Game Content: Diary Pages

Here's the short story I wrote in 12 pages of huge type for the artificially aged diary pages.
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7 Septmber 1881

Success! At last I have traced the rumors of underground monsters to a barrow in Kansas. Since the Indians left this territory their gravesites and camps have been left for anyone to occupy. A barrow where a great chief was buried has a colony of troglodytic beings that I am calling “Kobolds”, after the German legends of underground spirits in mines. These are flesh and blood, not ectoplasm, and as real as I am. I hope to make peaceful contact with them, and learn all I can of their civilization. There will be so much to learn about them!

11 October 1881

They have no steel. All the Kobolds' tools are bone and wood. The smith in town clearly thought I was simple when I had him scale down the blades of half a dozen shovels, but he took my money readily enough to do it. A few moments' work with a saw for the handles of the spades and I had tools the Kobolds had never even imagined. Forty dollars' worth of hardware and labor from the smith and I have been welcomed among them more readily than if I were an emissary of their rude and primitive gods. Now, to compile what I know of them...

1 January 1882

I cannot get used to this accursed lack of light underground, and the cold lantern dazzles the Kobolds to the point where none can tolerate its presence for even a second. They have excavated a chamber for my use, that I might write my notes easily but they will not interfere with me here.

I am beginning to enjoy the taste of grubs and roots. When I return to Wichita it will be for a bath and the largest beefsteak available in any hotel. But for now, I must continue my efforts to compile a lexicon of the Kobolds' language.

4 April 1882

The Kobolds have dug down to a chamber left here as a burial palace, though I don't recognize the carvings on the walls as anything originating from any of the plains tribes. The clatter and scrape of the half-sized shovels continues day and night as they try to work their way towards whatever these rooms may contain, though from the piercing shrieks that reverberate through the earthen walls of their own tunnels I take it that whoever constructed the stone chambers left devices to prevent tomb robbers from making off with whatever was there.

5 June 1882

The poor devils keep throwing themselves at that puzzle trap. The priest-king of the Kobolds (I cannot render his name in English letters) desperately wants whatever is in the chamber beyond the burial throne. And so many of them have died needlessly, but even though I am the man who inadvertantly made it possible for the Kobolds to discover these rooms of treasure and death, I cannot make them listen to me any more than I could speak to that seated corpse in gold and obsidian and get an answer from it.

17 June 1882
Dozens of the Kobolds were sacrificed to the will of their priest-king and finally the next chamber has been opened. Their ruler, if the rumors and chitterings can be believed, killed the one who solved that puzzle so he would be the only one who knows. They think my eyesight is useless in the dark but it isn't completely. Which is how I know the snakes go down the center of the puzzle board, and the green one is on the bottom-most square. When I get the chance, I'll try to observe the priest-king opening that chamber himself, and see what it conceals.

..

22 June 1882

Another breakthrough. The upper pieces are a bat, the snake, and a centipede from left to right. And it seems the left bottom two pieces are both green. If the leader of the Kobolds knew that I knew even this much, I fear my life would be ended.

What does he see in there?

28 June 1882
Another clue. Pieces 1, 3 and 5 (the ones on the top left, top right, and center, respectively) are all purple. I couldn't look closely enough to tell for certain where the orange pieces were placed without arousing suspicion.

14 July 1882

The priest-king has vanished. He got the puzzle door open today and went inside, according to his warriors. But when the door closed he either could not deduce the way to open it, or he chose to die inside that chamber, alone with whatever he found there.

Since their leader vanished, the Kobolds have turned to me for guidance. How much can I dare to interfere with their development? Can I bring them to the outside world or would the bright sunlight bring an end to all of them? I must think on this.

3 July 1882

Another clue. The columns to the left and right are opposites of each other; the bat at top and bottom of the left and in the center of the right.

If the priest-king saw me watching as he solved this puzzle he would have flown at me in a murderous rage, I am sure. Mother have mercy, he'll never know what these inky marks on the paper signify.

Whatever he sees in that chamber, he fears and desires it in equal measure. Some day he'll go in, I know it.

