Iksar
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[edit] General Information
Iksar are lizard men. The race was added and made playable with the launch of the Ruins of Kunark expansion.
[edit] Traits
- High innate armor class
- High innate regeneration
- High innate resistance to fire
[edit] Classes
[edit] Official History
From the EQ Kunark Manual
[edit] Shissar Kingdom
While the dragons took centuries to grow and organize, a race of intelligent snake men - the Shissar - assumed the forefront. The Shissar were a brutal race who enslaved the Iksar, using Vanusk's ancestors for workers and food. From their capital of Chelsith in what is now The Overthere, they explored dark rites and forgotten evils which would lay the foundation for much of Iksar knowledge and philosophy.
As learned from the rest of Norrath, nothing is permanent. Eventually, the Shissar angered even their own gods. A horrible plague destroyed many Shissar; however, the Iksar survived unscathed.
[edit] Iksar Nation
Over the next several centuries, the Iksar grew to greatness on the buried ashes of their former masters. They migrated outward across the continent of Kunark and formed five principal tribe-states: Kylong, Nathsar, Obulus, Jarsath and Kunzar. This last tribe-state was led by Venril Sathir, a young and powerful warrior-mage, who raised an unyielding army of undead with the assistance of dark magic.
Sathir and his Kunzar armies conquered and annexed the remaining tribe-states under his rule as the first King of [Sebilis, the renamed Iksar nation. In order to build his Sebilisan Empire, Sathir brutally captured and enslaved the Hill Giants, Forest Giants and Froglok of Kunark. Throughout Sathir's life, the Sebilisan Empire quickly grew in might, power and grandeur.
[edit] The Rule of Rile
King Sathir aged but, of course he did not want to die.To cheat death, he made an unholy pact with Innoruuk to rise, undead and immortal. Rile, Sathir's heir, had other plans and thwarted the ritual. Sathir's soul was trapped inside an amulet that was hidden away as Rile cremated his father's body.
Rile assumed the throne; however, little changed in the kingdom. The son of Sathir seized more valuable land and his ruthless reputation increased under the terrors of his warlords: Kurn Machta and Karatukus and the vampire, Chosooth. By the time these warlords finished, most of the continent definitely belonged to Sebilis ... all but a few pockets of Giants and Dragons.
[edit] The Ring of Scale
The Iksar had left the Dragon lands alone, but their threat was easy to see. The Dragon lords convened the Ring of Scale and argued about how to proceed. Trakanon, a poison dragon, advocated swift intervention on behalf of all races against the Iksar. However, Trakanon was voted down and the Ring of Scale decided to intervene only indirectly.
Trakanon and a number of the younger dragons decided more direct action was required. They conjured a squall at sea that destroyed Rile's warship while the King was on board. This action triggered a spectacular war among the Dragons that lasted for almost a half century.
[edit] Atrebe's Iksar Empire
Atrebe, Rile's first-hatched son, then became King. This young Iksar was different from his father. He was reclusive and enamored of the dark arts. All feared his use of the evil magic of the Shissar and his grandfather, Sathir. His foul experiments joined a dragon with an Iksar, creating the Sarnak, a race of intelligent Dragon-men. He also joined a Dragon with a Froglok, creating flying mounts for his armies, the Sokokar. On these flying beasts, the Iksar were deadly. Soon, only the hardiest Dragonkind stood unconquered by the Sebilisan Empire.
[edit] Iksar vs. The Ring of Scale
Over the next half century, Dragonkind struggled against the Iksars' airborne army. Atrebe was succeeded by his son, Ganak, a most capable warrior. The war ended inconclusively over the Field of Bone with aerial duel between Ganak on his Sokokar mount and Jaled-Dar, then leader of the Ring of Scale. Both were incinerated by magic and fire.
The Dragons retreated. But, not before destroying the imperial palace and all Ganak's hatchlings in a daring final blaze of revenge.
[edit] The Emerald Circle
Instead of a new king, the Iksar nobles created the Emerald Circle, a body of five nobles who wisely worked to enhance the Iksar cities and trade, rebuild the navy, and return prosperity to the empire. Unfortunately, whenever the ambitions of rulers are involved, strife soon follows and the empire was ultimately divided into the original five tribal-states. Even that treaty was soon forgotten, as the tribes began to wrestle for supremacy over each other. Unbeknownst to the Iksar, the Ring of Scale had also rebuilt and was meddling in every alliance and affair, pitting the tribal-states one against another.
