In the Beginning

 

 

 

Originally, Lithonians were created in the perfect image of their deity who created them, known as Lithon. These beings were the humanoid descendants of dragonkind, inheritors of a genetic heritage of vast power and magical might that descended from the dinosaurs. As a civilization, they were incredibly advanced.

 

With the arrival of Cyrn, a magical radiation devolved much of the race, giving humanity an opportunity to evolve. Many females found themselves sterile. Children that were born were larger, stupider, and much more prone to mating. Recognizing the inevitable fall of the Lithonian people, Hss’stak, the sorcerer-king, created a series of magical artifacts to preserve the Lithonian race. Most important of these was the Scroll of Remembrance, which would unleash the secrets locked in the Lithonian cells and restore them to their former glory by calling upon the Mnmesis.

 

The devolved lizard-men rapidly outnumbered much of the older, more intelligent elders in a few generations. In a matter of centuries, no trace of Lithonian intellect was to be found amongst them.

 

Their new culture was bloodthirsty, violent, and barbaric. They openly practiced cannibalism on other intelligent races. As a result, their lack of organization kept them from becoming a serious threat to the human population in the Swamplands, known as the Swamplanders.

 

During the time of the Darkwar, the battle took a dangerous turn when the Darklord’s ploy to draw the Keystonian forces northwestwards left the Kingdom open to attack. The only means of defeating the Darklord’s undead armies was through the Lithonians, who were not organized or intelligent enough to provide a serious threat.

 

This changed due to the actions of Jastafalga, kin of Wetyzlbaum, the Dragon King. By rapidly evolving the Lithonian people with the Scroll of Remembrance, the Lithonians were able to destroy the Darklord’s armies in the heart of the Swamplands. Few humans are aware that their civilization was saved that day.

 

Since then, the Lithonians have become intimately aware of their inadequacies as a culture. They have spun into a hyperactive, fanatical reorganization of their military and religious practices. However, their bloodthirsty nature has not changed, nor has their disdain for most of the “lesser races.” As a result, they no longer practice cannibalism, but now practice human sacrifice.

 

The Lithonians have a rabid hatred for elvenkind, but are rarely given the opportunity to encounter any elves at all. They have not traveled far enough across political and natural boundaries to threaten any elven nation.

 

Humanity, on the other hand, is in relative proximity on the eastern side of the Swamplands. This proximity makes Keystone City an appealing target.

 

Physical Aspects

 

 

 

Lithonians come in several varieties, each with their own unique physical characteristics. They all share a basic humanoid shape. The body is muscular and slim, and is covered by leathery scales that are typically bright green to deep brown. The skin covering a Lithonian’s stomach is usually off-white to yellow-green, and is slightly softer than the skin covering the rest of its body. Lithonian flesh is cool and dry to the touch, not at all slimy like many people commonly believe. The female members of the species can be differentiated from the males by six barely visible mammaries.

 

Lithonian eyes, which have yellow-green pupils, are fairly small and deep set. Eyelids and a pair of transparent nictitating membranes automatically close to protect the eyes whenever the wind blows sand or dirt through the air. The membranes also shut when the Lithonian goes underwater. At this time the membranes turn light blue in color, filtering light and allowing the Lithonian to see normally.

 

The Lithonian nostrils are only useful for breathing; a Lithonian cannot actually smell or identify scents with its nostrils. When a Lithonian is underwater the nostrils seal tightly, preventing water from entering the lungs.

 

A Lithonian’s sense of smell is located on its forked tongue, which actually “tastes” scents in the air. This unique sense is much more acute than a human’s, allowing them to track down prey if the trail is less than 10 hours old.

 

A Lithonian’s ears are located equidistant from each other, one on each side of its head. The ears are set into the skull with no outer ear to indicate the ears’ location. Instead, a tough, vibration-sensitive skin that is actually the eardrum covers the ear holes. Due to this unique method of hearing, a Lithonian has only half the hearing range of a human. Since water is a much better medium for the travel of vibrations, a Lithonian who is underwater detects sounds and movement at 50 feet. This special form of underwater hearing works in a 360-degree radius around the Lithonian.