27 July 1882

The Kobolds squabble among themselves like murderous children. I am not strong enough for them to fear or wise enough to make them listen. Without a new priest-king I dread what may happen to this tribe. So many died to learn the puzzle lock. So many are resentful and hungry. The puzzle lock could kill me if I guess it wrong, but I wish I knew what was in that room. Could it save the poor devils? Will it destroy them? Have I the right to make this choice, not knowing what is on the other side of that immovable stone door?

3 August 1882

They're still trying to open the door again. I hear their screams as they die. My desire to study the truth behind the rumors of subterranean creatures may have doomed them all. The shovels I bought as a gift to ingratiate myself to their tribe may as well have dug all of their graves.

Damn me for not seeing what would happen. They were too short-sighted to make use of what was here. If they lived for centuries more in their burrows, ignorant and brutish, they would still be alive.

I hear voices, speaking English. They're coming closer and they want something in here. I will confront the intruders and get them to leave, if I can. It may mean my death. It may mean the deaths of all the Kobolds here. I am so sorry. I meant well. I will open the lock and hide the remaining Kobolds in that treasure room until the danger passes, then confront these men.

If I do not return, may the Father judge me justly for what I wished to do, and not for what I have done.

Josiah Tucker, 15 November 1882

House Rule: Hit Dice

Forget what the book says for hit dice and leveling up.

Mages get a D8 for hit dice. Clerics, Rogues and Druids get a D10. Fighters (of any kind) use a D12 for their hit dice.

When leveling up, all player characters are automatically assumed to roll the maximum on their dice, so characters will get either 8, 10 or 12 HP at their next level, plus their Constitution bonus (if any).

Background: 20 Answers (Robert)

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you and I'm not playing a weird prank. Robert is a friend of Eric's and he wants to get in on my Pathfinder game action, so he wrote up 20 answers for his Martian-heritage Red Lizardman and with his permission I'm posting them here.

01)  Where is your character from?

His parents are from Mars but Earth is where he was brought into this world. How his parents got to Earth isn't known to him. They live in peace with the tribes of the 500 Nations in the Wyoming area.

 02)  Where did they get their training or learn their skills?

The majority of his training and skills came from an Indian named Chunta. This was one of the Clan Leaders that recognized Shappa had the Spark. His family who was already looked favorably upon since his father was a warrior that helped hunt and defend the Cheyenne territory gained more prestige within the tribe. The magic users of the tribes learn from others so Chunta taught me what he knew and we traveled the 500 nations for 3 years to learn from others within the circle of the spark. His father had taught him to hunt and was especially proficient with the Tomahawk. This training combined with the spark allowed him to instantly recall the Tomahawk to his hand after throwing it. Chunta presented him the Tomahawk that his Spark would be bound with. Living with nature, learning and traveling is what eventually prompted Shappa to explore beyond the 500 Nations territory. 

 03)  What is / was their family background?

He is the only child and the Cheyenne tribe is who they are closest with. His family surname is Makala but they use the names given to them by the Cheyenne Indians. His mother is Luta (Red), Keme (Thunder) for his father and I was named Shappa (Red Thunder). His father was anointed Thunder for his quickness and athletic prowess of speed. It turns out Shappa would be known for something quite different in his adolescent years when it was discovered he had the Spark. These days he is better known as Panja Wakhanhan (Magic Champion). Indians who are not immediately familiar with Shappa, simply call him T'Elanuwe Luta (Red lizard). Outside of the 500 Nations Shappa has decided to call himself Lagartija.

 04)  What is their view of magic use and magic users?

Shappa has the spark and wants to be an artificer of magic for the benefit of the people. Living among the 500 Nations tribe and learning from others that know the spark within that country has been an enlightening journey for him. Thank goodness for him the Cheyenne tribe had a person with the Spark and he was welcomed in. Shappa believes that being Alien and Magic using is somethiing the Cheyenne use as leverage with other tribes in their area.

He also understands that magic users can be very dangerous as well. He's heard about the renegades in La Republica de Tejas and the exploitation of them in the CSA. He is all the more curious to learn everything he can to strengthen his tribe and the 500 Nations in general.

 05)  What is their view of the six major powers occupying the continental United States (the USA, the CSA, the 500 Nations, Peachtree, La Republica de Tejas and Deseret?)