[edit] The End of the Sebilisan Empire
The slaves revolted in Sebilis. Goblin lords from Faydwer invaded Kunark. The Giants mustered an army and destroyed the warlord outposts before they attacked the cities. The final destructive attack on the Iksar came when Trakanon and his Dragon allies descended on what was left of the Iksar cities and reduced them to ashes and ruins. The grand Sebilisan Empire was no more. Free from Iksar restraints and rule, all the other races established themselves and began warring amongst themselves in their lust for domination.
[edit] Alternate History
Source: Tales of Loral - real or fan fiction? Obvious inconsistencies
[edit] The Shissar
No one knows where they came from or how long they were in power, but historians have no doubt that the great empire of the Shissar was powerful indeed. Quite possibly shaping much of Norrath's culture and planting the seeds of much that exists today. They were devastating and vile, torturing souls for no other reason than their own pleasure and driving the largest slave army ever built to the brink of death and starvation.
Their monuments are rare, for the Shissar paid little homage to their god, Cazic Thule. Only two great stone hands protruding from the swamp of Innothule show their acknowledgment of the diety. As their power grew, so did their vanity. They renounced Cazic Thule and proclaimed themselves walking gods upon Norrath. They drove the Iksar slaves harder then ever and brought the lizard-people to the brink of extinction.
[edit] Freedom of the Green Mist
Then came the Green Mist. Unknown in origin, many believe it to be a plague engineered by the fiendish alchamists of Cazic-Thule in his poisoned Plane of Fear. A tool of revenge against his lost children, it was released upon Norrath seeking out the Shissar alone among the enormous slave population. The Shissar's whip wielding hands fell and soon the slave races found themselves without masters. The Shissar had been wiped off the face of Norrath forever and freedom was given to a race that had known nothing but torment.
For many years the Iksar wandered Kunark, seeking shelter and food. They began to form small packs, which formed larger tribes. After six decades, these tribes numbered five - the Kunzar, the Obulus, the Jarsath, the Kylong and the Nathsar. Feuds and skirmishes between the five tribes tore much of Kunark apart. Some shaman of the Iksar tapped into the powers of their original master, the god Cazic-Thule, and their power grew. Others began delving into the darker arts left behind by the Shissar and others practiced hand to hand combat as an art.
Than one stepped outside of the tribes, stronger and smarter than all the others. He alone held the power to unite them, and unite them he did. The young warrior of the Kunzar, Venril Sathir, knew the key to uniting the tribes. He taught them patriotism. For only in the love of their species, the love of their society as Iksar united, would they be able to unite. And thus the empire was born.
[edit] Emperor Venril Sathir
Venril Sathir's empire grew quickly. Great monuments were built, embedding a great pride in all the Iksar and inspiring fear in all those who would oppose the huge empire. Cities of grand scale were built by the Iksar's goblin and giant slaves. Venril Sathir wed the eldest daughter of the Obulus wizards, Drusella, and together they built the greatest empire ever known.
But Sathir was not sated. Discovering a dark tome of necromancy, said to be one of the original texts left from the Shissar, Venril Sathir began a ritual to grant him immortality. Knowing of this dark corruption, Venril's eldest son, Rile Sathir, interrupted the dark ritual and destroyed the body of Venril Sathir, burying all evidence in the tomb of Charasis.
[edit] Emperor Rile Sathir
Soon after being crowned, Rile Sathir continued to open the Iksar nation to prosperity. While Venril used the honor of the Iksar as a weapon, Rile used the water. Under his command, a great navy was built, larger than any Norrath has ever seen since. Led by Rile's weaponsmaster, Vlzk Irontail, the navy knew no dangers and no bounds. The Iksar became the richest nation upon all of Norrath. Rile's land army was as formidable as his navy and he soon built a massive slave army of goblins and giants. Only one race was left unruled on Kunark - the dragons.
The Ring of Scale, an ancient order of great dragons upon Kunark, understood the threat of this growing empire and their leader, Jaled Dar, acted upon it. They sent fourth an agent of Scale, one known for his viscousness and ruthless nature. While the Iksar empire was large, the great circle of wyrms knew only one agent would be required. Swooping out of the great caverns of Veeshan's Peaks flew the powerful green dragon, Trakanon.
It was said that a great storm destroyed the armada of Rile Sathir, but other historians know differently. Standing from the bow of his greatest warship, Rile pondered the strange messages his network of sages had given him, feelings of terror and confusion from the other ships of his armada. He looked out over the great sea into the vast waves of the storm around him. In the distance, a great wave traveled in the wrong direction and at its crest flew the enormous Trakanon. Giant arrows the size of trees were fired from the ballista of Rile's ship, tearing through the leathery wings of the huge beast. Trakanon flew only a few feet above the ship and crashed down onto Rile's sister ship, breaking the hull in half with its great claws. Balls of fire and storms of electricity raked over the dragon but Trakanon was relentless. He turned and breathed a great cloud of acidic gas upon the ship's deck, killing scores of the crew instantly.