 

A Lithonian’s arms and legs are slightly longer than those of other humanoids of the same height and build. This allows them more powerful movement in the water. Their arms end in hands with four fingers and an opposable thumb. A Lithonian’s fingers end in small, sharp, non-retractable claws. The claws stop growing at a certain length so they do not have to be constantly cut. A Lithonian sometimes uses its claws in melee but such attacks do negligible damage.

 

The Lithonian’s feet are about the same length as those of humans but are slightly wider to help support a heavier body frame. Like their hands, their feet are also webbed, and their toes end in claws.

 

A Lithonian possesses a wide muscular tail that is usually between four and four and a half feet long. When swimming, the tail is used like a rudder to determine direction.

 

Internally, Lithonians possess the same basic organs that most humanoids have, in the same basic configurations. The only major difference is that their lung capacity is about twice that of an average human.

 

Lithonians have an average life span of 80 to 90 years.

 

Ecology

 

 

 

Contrary to popular belief, Lithonians do not have to stay moist to survive, but most members of the race live in or near bodies of water or in humid environments so that their skin stays moist. If a Lithonian’s skin gets dry, it becomes tough and less flexible and makes it harder for them to move gracefully.

 

Lithonians accustomed to a humid environment who find themselves in a dry area for more than 24 hours suffer –1 DEX. Also, at the end of every turn that the Lithonian remains in this environment, it must make a STA check. On a failed check, the Lithonian spends the next 1d10 turns scratching vigorously. The afflicted Lithonian is unable to attack or defend himself and opponents receive a +3 bonus to difficulty rolls to strike him.

 

Lithonians are cold-blooded and need to stay warm or they become sluggish. When a Lithonian is forced into a colder environment than it is used to, it is penalized as follows:

 

45° to 50°: -1 DEX

 

40° to 45°: -2 DEX, -1 STA

 

33° to 40°: -3 DEX, -2 STA, -1 STR

 

0° to 32°: -4 DEX, -3 STA, loses 1 Health Level/hour

 

below 0°: -4 DEX, -4 STA, -3 STR, loses 1 Health Level/turn until shelter is reached, or until the Lithonian is provided with magical warmth.

 

Reproduction and Growth

 

 

 

At the lowest level of the culture are the male commoners who live in the dank, abandoned ruins of the ancient cities. The commoners serve as the labor force for the city. The females of the city are kept in barracks near the Temple and are heavily guarded by the temple warriors. When mating season occurs, the temple’s priests get first choice of the females and the temple warriors get to pick from the ones left over. Finally, the remaining females are given to any commoners that the priest deems worthy of such a gift.

 

Females are in their mating period only once a year, usually around the beginning of winter. Three months after being impregnated, each female lays six eggs, each of which is approximately six inches in diameter.

 

The eggs laid by the females are placed in a pool of water located in a pool of water in the central plaza of the city and guarded by temple warriors. When the eggs are first placed in the hatching pool, the Mage Priest performs a special blessing and 24-hour purification ritual that only the females may attend.

 

Three months later the eggs hatch and small hatchlings begin swimming in the hatching pool. All Lithonians hatch as tadpoles and gradually undergo a metamorphosis from aquatic to terrestrial form.

 

For the first month the hatchlings are removed from the pools only long enough to suckle milk from one of the females. After that first month the hatchlings grow slightly. At this time the adult males bring in fresh meat which the females place in the hatching pool. The meat provided is rarely enough to feed all the hatchlings; it is only enough for about 65% of the hatchlings. The hatchlings are expected to fight each other for the food supplies, thus ensuring that only the strongest survive.

