spring fed pool is where greenscales hatch and grow large enough to come out onto dry land.
4. Hooch: The lizardfolk of the Sea-tac tribe live in wood and reed huts raised above the swamp on thirty foot tall stilts. A broad porch wraps around the perimeter of the hut, providing plenty of space to bask in the sun or work on projects in the daylight. The hooches are connected to each other with raised walkways, and ladders descend to the ground (or the water in the rainy season) below. Each hut has at least one pirogue, if not more, tied to it.
5. Midden: The accumulated trash of generations has formed a five foot tall mound.
6. Poisonscale Breeding Pool: This large pool is where poisonscales hatch and grow large enough to come out onto dry land.
7. Smoke House: Kept away from the village to prevent fires, the smoke house is also a drying shed for various foodstuffs.
8. Temple of the Sun and Earth: This oddly shaped building is richly carved and decorated with statues, reliefs, and totems dedicated to the gods and spirits, first amongst these Atamag and Tortal. Inside, the most holy relics and artifacts of the tribe are kept. The shamans perform their secret rites and teach the next generation inside.
9. The King's Palace: The lizard king's palace is little more than a larger hooch, with plenty of room for his clutch and their goods.
10. Village Commons: This large platform is where the tribe gathers for revels, rituals, to hear the pronouncements of their king, or just to hang out in the evenings around a communal fire.
The Surrounding Area
1. Behemoth Run: This wide trail through the swamps is the migratory route of several herds of behemoths that winter in the swamps and summer on the plains to the north.
2. Blackfish Lagoon: This deep depression in the swamps is refilled by the annual floods of the rainy season. During the dry season it a prime fishing spot. Really, like fish in a barrel here.
3. Cane Fields: The tribe doesn’t actually farm these wild sugar canes, but they do occasionally clear out some land around them so that they may expand. The cane is harvested and made into rum, one of the tribe's major trade goods.
4. Crocodile Lagoon: Once this lagoon was part of the Mataq, but the river shifted and now it is an isolated body of fresh water, annually refilled during the rainy season. Several large alligators, including Old Tom, live here.
5. Everwinter Springs: These small springs reach into someplace in the Beyond, and are ever covered in frost and snow, even in the middle of the dry season.
6. Four Armed Tower: The remains of a stone tower with four metal arms stand here. Legend says the place is haunted.
7. North Trail: This narrow trail leads north to the Kal-tac.
8. Rocky Head: Some ancient people carved this giant stone head of a hideous horned creature. Then they left it here in the swamps, idiots.
9. South Trail: This trail leads south to the Ocean.
10. Stone Village: The remains of some ancient powerful tribe who built their hooches out of stone stand here. No one goes there, though legend says the place is filled with wonders and treasures. Legend also says there is a powerful guardian.
11. The Hollows: This area is inundated by dark magics from the Beyond, and should be avoided.
12. The Oak: Standing over a hundred feet above the largest tree in the swamp, The Oak is an ancient tree spirit. It has been asleep for at least a hundred years, if not longer. Strange creatures from the Beyond sometimes come through the large opening in The Oak's trunk.
13. Treaty Stone: This stone on the North Trail provides a place for neutral of hostile tribes to come meet with the Sea-tac.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
The Delta Lands
Alligator River: This silt filled river is more or less an arm of the Sea.
Araltaq River: This shallow river is almost entirely chocked off by vegetation.
Bad Water: Ancient ruins protrude from these putrid springs like broken teeth. For a mile around the springs, no plants will grow and no wild animal will enter. Rumors abound that the ruins are haunted.
Big Canoe Cove: This small water filled cave attracts the tall hairy pink-scaled ones and their giant winged war canoes. They come here often to feast and revel, as well as repair the bottoms of their canoes. The tall hairy pink-scaled ones do not wish to be disturbed and attack any who come near.
Black Grass Plains: This vast wet grassland stretches far beyond the delta, and is home to a variety of large grazers. The hunting is good, but dangerous as other predators are drawn to the bounty.
