Dwelling in the marshes, everglades and swamp lands of Fälgorna – the areas shunned by most other intelligent species – the Lizard Men have in the past 100 years grown to become an important species. A race maligned, mistreated and enslaved for centuries by those who prized them for their stamina and strength, the Lizard Men have never forgotten the cruelty of their former captors.

Lizard Man culture carries the indelible mark of a race once enslaved. In ancient times, Duke Lispawn Keto, 14th of the ruling line of the Duchy of Keto, through trickery and deceit captured Hss'tolok Sharrr'kag, the most holy spiritual leader of the Lizard Men. The Lizard Men revered Sharrr'kag like a living god. They thought him one hatched from the first clutch laid by their supreme deity, the goddess Krrrr'krsss. His capture brought the race to its knees and when Duke Lispawn demanded that the entire race submit to slavery under his hateful hand, they came willingly, leaving their homes and taking with them only what they could carry. For centuries they toiled under his hand and that of his descendants even after the holy one Sharrr'kag had long since returned to the promised swampy afterlife.

The slave lords of Keto knew that Sharrr'kag would one day die and feared that no matter how much the Lizard Men revered him they would only submit to enslavement for a limited time without a greater stake to keep them captive. The stake they found proved damningly effective.

Duke Kilsun Keto, heir to Duke Lispawn, forced the Lizard Men to lay their eggs in guarded hatching rooms trapped with magical enchantments and devilish mechanical devices that would destroy the eggs and young of the race should their parents ever rebel. This tactic, though effective, only prodded the Lizard Men's hatred to a new plane of enmity for the Keto slave lords and all who supported them. Lesser people may have given up all hope at this point and resigned themselves to their fates, but the priests of the Lizard Men encouraged their people to remain hopeful.

The priests often spoke of some hidden secret, lurking as if under thick weeds in muddy waters, at the periphery of their nightly divinatory meditations. Many normal Lizard Men also had dreams of something unidentifiable waiting just outside their dreams. None of them understood what this "thing" might be. None feared what they spoke of as the lurker, on the contrary, it gave them hope.

Understanding finally came when the venerable Sharrr'kag died on the night of the Great Conclave when all five of Fälgorna's moons eclipse each other. Before letting loose his last breath, the priests attending him heard him prophesy the coming of the lurker.

"Of the egg hatched by Krrrr'krsss will he come to lead our people from their torment. Even now she covers him in warm sand and guards him from those who would suck his yolk from the shell."

With these few words new hope came to the Lizard Men and each night after finishing their labor they prayed to Krrrr'krsss to send the lurker to her people. And so it was in the year 891 C.T. that an egg hatched in one of the slave lords' breeding chambers. From it crawled a small Lizard Man. As he swam from the egg that had become submerged in murky water moments before hatching he became covered from head to tail by stringy weeds. The priestesses in attendance at the birth tried not to laugh at this little creature that had so bravely survived what might have killed a weaker hatchling, but as they removed the weeds from his tiny body their mirth changed to awe. Hidden beneath the weeds a dark line of scales ran from his snout to the back of his head in the tail-shaped symbol of their greatest goddess, Krrrr'krsss.

Comprehending immediately that this small hatchling could be none other than the lurker, the priestess named Rissslorrr, at great risk to herself, scooped him up and stowed him in her holy bag. The slave lords permitted the priestesses to enter the egg chambers at hatching, but forbade them from removing any of the hatchlings on penalty of death.

Thus, Rissslorrr raised the hatchling in secret and named him L'lzak, which means weed-covered in the Lizard Man language, not wishing to reveal his identity to the slave lords who knew the legend of the lurker and feared it. She taught him the ways of their people and shared with him the legends of their ancient life of freedom in the swamps. His comprehension of the spiritual surpassed any hatchling's she had ever taught. Before many years had passed, he began to teach her as his grasp of divine knowledge exceeded that of his teacher.

In his youth he excelled in all things. When playing with other hatchlings he always proved stronger and quicker than the rest. He could remain underwater longer than any including those who had achieved adulthood. His peers followed him without question, seeing in him more than just charisma. In him they saw a spark of freedom.

Upon reaching proper age to complete the initiation to adulthood, he surprised even his adoptive mother by completing the test faster than any other in the memory of his people. Soon thereafter, the Hr'zar warriors initiated him into their fold. This secret society of holy warriors prepared for the coming of the lurker, and it is there that he first revealed his true name, the name he had known since birth, Zzutrrrigguuk, which means the lurker.

