Sahani
Sahani (s and pl) are a subgroup of Lizardfolk that are specialized for life in a desert environment. Although they don't prefer hot places, their ability to tolerate them gives them uncontested control over many regions that are considered inhospitable by others. They dwell in places where shade is naturally plentiful (caves and cliffsides), or where it has been made by their own effort, and keep water stores underground if there are not natural bodies nearby. They wear no less clothing than others of their kind, because night is cold in most deserts, and because they prefer the heat of the sun to be indirect.
Physiologically, they have wider faces and bodies than other subgroups, and shorter tails. They have proportionately longer limbs, necks, and tongues, with slightly wider ranges of movement.
Perhaps because they are adapted to a more active hunting lifestyle than others, needing to constantly search for more prey, they have a more proactive attitude to life than other types of Lizardfolk, are more likely to form large social groups, and in mixed communities are likely to be among the ruling classes.
Transformation: Salamander
The mightiest and most resilient of Sahani become Salamanders, able to endure any intensity of heat. These are usually great heroes and warriors, who achieve the change through great feats of strength and fortitude. Those who manage it are renowned in song and story by their people.Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Sahani natively speak Drathi, the language derived from Dragon speech, but a sizable portion instead speak Grakimi as a first language, and many speak Common or Senyan as well as other international languages secondarily.
Shared customary codes and values
Sahani value strength, conviction, and skill, be it in a physical activity, a verbal or artistic craft, or an intellectual pursuit. Anyone who is good at something that is considered useful is respected, but especially if they can do many things. The idealized archetype is an individual who is good at anything, and Sahani widely pursue many hobbies beyond their vocation in hope to achieve this. Anyone with great achievements to their name is revered, be it victory in battle, literary expression, or manufacture of high-quality goods.
Common Dress code
The most common Sahani garb could be approximately called a tabard: a rectangular piece of cloth (usually made of wool or cotton) with a hole in the middle for the head, covering the front and back but not the arms, secured with a belt around the waist. Some variants of this device have shoulder pads or flared sides covering the arms loosely. The front will typically be embroidered or otherwise decorated to show the occupation or status of the wearer, and in many Reptilian cultures it will be color-coded for the same purpose. Many other styles are known, especially among the elite, traders, and others who make regular contact with outside cultures.
Art & Architecture
Sahani prefer structures which are very open, with few rooms, wide doorways, and no corridors, the better to maximize airflow while providing shade. Concessions may be made for the need of security, but only reluctantly. Instead of sealing off a room, sensitive items will be kept in communal treasure troves, surrounded by high walls and carefully guarded.
Sahani domiciles tend to be somewhat rambling, with little attention to separating one from another as expansions use available space with little regard for an overall plan or any ongoing neighboring construction. These might be built by individuals, consisting of only a few rooms, but are more commonly built communally by those who share a working space or some other common activity. The central room will be a sleeping quarters, with shutters that close at night to hold in heat, a central firepit exhausting through a chimney or ceiling grate, and a series of cushions from which important members of the group conduct business. Surrounding rooms are designed primarily for storage, whereas the top portion of the structure serves as a functional second floor, and is the site of most day-to-day activity.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
By custom and often by necessity, sleeping is communal, with designated sleeping areas being as few as possible. In small villages there will usually be only one, whereas in larger areas they become stratified, with elites keeping sumptuous sleeping quarters to which commoners are not allowed. However, all members of that social level, from kings to guard captains to royal handmaids, will sleep together with no compunction. These scenes are rife with intrigue and occasional assassination attempts.
It is not untoward to invite strangers to join the sleeping arrangements, and indeed is a courtesy often extended to visitors of notable status. Rulers and administrators use their accorded sleeping chambers as offices, having their basic needs attended to while working and only leaving in order to exercise.
Major organizations
The highest concentrations of Sahani live in the Southern Continent, particularly Grakim and Drathis, where they make up 38% and 41% of the population respectively, and are the largest ethnic population in each. They also make up a substantial 16% of the Central Subcontinent, as well as about 7% of the Mantle of Mehen, 6% of the Conglomeration, 3% of the Neglessi Isles, 2% of Senya, and 1% of Kinteki.
Most Sahani worship either the Grakim or Eiha religions, with outliers being very rare.
Nicknames (Less to more pejorative): Dryscales, sandscales, sun-lovers, sandies
Height: 1.7-2.1 m (5'4"-7')
Scale Colors: Tan, brown, bronze, or gray
Eye colors: yellow, brown, bronze, or gold
Lifespan (typical/maximum): 80-140
Height: 1.7-2.1 m (5'4"-7')
Scale Colors: Tan, brown, bronze, or gray
Eye colors: yellow, brown, bronze, or gold
Lifespan (typical/maximum): 80-140
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