Br-tac: A frilled lizardfolk village, Br-tac is part of the Frilled Confederation and frequently makes war on the villages of Sea-tac, Milid-tac, Sisl-tac, La-tac, and Kal-tac. They also pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Bullywug Village: The hideous frog men, bullywugs, live here and are a blight on Tortal's shell. That no one has destroyed them is no doubt due to the chaotic lands caused by the Endless Springs. They pay tribute to and willingly serve the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Crescent Lake: Once part of the Kalam River, this ox-bow lake is good fishing grounds and is shared by the Kal-tac and Sea-tac villages.
Dalma River: Carrying freshwater out of Lake Lasqim to the sea, the Dalam River is wide and deep.
Duck Island: Every year just before the rains, waterfowl congregate at Duck Island to breed and roost. Many tribes send hunters to gather eggs and duck meat, and it is considered a Scared Truce Land.
Endless Springs: These four freshwater springs reach down beyond Tortal's shell into the places beyond. All manner of alien life comes out of the springs, some of water, others of air, and a few of earth. The surrounding area is warped, Her shell transformed by the powerful energies of the Beyond.
Fallen Stones: Deep in the Yellow Water Forest lies the remains of a great stone village. It is said to be haunted by serpent people, but no one goes there and lives to tell of it.
Fang Island: This large island in the Mataq River is the burial ground of a strange people to the north, much like us but of different colored scales and strange ways. Avoid it, less you anger their spirits.
Fey King Tower: A great spirit of the woods, the Arlking, rules from this tower. The tower is said to exist here and in the Beyond, coming and going at will. The Arlking is moody and prone to fits of violence, but legends tell of him rewarding or assisting great hunters and warriors.
Frog Island: This island is a favored place for the bullywugs to visit, for reasons no sane lizardfolk would know.
Goblin Village: The short evil things called goblins, a cruel and ugly race, live here. They are not terribly intelligent and often despoil the lands around their homes, forcing them to move their village. They are numerous, however, and this is why no one has wiped them out. They pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad and are said to be his servants.
Goose Island: Like Duck Island, waterfowl come here before the rainy season to nest and breed. During this time the island is a Sacred Truce Land, and many hunters come to gather eggs and goose feathers.
Gull Island: There is a rock on this island that looks like a sea gull's head. It is very pretty, but far away from our village.
Halfling Village: The small hairy pink-scaled people called halflings live here, friends to us and to our allies the Kal-tac. The halflings trade metal tools and weapons, as well as various trinkets and ornaments, to us for shells and hides. They dig in the dirt to grow their food on 'farms' and live in huts made of heavy wood. The halflings say a great king to the north, a mighty halfling taller than they who commands thousands of warriors, rules them. If we learn to farm and pledge obedience to this king, they say he will protect us. It is silly, and we humor them by pretending to consider this folly. Their revels are fun, but the food is rather bland and they do not honor their dead by returning them to the tribe, but plant them in the earth instead. Perhaps this is where more halflings come from, for they do not have spawning pools.
Jilmarahaq River: The Araltaq and Jilmas rivers flow together, mate, and become one large and wide river.
Jilmas River: This river is deep but narrow.
Kal-tac: Our friends and allies, the Kal-tac are a mixed breed village to the north and across the river. They are good warriors, but they too must pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Kalam River: This river is slow and muddy, but is full of fish.
Lair of Tsatholquimad: The Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad lives here in a dark and fetid area of the swamp. He rules a village of small lizardfolk like beings called kobolds who worship him as a god. Tsatholquimad has lived here for hundreds of years, and is so powerful he dominates all the villages of the Delta, save the halflings who seem to live beyond his grasp. All must pay tribute to him each year in pickled fish, colorful shells, and other goods. Sometimes he claims people for sacrifice, taking them away to his lair. We hate him, but are powerless to oppose him.
Lake Lasqim: This broad and deep freshwater lake would be good fishing were it not for the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Lal-tac: This mixed breed tribe would be our allies if they were smart, but instead they prefer to stay neutral. We do not war with them, but occasionally fights have broken out between our hunters. They also pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Lasaq River: This short but fast river feeds Lake Lasqim.
Mal-tac: The center of the Frilled Confederation, they are our foes. They pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Mataq River: This mighty river flows from the distant north and splits into many rivers before flowing into the sea.
Milid-tac: This poisonscale village has nearly been wiped out by the Frilled Confederation, and has suffered many losses. Although they pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad, they will likely be unable to do so this year, and thus will all perish.
