The History of the Sslik (As accurate as HZ'z lore allows, with some embellishments)
The Sslanis basin is a vast jungle, home to massive trees, beautiful scenery and ferocious beasts. The Sslik capital of Sslanis sits ate the southern end of this jungle, while the Saris capital of Kion rests close at hand to the northernmost reach of the trees. Nearly all of lesser Aradoth is a lush rain forest, and it is here that the Sslik call home.
Sslik are a form of reptile, referred to by the other races as lizards, but warm blooded and swift biedal runners. They had appeared in the world of Istaria last of all the sentient races, and seemed the most different and unnatural of all. At first the Sslik race was brutish and barbaric, ignorant of civilization as they emerged from the tropical forests that had nurtured them in their races infancy.
The first Sslik were seen as a new form of monster, and as such were hunted down and attacked by all of the older races. The initial incursions towards Dalimond were turned back and the lizardfolk were driven back into the Sslanis basin, where the Sslik held the advantage. The rout became a massacre under the trees, with hundreds of humans, elves and others butchered by the now desperate creatures who knew exactly how to hunt in the jungle. The few who made it out alive fled to Kion in a panic.
The feline Saris felt pity for the Sslik, who hadn't known exactly what they had done wrong...emmisaries were sent out, druids who knew the language of beasts and rangers who could track the wily lizards. When the Saris found what remained of the Sslik, they were in shock. The only survivors were a handful of starved, wounded creatures that still managed an air of defiance and power. The druids were able to communicate with the Sslik through the tongues of various animals, and told the Sslik of the world that they had been born into.
A bond developed between reptile and feline, and the surviving Sslik were welcomed into Kion. At first there was a great deal of tension as the two races felt each other out, with the Sslik proving to be fast learners. They soon learned the common language, as well as stone and metal working. Eventually, the Sslik left the safety of Kion and returned to the jungles, fully intending to build themselves a sprawling city that they could use to start their own civilization. The eggs that had been laid just before the push east had hatched years before, yeilding strong children to carry on the Sslik bloodlines.
Soon after the Sslik left Kion, the other races of Istaria fell upon the seemingly undefended reptiles, seeking to eradicate this menace for good. But the newly armed Sslik fought back with unexpected tenacity, eventually pushing the hunters back onto the mainland of Aradoth and casting down the bridge that connected the island to the main continent. The plans of creating a city were discarded, and the Sslik faded into the jungle again. It was at this time that the various tribes of Sslik were formed, each tribe focusing on an attribute of combat, should the mammals who called themselves civilized decide to attack again.
Eventually the tribal elders decided that a city was needed, as a place of meeting and a refuge should any of the nomadic tribes need a place of safety. Years of planning and work later, the last stone of Sslanis was laid, a fortress city of thick walls and solid stone design, perfect to withstand any siege. A few members from each tribe were stationed in Sslanis as honorary guards and caretakers. And so the Sslik grew stronger and stronger with each passing year. But they could not stop the inevitable. The empire eventually grew to the point where they couldn't hold it off any longer, and so they peacefully accepted it's yoke.
Through the years, the empire began to see the worth of Sslik soldiers, and began to fear the strengths that the tribes had when united. To avoid this, the empire ordered that all Sslik register in Tazoon, and upon return to the Sslanis Basin, the must create villages that would be taxed lightly. The Iron Fang tribe opposed this vehemently, but cooler heads prevailed, and the domestication of the proud reptiles was begun. The Iron bone tribe refused to cooperate, and instead continued to roam the jungles.
This continued until about 20 years before the appearance of the Withered Aegis. At this time, a hot headed young fiendish captain named Talenbal took his troops for a long march through the jungle, to look for monsters and prospect for riches. As he neared the Lakes of Crystal tears, his scouts reported a sizable Sslik encampment, with most of the inhabitants asleep. This could only be the rogue tribe, the Iron Fangs. A bounty had been placed on the heads of the Iron Fangs, so Talenbal ran his troops quickly towards the unsuspecting camp.
At his signal, heavily armored imperial troops descended upon the sleeping lizards, mezmering sentries and moving in undetected. Sslik were blood ran free that night, with most of the dazed lizards drug out into the open and slaughtered like animals. A few were able to fight, but archers quickly cut them down before any casualties were taken. Talenbal ordered that all survivors be herded into the main tent, bound and helpless. He went in alone. The shreiks of the three reptiles was heard across the jungle for hours before they died. As Talenbal walked out of the tent, he slung three fresh, bloody skins on the ground and ordered his troops to do the same to all of the corpses.
A single pair of Sslik eyes beheld the horror that night, a hatchling that had been woken up and drawn to the underbrush moments before Talenbal's troops moved in. The small, blue reptile couldn't move, couldn't look away from the carnage, paralyzed by fear. He felt the grass seem to wrap around him, a caress of pity for his loss. The wind whispered to him, reassuring him that this would never happen to him. As the lakes darkened with Sslik blood, the lone survivor of the Iron Fang tribe slowly moved off and into the place that all Sslik can call home...
