Tribes (Paludia Supplement)
Paludia is a land of many, many tribes. Some of the more prominent ones are listed below. Note that a few tribes have members of different lizardfolk species in them, but most are limited to just one species.
Lixus Tribe
The most developed tribe in all of Paludia, the Lixus tribe of crested lizardfolk settled down to form a village on a river delta on an estuary. From this village, they built the largest town the lizardfolk have ever created. The history of the Lixus tribe starts with its mythical founder, Lixius. He was said to be the leader of a migratory tribe who fled the fallen old kingdom. Upon arriving in the river delta, it is said that he founded a line of chiefs who would go on to found various villages in the area of what is now the town of Lixus.
Several generations later, two of his descendants founded the village of Lixus right next to a salt marsh. They fought over the naming of the town, and the stronger son won. At first, Lixus was a tiny tribe who lived in mud huts in the village which bared its name.
Oegi Tribe
A primitive tribe of common lizardfolk which numbers in the hundreds, the Oegi live in caves and raid surrounding villages on occasion. Their technology hasn't left the stone age, and their tactics are crude and simple. Still, the Oegi possess some skill with natural poisons, as well as shamans who have been in contact with powerful spirits of the swamps.
Pediro Tribe
A typical tribe, the Pediro consist of common lizardfolk, living in a small, circular village protected by a wooden wall. The tribe is run by a chief, who is assisted by his two sons. The chief has two wives and three daughters. Each of the daughters will be married off to other tribes in the region, who will become allies of the Pediro tribe. Currently, the chief is looking to win a third wife as a prize in an arena battle.
The village of Pediro has a shaman and a magically-unskilled herbalist who lives in a hut just outside of the walls. The economy is simple, being based on fishing from the nearby river, and hunting in the nearby woods. There is a small, open space in the center of the village which serves as meeting place, arena, and market, depending on what day it is. Market days are held every three days, and arena fighting occurs monthly. Meetings are called on contingency. There is also a small wooden temple, which is the second-largest building in the village; the residence of the chief in the largest structure in the settlement.
Romini Tribe
A very small tribe of crested lizardfolk, the Romini are a migratory band of no more than thirty individuals. They fled their village after an attack by a black dragon and are seeking refuge in the Mixian Marshes. They are led by an old chief. Even when they had a village, it was very small, and the tribe consisted of only 47 individuals living in 9 huts.
On'mos Tribe
A tribe run by a shaman, the On'mos, a torvadian tribe, are unusual among lizardfolk. There never was a chief; the shaman who rules the tribe was the one who founded it. The village in which the tribe resides is small, and the largest hut is only about three times the size of the smallest one. The shaman lives with just one wife and three children.
Ruloti Tribe
A settled tribe of crested lizardfolk, the Ruloti are a very fortunate tribe. Their town happens to be near a rare deposit of native copper, and, unlike so many other tribes, has actually managed to create a water-based trade route linking the settlement with the outside world. As a result, the town has over 1,500 individuals, many metalworkers, a large, ornate temple, a sizable arena, a busy market, and an elaborate residence for the chief and his nine wives. The warriors of the town of Ruloti use weapons of copper and bronze, and are better-equipped than many of their opponents. This has led to many victorious battles for Ruloti, and the town regularly collects tribute from its conquered vassals. The Ruloti have two kinds of villages under their control, vassals and villages founded by sons of the chiefs which also call themselves Ruloti; they help the central town collect tribute from vassals. The vassals and 3 other Ruloti villages live within a 50 kilometer radius of the central town, in a densely populated region of Paludia.
Rich though it is, Ruloti is an immoral place even for lizardfolk. Tribute collected from the vassals is harsh, and children are taken if the town cannot pay in any other way (usually in money.) Many of the vassals send boats full of pirates up various rivers, hoping to steal enough to produce the necessary tribute to pay the Ruloti.
Toringen Tribe
A tribe of common lizardfolk, the Toringen have a reputation for magical skills. The tribe has produced an unusually large number of sauromancers and shamans, and its members have often manifested signs of having latent sorcerer powers in their blood. The source of this may very well be the patriarch of the tribe, who lived hundreds of years ago, lived for hundreds of years, fathered hundreds of children, and disappeared without a trace. He might very well have been a polymorphed dragon. Either way, he was a mighty chief.
The Toringen live in a town in the woods, and have several villages around them that are also of the Toringen tribe. The main town of Toringen is known for its marketplace, in which unusual, exotic, or stolen magical items have occasionally appeared for sale.
Kaxapa Tribe
A tribe of common lizardfolk, the Kaxapa are an especially xenophobic tribe. In the distant past, their village was a center of trade and culture. Then, they were attacked and occupied by a migratory tribe of Torvadian lizardfolk. During the occupation, a plague broke out, and over half of the residents of the village died. Only the death of the Torvadian chief allowed the Kaxapa to successfully rebel and reclaim their independence. Since then, the village has been hostile to all outsiders, and prohibits contact with the outside world. The Kaxapa live in an isolated village surrounded by a wooden wall. They have been isolated for so long that their very language has been steadily changing to form its own draconic-common dialect which sounds unlike most other lizardfolk language.
Nuron Tribe
The third most powerful tribe in Paludia, this tribe features a sophisticated central town which lies on a tributary of a major river, and several villages around it, as well as control over many more settlements. Overall, the Nuron control a population of around 20,000. Their prosperity is, however, founded on very bad foundations. The Nuron are well-known for hosting, tolerating, and supporting activities which are criminal in most other prts of the world. Demon cults, drug trading, and slavery are well-established in the Nuron territory; the second-largest slave market in Paludia is located here. Most disturbing are a lack of punishments for murder or kidnapping in the territory of this tribe.
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