Geato Abira: Tari Dar, the City of the Blue Stones

By Scott Bingham

The Creation of the Lizardfolk and Tari Dar

Through the bloody and violent death of the Nameless One at the hands of his disgusted brother Mar’ies, the tears of Ishari over her broken child’s form caused the birth of the Geato Abira. It is said that Tari Dar marks the place the Goddess of Truth knelt over the torn body of her child as she wept. As the goddess’s tears fell and mixed with the blood of the Nameless One the lizardfolk were created, taking shape and first breath beneath the mutilated corpse of the fallen god. They emerged from the soil and discovered Ishari in anguish over the murder of her child. Owing their creation to Ishari the lizardwomen erected the Grand Spire to honor her and to please her, trying to assuage the torment the great Goddess dwelt in. Looking upon the lizardwomen, Ishari loved them and blessed them, leaning down to kiss one among their number. Legend says that this was the birth of the first Sala-ma, for when the lips of the Goddess of Truth brushed the eyelids of the lizardwoman, her mind became clear and her eyes could see beyond the mortal realm. Being now divinely connected to their goddess the Geato Abira cultivated and protected this gift, seeking to pass such a blessing down through their daughters to further honor Ishari. From these first few lizardfolk sprang the Geato Abira and in that place was Tari Dar built.

The Grand Spire and the Core

At the heart of Tari Dar stands the Grand Spire, the very same said to have been raised to appease the Goddess of Truth. Built by Geato Abira hands the Grand Spire is massive in size and reaches toward the heavens, symbolic of the source from which the lizardfolk came to be. Though simple in design the Grand Spire is a wonder to behold, rising above the marshland and visible from nearly everywhere within the Geato Marsh. Travelers wandering the marshes often use the Grand Spire as a point of reference, using the shining light reflecting off of its surface as a central point while navigating the mazelike wetlands. Due to the sacredness of Tari Dar and its closed borders none have gotten close enough to fully inspect the Grand Spire but outsiders speculate that the spire was constructed from vast amounts of sapphire, the only known use of the massive vein running beneath the city of Tari Dar. For those who have entered the secluded way stations of Tari Dar it has also been determined that long and winding branches wrap around the spire with a lover’s embrace, symbolic to the Geato Abira of their love and connection to the Goddess of Truth. 

Beneath the Grand Spire lies the Core, a small network of caves that is entirely insulated from light and sound. To the Geato Abira this is the most sacred of all for it was within the Core that the first lizardwomen were conceived. To them the Core is the very womb that they were birthed from as they first came to be. The Core’s interior is pitch black, soundless, and a seemingly impossible labyrinth despite its limited expanse beneath the earth. When the Talos Bak Sal wish to add another sight sister to their ranks the Core plays a crucial role in determining her worthiness. The Sala-ma will be placed within the Core alone and the Talos Bak Sal will wait for her to emerge. If the lone lizardwoman can navigate the Core and successfully return to the land above she is considered to be loved of Ishari and worthy of being one of the goddess’s high priestesses. This sacred initiation is also a proving ground of a Sala-ma’s command of the seer-sight which plays a critical part in the Talos Bak Sal’s role in Geato Abira society.

In times of need that concern the entirety of the Geato Abira the Sala-ma of the Talos Bak Sal will meet at one of these holy places to govern the Geato Abira using the great gift of truth, the seer-sight. Inside the Core, the very womb of their existence, the Talos Bak Sal ponder the world within, seeking the answers to what course the Geato Abira must take to better themselves as a people and what changes should be made in their interactions with one another. Round the base of the Grand Spire the Talos Bak Sal ponder the world without, determining their relationships with outsiders and those who are not Geato Abira and examining how to better their strength and influence outside the borders of Tari Dar. 

Guarding these holy places at all times but never entering within is the ever vigilant and outward facing Gale Sal or the Watchful Eye. Members of the Watchful Eye consist of Sala and Sal-Talon warriors who have proven themselves and are deemed the most worthy of their post. Whether through battle or personal achievement these warriors have demonstrated to all Geato Abira that they are the strongest, most capable, and above all cunning warriors to be found throughout the marshlands. To be among the Gale Sal is considered by the Geato Abira to be the highest honor a warrior can achieve. The Gale Sal seem tireless in their vigil over the high priestesses and sacred places of Ishari but on rare occasion the Gale Sal have been known to send one of their number to resolve a dispute between the various tribes. Even scarcer than this is the involvement of a high priestess accompanied by a contingent of Gale Sal for though they are the highest authority among the Geato Abira they seldom leave the safety and sanctity of Tari Dar.