- USA: There is much to explore in the USA. Shappa is interested in learning how society works in the industrialized area of this word. The greatest interested being the schools where others with the spark learn.

- CSA and Peachtree: There's no interest in going to a slave territory that will likely not view his lizard heritage any better than the slaves they keep. There are actual laws here that keep those that have the spark from learning.

- Deseret: The environment of the desert is familiar but the being strongly allied with the CSA makes this another area to avoid.

- La Republica de Tejas: Definitely wants to visit and explore here. Their view of those with the spark is welcome and are seen people who can help them. Those with the Spark have made a name for themselves here as both criminal and hero.
- 500 Nations: This is where Shappa came to first settle and learn his craft with. His mentor taught him his craft and these people are still in tune with nature. Shappa appreciated living off the land that isn't like his parents stories of their barren desert home world.

 06)  Have they been to another planet yet? Do they want to go some day?

His parents are from Mars but they made a home in the 500 Nations area. His parents haven't expressed much interest in going to see what's left of the Makala family if any. There isn't much interested in going to the Jungles of Venus.

 07)  Your character finds $500 on the ground (a windfall equal to a three months' wages for a working class laborer). There's no way to tell who it belongs to. What do they do with the money? Does this answer change if they find it by themselves or in the group?

I would keep it and use it for the benefit of those in need. Which may happen to include me. If found in a group I would give advice on how to best put it to use for us.

08)  What religion (if any) does your character follow, and how fervently?

He respects the gods that the 500 Nations worship but is not a fervent believer.

 09)  What's one of their bad habits? How about a good habit?

Bad Habit - Using his physical appearance to intimidate humans.

Good Habit - Exercising. Climbing/Swimming. Keeping his body as focused as him mind.

 10)  What does your character do with their leisure time?

Coming up with ideas on how to create items infused with magical properties. Practicing his throwing skills with the Tomahawk. Learning what different services people in towns need for those with the Spark.

 11)  What would your character order at a restaurant? Does this answer change if someone else is paying for the meal?

Mmmm Chicken in all forms with whatever sides it comes with and beer. If someone else was paying more beer would be consumed.

 12)  Does your character have any bias against the Skaven, the Red or Green Lizardmen, against Tripod Martians (or against humans, if they're a nonhuman character)? Does your character have any prejudices against other humans if they are a human?

The Skaven are generally welcomed in the 500 Nations area. He's inclined to like them more than other non-human or red lizard races. Nothing against anyone, just a prejudice towards malicious people of any race.

 13)  Where do they live when not adventuring? Is it just a rented room somewhere or an actual home?

He has an actual home in the 500 Nations Wyoming area with the Cheyenne tribe.

 14)  How does your character tend to dress when out in the field having adventures? Are their "town clothes" different from this?

Shappa wears the traditional garb of hunters in the 500 Nations when adventuring. Town clothes are not much different.

 15)  How does your character pack for travel or for going out into the field for adventuring?
He carries the necessities for survival in the field. The amount is enough for a few days and he uses his nature knowledge to replenish during the trip. Water, some food, blanket, sachel for his spellbook and other odds and ends for necessary survival and hygiene.

16)  What is your character's education level? (It is presumed that all PCs will be literate in English without a reason for that in the back story.)

There isn't a true gauge of what level of education he has growing up in the 500 Nations. Middle school level if I had to say. His parents taught him what they knew and about survival, nature. His reading skills and formal skills were developed through training as magic user.

17)  What is your character afraid of?

Shappa is afraid of Thunderstorms. The irony of his name and his fear is not lost on him. It becomes difficult for him to function if he is out in the middle of one.

18)  Does your character owe a significant favor to anyone? Does anyone owe them a significant favor?

Shappa feels that he owes his mentor Chunta some of his knowledge new found regarding of the Spark when he returns. It was never formally asked.

No one owes Shappa a significant favor that he's aware of.

19)  What does your character want to get out of adventuring? What to they expect to get out if it? What are they afraid could happen while out on adventures?
Meeting others that have the Spark and sharing knowledge with them. He hopes that the majority of this group has a good moral compass.

