Historical Record #
The Scalekin’s story began simply, two peoples living in the deep swamps and dark trees of the place that would one day be called Monsherba. The Skrak, the lizardfolk, built their homes right out of the thick swamp water, while the Ik’sska, the serpentfolk, wove their dwellings into the canopies of the ancient woods. They had no need for crowns or thrones, following only the wisdom of their oldest elders and the sharp instincts of their finest hunters. Their lives were utterly bound to the land that gave them breath and food. The true beginning came with an event they called The Withering. It was a time when the Skrak and Ik’sska began to formally share their secrets and their knowledge, finally binding their tribes into something stronger, a shared tribal society they named K’tharr.
But the swamps could only hold so much life. As the population of K’tharr exploded, the old communal structure broke down. Suddenly, the prime hunting grounds and crucial waterways were sources of brutal, selfish conflict. The tribes started to turn on one another. A large, clever Skrak named Tor’ek looked at the chaos and decided enough was enough. He used his raw physical might to get everyone’s attention and his shrewd diplomacy to force the clashing tribes under a single, central banner. This new era meant expansion. They pushed out and built their first great city, a fortified jewel carved right into the wetlands, serving as the seat of the Mirelord—Tor’ek’s new title. This was also when they first learned fear, facing serious attacks from the human communities in the north who saw their vast, wild home as something to be tamed and stolen.
That centralized power, intended to be a shield, quickly turned into a cage. Centuries passed, and the Mirelord became a weak figurehead. The true power was seized by the wealthiest, most dominant family lines, the powerful Matriarchs and Patriarchs who had hoarded all the wealth and influence. In 5,271 BR, they formally named their kingdom Jha’kara, which proudly meant the “Land of the Dominant,” a society where who your parents were mattered more than what you earned. The common Scalekin were placed into rigid castes, forever beneath the noble houses. Quiet resentment and intense political plotting were everywhere. The common folk grew sick of the ruling families’ endless greed. A young Ik’sska named Vayun tried to rally the people against the elite, but one day he simply vanished, never seen or heard from again, his fate a silent warning to all.
Then the universe itself intervened. A sudden, massive burst of astral energy they called The Stellar Rupture saturated the entire planet. The oldest Scalekin declared it a sign from Iz’mala, the Ever-Winding, a message that their ancient connection to the swamp was no longer enough. The innate magic of the earth was suddenly amplified into something greater, and the Scalekin had to evolve to meet it. This sudden surge of magic didn’t just change the world around them; it changed their bodies, sharpening their senses and gifting many with powerful psionic abilities. This gift was terrifyingly random, landing on commoners just as easily as on nobles. The ruling families were gripped by primal fear. They saw their power slipping away to the very people they oppressed, and they panicked, sending out purges to snuff out every new spark of magic before it could become an uncontrollable fire.
For over eight thousand brutal years, the ruling families of Jha’kara fought to keep their grip, but their influence was bleeding away. The common Scalekin had glimpsed their own potential, and their faith in the grasping nobles had finally died. Failed coups and small, desperate rebellions became commonplace as the rulers struggled to suppress their own people. The noble houses, once united by their shared greed, turned ferociously on one another, their paranoia causing them to betray their own allies in a mad scramble to hoard the last vestiges of power. Jha’kara became a dead thing, a society utterly rotting from the inside out.
Out of that decay, a young Skrak named Kormax rose up. He had not only survived the purges but had mastered the new magical powers, making himself incredibly strong. He saw a chance to reclaim their true heritage and unite a broken people. Gathering a band of like-minded renegades, he staged a decisive coup in 2,809 AR, leading the common folk to finally overthrow the hated ruling class. Kormax restored the old traditions of unity and established Naj’ka, a unified monarchy where a single, wise ruler would govern for the good of everyone, not just a privileged few. King Kormax’s reign was a true golden age. The Scalekin wholeheartedly embraced their magical gifts, using them to shape their deep forests into a formidable, living fortress against any outsiders. The people remain strongly united under the monarchy that Kormax began, and their cities stand as a testament to their mastery over the magical arts. Their borders are protected by complex wards and vast forests full of ancient traps and protective spirits. Their greatest struggle today is not an army at the gates, but the festering memory of Jha’kara. The old noble families still lurk, plotting in the shadows, waiting for a chance to reclaim the power they rightly lost.
Present Day Details #
Founded: 2809 AR
Capitol City: Ssketh
Citizen Population:
Government Type: Monarchy
Leadership: King Tiz’ik
Language/Name influences: Nahautl, Sanskrit, Tlingit