 

After two months of vicious fighting the surviving hatchlings emerge from the hatching pool, walking upright at a height of about one-foot. The Mage Priests bless the hatchlings separately, granting each the name he is to bear throughout his youth. This is done using a special ritual. Afterwards, the entire village celebrates and feasts for the rest of the day. The hatchlings are allowed to leave the immediate area of the hatching pool, but only under careful supervision.

 

After the hatchlings begin walking, the males live in communal barracks also located in the central plaza. Female hatchlings are immediately moved to the females’ barracks where the adult females teach them domestic chores. All Lithonians seem well disposed to rearing the young and the role of genetic parents in society is unclear. Although a single spawning yields a considerable number of young, a pond will generally not spawn more than once during a Lithonian’s lifetime. Each pond produces young at a different time, creating a spawning cycle (one generation of Lithonians).

 

Lithonians of the same spawning tend to have similar hide markings with subtle variations along a consistent color scheme. Their hides, crests, and markings come in every color of the rainbow and can be surprisingly vibrant.

 

As they grow older the skin becomes harder and more resilient. The scaly skin on their back also starts to ossify, eventually transforming into rigid bony plates.

 

Path to Adulthood

 

 

 

Hatchlings being training in the arts of combat and hunting under the supervision of the adult males, as soon as they can leave the pool. In addition, their adult counterparts teach hatchling females.

 

By the age of ten the young Lithonians have grown to their full height and weight. Although they are still considered children the adults no longer supervise them. These youngsters are expected to join in on hunts and raids, all the while obeying their elders. As the youths grow in experience, they form groups and raid and hunt by themselves.

 

By age ten, the young female Lithonians are taking care of the pregnant females. When these eggs are placed in the hatching pool, the adult females once again guard the pool while the young females do the village chores. During the incubation period young females are excluded from hunting trips so that they can attend to the pregnant females.

 

By age fourteen all youngsters become eligible for adulthood. For one week the youths are secluded in a hut and led in prayer by shamans. During this time the youths can only eat meat.

 

After this week of meat eating the youths are ready to be their test of adulthood. To be considered adults, each youngster must travel into the wilderness by himself and defeat a beast using only a dagger and natural weapons. Upon returning to camp, each survivor must tell how he defeated the beast and must bring back evidence of his victory. The shamans, who seek the truth in each story through the use of magic, also question the youths.

 

Upon passing the test, young Lithonians are considered to be adults and are allowed to participate in the next mating season.

 

A week after the test of adulthood an elder shaman presents the new adults to the rest of the tribe in a special ceremony. Also, the elder shaman gives the new adults their adult names.

 

New shamans are chosen from those who survive the test of adulthood. Oddly enough, the one who fared worse in the test (killed a weaker-than-usual beast, returned in the worst physical shape, etc.) is selected to be a shaman. They use this method because, while the youth did pass the test, he is clearly not strong enough to become a warrior and hunter for the tribe.

 

Coloration

 

 

 

As other races attach meaning to the naming of a new child, so the Lithonians see the crest and hide coloration of an individual as an indicator of its special character. Red, for example, is believed to attract the favor of Lithon, first among the Lithonian deities while white markings indicate that a Lithonian is destined for greatness and will undoubtedly become a leader or prophet.

 

Home Territory

 

 

 

While Keystone City’s defense have so far been adequate in repelling invaders, the Lithonians have ensured that no trade routes are established between Horassia to the west, on the other side of the Swamplands. Since Horassia is not nearly as densely populated, and the Lithonian cities are on the eastern side of the swamp, a clash of cultures between the Keystone Empire and Lithonia are inevitable.

 

Temple Cities

 

 

 

The Lithonians constructed fantastic buildings and cities using their arcane technology. Many of the original cities have fallen into various stages of ruin, and today only five retain thriving Lithonian communities.