Misty Forest: This wet forest is the home to many strange beasts from beyond, as well as bands of shadowy hunters who call themselves 'elves'.
Mud Flats: This is a large area of mud, often covered by tides. It is good clam and oyster gathering territory, but not a Sacred Truce land and very close to the Frilled Confederation.
Mud Island: This long mud bar is avoided by all the inhabitants of the region for fear of what might dwell in the gleaming pyramid of white stone that sits on it.
Nal-tac: The greenscales of this village have recently turned from their people and claim to worship a strange snake god. They have also refused to pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad thus year, and so will likely die.
Palr-tac: Little is known about this distant village of grenscales.
Pilsarac River: This short river is narrow and heavily influenced by the tides from the Sea.
Qir-tac: This mixed breed village is at war with the poisonscales of Sisl-tac. It pays tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Razor Grass Plains: These grasslands are drier than the rest of the Delta Lands, and the home to various grazers. It is good hunting and we often go there with our allies the Kal-tac. The halflings have no interest in hunting, only that we do not hunt across their farms or kill their tame animals.
Sea-tac: This is your home village on the banks of the West Fork of the Mataq River. We are a mixed breed village, comprised mostly of greenscales with a sizable poisonscale minority, and a few blackscales also live in the village. We are ruled by King Kalnaqas, a greenscale lizard king, and are one of the more traditional of the lizardfolk villages in the Delta. We are allied with Kal-tac and frequently at war with Br-tac and the Frilled Confederation. Like most of the villages in the Delta, we pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Shark Island: This long, low island is a vegetation covered coral reef that rises only three feet above the waves.
Shasla Island: The great hero Shasala died here fighting a sea serpent. Her body was never recovered, and her soul does not rest, but haunts the island.
Shell Island: This rocky coral island is shaped like a snail shell, its point upriver. Legend says that a giant snail lives in the shell, but that is just silly.
Sisl-tac: Of all the lizardfolk villages, this is the only one that openly serves the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad. They are at war with the Qir-tac.
Sissil River: This river is unremarkable, though the halflings say ii flows to the west towards a great village of stone where lives a mighty sage.
Snake River: This river has many hollows in its banks where snakes live. Yummy, tasty snakes.
Stench Caverns: At the edge of the Mataq River are several caverns from which a foul odor flows out. It is said that a breed of lizardfolk who are very smelly and live underground dwell here, but none have seen them.
Tal-tac: A village of blackscales, Tal-tac is renown for its might in war, but not its crafts or music. Despite the power of its people, Tal-tac pays tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Taltoc River: This river does not flow from the Mataq, but from places to the East. It splits and then rejoins, flowing fast and free to the great river itself.
Tasaq Island: The jeweledscale sage Tasaq lives here, and will answer questions put to him by brave warriors.
Three Siblings Islands: These three islands fell from the sky in times past and floated to the surface. It is said they are fregmantes of powerful spirits that fought and died in the heavens.
Thunder Island: This rocky island is constantly pounded by the waves, giving it its name.
Tower of Swords: A tall stone tower stands here, and legends say a thousand metal swords hang from the roof. Powerful wizards of many alien shapes live here and want no intrusions.
Turtle Island: Every year after the rainy season turtles from across the Sea come here to lay their eggs. Warriors and hunters from all the tribes come here to gather eggs and hunt turtles, making it a Sacred Truce Land during that time.
Witch Fens: Three evil witches lair here and worship the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Wizard Bone Island: This island is bare and bone-white. Nothing lives here and the only feature is the Tower of Swords.
Yellow Water Forest: This forest is very wet and the water is slightly sulfurous, giving it a yellow tint and a foul taste. The mythical serpent folk are said to live here.
Zi-tac: The smallest of the Frilled Confederation villages, Zi-tac defends the Mud Flats from all intruders. It pays tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Araltaq River: This shallow river is almost entirely chocked off by vegetation.
Bad Water: Ancient ruins protrude from these putrid springs like broken teeth. For a mile around the springs, no plants will grow and no wild animal will enter. Rumors abound that the ruins are haunted.
Big Canoe Cove: This small water filled cave attracts the tall hairy pink-scaled ones and their giant winged war canoes. They come here often to feast and revel, as well as repair the bottoms of their canoes. The tall hairy pink-scaled ones do not wish to be disturbed and attack any who come near.
