Varaiden

"We were tasked to go an find out what happened to a small village on the edge of the swamp, as the inhabitants had disappeared; when we reached the village we noticed it had been ransacked. We believed it to bandits hiding in the deep in the swamp, so we went in to destroy this band of whoresons and hopefully rescue any survivors. We did not know what was waiting. We had only gone a little deeper into the swamp, when they attacked, large, reptilian humanoids descended upon us, rising out of the water and climbing out the trees. We numbered fifteen but were quickly dwindled to four, we ran for it back to the village, back to safety. I am the only one who made it back to tell the tale." - Lone survivor of a Ranger Platoon and first recorded Telgrener account of the Varaiden

Varaiden are a strange, often savage, beast-like race resembling bipedal lizards. The Varaiden, while possessing similar attributes to other beastfolk in physical and magical abilities, have a stunted society and technological progress, even compared to those with a less established population. Varaiden are highly isolationist, usually behaving with hostility towards other races who wander into their territory, with only a few exceptions. They prefer to stay out of sight and in dense natural landscapes, and so have remained hidden, mostly in a band near the equator. Their main band of population is a wide arc which covers southern Ifyrial and significant portions of the Archelin isles of Halyren. THey also have some remnants of a population on Ærellion, though this is now concentrated in the southeast and disconnected from the rest of their territory. Over the years, conflict with outside races, in particular Dark Elves, Nagas, and Gnomes, has reduced their homeland to its current fragmented state. Thoguh the Varaiden are excellent swimmers and excel at crossing the seas in simple crafts, much of the lost lands have been coastal, as colonies push them further inland.

Varaiden have several notable characteristics which belay their savageness in the eyes of the international community. Most damning is that Varaiden rarely build on their own, constructing ramshackle huts, if that. Only a few centralized Varaiden states have attempted to establish a construction tradition, and this is often viewed with disdain by traditionalists. Usually, clan leadership will pick the most sheltered area in their homeland to set up court, with the lesser Varaiden spread out in small groups across their territory. They often choose caves as their living areas, which has given rise to the myth that they live underground. Confronted by territorial loss, the Varaiden have been forced into a smaller area and have been forced into a more concentrated of a population, which has spurred some construction efforts as fortifications and defending one's lands become more viable. Still, the majority of the Varaiden population sleeps in barely sheltered locations, leaving minor fires as their only trace on the environment. Even though they spurn other forms of comfort, Varaiden are highly dependent of fire, as they are cold-blooded. As a cold-blooded race, they are extremely vulnerable if not near a fire during night, and so are very easy to defeat for those who know how, which is why their lands have been lost. They are slow to rise in the mornings and are even weaker during the winter months. However, in well-heated environments, such as the dense jungles they call home, the Varaiden are very dangerous to fight, especially considering their natural armor. Though this advantage has been reduced by the advent of armor and weapons, the Varaiden are very dangerous to those who have sub-par equipment, such as peasant levies or scouts.

Varaiden are also cannibalistic, something shared by only the most violent and savage of races. They think nothing of scavenging and eating the dead, even their own, and do not seem to feel much in the range of emotions, so they will eat their dead children or parents in a heartbeat. While some may consider this emotional stunting as proof they are not fully sentient, they do form bonds with others; however these bonds end as the person dies. They do not consider a dead body as the person, merely nourishment. Nourishment they will happily eat raw (though they do also enjoy cooked food). This view has deep roots in their traditional culture, because the Varaiden know that the soul is the real person, not their vessel. In many parts of the world, this idea has taken root in their theology, such as the Sarkhan Death Cult, where the souls of ancestors are kept bound to their bones in reliquaries.