Rile watched as his weaponsmaster, Vlzk Irontail, leapt onto the back of the powerful wyrm and crushed the beast's ribs with a great swing of his steel tail. Twisting too fast to see, Trakanon plucked off the heroic Iksar and bit him in half. With the grin of a thousand teeth, Trakanon leapt onto Rile's own ship and faced the soon-dead emperor of the Iksar.
The battle was quick but its scale enormous. In the great battle, Rile Sathir's armada was sunk and Rile himself was lost at sea. While single handedly destroying the largest navy of Norrath's history, Trakanon himself was mortally wounded and crawled into a deep cave to prepare to die.
[edit] Emperor Atrebe Sathir
Rile's eldest son, Atrebe Sathir, unprepared for his inheritance to the empire, drew upon the dark powers of the Shissar legends and magiks for his source of power. Buried deep in his labs along with the greatest Iksar alchemists, he began experiments in breeding. His first result was a race of dragon-like soldiers called the Sarnak, powerful warriors and spellcasters used as fodder for his army. His second more successful breed was a great flying mount called Sokokar, a cross-breed of froglok and dragon. With this powerful new weapon, Atrebe builds an air force of winged knights, able to battle with the dragons of the sky.
A great fifty four year war breaks out between Atrebe's armies and the Ring of Scale. Great devastation fell upon Kunark as drakes and wurms scorch the earth and tear apart the once great cities. In a final great battle, high above Cabilis, Atrebe himself battles the queen of Scale, Jaled Dar herself. In the greatest display of magic ever seen by mortals, the two embraced in combat, both destroying themselves in a huge column of fire over a mile wide. All that remained of the battle was the great crater known as the Field of Bone and the skull of Jaled-Dar, fallen leader of the Ring of Scale.
[edit] The Fall of the Empire
With no heir to the throne and much of their military in waste, the Iksar once again found themselves fragmented. The rebellious slave armies of goblins, giants and Sarnak broke apart the mighty empire, sending the bulk of the Iksar people to the port city of Cabilis.
From a poisoned grave, the once great agent of Scale, Trakanon, arose. His soul had been stripped from the rotting husk of his body, a price he paid for vengeance against the Iksar. The Ring of Scale, now led by Phara-Dar turned the dead dragon away, marking him a traitor for his descent into the dark arts but with the aid of the freed Froglok slaves, Trakanon destroyed the last sorcerers of Sebilis and claimed the ancient city as his own lair.
[edit] Sathir the Lich King
Rumors spread that the legendary emperor of the Iksar, Venril Sathir, had returned from the dead, his attempt at immortality partially successful. He raised a powerful army of lycanthropic warriors, the Drolvargs, and overtook the feeble forces that held the fortress of the wizard Karnor. Sathir's bride, Drusella, was buried along with her servants and protectors in the tomb of the once great city of Charasis. It was said the howls of the damned could be heard throughout the canyons, giving it the name Howling Stones to adventurers who crossed its path.
Today, the Iksar continue to rebuild their once great empire one day at a time. Few know of the motivation of the lich-king Venril Sathir or his budding army of werewolves. Few know of the City of Mist or of Cabilis, and few know what the dracholiche Trakanon desires. It is rich hunting for the mighty adventurer and rich lore for the historians who dare to explore the ancient and lucrative ruins. Though of dubious morality, little can argue with the might of the once great Iksar empire.
[edit] Current History
Various sources
[edit] Culture/Society
The Iksar society is based on castes. This structure was enforced to help erase the tribal lines that once divided the Iksar. The Scaled Mystics determine an Iksar's caste when the egg is first laid. An Iksar's caste determines what role he or she is to play in society. There are two main divisions, and within those divisions are the specific castes. These divisions are known as the Xe'tropi (loosely translated as "The Backbone"; comprised of breeders, merchants, artisans, craftsmen, etc.) and the Vitror (loosely translated to "The Hand"; comprised of The Swifttails, Scaled Mystics, Troopers, Crusaders, etc.). The Iksar understand that while your caste determines your role, it does not determine your standing.