 

In the center of each city are flat-topped pyramid temples. The Lithonians constructed these fabulous buildings in precise alignment to the stars and planets and it is from the top of these towering pyramids that the Lithonian Mage Priests communicate with one another telepathically. The pyramid temples fulfill a number of functions in addition to being the Mage Priest’s residence. They are shrines dedicated to the lost gods of the Lithonians and are places of communal worship and sacrifice. The temples also contain tomb chambers where the mummified bodies of former Mage Priests are laid to rest. For the more powerful of these Lithnoian lords, death does not mean an end to their duties. The strong magic that radiates from their desiccated bodies can still be harnessed to protect the Temple City.

 

A functioning pyramid temple is supported by a good number of acolytes and guards.

 

Creatures

 

 

 

The Swamplands is rich in animal life that has long been extinct elsewhere. Lithonian Mage Priests are experts in biological manipulation and have unleashed the evolutionary potential of many of the beasts that are indigenous to the Swamplands.

 

In common with most civilizations, the Lithonians have domesticated a number of indigenous creatures to serve as beasts of burden. Apparently, they have the same sort of empathic relationship with snakes and lizards that humans enjoy with cats and dogs.

 

Cold Ones are raptor-like lizards used by Lithonians as mounts. They are incredibly stupid and sluggish creatures, requiring considerable coercion to function effectively. However, once they smell blood they become voracious killers and are ideal beasts of war.

 

Another popular mount among the Lithonians is the Terradon. These flying reptiles have enormous wingspans and can easily bear two Lithonians aloft over the swamp’s canopy. The mournful cry of these creatures is a dire warning to those who have intruded into the Lithonian domain.

 

Stegadons are massive, herbivorous saurians that seem like a cross between dragon and elephant. The dense hide of the beast is adorned with an impressive array of spines, ridges, and horns, the largest of which protrude from their thick skulls. They also have beak-like jaws that are able to crush the hardwood trees of the Swamplands as if they were reeds.

 

Getting Together

 

 

 

Lithonians are culturally advanced, yet in many ways brutally primitive. In war they take enemies alive only to be sacrificed to their ancient gods.

 

Nevertheless, an appreciation of art and beauty is evident from their intricately crafted temple ornaments and carvings. All species of Lithonians seem to enjoy adorning themselves with precious metals, jewels, and brightly colored exotic plumes. It is unclear to what extent they have developed a musical tradition, but they frequently use drums in their rituals for long distance communication and in war.

 

Though they could not be described as a benevolent race by the standards of humanity, they are the implacable enemies of demonkind and undead – choosing to combat it of their own accord rather than ally with the younger races.

 

How They Think

 

 

 

Lithonians have developed a society that has more in common with the hominid races of the world than their own reptilian ancestors. However, they are a cold-blooded race and not given to the rapidly changing extremes of emotion that are typical of Men. This makes them particularly steadfast in battle, where they are inclined to fight against terrifying odds with apparent indifference. In contrast to this coldness, Lithonians are gregarious among their own kind, finding comfort in the close proximity of their fellows. In battle it is not uncommon to see large groups of Lithonians swarming around the feet of a towering Cold One; apparently, the reassuring presence of these reptilian giants stimulates the Lithonians to greater levels of bloodlust and heroism.

 

Lithonians don’t have much time for social activities since most of their energy is devoted to the survival of the race, the city, and themselves, in that order. Lithonians tend to go to bed early and sleep until dawn. At midday, when the sun is at its zenith, city members usually gather at a large clearing in their city. With many posted guards nearby, they lay down and bask in the sun for several hours.

 

During the few festivals and holidays they do celebrate, Lithonians have as much fun as possible. Normally, they aren’t very sociable and hardly talk at all. During a festival, however, Lithonians are highly sociable and participate in a number of contests of physical prowess, such as one-on-one tug of war games using their tails, wrestling matches, and swimming races.

 

The older Lithonians enjoy sitting and telling tales about their adventures as warriors and hunters, trying to outdo each other in the descriptions of their encounters, or they repeat tales of the race’s legends and history; many of the young gather around to listen. As night falls during a festival a huge feast is served, after which everyone gathers around a huge fire in the middle of the city. Then all-night dances begin.

