Scaled Folk of the @Northern Crags and @The Southern Crags
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The Skarrik are small to medium-sized humanoid reptiles native to the harsh mountain ranges known as the Northern and Southern Crags. Agile, cunning, and brutal, they thrive where stone, wind, and hunger dominate life. Though often dismissed as pests by neighboring peoples, the Skarrik possess a deep oral history, a rigid strength-based hierarchy, and a lingering devotion to long-dead Dragon Lords, whom they revere as gods of a lost golden age.
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Height: 3½ to 5½ feet
Build: Lean, wiry, sinewed with ropey muscle
Skin: Scaled hides ranging from slate gray and rust red to moss green and ash black
Eyes: Slitted pupils, colors varying by clan (amber, pale gold, icy blue)
Features: Elongated snouts with jagged teeth, Short, thick tails used for balance, Clawed hands and feet adapted for climbing
Skarrik often decorate themselves with bone charms, shed scales, feathers, and painted symbols, each marking clan, deeds, or servitude.
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Mountain Nests: Skarrik live in cliff-nests, cave warrens, and stone hollows carved into the Crags. Their settlements are crude but defensible, designed for ambush rather than comfort.
Grassland Raids: Though mountain-born, Skarrik regularly descend into nearby grasslands, prowling near: Human settlements, Trade routes, Herding grounds, They are drawn by livestock, tools, and captives—rarely gold.
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Skarrik society is ruled by strength above all else.
The strongest lead as @Skarrik Fanglord
The weak are not killed—but enslaved
Status can change instantly through challenge or humiliation
Cowardice is despised. Cleverness is respected only if it leads to victory.
Skarrik who are injured, small, or defeated become The Bound:
Servants
Scavengers
Living shields in battle
The Bound may rise again—if they prove strength through violence.
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Skarrik worship the ancient Dragon Lords as Gods. They believe one day they will return to rule the land again.
Said to have taught the Skarrik how to fight, hunt, and rule.
Now extinct—slain in an age-ending war
“When the Lords fell, the world broke.”
They await signs of the Dragon Lords’ return, interpreting: Volcanic eruptions, Falling stars, Great beasts, as divine omens.
History is passed orally by Scalechanters, elder Skarrik who memorize long sagas of:
Clan wars
Dragon War
Betrayals and victories
Writing is considered weak—memory is strength.
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Humans view Skarrik as dangerous vermin or raiders. Skarrik see humans as: Soft, Numerous, Useful sources of food and tools
Relations are openly hostile.
Dwarves see Skarrik as dishonorable pests
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Skarrik favor: Ambushes, Hit-and-run tactics, Fighting on cliffs and narrow ledges, They rarely fight fair unless overwhelming strength is assured.
Common weapons: Stone spears, Bone knives, Crude slings, Scavenged metal blades, Armor is minimal—mobility matters more than protection.
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