He is afraid of finding that the world outside of the 500 Nations is unstable, corrupt, and not balanced.

20)  What, if anything, does your character consider to be a cause worth dying for? What would they see as a good death?
The defense of his family, home, the exploited, and enslaved is a cause worth dying for.

Knowing that his sacrifice helped others survive and more importantly overcome.

Bonus question #21:  What advice would you give your character if you could?

Be careful with those that use the unjust laws to exploit and convincing words to mislead you in your travels. Remember things may not be as they seems. Not to mention those with the Spark that specialize with Illusions.

Group Participation: New Technology

I'm going to try something new here. Using what we know about the background of the Divided States and the game, this will be the post for things that exist in 1899 that don't necessarily have a counterpart in our world. People who add in something that gets used in the game world (at my discretion, but I'm only likely to reject something that will break the fiction or make characters too powerful) will get a 100 XP bonus.

I'll get things rolling.

Cold Lamp / Cold Lantern:  A glass sphere with a golf ball sized spherical piece of wood inside. The wood has had the Continual Light spell cast on it and shines like full daylight (25' radius) permanently; the lantern's body is a thin opaque metal box. The cheaper models ($25 or so) are designed so that lifting the opaque metal box exposes the inner glowing wooden light source and serves as a source of illumiation. More expensive models ($50-$100) have hinged shutters on one or more sides so that the light can be directed like a lantern beam. They're commonly used in mines where open flames could be incredibly dangerous and in homes to avoid the risk of spilled oil and burning the place down. Useless for cooking and heating (they only radiate light, not heat).

Heating Stones:  A pair of pebble-sized stones with a single-use enchantment placed on them:  When submerged in water the stones magically heat up to a gallon of water to boiling in a matter of seconds. Used in cooking, cleaning, or in heating bathwater (among other uses). Popular among adventurers and militaries. Originally a single stone, but the binary system was developed after reports of injuries among people carrying them during inclement weather. $2 for a pack of seven stones (good for making coffee in the morning for a week).

Model Orrery:  A clockwork model of the solar system's Sun and inner planets; used in manually calculating ship navigation when necessary (usually with a slide rule, because using one means the Calculation Engine normally utilized for navigation is broken). Use of a model orrery by a trained navigator adds +5 to Navigation checks. Cheap models can be had for $100 or so; more elaborate ones that account for the larger asteroids and are measured more precisely can cost up to fifteen times as much.

Nutrition Block:  An alchemically improved bullion cube, this 1" cube of supercompressed powdered meat and vitamins can be mixed with a pint of water to make a cold soup that serves as a day's nutritional requirements for an adult under moderate to severe physical strain. Popular with militaries and Etheric transports (especially when used with Heating Stones). Available in several flavors, from the expected beef and chicken to Martian and Venusian domesticated and game meats. 50 cents apiece in stores; $5 for a dozen (either one flavor or a variety pack).

Shunned Circle Stake:  A single-use item; hammering one into the ground triggers a cantrip that repels insects and vermin for twelve hours out of a circle twenty feet across. Extremely popular with adventurers and militaries. Often used as a delousing agent Usually purchased in a bundle of 20 for $75, although remote outposts charge significantly more.

Background: 20 Answers (Tim)

Sooner or later you'll be meeting Nequimayana (the name is my approximation of "carnivore" in Nahuatl). I wrote up 20 answers for him as well, and here they are.

01)Where is your character from?

Nequimayana is an albino green lizardman originally hatched en route from Venus to Earth on an Etheric Transport, whose family came to Earth when his uncle Icuihatl became the ambassador to the United States of America prior to the Civil War (his father Tlamatini and mother Zacayo were also attached to the diplomatic mission; Nequimayana's egg hatched early during the transport before they could get to Earth). He has spent his early life on Earth and eventually traveled to other planets as an Etheric ship captain.