Black Grass Plains: This vast wet grassland stretches far beyond the delta, and is home to a variety of large grazers. The hunting is good, but dangerous as other predators are drawn to the bounty.
Br-tac: A frilled lizardfolk village, Br-tac is part of the Frilled Confederation and frequently makes war on the villages of Sea-tac, Milid-tac, Sisl-tac, La-tac, and Kal-tac. They also pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Bullywug Village: The hideous frog men, bullywugs, live here and are a blight on Tortal's shell. That no one has destroyed them is no doubt due to the chaotic lands caused by the Endless Springs. They pay tribute to and willingly serve the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Crescent Lake: Once part of the Kalam River, this ox-bow lake is good fishing grounds and is shared by the Kal-tac and Sea-tac villages.
Dalma River: Carrying freshwater out of Lake Lasqim to the sea, the Dalam River is wide and deep.
Duck Island: Every year just before the rains, waterfowl congregate at Duck Island to breed and roost. Many tribes send hunters to gather eggs and duck meat, and it is considered a Scared Truce Land.
Endless Springs: These four freshwater springs reach down beyond Tortal's shell into the places beyond. All manner of alien life comes out of the springs, some of water, others of air, and a few of earth. The surrounding area is warped, Her shell transformed by the powerful energies of the Beyond.
Fallen Stones: Deep in the Yellow Water Forest lies the remains of a great stone village. It is said to be haunted by serpent people, but no one goes there and lives to tell of it.
Fang Island: This large island in the Mataq River is the burial ground of a strange people to the north, much like us but of different colored scales and strange ways. Avoid it, less you anger their spirits.
Fey King Tower: A great spirit of the woods, the Arlking, rules from this tower. The tower is said to exist here and in the Beyond, coming and going at will. The Arlking is moody and prone to fits of violence, but legends tell of him rewarding or assisting great hunters and warriors.
Frog Island: This island is a favored place for the bullywugs to visit, for reasons no sane lizardfolk would know.
Goblin Village: The short evil things called goblins, a cruel and ugly race, live here. They are not terribly intelligent and often despoil the lands around their homes, forcing them to move their village. They are numerous, however, and this is why no one has wiped them out. They pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad and are said to be his servants.
Goose Island: Like Duck Island, waterfowl come here before the rainy season to nest and breed. During this time the island is a Sacred Truce Land, and many hunters come to gather eggs and goose feathers.
Gull Island: There is a rock on this island that looks like a sea gull's head. It is very pretty, but far away from our village.
Halfling Village: The small hairy pink-scaled people called halflings live here, friends to us and to our allies the Kal-tac. The halflings trade metal tools and weapons, as well as various trinkets and ornaments, to us for shells and hides. They dig in the dirt to grow their food on 'farms' and live in huts made of heavy wood. The halflings say a great king to the north, a mighty halfling taller than they who commands thousands of warriors, rules them. If we learn to farm and pledge obedience to this king, they say he will protect us. It is silly, and we humor them by pretending to consider this folly. Their revels are fun, but the food is rather bland and they do not honor their dead by returning them to the tribe, but plant them in the earth instead. Perhaps this is where more halflings come from, for they do not have spawning pools.
Jilmarahaq River: The Araltaq and Jilmas rivers flow together, mate, and become one large and wide river.
Jilmas River: This river is deep but narrow.
Kal-tac: Our friends and allies, the Kal-tac are a mixed breed village to the north and across the river. They are good warriors, but they too must pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Kalam River: This river is slow and muddy, but is full of fish.
Lair of Tsatholquimad: The Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad lives here in a dark and fetid area of the swamp. He rules a village of small lizardfolk like beings called kobolds who worship him as a god. Tsatholquimad has lived here for hundreds of years, and is so powerful he dominates all the villages of the Delta, save the halflings who seem to live beyond his grasp. All must pay tribute to him each year in pickled fish, colorful shells, and other goods. Sometimes he claims people for sacrifice, taking them away to his lair. We hate him, but are powerless to oppose him.
Lake Lasqim: This broad and deep freshwater lake would be good fishing were it not for the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Lal-tac: This mixed breed tribe would be our allies if they were smart, but instead they prefer to stay neutral. We do not war with them, but occasionally fights have broken out between our hunters. They also pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Lasaq River: This short but fast river feeds Lake Lasqim.