The City of the Blue Stones

The City of the Blue Stones is so named because of the massive natural vein of sapphire that the city rests upon. The unique clarity of the water throughout the marshland has also led outsiders to refer to Tari Dar as the City of the Pure Waters though the Geato Abira rarely use such an allusion. The Geato Abira will claim that both phenomena are because of Ishari’s tears which had not ceased to fall even as the first lizardwoman rose from the Core. Holding such a place as the very center of their creation the Geato Abira feel that it was here that they could feel closest to their goddess. Tari Dar is a holy city, dedicated to Ishari and closed to any who are not Geato Abira with the exception of a few designated areas that are strictly supervised and enforced.

Multiple temples dedicated to Ishari spider web across Tari Dar and all entrances to the city are underwater and effectively guarded at all times. The few areas that are open to those who are not Geato Abira are limited to above ground way stations on the very borders of Tari Dar. Each of these possess a strong warrior presence and to enter even these one must be cleared by a Sal Abira. Visitors can stay as long as they wish with the understanding that they will enter no further into the City of the Blue Stones. Many who make the journey do so to experience the culture of the Geato Abira, to seek out the counsel of their priestesses, or to honor the goddess Ishari. Many of the Kindred and Krishtog frequent these fringe stations and still others of Desylinn’s peoples have visited these open areas.

Tari Dar is a wonder of a city in its ability to be self-sustaining. Although many merchants and traders make the journey and peddle what they can at one of the many way stations, a majority of Tari Dar’s economy comes in the form of offerings and donations by the thousands of tribes throughout the marshland. It is not uncommon for a Sal Abira to make a pilgrimage to the City of the Blue Stones to pay homage to Ishari and to seek guidance for their individual tribe, bringing with them an offering to Ishari or gifts for her priestesses the Sala-ma. They may take a small contingent of priestesses and warriors with them or travel alone to Tari Dar. It is rare to find a Taresal within Tari Dar as the gender as a whole is looked down upon. The gift of the seer-sight is believed to belong to the divinely chosen females of the Geato Abira and any male possessing this gift is seen to do so wrongfully and to spite their goddess. Taresal with a respected command over the seer-sight however have been known to be permitted within city limits, though they are often closely monitored.

The Winding Road: New Boots

By Frank Gori

Zool heard the crackle and crash of lightning, which conveniently masked the sound of him kicking in the backdoor. The door crashed hard into whoever was on the other side, which was fine by Zool.

He rushed in buckler forward, with his sword held in a menacing guard across his body, pistol crossbow ready in the other hand. Magic was the wrong play against mages, hitting hard and fast was better.

Sides weren’t hard to figure, the School’s hideout was a repurposed warehouse with a second floor addition. This meant the first floor was mostly just one huge room with columns. A Half-Elf male with a bow, an Ogre female with a shield spell and a two handed axe, a Gren girl with a wand ready standing in front of an assortment of children, and a couple elderly on one side. About half a dozen crazy eyed sorcerers, all young males, still standing on the other. Another eight or so bodies littered the ground.

Three things become clear in the seconds it took Zool to cross the ground between him and his first target. First, the old folks and kids were all counter-spelling the magic-crazed sorcerers, which is why the addicts were losing. Second, bees were enveloping a couple of his targets toward the front, and finally his enemies had no idea he was behind them.

It was over in two sword strokes and a quick crossbow bolt. Bard-songs make battles sound fancy and romantic, but in Zool’s experience battle was always like this, short, brutal and bloody. The men were barely winning against the ragtag assortment of folk to begin with; flanking surprise attacks in rapid succession were all it took to turn the tide. The fellow with the bow knew how and when to shoot, so this wasn’t his first dust up. Ogre girl had some power, just lacked some sense, and singed Zool a bit with a poorly placed fireball.

