Base: Lizardfolk
Varanidae are proud and powerful reptilian humanoids--distant, diluted relations of dragons--that make their communal homes in locations set along rivers, large bodies of water, or within swamps or marshes. Uninterested in large scale settlement within the drier lands, many varanidae will nonetheless travel away from their home turf to engage in trade, only to return home with as much expedience as possible. Varanidae have little use for the fads, trends, and social customs of other races they interact with, and while this leads some to view them as gruff or curt, those who know the varanidae race a bit better understand that this is their version of efficient politeness. Varanidae are content with their own traditions and history, which stretch back further than most scholars are comfortable admitting.
Though powerful fighters, many varanidae set themselves on the path of the artisan, or place themselves in the service of a divine entity in the name of their clan or extended family unit. Their capabilities in the water have placed them as highly desirable workers when building any sort of bridge, dam, sewer, or underground construction near the water, and many clever varanidae crafters have brought prosperity to their family unit with their talents in these fields.
Across the world, the varanidae are known as an older people, supposedly keepers of hidden mysteries and knowledge that have never been commited to paper. In the Weeping Reaches region, talented varanidae oracles and shaman are invited to join the Endless Tale, a far-reaching circle of individuals who have commited their life to the survival of the oral history of the varanidae.
Most varanidae stand six to seven feet tall, and weigh in excess of 200 pounds. Their thick-yet-streamlined muscles are typically covered in some combination of dark green, black, white, and gray scales. The varanidae of the Weeping Reaches region are known for their longer, pointed muzzles, and their "mane" of dorsal spikes extending from their ear pits to the tip of their thick, yard-long tail. Varanidae's eyes are universally one of several shades of gray, with occasional fleckings of color that match the dominant color of their scales.
Being natural swimmers, many varanidae are slightly slower on land, despite their musculature. While still capable of feats of strength and combat, and able to move quickly when needed, varanidae are often seen as one of the least animated of the dominant races living in and around the Weeping Reaches. Other races most often associate this racial slowness with a concept of reliability, determination, and forethought, as varanidae are notoriously puncutal people when it comes to appointments, delivery dates, time-based arrangements, and so on.
Though they live in small- to medium-sized extended family clans, larger varanidae regional tribal "nations" exist as networks of connections between scores, if not hundreds, of individual varanidae families across a broad swath of land. Their longstanding oral history and cultural traditions have persisted through millenia, being passed down from generation to generation of each family unit. Occasionally, a varanidae settlement grows past a point of sustainability, and a new settlement must be founded. Such settlements are considered, for all intents and purposes, a new "family" and, as such, a new splinter of the history of the varanidae people.
Varanidae have two concepts for the word "family". The looser and more all-encompassing definition incorporates all the blood relatives and close friends from other settlements, but the more sacred definition is strictly tied to those who live in the same settlement, as these individuals are the ones who must depend on each other to survive. Though the two groups are not differentiated when it comes to their treatment or social status among neighboring family clans, it is a recognized tenet of the varanidae mentality.
Settlings in swamps, along rivers or lakes, or along coastlines, varanidae families are always self-sufficient units of varying size and with any of a number familial skills or trades practiced by nearly every member in some form or fashion. Varanidae will visit distant family often, making solo trips via local waterways to check in on a series of relatives in multiple towns. Varanidae consider such trips a sacred religious practice, since varanidae culture depends solely on the strength of its oral history and inter-family communication.
Varanidae are often seen as serious, stoic, unengaging, or boring, in that they are hardly excited or excitable, don't engage in active festivities or celebrations, and generally make very little noise. They are known to be excellent business partners, most varanidae associates are efficient and to-the-point when it comes to fulfilling responsibilities or going about their regular duties. Though some individuals may occasionally spend some small portions of leisure time with peers from other races, such varanidae are often known to do little more than sit quietly and drink, listening to and observering their companions' antics.
Among the other races in the Weeping Reaches region, varanidae are something of an enigma. While certainly non-threatening from a cultural and social standpoint, they are nevertheless imposing figures in a face-to-face encounter. Their presence is a known fact, and they are respected as a people and as a culture inasmuch as any other race is. But beyond the most basic of business and social interaction, they simply prefer and choose to spend as much time as possible with their family units and away from the hustle and bustle of larger settlements.
Following the traditions and doctrine passed down from the histories, most varanidae tend toward lawful natures. Good and evil mean little in the grand scheme of varanidae philosophy and worldview; these are a people descended from apex predators, and have retained a measure of their predatorial territoriality despite becoming a truly civilized people.
The varanidae pantheon has a number of gods, goddesses, forces of nature, elemental entities, and dimensional creatures all intertwined in a dense cosmic history. Due to the high numbers of varanidae workers in certain industries, the worship of some of these deities has spread to other races working in those industries or trades. (A common example is a ship captain leaving offerings to a varanidae deity of waterways and weather before making a trip.)
Few varanidae are inclined to tolerate life away from their family unit for any extended amount of time. Of those that do, none undertake the prospect lightly. Some varanidae adventurers are exiles or orphans, cast-offs of conflict or natural disaster. Others undertake massive pilgrimages across vast distances to check in with more and more distant relations. Yet even other may be sent on quests of spiritual fulfillment by an elder, teacher, or religious leader. These adventurers will steadfastly work towards their own personal goals, cooperating with other adventurers as long as mutual interests last.