02)  Where did they get their training or learn their skills?
Nequimayana joined the U.S. Army as a specialist in 1862, serving as a combat magician (Evoker) with a rifleman corps. The fourteen years of the Civil War (where he was wounded dozens of times, twice nearly fatally) improved his marksmanship and gave him a taste for vengeance against the CSA; he served briefly with William Tecumseh Sherman and considers his lack of participation in the burning of Atlanta to be a missed opportunity in his life. After the war he became a salvage diver for the US Navy and eventually called in every favor he had stored up over thirteen years of combat to be trained as a navigator, helmsman and pilot in the US Etheric Navy. He retired from service with the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Army (the lowest possible officers' rank) as well as that of Captain in the Etheric Navy.

03)  What is / was their family background?
Nequimayana's parents have been dead for several years (and were given a burial at sea back on Venus); his uncle still serves as a diplomat and interpreter in the American consulate also on Venus. He has no children and has never married.

04)  What is their view of magic use and magic users?
As a magic user, Nequimayana views learned arcane magic as the most important aspect of his personality and life (he's a wizard first, then a lizardman, then an American veteran of the Etheric Navy, then a veteran of the Army, and finally a Venusian by heritage if not by personal history).

05)  What is their view of the six major powers occupying the continental United States (the USA, the CSA, the 500 Nations, Peachtree, La Republica de Tejas and Deseret?)
He is fascinated by the alchemical and technological wonders that Peachtree has developed, and views himself as a patriotic American-by-adoption (he was not the first lizardman to gain American citizenship, but he was among the first several hundred). Tejas is too sparse, dry and rural to keep his interest for a particularly long time, as is Deseret (which is a client state to the successfully treasonous nation of the CSA). He does like that Tejas was captured from the Confederacy and then formed its own nation; being something of a renegade among his own people he admires institutions that break away from other ones when they're embarrassing the CSA. He admires the 500 Nations' ability to work magic without the technological crutches of spellbooks and focus objects but much prefers town and city life to sleeping under the stars and wandering nomadically.

06)  Have they been to another planet yet? Do they want to go some day?
After the Civil War, Nequimayana saved his salvage diving pay (including shares in recovered wrecks that had gold, silver and alchemically important metals) to purchase and refit a decomissioned USEN gunboat. It has been renamed the Gibbous Moon and he uses it as a freight hauler to deliver goods, mail, packages, diplomatic and military dispatches and books to Venus and Mars (and passengers from time to time, although he prefers to travel alone). Although he has traveled to the other planets (and has been to Mercury several times, disliking it intensely) as well as Ceres and other large asteroids, Nequimayana finds himself more comfortable and at ease traveling through the void rather than staying on a planet for longer than a couple of months.

07)  Your character finds $500 on the ground (a windfall equal to a three months' wages for a working class laborer). There's no way to tell who it belongs to. What do they do with the money? Does this answer change if they find it by themselves or in the group?
If he finds it by himself, it's probably going to be spent keeping the Gibbous Moon in spaceworthy shape. If he finds it with a group, he'd divide it up equally among everyone (and spend his share on the Gibbous Moon).

08)  What religion (if any) does your character follow, and how fervently?
Nequimayana has a small triptych icon of the Smith (in his guises of the Smith, the Alchemist and the Clockmaker) riveted to the bulkhead near the Etheric Propeller and one of the Crone on his instrument panel. Like all sailors, he's very superstitious about some things and keeps a model of the inner solar system in his cabin where he can monitor what the phases of the moons are on Mars and the sole moon on Earth.

09)  What's one of their bad habits? How about a good habit?
Nequimayana is extremely private and solitary, disdaining the company of others for the most part. He retains a simmering hatred for the CSA and considers everyone living there who was old enough to partake in the Civil War an unpunished traitor. As for the good habit, he keeps the Gibbous Moon extraordinarily well-maintained, not entirely because it's the only thing keeping him alive during the several-weeks-long trips to other planets.

10)  What does your character do with their leisure time?
Nequimayana enjoys cooking, reading and attending vaudeville performances in his free time, as well as Wild West shows, circuses, and other entertainment that's generally considered lowbrow. He refuses to attend ones that feature “blackface” comedy, stemming entirely from his distaste for the CSA (thankfully, that style of comedy is dying out in the USA because nobody likes the idea of Peachtree getting offended with them and witholding new miracles).