Fight being over meant the hard part. The part that Zool elected to skip when he could. Lazeron could do the talking, Laz could sort out the aftermath and count the dead. Zool muttered a few words and gestured. As he suspected, a number of the dead had items that glowed a soft blue. With a smile, Zool went to work stripping them of anything of worth.

The archer kid racked up a few kills despite the baby-face. Always was hard to tell age with elf bloods. That kid could have five decades on Zool. Deadly with a bow, but he was watching Laz talk like sons watch their fathers when the father was still a god to them. Zool made sure to retrieve his arrows as he worked.

Laz was in full speech mode, explaining that the folk that wanted to follow him could but they’d be leaving everything. In Zool’s estimation there really wasn’t a choice, from what he could see about half the gang was either dead or already left to join rival schools. This neighborhood was about to get split up by neighboring schools and there’d be blood over who got what. Laz’s strays didn’t fit neat into that, they’d come with or become fresh meat in a turf war.

Zool didn’t like to go to his kills right away. He liked to build anticipation while gauging exactly who had what that he didn’t kill. Made it more exciting when he had clues but no real evidence of what he’d find. As it stood the dead here clearly raided an arsenal of gear or Laz was an overly generous leader. Fourteen dead, counting Zool’s three and a half. He was about half through, the anticipation was really building.

Sun would be up in an hour or so and Zool really wanted to be out of the mage controlled district by then. Only a fool wouldn’t take Laz’s offer, so the question and answer session was just wasting time. But now Zool was done with the others he could make claims on his three.

The two wands were obvious enough, but the wandless mage had a silver ring with a stylized rams head that soon graced Zool’s crossbow finger. Another had a pair of emerald earrings that didn’t glow blue but would fetch a nice price. A nice silken cape and shirt on one of the wand fellows along with a belt buckle and an exquisite set of boots. Zool was pleased in particular with the boots. They glowed strong and a good sunder always had to mind their feet.

A quick riffle through the purses got Zool about 2 months pay and a tiny ebony fly. Even trying on his new gear, Zool was done in just a few minutes and people were still arguing. Fuck it, there was no time for this.

Zool closed the distance with a blur his sword clearing the scabbard silent and swift as a breath. He drew a single drop of blood from the cantankerous one’s throat as everyone gasped in shock at his speed and audacity.

“Each word you speak wastes time we don’t have. If you don’t want to come then perhaps I should do you the mercy of a swift death,” Zool spoke the words calmly and softly, his gaze was hard and met all that dared. “Lazeron is kind, he cares for your well being. I, on the other hand, can care less. I’ve been paid to get him in and out safely with or without you, so choose now. We have about forty minutes before the dawn and I do not want to be anywhere near here when that happens.”

Zool withdrew his blade and turned his back on them. “I piled the useful items from the dead over to the left, I recommend you take a moment to arm yourselves better, and then fall the fuck in,” he said as he walked out the back.

Everyone was ready about five minutes later. Zool hated the talking part.

The Winding Road: Sunder Zool Swiftblade

By Frank Gori

Zool wore a tight smile as his eyes swept the room once more. Only those who spent enough time with the Geato Abira would even notice the smile, as lizardman reptilian faces were hard to read for mammals. It was his all-business smile, one his employer Malleck would recognize.

Despite being a blacksmith, Zool wasn’t very muscular. His strength was unremarkable and he was undersized, even for a Geato Abira male. Sometimes mammals assumed he was an adolescent, or simply assumed he was weak. Those who underestimated his abilities soon learned otherwise; the broken sword tattooed on his sword arm signified his skill at arms, though few recognized the meaning.

Malleck, Zool’s employer, was of mixed heritage. The blend of elvish and orchish traits seemed to work on the mammalian females. Zool was hopeless with women and occasionally liked to watch Malleck work his charms in hopes of learning something. Geato women found his mastery of steel too feminine. Being a warrior was women’s work.