Rank and priviledge are not based on something as unpredictable as birthright. Instead, each Iksar is promoted within their own caste based on their own accomplishments and merits. The Iksar are quick to promote those who excel and destroy those who fail. There is little stagnation in the ranks, as the Iksar understand that change, properly cultivated, makes them stronger. Each caste has its own hierarchy, and Iksar look to their masters within the caste for their instructions and orders. They are taught to respect those of a higher rank from another caste, but unless specifically instructed, it is rare for an Iksar of one caste to take orders from an Iksar of another. Even then, these assignments are usually temporary, as the guild masters do not wish to weaken themselves by allowing their guild to be dominated by another. Military operations are usually run, at the tactical and short term strategic level, by either the Crusaders or the Troopers, with the Scaled Mystics setting the overall goals. The Brood of Kotiz and Swifttails often provide the intelligence work, given their talents. In smaller hunting parties, this arrangement is often mirrored, however the personalities of the individual Iksar involved may make for some alternate arrangements.
Iksar do not have families in the way other races do. Each generation of Iksar are laid as eggs in a communal créche. They are tended by the brood mothers, who are responsible not only for the birthing of these Iksar, but also their formative lives as hatchlings. There is a provision here for the preservation of lineages. Iksar who prove themselves worthy are allowed their own personal créche. All guild masters, the Emperor, and other notables in Cabilis have their own broods to help preserve their line. Males tend to take advantage of this right sooner than the females, as a female Iksar would be tied down by the process, and they tend to postpone such time until they are unable to perform more strenuous duties.
As mentioned, once the eggs are laid, the Scaled Mystics consult the spirits and determine which caste an Iksar will be born into. When the eggs hatch, they are separated by caste, and are observed to see who survives. Not quite left to fend for themselves, the hatchlings nonetheless go through a period where their survival depends on their fitness to do so. Of a single hatching, it is rare for 100% of the young to survive. This is why there is such focus on having full time breeders to ensure a steady birthrate.
When the young have reached maturity, the Xe'tropi go on to take their place at their tasks, and this is done with little fanfare. The Vitror castes are introduced to their guilds, where they are "reborn," shedding their youth and stepping into the roles they were destined for. At this time, the reborn Iksar and the Iksar taking up their lifelong trades are granted full citizenship, with all the rights and responsibilities that entails. Before the young have been reborn, they are without the protection of Cabilis law. They are not citizens, they are merely hatchlings.
In general, Iksar society is utilitarian. That does not mean that all individuals are purely acetic. The merchants, in particular, as they are the wealthiest of the Iksar, tend to enjoy the material comforts. Iksar have an appreciation for the finer things in life, but most of them endeavor to keep things in perspective. They are well aware of the dangers of decadence and the pitfalls of greed. The solitary exception to this is the Haggle Baron. This Iksar is the trade master for the entire city. By extention, the merchants under him are also expected to look for money. The current Haggle Baron, Haggle Baron Klok, is the most capitalistic of Haggle Barons in recent memory, and the economy of the Iksar has thrived under his watchful eyes. Merchants are considered agents of the Haggle Baron, and independant trade is very rare. As a reminder of this, important merchants are given the title "Klok" to show they are acting in the name of the current Haggle Baron. This title is much prized for it carries the prestige of a well-reccommended shop.
Iksar society is tightly knit. This may not be obvious to an independant observer, as the Iksar are quick with withering remarks whenever another shows a sign of weakness. However, the Iksar Empire's greatest strength is their unity. They know that they cannot stand alone, yet they cannot abide weakness in their own. The constant low-grade rivalries help to refine the Iksar and make them better. No matter how harsh one Iksar is to another, it is merely the harshness of the whetstone, or the bluntness of the forging hammer, making each Iksar stronger through survived adversity. Iksar guild masters are particularly harsh, as they know that each student that rises through their guild is a reflection of themselves. The hierarchial system means that, for example, Grand Master Glox must account for each Swifttail that goes awry. Inter-guild squabbling is rare, as that sort of divisiveness only hurts the unified power of Cabilis. There are minor rivalries, but they are much like the interpersonal rivalries: simply a means to drive the others onward to perfection.
It would be a mistake to assume that Iksar culture leaves no room for art. Their great statues are monuments not only of their once great empire, but also of the skill of their stoneworkers. Cabilis supports many sculptors, and some buildings are notable for their extensive mosaic floors. Frescoes and murals are also part of the artistic culture of the Iksar. The performing arts are not so well represented. They have little patience for theater, and their music is usually of a martial bent. There are a good number of writers. Most spend their time with chronicles of Iksar history, retelling famous battles and recording the Iksar Empire's rise and fall. Some historians are also poets, though their poetry is rarely appreciated outside of Iksar culture. Artisans are expected to add something to society other than beauty, and this is why the majority of artwork is also architecture, as it is easy for artists to express themselves at the same
Their enslavement at the hands of the Shissar has not made the Iksar sympathetic to ths enslavement of others. The Iksar feel that it is right that the powerful hold dominion over the weak, and enslave all who do not warrant immediate destruction. The Iksar do not waste their resources, and the slaves are no different. A slave is worked hard, but not so hard they die before their usefulness is used up. When the slave can no longer work, it is eaten; Iksar are not squeamish about where their sustenance comes from. The remains are then given over to the Brood of Kotiz to work their dark magics on, creating servants and performing other secret rites.