11)  What would your character order at a restaurant? Does this answer change if someone else is paying for the meal?
If he's buying, beef (or chicken) stew and a half loaf of bread with coffee, lemonade (he got a taste for both beverages while serving in the Etheric Navy) and cake or pie for dessert. If someone else is buying, he tends to upgrade the stew to beefsteak or fried chicken. If he's at a diplomatic function he just has whatever is being served, and knows enough etiquette to not humiliate himself or his hosts (another remnant of his officer training as well as his family's diplomatic service). He's fond of sweet liqueurs or wine after dinner.

12)  Does your character have any bias against the Skaven, the Red or Green Lizardmen, against Tripod Martians (or against humans, if they're a nonhuman character)? Does your character have any prejudices against other humans if they are a human?
Nequimayana has known humans extensively in his military service and is only prejudiced or biased against the Confederacy and Deseret; otherwise he likes humans perfectly well, though he has no close friendships with any of them. He's found the Skaven fascinating because they're a magically created race and has irritated and offended several of them by asking questions about their history. He finds the tripod Martians to be homebound to an extent he can't really understand but doesn't have a problem with that.

13)  Where do they live when not adventuring? Is it just a rented room somewhere or an actual home?
Nequimayana tends to live on the Gibbous Moon when that's an option and will rent a hotel room when it isn't. One thing he does not miss from his Army days is sleeping out in the open during bad weather but he can still do it if he needs to.

14)  How does your character tend to dress when out in the field having adventures? Are their "town clothes" different from this?
Nequimayana wears civilian clothes cut to resemble his old Etheric Navy service uniform without duplicating it, black trousers with a dark green stripe on the sides of the legs and a dark green tunic and cap.

15)  How does your character pack for travel or for going out into the field for adventuring?
Spellbooks, his flintlock pistol (focus weapon), powder horn and ammunition, officers' sword (rapier), spare suit of clothes, field kit (he still has his old mess kit from the Etheric Navy), possibles bag containing miscellaneous items, bedroll, the inevitable fifty feet of rope, spyglass, burning glass, and usually a Dime Novel or two.

16)  What is your character's education level? (It is presumed that all PCs will be literate in English without a reason for that in the back story.)
Nequimayana is an educated spellcaster who graduated from West Point's Arcane Studies program as well as a former officer in the US Army and US Etheric Navy. He reads Solar Geographic and several arcane and scientific journals to stay informed on developments but has not contributed any new research to any of them. He knows enough about Calculation Engines to use them but not to program anything new on them.

17)  What is your character afraid of?
The alternative to boredom is disaster when traveling between planets. He's not particularly worried about mechanical failure, but pirate raids or Etheric monster attacks are something he quietly dreads.

18)  Does your character owe a significant favor to anyone? Does anyone owe them a significant favor?
He used up all his earlier favors getting to a position where he could fly his own Etheric Transport, and doesn't currently owe anyone much of a favor past the occasional meal or deadhead flight. He has given cash contributions to veterans' hospitals and bills them at or slightly below cost to ship materials anywhere.

19)  What does your character want to get out of adventuring? What to they expect to get out if it? What are they afraid could happen while out on adventures?
Nequimayana doesn't adventure any more, but when he did he was focused on buying the Gibbous Moon and turning it into a profitable solo business venture.

20)  What, if anything, does your character consider to be a cause worth dying for? What would they see as a good death?
He viewed the saving of the Union as a cause worth fighting, killing, and dying for but did not die. He also did not succeed (and his knowledge of how the Native American populations were treated by the Americans has led him to view their secession and control of the Pacific Northwest and upper Northwest as a necessary evil; he reserves his ire almost entirely for the CSA / Deseret secessionists). When Nequimayana ponders his own death, he thinks that he will probably load up the Gibbous Moon with as much water and food as it can carry and fly out into the endless dark, past the asteroid belt and the other planets, and simply look at everything that he can in the void until his heart stops.

Bonus question #21:  What advice would you give your character if you could? 
You need to become part of the worlds again, not merely travel between them.