The Sawhorse Tavern was a shit place for a meet. Place was crowded, and the spilt beer and scattered oyster shells would be murder on footwork if the night called for a fight. Unsurprisingly, the furniture seemed to be of solid construction, it was after all a carpenter’s bar. Zool made a mental note of every chair, table, and stool that would hold his weight, he also noted that the carved log booth corner Malleck chose was too far from the exits for a quick escape. He flexed his sword hand, if it things went south Zool and Malleck were going to have to fight their way out of this dive. Part of him hoped for a fight.

The Blacksmith Guild took him as a Sunder, accepted for his power of destruction rather than his gifts as a creator. Zool was recognized for his abilities rather then judged by his sex. His craft work on any object other than horseshoes was entirely unsuitable for sale, and so he was most commonly trusted with tool sharpening when they didn’t have sunder work. He simply wasn’t gifted with the creative power of a Smith. Dealing death was his gift.

Zool heard a song in all metal, which defied explanation and was somehow tied to his magic. Very few Magus could master the talents, but steel bent to his will in a variety of ways. Zool could sense every scrap of metal nearby, and could attract iron headed arrows to his shield. He could lighten his armor, call his sword to his hand within ten feet, and more easily part the armor of an enemy. His ability to cut steel like paper was why he wore the Sunder badge, in some ways the dedication he applied to his craft defined him.

Zool could move through various fencing maneuvers with the fluidity of quicksilver and the speed of a striking serpent. His techniques were unorthodox, no other Sunder strapped a buckler to their sword arm melding defense an offense in an intentional imbalance. He wore a tail spike that sometimes drew laughter, but only with those who didn’t witness its use.

Every Workman carried his tools and most of those tools doubled as weapons. The bar patrons were all armed, and about a third of the room carried blue hatchets of high quality. A small group of them kept glancing at Malleck, telegraphing their intent. One of them kept mindlessly stroking his axe, which was just obvious. Given the numbers, Zool didn’t like the odds. If things got dicey, he and Malleck would both have to use magic. If the Chaos Man realized that, his reaction would just make things worse.

Zool muttered to Malleck, “you always bring me to the nicest places.” It was a code, a heads up for his client to prepare for trouble. Zool shifted his weight on his stool and quietly repositioned his hand. The stool was far enough back so he could clear his scabbard on a cross draw. Zool recognized the implications of the Workman’s impatience, they were waiting for the mage.

Zool took a pull off his hip flask, and new strength coursed through him. The five grunts knew he made them and were boldly striding forward. Zool accessed the floor space and made a decision. As he hopped forward to close on the five orcs he spotted the crossbowman.

A swift act of will and a flick of his wrist and he snapped the bolt out of the air, the strike made a note that pleased Zool. Three of the group of five that were to swarm in got tangled up by a clumsy waitress, making it an uneven two against one, Zool decided on the larger one first. Killing him quickly would put the odds even more in Zool’s favor.

Just as he closed with his intended foe, something struck the orc from behind and killed him. One of the two tangled with the waitress was clutching his heart and someone yelled “Shenanigans!”

A dagger flashed past Zool and landed squarely in the throat of the crossbowman, and about a dozen calm faced killers stood up as the rest of the bar erupted into Chaos.

Zool smiled, hazard pay was triple.

Regional Overview - North Central

The Dragon Mountains

The Dragon Mountains traverse the continent of Desylinn from the north-central coastline to the south-western coastline, with a split near the center by a large plain that connects the Vol-kyn with Eartlinn.  The chain was first claimed by the Dragons and by extension the ten dwarven clans, which divide the region up between them. The Northern Dragon Mountains are ruled by the Gold and the Silver clans. The largest city of the region is the Gold Clan’s city of Jinjia. It’s a massive edifice going deep into the mountain’s heart. It has intimidating golden walls that act as an impenetrable defense against attack. Located on the south end of the northern range, bordering the territory of the Lead clan, it is the only city of the Gold Clan that an outsider may see.

The central Dragon plain is claimed by the Copper and the Lead clans and acts as the bread basket for the dwarves. Small farming and mining villages dominate the foothills to the north and south of the region. Villages elsewhere in the region are often impromptu short lived affairs and serve as staging areas for the boar and rhino cavalries of the two clans, which raid deep into the interior of the Vol-kyn to attack the Unkhan tribes. Occasionally they are joined by Kindred warriors who hope to quell the threat of their violent cousins.  