 

The Lithonians have many dances, some of which are interpretations of the festival being celebrated. Surprisingly enough, the Lithonians are graceful and even sensuous dancers. The dances are so realistic and physical that during the mating celebration many dances end up with the couple mating right in the center of the dance area. The music used at these dances is created using percussion instruments. Due to their unique sense of hearing, Lithonians prefer the sounds made by such instruments, with the music being complex and rhythmic but also very soothing and beautiful.

 

On the outside, Lithonians appear to be simple creatures, but on the inside they are creatures whose psyche are permanently affected by their racial history. Most of the world’s races still harbor a fear of and prejudice toward Lithonians; in turn, Lithonians don’t attempt to hide their deep resentment for other races. All Lithonians find it hard to trust non-Lithonians. Once someone has befriended a Lithonian, he can be trusted completely.

 

Reading & Writing

 

 

 

The tongue of Lithonians, known as Saurian, is an extension of the sounds used by their primitive reptilian ancestors and each species speaks its own distinctive dialect.

 

The language of the Lithonians combines long, slow sentences with an elaborate series of gestures. They are responsible for reading and writing in the ancient glyphs of their race. On the rare occasions when Lithonians have had dealings with other races, they have proved surprisingly adept at acquiring new languages to facilitate communication.

 

The Lithonian word for all other living beings is shishka, which is also their word for “meat.”

 

What They Build

 

 

 

The Lithonians have, tragically, lost much of the technological insight they once possessed. Although they have developed the science of metallurgy, Lithonians are not adept in the use of heat to forge artifacts. Consequently, they do not mine iron ore or use it in their tools and weapons.

 

The Swamplands are, however, abundant in a variety of softer base and precious metals. The majority of Lithonian weapons and armor are cold-forged from gold, copper, and tin. On the rare occasions that fire is used in forging, Lithonian smiths combine these metals to make a brass alloy. Because this is so uncommon, brass artifacts are a sign of status in Lithonian society. The relative softness of this metal seems to be compensated by the Lithonian’s natural armor plating and weaponry.

 

Lithonians have mastered the art of writing and creating scrolls from papyrus reeds. Consequently, the race enjoys a rich literary tradition.

 

How They’re Organized

 

 

 

The populaces of the Swamplands temple-cities are presided over by the Lithonian Mage Priests. These powerful beings sit atop their towering pyramid temples and communicate telepathically across the canopy of the swamp.

 

Each Lithonian Temple is an autonomous oligarchy ruled by the oldest resident Mage-Priest. Only the extreme xenophobia of human and elven incursions bind the scattered cities of the Swamplands together.

 

What They Believe

 

 

 

For the Lithonians, all religious practice revolves around restoration of their former glory. To this end, they are constantly in pursuit of artifacts from their previous glory. Similarly, they are infuriated by structures of other make by other races, and deface and destroy any art they believe to threaten their own glory.

 

As the chosen people, the Lithonians believe that as individuals they can avoid the end of the world. If they can nourish the sun and support it against evil, the world would survive. The sun needs blood for nourishment and the Lithonians would provide that blood through human sacrifice.

 

All the citizens are expected to attend daily religious ceremonies at dawn and dusk. With much pomp and ceremony, a sentient being is sacrificed at each of these ceremonies. The victim’s still beating heart is removed right before his eyes. The sacrificed victims are usually commoners that have broken some law, or are sometimes captured outsiders.

 

A Lithonian Temple city always has one Mage Priest and a number of apprentices. The number of apprentices depends on the general size of the tribe: for every 20 members, there will be 1 apprentice. When the Mage Priest dies, the apprentice with the longest tenure becomes the new Mage Priest. Because of this, only one new apprentice is chosen per year. Often, an apprentice dies of old age before he is eligible to become a Mage Priest. It is not uncommon for some apprentices to die in accidents arranged by fellow apprentices.