Background: Lizardmen

One of the prominent sapient races of the Solar system, lizardmen are found on both Venus and Mars. On Mars they're a nomadic, desert-roaming species that follows animals to hunt and plants to gather. While the tripod Martians tend agricultural settlements along the canals of the red planet or build cities at the pyramids where canals meet, the lizardmen rove over the deserts going from oasis to oasis in a cyclical pattern, each tribal band moving at its own pace and over its own pattern to keep from consuming all the resources of the barren desert world. The Bedouin tribes on Earth are a very rough parallel to the red lizardmen and their society. The Native Americans in the 500 Nations tend to accept lizardmen as plains nomads, hunters and gatherers with different skins, seeing the similarities more than the differences. In more settled areas, opinions differ from place to place--Tejas is known for having several enclaves of red lizardmen (the scrubland, harsh as it is, is still slightly more forgiving than the Martian desert). The USA and Peachtree offer full citizenship to lizardmen, just as they do to other immigrants. There are tiered civil rights in the CSA and lizardmen are allowed the second-highest selection of rights--they can own property but not vote, and are allowed to have children if they desire. In Deseret, they're viewed as soulless but not worth provoking (the one attempt to issue a bounty on lizardman skins resulted in the total loss of the raiding party sent out against them). Citizenship in the nation of Deseret is not available for lizardmen characters.

Skirmishes between tribes of lizardmen on Mars are relatively uncommon, but during drought years fights for resources are not unknown; similarly, the cities and farms the tripod Martians tend are generally left alone by the lizardmen although trade is frequent between the nomadic lizardmen (who tend domesticated livestock while roaming) and the tripods (who grow crops in the bands of fertile soil on the sides of the canals).

Although they currently do not have any spacefaring capabilities, there are genetically identical lizardmen on Venus, with green skins instead of red. Each type is capable of interbreeding with the other type of lizardman; the red or green females lay a single egg which hatches after four months or so. Half the time a green lizardman is born from a union between the two types, and half the time a red one is hatched. Because both types of lizardmen can interbreed and produce a fertile offspring, they don't consider the other color of lizardman to be a different species or race (possibly the part of their psychological makeup most confusing to human observers). Lizardmen born on Earth have been green or red; some Scientific Naturalists expect that a blue or brown skin tone will develop after enough generations on Earth but so far none have been observed. Occasionally (one in several hundred births) an albino lizardman is born--in game terms they are completely identical to red or green ones but have scales of a green so pale it's almost white and belly scales that are a pale yellow that's also nearly completely white.

Both the red and green lizardmen possess little in the way of advanced technology; the need to keep moving on the Martian deserts to keep from exhausting resources that replenish slowly kept them from making cities, and cities tend to lead to technological developments (the metalworkers that lizardmen do have tend to be seen as eccentric, choosing to stay at a trading post or caravan meeting place to work metal rather than walk the planet with their tribes). After making contact with humans from Earth, both red and green lizardmen have taken to gunpowder weapons enthusiastically; hunters used to bows, slings or atl-atls found the range, accuracy and power of a musket or rifle to be extremely desirable. A typical green lizardman of Venus can be seen here bearing a wood-and-stone weapon and bronze shield and here with a bronze axe and shield; lizardmen also have techniques to make shields out of the shells or bones of Martian animals and monsters; similar to the buffalo-skull shields used by Native Americans in the real world, there are some bone or shell shields capable of deflecting rifle bullets.

Magic use has meant the difference between survival and death for both individual lizardmen on Mars and their tribes; diviners capable of finding food and water in the desert and priests capable of purifying stagnant or contaminated water are respected members of the community and their input tends to be sought on important matters. War chiefs (fighters and rangers) are also valued for their ability to hunt and to protect the bands of lizardmen from the myriad dangers in the Martian desert.

On Venus, the different environment led to a different society developing. The green lizardmen also work with wood, stone, bronze and leathers to build cities (I'm using Aztecs as a rough template for their cities and society without the emphasis on hundreds of religious sacrifices). The lizardmen cities on Venus tend to have high stone walls surrounding them with entry and exit via stone bridges; frequent monster attacks in the past presumably led to this construction but generally now the lizardmen are left alone by the jungle-dwelling Jaguar Men and the cave-dwelling Chiropterans (bat people).

Just as it is with humans, occasionally a lizardman (from Venus or Mars or born on Earth) doesn't fit in with the usual expectations their society has for them and they

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