His fellow Lizard Men were not the only ones to perceive his leadership skills and popularity. His slave lord masters also saw potential in him, potential for either good or ill. They decided to pervert his leadership skills to their own purposes and took him into the palace as a trusted servant, lavished with all he desired. In exchange they expected him to use his influence to keep his restless people subdued. Seeing the opportunity to gain the trust of his slave masters, L'lzak went with them but remained kind to his people, quietly spreading word through his mother and the Hr'zar warriors that times of change would come soon.

In the year 900 C.T., when he was but 19-years-old, L'lzak saw his opportunity. Border skirmishes between the Duchy of Keto and its stronger neighbor the Kingdom of Ravencraft had exploded into a full blown war. Many of the troops normally assigned to guard the slaves had been called to the front and things didn't look promising for Keto.

Five days into the ill-fated war, Duke Scourgnor Keto called his trusted slave into his war room and handed him a written order authorizing him to arm 1,000 Lizard Men slaves and take them to the front lines in exchange for their freedom. Upon reading the order he sprung upon his master and tore the flesh from the bones of the astonished slave lord. When he finished, he devoured the duke's still warm body.

Before anyone could learn of what he had done, L'lzak took his signed order to the armory and armed the Hr'zar warriors. Instead of marching to the front lines as they were ordered, the warriors split up into small groups and seized the ill defended hatcheries and armories throughout the duchy. They struck like lightning and before any real response could be mounted, thousands of Lizard Man slaves were armed and rebelling.

The Duke's nephew, Lego II, pieced together what had happened to his uncle who had fathered no heir. Having learned that armies from Ravencraft's neighbor, the Kingdom of Orange, had attacked its poorly defended eastern border, he recalled his troops to the capital to consolidate his power in the struggle that would surely ensue for the control of the duchy once his rivals learned of his uncle's demise.

L'lzak mourned at this news, for while his army of Lizard Men could surely hold its own against the armies of the duchy, many Lizard Men women and children would be needlessly killed in the struggle. Understanding the dilemma he met with the Hr'zar and made a proposal. He would offer his own life and that of the Hr'zar in exchange for the freedom of his people. By throwing the weight of the Lizard Men's elite warriors on the side of Lego II, the duke's nephew would surely take control of the duchy. Lego agreed and the Lizard Men were given their freedom. L'lzak died in the battle for control of the duchy and the descendants of the Hr'zar are still enslaved in Keto today.

The Lizard Men quickly returned to their ancestral homelands throughout the great continent of Fälgorna and even now plan for the liberation of their most valued brothers still enslaved in Keto. L'lzak is revered as a god by the Lizard Men and is the patron of all those who would end slavery.

A Lizard Man can become a fighter, gladiator, paladin (the Hr'zar were paladins), ranger, priest, druid, thief, assassin, merchant, or elementalist wizard. A Lizard Man that wishes to pursue a mage class other than the elementalist wizard can do so, but must earn double the normal experience points to advance in level. Lizard Men have the ability to become a psionicists but will not do so because of a strong moral aberration to psionics. Lizard Men have no bards. Their priests play the role of storytellers and lore keepers. Lizard Men priests are always specialty priests and no Lizard Man priest or wizard will ever use spells from the charm sphere or the charm school that give them the ability to forcibly exert their will on another sentient being (as former slaves they abhor this type of magic), nor will they use magical items that duplicate this effect. Lizard Men never keep slaves and when possible free slaves of any race when able to do so.

Lizard Men have a natural Armor Class of 5 and armors that provide less protection than AC 5 only lower their Armor Class by one point. For example, a Lizard Man wearing leather armor would have an AC 4, plus his Dexterity bonus. Lizard Men also have the ability to fight using natural attacks when using no weapons they may attack with two claws for 1d2/1d2 and a tail for 1d6. If using weapons they may take a tail attack in addition to their normal weapon attacks.

Lizard Men have 60' infravision and can see underwater as clearly as on the surface. They swim at MV 12 and move on land at MV 6. Lizard Men cannot breath water but can hold their breath for a one round per point of Constitution. For every two additional rounds that a Lizard Man holds his breath he must make a Constitution check at a -1 cumulative penalty to avoid drowning.

Lizard Men may begin play knowing how to speak their own guttural language and the Trade Tongue. They may also start with an additional human language and the ability to speak with reptiles.

Lizard Men NPCs tend toward Neutral Good alignment, but PC Lizard Men can be of any alignment. All Lizard Men must choose a deity.

Lizard Men modify their ability scores as follows: Strength +1, Constitution +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence -2, Dexterity -1, Charisma -1.