The Great Imperial Highway divides the Dragon Plain, meeting the Snakes Highway from the south at the Black Clan’s city of Kagejo. With massive towers soaring hundreds of feet in the air, Kagejo makes an easy landmark for travelers. The city is home to the Black Clan and is the center of trade in the region. It also gives the monastic Black Clan a central location to administer healing and curative medicines to other dwarves (and all seeking succor).

The South Dragon Mountains are home to Red and Iron clans. The Red Clan’s city of Shinkyuden sits on the border of the Vol-kyn. A sprawling and chaotic place, it is the only dwarven city with a significant population of Kindred. Urban fortress, originally built as a first defense, are now lost in the chaos of the streets, hidden by the ramshackle houses and buildings that sprawl off the central walls.

Far north, in the foot hills of the western side of the mountains and slowly progressing south is the White Clans wall Bai Qiang. Meant to protect and isolate the dwarves, it is the White Clans goal to have the massive edifice span the length of the mountains and the Dragon Plain as well. The wall has reached the Dragon Plain causing poor relations with the Kindred of both the Vol-kyn and Eartlinn. The situation is made worse by the foundations of a similar wall being laid on the eastern side of the mountains. Hidden away in a long desert valley in the southwestern part of the mountains, near the Dragon Sands is the Zhen Tanzo, or True Forge, this is where the newly born dragons first came to worship their parents Bahu and Tiala, and is the holiest of places for the dwarves.

Eartlinn

Sandwiched between the Northern Dragon Mountains and the Geato Marsh, Eartlinn is a land of rolling hills, meandering rivers and small forests. Idyllic and one of the safest region of Desylinn, it is also the most populous. Much of the region is given over to farming and raising cattle, though some mining and forestry enterprises do exist. No formal government unites the regions many small towns, villages and cities though those along the Great Imperial Highway often have a common benefactor. The most prominent city, Hub, sits at a major crossroads only maintaining control of the immediate area.  Many villages and cities act as way points along the highways, with trade pouring through going from the Fertile Lands and the Free Cities in the East to Kagejo, the Vok-lyn, Old Mariea and the Dragonsands to the West. It’s along this route that the Merchant’s Guild has the most control, and many towns were built as stopping points for the great guild’s caravans. It’s also here where Gren can be found in most abundance outside the Fertile Lands, their clan caravans plying the highway and side roads of the region.

The region has no obvious boundaries, though frequent raids by the Copper and Lead dwarf clans on Kindred’s Pits let them know where they can and can’t build. Most consider the abandoned dwarf village Daara’uul to be the western border. The Kindred Pit village of Mudpit marks the southern boundary and the Free City Q’Lazz the eastern boundary.  Some towns off of the Imperial highway have begun to band together for mutual protection. This is particularly true for those that have settled nearest the western edge of the Blackfire Mountains.

Hub

Tucked away in the rolling hills of Eartlinn is the vast sprawling city of Hub. Home to thousands and thousands and thousands of residents, the city is the center of civilization in Eartlinn and the northern part of Desylinn. Founded by Bjord Half-foot and Wargog, two of the Glorious Transcendents, in the days after the collapse of the Mariean Empire it has grown massive, stretching beyond the original foundations Bjord anticipated. The city is divided into five districts, each controlled by one of the Five Great Guilds. The center of the city, controlled by the Church of the Five, serves as a neutral territory for the Guilds. The five districts are distinct, though no walls divide them.

The Merchant’s quarter is the most organized and the wealthiest. The streets laid out in a rough grid shape, are clean and guild patrols regularly keep the peace. The Workman’s and Mage’s quarters are a ramshackle of rough temporary housing built next to (or on) more permanent structures. In the Mage’s quarter particularly the streets are apt to change due to fights between the Mages Schools. Neither quarter is safe, though more people tend to disappear in the Mage District. The Blacksmith quarter is dominated by five large monastic compounds that make up the Blacksmith’s Guild. Housing and shops line the streets between the monasteries, and the Blacksmith’s maintain tight control over the area. The Music Guild’s quarter appears as a mass of chaos, with winding mazelike streets. It’s easy to get lost and end up someplace that you didn’t know you wanted to be.