 

As soon as a Mage Priest picks an apprentice, the elder begins to train him. The apprentice is taught how to pray for spells, how to perform certain important rituals, and certain other skills such as herb lore. After one year of training, during which the apprentice is mostly secluded from the rest of the city, he is officially declared a Mage Priest.

 

This declaration occurs during the mating season. The new Mage Priest is allowed to choose any one female without having to fight. He is only allowed to mate that one time: after that he is never allowed to mate again. One reason for this is that Mage Priests are seen as necessary, but since they are usually physically weak, it is best if they do not have many “weak offspring.” The Mage Priest views the one mating as their final purification rite.

 

The priests of the temple lead a decadent life, catered to constantly by commoner slaves. They make a great show of artistic hobbies such as writing and drawing, but their efforts are usually very crude and tasteless. The temple guards spend their days overseeing the smooth running of the every day functions of the city. Groups of guards leave the city each day to hunt the nearby jungle for various prey, ranging from monkeys to great hunting cats. Of course, the meat is only given to the priests and to the temple guards.

 

The commoners are expected to farm the small gardens located throughout the city and to give the harvested food to the temple and its priests. The priests of the temple then distribute the food, with the smallest and rankest portion going to the commoners. Some of the commoners are part of work gangs that are expected to slowly rebuild and repair the city. The remaining commoners function as servants for the temple priests and guards.

 

The Lithonian religion is rather lenient compared to the religions of most races. This is because the Lithonian gods prefer their followers to spend all their energy on preserving and building the race. At certain rituals during the year Lithonians are expected to worship, but the rest of the times the Mage Priests are expected to take care of the tribal prayers. Lithonians occasionally call upon the gods when in tense situations, but these situations must be dire indeed, because the gods want their people to rely on their own abilities to survive.

 

Lithon, who made them in their own image, leads the Lithonians foremost. Lithon is the major deity, and his dictates encourage the propagation and superiority of the Lithonian race. He is by no means the only deity however.

 

Battle Plans

 

 

 

Lithonians have little interest in expanding their empire beyond the frontiers of the swamp, but they are well aware of other, more ambitious, civilizations pose a threat to their sovereignty.

 

Lithonians battle ferociously on all sides of the Swamplands against human incursions. Often viewed as a horrible pagan threat by the Laneutians, they have ferociously repelled all Templar incursions. Likewise, Horassian expansion has also been repelled, although only well-armed explorers have attempted to penetrate the Swamplands. The Keystone Empire, on the other hand, angers the Lithonians by its very presence as the dominating and military might.

 

Lithonians do not have a large standing army. The only professional soldiers are the knights, who act as the officer corps and palace guards. Most Lithonian warriors work at other professions and only bring out their uniforms and weapons during wartime.

 

The only way to advance as a warrior (and therefore, as a citizen) is by capturing prisoners. Awards and advancements are made during the second month of the year. Varying numbers of captives are needed to reach each rank.

 

Captor (Iyac): A youth who captures an enemy with other youths. If he takes a captive by himself, he receives the title of Leading Youth and is honored before the Mage Priest. He paints his face with red and yellow and receives a warrior’s mantle, which he can wear in peacetime. Colors and designs; some examples place a scorpion on an orange mantle. Those who have captured two enemies receive a mantle with red trim. Because these youths have proven manly enough to feed the deities, they can indulge in the services of civil courtesans. These government employees accompany unmarried warriors to social functions, public celebrations, and bed.

 

Youth Leader: After taking three captives, the warrior receives a richly worked mantle, a fire-butterfly insignia, and a red and white feather tunic.

 

Veteran Warrior (Tequina): Taking four captives brings a share in Imperial revenue and membership in the nobility. Veterans also receive an ocelaototec war garment; a mantle of two stripes of black and orange with a border. They are entitled to wear a veteran warrior’s haircut.