[edit] Government
As stated above, Iksar have no rights unless they are Citizens. The Iksar earn their citizenship by surviving their childhood and being reborn into the caste selected for them by the Scaled Mystics. Failure to follow that path means exile. In fact, the harshest punishment in Cabilis is not death, but Exile. To be Exiled, in Iksar culture, means that you lose the connection to your broodmates, to the community of the Iksar. Your glory is stripped from you, and none will aid you. You are less than the dead, as the dead at least have memories. You become a non-entity, and are treated as the dirt beneath a Trooper's heel.
The Iksar government is both a totalitarian dicatorship and a theocracy. The rule of law is laid down and enforced by Emporer Vekin, who is backed by the Scaled Mystics. The Emporer rules only through the fiat of the Temple of Terror and Prime Hierophant Vek. The Temple lays down the religious law of Cabilis. None question this rule, as to do so is both heresy and treasonous.
It is rare for an Iksar to even contemplate questioning their leaders, however. Iksar life is regimented and constrained by the rule of law. Indoctrination at a young age, as well as the regimens of training after rebirth help enforce these laws and this behavior.
There are no committees, per se. No council will be accepted by the Iksar, as they remember the Emerald Circle and see it as the moment of their greatest weakness. Under their Emperors, they have thrived. When the Circle took power, the Empire was torn asunder by their enemies.
The laws of Cabilis are taught to all Iksar, and it is drilled into their heads over and over again. A young Iksar knows the law before he or she can write. The enforcement of the law is strictly in the hands of the Troopers and the Scaled Mystics. Vigilantes are discouraged, as it is hubris to think that one knows more than the Temple of Terror does. When an Iksar is accused of a crime against the city, the Troopers look at the accusation, and investigate the situation. If they feel a trial is warranted, they take the accused before the Hierophants. There, Mystics take the gathered information and consult the spirits to determine guilt, and the possible penalty. If an Iksar is found guilty, it falls to the Crusaders to carry out the sentence. Besides death and exile, common sentences include indentured servitude (used in cases that involve theft or some other financial wrong), disfigurement (used for unjustly attacking a fellow Iksar when death is not involved), and demotion (minor infractions). These are not all of the possible outcomes; the spirits have been known, from time to time, to be creative in their sentencing for especially significant crimes.
It comes as a surprise to many that the Iksar would enslave their own, however this is a punishment that preceeds exile quite often. Worse than indentured servitude, the Iksar in question are forced to work along side the Frogloks. They are still Iksar, so they are treated better than other slaves, but they are pressed into hard labor, in penance for their crimes. When their sentence is completed, they are allowed to return to society, but only at the lowest rung of their caste. They must work to reattain their former position. Any Iksar who escape from slavery, or prove troublesome while enslaved, are exiled. These pariahs are often hunted down to test the mettle of younger citizens.
[edit] Religion
Cabilis is a theocracy. All Iksar worship Cazic-Thule, and their society is lead by the Scaled Mystics in this respect. Their day to day lives are influenced by these teachings and visions.
Fear is the lynchpin of Iksar society. The Iksar use fear as a tool, both in self motivation and to demoralize and defeat their enemies. To the Iksar mind, death is an end to the horror, a respite where their souls go to join Cazic-Thule in the fight to spread terror without the presence of their own fear.
The Iksar, being a largely utilitarian people, do not have many holidays, however there are two events that are celebrated every year:
In Autumn, the Iksar celebrate Dragonfall. This holiday is a bittersweet celebration. Bitter, because they remember the day that Ganak fell in battle. Sweet because it commemorates the end of the Dragon war, and the death of Jaled-Dar. Pyrotechnics that emulate the great battle are set off in the Field of Bone, above the skeleton of the fallen dragon. Great feasts are eaten, and the Iksar are reminded that, while the heat of summer is done, the cold of Winter is approaching.
The Day of The Green is the Spring celebration in Cabilis. It is the celebration of their freedom from bondage and slavery at the hands of the Shissar. This is a very reverent celebration, and the Iksar take this time to renew their commitment to Cazic-Thule as the land is renewed by the turning of the seasons.