The city hums with a life all its own, and on quiet nights the hum can be felt. Whether this is the sound of the “sewer beasts” processing the filth of the city into fresh water for the aquifers, or the sound stone and metal constructs that speed along tracks that circle the outskirts of the city none can say. Less than a league away is The Circle of Bad-Blood. A miles wide region completely void of magic, save for the small bare stone in the center that has enough magical energy to warp reality around it. It was here, in the Circle, where Bad-Blood destroyed the Imperial Legion and their fortress Ashasalva. The center “Bad-Bloods Footprint” is where she last touched the ground before ascending beyond the Seal.  

The Geato Marsh Plateau

The Geato Marsh was created by the blood of the Nameless One and is shaped like a great shallow bowl. Sitting on a large plateau south of Eartilinn marsh catches most of the run-off from the Black Fire Mountains to the east and the Dragon Mountains to the north and west. South a large escarpment surrounded by a lip of boggy hills along the edge prevents adequate drainage into the Kristog lands beyond. Peppered with shallow lakes, winding waterways and teeming with strange abundant wildlife the marsh is known to have a vast array of curative plants and a multitude of poisonous ones. The Geato Abira (lizard-folk) maintains and controls temples to the goddess Ishari and rules over villages throughout the swamp.

Three cities dominate the region: Tari Dar (The City of Blue Stone), the largest of the Geato Abira cities, is the center of worship for Ishari. The population is dedicated to feeding and housing the Seers of Ishari and maintaining defense of the city from some of the more aggressive beasts in the swamp. Access is restricted to outsiders to a few small areas. Gol Dar (The City of Bridges) is at the southern edge of the swamp and built on a series of small islands. The city acts as a way-station for travelers journeying to the city of Qynjb in the Kristogalog. The third major city is Kaza Dar, and while a Geato Abira city it’s significant in that it has a temple to the goddess Daras instead of Ishari. The rulers of the city are warrior priests and unlike the temples of Ishari, they allow non-Geato Abira and all genders to join the temple as long as they are dedicated to fighting for the death goddess.

Races of Desylinn (Part 1)

Races of Desylinn:  

Each group which makes up one of the races of Desylinn has found a unique place in the world. The races struggle to get along, even 600 years after the collapse of the first great tyranny of the world. The vacuum left from the overthrow of Empire of Mariea remains unfilled. The strongest of the races are mired in tradition and taboo, while the weakest are greatly isolated from the rest of the world.  From the dwarves in the mighty Dragon Mountains to the Humans in the island chains to the south, only Eartlinn and Hub have become diverse and they are set to replace the tyranny of the elves with the meritocracy of the Kindred. Below are the races of Desylinn. 

Dwarves: 

Created by goddess Tiala and the god Bahu to be companions to the Dragons, the dwarves are the oldest of the mortal races of Desylinn. Originally carving the females from stone and forging the males from ore, the dwarves are resolute with strong traditions which have lasted for generations. Due to their unique creation, Dwarves have social taboos surrounding metal and stone: men may only work with metal, women only with stone. This results in two distinct gender roles: Dwarven men are artisans, particularly blacksmiths, and warriors. Dwarven women keep hearth and home but are also merchants, though they keep a male on staff to handle any metal. This separation of material has led to many items in dwarven society being made of fine ceramics or wood, in order to avoid the social stratification. The Dwarves are divided into ten "clans", one for each type of dragon they honor, and are further divided along class lines. The priests are at the top and act as liaisons with the ancient dragons, which advise or rule each clan. Next the clan leaders and bureaucrats who guide the people in day to day affairs, and then artisans, merchants and the noble warrior class all hold different forms of honor in the society at large. Finally come the peasants, who make up a bulk of the dwarven race and who’s labors form the backbone of the society.  Initially unwilling allies to the Elves during the Empire, the dwarves have become a powerful yet troubled people since the Empire’s downfall. 

