The Last Lizardmen

The Last Lizardmen, by Irida Florakou, published 707YD.   Prior to the arrival of the Dukhalan races in Colossia, the lizardfolk and kobolds are known to have inhabited the majority of the continent, ruled over by numerous chromatic Dragon Kings, whom they worshiped as gods. Lizardfolk habitation did not extend to the furthest southern reaches of Colossia, though white dragons still ruled over small kobold communities even in the coldest regions. Sorligien is unique in never having been populated by either reptilian race, instead being dominated by various giants, who were fiercely hostile to the Dragon Kings.   Initial contact between the Dukhalan settlers and the native inhabitants of Colossia was generally hostile, as the dragons demanded both temporal and spiritual submission, which the Teghnesit settlers were unwilling to offer. Supported by metallic dragons from Zaernia and led by great warriors and mages, the Dukhalans steadily conquered the lands, slaying or driving away any chromatic dragons they came across. In those kingdoms where the draconic overlord survived and fled, he typically took his subjects with him, while leaderless lizardfolk that survived were subjugated or assimilated, and most surviving kobolds fled underground.   In conquests spearheaded by dragonborn, the treatment of defeated lizardfolk swung between two extremes. On the one hand, dragonborn and lizardfolk share numerous biological similarities that make it easier for them to coexist, while on the other, most dragonborn were disgusted by the lizardfolks' worship of the dragon kings. As such, some dragonborn conquerors made efforts to fully assimilate defeated lizardfolk populations, while others were known to enslave or eradicate them. Human conquerors typically took a middle position, treating lizardfolk subjects as second-class citizens, though with certain rights (though there were exceptions, such as the benevolent Arnall Dragonbane). The underground-dwelling dwarves were known to either outright ignore surviving lizardfolk, or adopt a symbiotic relationship, much as they often do with humans and halflings.   Apart from the numerous communities that have been assimilated into civilised society, most independent lizardfolk now dwell either in Barisia, under the last of the dragon kings, or in New Enoria, under the protection of the elves. Some kobolds also live in Barisia, though the majority fled underground long ago, with the largest populations now believed to be subjects of the Lolthite Hegemony in the Underdark. Apart from these, there are also isolated groups of lizardmen, typically congregating around the lairs of dragons, be they chromatic or metallic. Most of these chromatic dragons act as petty monarchs, while their metallic counterparts are prohibited from doing so (legally and, perhaps, physiologically), and instead act as benevolent guardians from the dangers found in isolated regions.