Mal-tac: The center of the Frilled Confederation, they are our foes. They pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Mataq River: This mighty river flows from the distant north and splits into many rivers before flowing into the sea.
Milid-tac: This poisonscale village has nearly been wiped out by the Frilled Confederation, and has suffered many losses. Although they pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad, they will likely be unable to do so this year, and thus will all perish.
Misty Forest: This wet forest is the home to many strange beasts from beyond, as well as bands of shadowy hunters who call themselves 'elves'.
Mud Flats: This is a large area of mud, often covered by tides. It is good clam and oyster gathering territory, but not a Sacred Truce land and very close to the Frilled Confederation.
Mud Island: This long mud bar is avoided by all the inhabitants of the region for fear of what might dwell in the gleaming pyramid of white stone that sits on it.
Nal-tac: The greenscales of this village have recently turned from their people and claim to worship a strange snake god. They have also refused to pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad thus year, and so will likely die.
Palr-tac: Little is known about this distant village of grenscales.
Pilsarac River: This short river is narrow and heavily influenced by the tides from the Sea.
Qir-tac: This mixed breed village is at war with the poisonscales of Sisl-tac. It pays tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Razor Grass Plains: These grasslands are drier than the rest of the Delta Lands, and the home to various grazers. It is good hunting and we often go there with our allies the Kal-tac. The halflings have no interest in hunting, only that we do not hunt across their farms or kill their tame animals.
Sea-tac: This is your home village on the banks of the West Fork of the Mataq River. We are a mixed breed village, comprised mostly of greenscales with a sizable poisonscale minority, and a few blackscales also live in the village. We are ruled by King Kalnaqas, a greenscale lizard king, and are one of the more traditional of the lizardfolk villages in the Delta. We are allied with Kal-tac and frequently at war with Br-tac and the Frilled Confederation. Like most of the villages in the Delta, we pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Shark Island: This long, low island is a vegetation covered coral reef that rises only three feet above the waves.
Shasla Island: The great hero Shasala died here fighting a sea serpent. Her body was never recovered, and her soul does not rest, but haunts the island.
Shell Island: This rocky coral island is shaped like a snail shell, its point upriver. Legend says that a giant snail lives in the shell, but that is just silly.
Sisl-tac: Of all the lizardfolk villages, this is the only one that openly serves the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad. They are at war with the Qir-tac.
Sissil River: This river is unremarkable, though the halflings say ii flows to the west towards a great village of stone where lives a mighty sage.
Snake River: This river has many hollows in its banks where snakes live. Yummy, tasty snakes.
Stench Caverns: At the edge of the Mataq River are several caverns from which a foul odor flows out. It is said that a breed of lizardfolk who are very smelly and live underground dwell here, but none have seen them.
Tal-tac: A village of blackscales, Tal-tac is renown for its might in war, but not its crafts or music. Despite the power of its people, Tal-tac pays tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Taltoc River: This river does not flow from the Mataq, but from places to the East. It splits and then rejoins, flowing fast and free to the great river itself.
Tasaq Island: The jeweledscale sage Tasaq lives here, and will answer questions put to him by brave warriors.
Three Siblings Islands: These three islands fell from the sky in times past and floated to the surface. It is said they are fregmantes of powerful spirits that fought and died in the heavens.
Thunder Island: This rocky island is constantly pounded by the waves, giving it its name.
Tower of Swords: A tall stone tower stands here, and legends say a thousand metal swords hang from the roof. Powerful wizards of many alien shapes live here and want no intrusions.
Turtle Island: Every year after the rainy season turtles from across the Sea come here to lay their eggs. Warriors and hunters from all the tribes come here to gather eggs and hunt turtles, making it a Sacred Truce Land during that time.
Witch Fens: Three evil witches lair here and worship the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Wizard Bone Island: This island is bare and bone-white. Nothing lives here and the only feature is the Tower of Swords.
Yellow Water Forest: This forest is very wet and the water is slightly sulfurous, giving it a yellow tint and a foul taste. The mythical serpent folk are said to live here.
Zi-tac: The smallest of the Frilled Confederation villages, Zi-tac defends the Mud Flats from all intruders. It pays tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
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