Elves: 

The children of the god Maries, the long lived elves, were one of the most powerful races in the world of Desylinn. Having conquered a majority of the continent during the Empire of Mariea the tall, haughty Elves were brought low six centuries ago by armies of escaped slaves and their allies. Now the elves are a petty reflection of their cruel grandeur, all bearing the mark of Kadie's "kiss" on their cheek. Many of the Elves who live in Eartlinn, or the other lands of Desylinn mar this brand of their races shame in order to interact with others in the world. This is not always true of those remaining in Mariea. Elves generally consider men and women equal, either sex able to serve in any position. The only strong taboo in Elven culture is mixing their divine blood with lesser races. As such, Half-Elves are generally rejected and reared by the non-Elf parent. The Elves are once again finding their place in this new world. The older generation was alive during the War of the Five and the downfall of their nation. The younger generation feels the divine call of their forbearers and while most attempt to find a place in the Kindred, the Dwarven lands, Hub or even the Cities of the Lost, some desire to recreate what the Elves once had, even at the cost of their relationship with other races. 

Geato Abira(lizard folk): 

Created from the tears of the grieving Ishari and the blood of the Nameless One, the Geato Abira, or lizard folk, are reclusive. Judging each merchant, explorer, or envoy individually the lizard folk extend their trust warily. The exception is those who bear the marks of the Kindred, as they are allowed to pass freely through Abiran lands. The lizard folk have five genders, the most numerous being the Sal, or females, and the Taro, or males. The females are larger and strong than the males and have much higher status, becoming warriors and esteemed citizens. The males are a sub-class in their culture, with few rights and less power. The firm leaders of the Geato Abira are the seers or Sala-ma, females with an extra pupil giving them the power of seership.  Some males are born with this pupil and are also able to become seers known as Taresal, and while granted more respect than normal males, they still have little power. The fifth gender is the Sal-Talon, females which grow to be immense, far beyond normal size. These become honored warriors and have garnered much respect in Geato Abiran society. Many lizard folk are found outside their traditional territory, as the youth of the race are encouraged to venture into the world to understand how the other races live before coming home to take their place in society.

Gren: 

Created by the Wild Ones in mockery of the elves, the gren are a chaotic, nomadic people who value joyous celebration over politics and power. The Seven Great Families of Gren wander across the lands in large wagons pulled by massive hounds called chulla. The men and women of the Gren have clear gender roles, with men hunting, fishing, chulla training, and acting as warriors on the rare occasion a threat emerges. The gren women keep and maintain the large wagons, which have come into use since the fall of the Empire of Mariea. Women also serve as the primary clan leaders, and serve as diplomats and ambassadors. The Gren are naturally magical, as the power of the three gods who created them instilled innate abilities in each sex. The males have Rage, which makes them fearsome and bloody warriors, while the females have the calming power of the Soothing, which keeps the Rage in check and makes Gren males docile and playful. The Gren have a strong sence of vendetta, seeking to right perceived wrongs. Though not typically lethal, these acts of vengeance go beyond their otherwise playful attitude. Gren are eager to explore the world and seek the “new” wherever they go. Most still reside in the Fertile Lands, but it is common to see a clan of Gren traversing rocky Dwarven highways or digging out of the mire in the Geato Marsh, as the Gren see all of Desylinn as their home.

Half-elves: 

While Elves can breed with several races in Desylinn, the most common half-breed is  between Elves and Humans. During the Empire of Mariea, Humans were common house slaves to the Elves, being less temperamental than Gren and more civilized than the Kindred. It was not uncommon for Humans to be enticed into coupling with their owners. The resulting offspring were typically raised by their Human parent, or the staff of the house if the Human slave was executed as punishment for the child, a common practice. The adult Half-Elf would be granted limited freedom in Elven society, usually working "slave" jobs for little pay. They had the ability to wander, but were treated with serious disdain and hatred. Orc and Elf pairings occasionally resulted in a child as well, but unlike half-human children they were put to death when discovered. Called “Bad-bloods” because of their in ability to breed, during the time of the Empire there was no place for these mixed-blood people.  Human-Elf half breeds are still common today and unlike their Half-Orc/Half-Elf counterparts they either breed true human or true elf offspring. In Hub and the surrounding Eartlinn they have found a firm place in each of the Guilds, and many Half-Elves take Kindred Marks. Since the collapse of the Empire, Half-Elves have gained a certain legitimacy which they never had before.

(Part 2 Here)