 

Captain: The type of enemy captured becomes important for this and higher ranks. The fifth captive must come from one of the border kingdoms (Horassia, Laneutia) rather than a Swamplander. The captor receives many gifts from the Mage Priest, such as a headband with eagle feathers and silver flint-knife ornamentation, leather earplugs, a bright-red cape, a leather cape, and a blue lip plug. If the captive is from the Keystone Empire, the captor also receives the insignia of a valiant warrior.

 

General: Another captive has to be taken from the border kingdoms. Among the gifts received are a headband with eagle feathers and gold flint-knife ornamentation; a cape with different designs or a jaguar cape with a red border, a decorated loincloth with long ends, black sandals, and a yellow lip plug.. Any general can theoretically advance to the main council. In practice, only the emperor’s relatives and high nobles hold these offices.

 

Otontin: This rank is open only to nobles who capture seven warriors. Members are entitled to a net-device staff insignia, a shield with the four nose-moons device, and a red ribbon tied to their head crests.

 

Quachic: The highest order, also known as Shorn Ones, is open only to nobles who take many captives and demonstrate at least 20 brave deeds. Half their heads are painted blue and the other half red or yellow. They wear an open-weave mantle of metl fiber and a loincloth. Noble knights wear war suits made of feathers skillfully formed to resemble animal skins. Aside from being decorative, the feathers deflect missile weapons.

 

Commanding General: The two highest military positions, the commanding generals advance from the pool of generals. They represent the Mage King on the battlefield and are answerable only to him.

 

Eagle Elder: Older warriors who can no longer fight receive this honorary title. They are responsible for setting up and maintaining camps and for consoling the families of dead warriors.

 

The army marches quietly, by units, and usually over several days. The priests go first, bearing statues of the gods on their backs. The next day, the two generals, the knights, and the veteran warriors march. A day later, the rest of the warriors march. All the units march to a specific location where they reform into one army before the battle.

 

When the knights and veteran warriors reach a safe place, they establish the camp. The soldiers assemble grass mats to form tents and huts. The first structure to go up is the Mage Priest’s house, with his insignia on top. Near it comes the supply tents and fortifications.

 

Because the two highest knightly orders are responsible for everyone’s safety, they set up in front of the camp, followed by the army leaders. Then comes each unit, which is responsible for its own necessities and organization. Ditches and earthworks protect the camp.

 

At night, lookouts create huge bonfires but stand away from them to avoid visibility. When they need to communicate, they whistle rather than talk. The following day, scouts, typically veteran warriors, bring back information on enemy fortifications and occasionally captured enemy warriors for interrogation.

 

Warriors are expected to follow orders exactly. Disobedience, such as breaking formation, attacking without the leader’s orders, or attacking and retreating without a signal, brings shame and possibly even the death sentence. A warrior never turns his back on his foe, even in retreat. Military tribunals judge all offenders and punish them as needed. A separate tribunal decides casts against youths.

 

The missile carriers begin hostilities by moving forward and unleashing a barrage of arrows, darts, and pellets at the enemy. After a signal of drums and trumpets, they retreat and the shock troops move forward in a single line to face the enemy. Archers and slingers support these soldiers by continually launching their weapons.

 

Lithonians attack in a straight line. During a long battle, a second line of reserves slip between the fighters of the original force, allowing them to retreat for a rest.

 

Lithonians fight in regiments made up of warriors from the same spawning. These regiments are sub-divided into cohorts, each dedicated to a single deity. The bond between Lithonians of the same spawning is perhaps the strongest of their society. For this reason, the ranks of a regiment are never diluted by mixing warriors of different spawnings.

 

Lithonians use a tail mace that resembles a footman’s flail.

 

Lithonian Mage Priests are borne onto the battlefield on great golden palanquins by Lithonian temple guards (a specially selected warrior elite). From this vantage point they direct incredible blasts of magical energy at their enemies – incinerating whole regiments in a holocaust of naked power.