Lycror

The Lycror (Homos Lacertus Deserti) are a reptilian humanoid race which evolved from lizards that inhabited the desert of Limuria, and are the national race of Altryae. They tend to have significantly longer lifespans that most humanoid species, most living to be 300-400 years old. Altough there are rumors that they could've evolved from the Drakaen, very little similarities are present between both species. Lycror are known for their exceptional skills as merchants, attributed to their ability to navigate vast deserts with ease, due to their adaptations to hotter climates.

Biology
The Lycror have many traits often seen in lizards and other sorts of reptiles, such as that they are coldblooded, tails and multiple eyelids. they also have horns which have a double function, intimidation and to aid in heat dissipation. The horns and Tails fall off during the hotter seasons, since they adapted to hot climates and need to have a way to prevent overheating. The eyelids are too protect the eyes from harm such as scorching temperatures, this in turn also improves their vision, but has the downside that they degrade over time causing poor vision in older Lycrorians. the Lycror are omnivores and opportunity hunters, which makes them more agile. Since their average lifespan is 300-400 Eldham years, the older members of their race can recall very ancient tales, wars and events.

The average Lycronian grows to be between 5'4 and 5'8. The Lycronian mature around the age of 20, and are considered middle-aged at 80 years old, when most Lycronians start developing poor eyesight. Similar to most reptiles, Lycror are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs to reproduce. Interestingly, female Lycror do possess traces of mammary glands, although these glands do not produce any milk.

The Lycror typically possess human-like skin that ranges from red to dark gray, although a few individuals may have scales. Their hair commonly appears in shades of white, black, or yellow, and its darkness tends to correspond to their skin tone (with Lycror possessing darker skin often having darker hair). Notably, black hair is more commonly found in female Lycror. Additionally, the color of their tail usually matches their skin color.

Origins
Legends say that, in a distant past, a remarkable transformation took place in the deserts between Mosir-Sumari, Gardenia, and Skjoldrbrodir. A series of extraordinary events took place deep within the desert, where only a few species existed, and gave rise to a brand-new race: the Lycror. A meteor shower is said to have fallen from the sky, filling the barren desert with magical energy, evolving the existing lizard species. Each lizard underwent a profound metamorphosis as the celestial fragments ingested themselves into the reptilian creatures. Scales shimmered, and the skin changed, taking on a human form and becoming conscious. As a result, the first Lycror, a hybrid of humans and desert lizards was created.

Most historians believe the Lycror emerged from an unusual mix of a sentient reptilian species, most likely derived from desert lizards, and a human with dragonblood ancestry. The presence of mammary glands and their cold-blooded feature implies a considerable hybridization between mammals and reptiles, although the origins and nature of this hybridization are still unknown.

Modern history
The lycror despite having been around since the dawn of time haven't ruled themselves until recently, when the Lycror women known as Kayeda Sylvoka rebelled against the Verenigde Vrijmasten Raden, the lycror nation lasted only a couple decades before being invaded and annexed by the VVR. Kayeda alongside a lot of Lycror fled the region towards the Drakaesland where they later help found Zie Western Drakaes, Decades after this war they returned to their homeland when a rebellion occured, to their horror they discovered that the VVR was committing genocide, so when they lost at the battle of Hovyete, they evacuated all their fellow lycror. this war will be remembered in Lycror history as "The war of the left behind". The discovery of the attempted genocide made the remaining Lycror very paranoid, so when the VVR experienced a civilwar, the Lycror that could fight threw themselves into the fray to retake their homeland and make the old enemies of the VVR pay for their crimes.

Culture
The Lyror have developed a strong merchant culture based on their ability to traverse long deserts with ease. They primarily trade in spices, which are easy to carry, durable, and unaffected by the desert's heat. Consequently, the Lyror place great importance on strength, good mercantile skills, and the ability to withstand various weather conditions.

Foods
The traditional Lyror meals are composed of a mix of small animals, red meat, and a variety of spices. Their involvement with spice trading is so significant that many spices of different colors have been attributed qualities such as strength, love, and good luck. Each household has its own secret recipe, passed down from generation to generation, with each new generation adding a different ingredient. This has resulted in an enormous variety of traditional dishes. Some spices are more popular than others, with the most popular ones being: Paprika (Red), Turmeric (Yellow), Sumac (Deep Red), Annatto (Orange), Cinnamon (Brown), Cardamom (Green), Beetroot Powder (Purple), Matcha Powder (Green), Sichuan Peppercorns (Pink), Ground Mustard Seeds (Yellow), Pepper (Black), Garlic Powder (White), and Salt (White).

Clothing Style
The Lyror wear fine silk clothing, which they buy with the money they make from spice trading, since it helps them stay cool in the desert and also serves as a symbol of their success as merchants. It is not uncommon for a husband to spend a significant portion of his earnings on the finest silk clothing available, especially for his wedding attire.

Richer Lycror will adorn their clothing with gold ornaments to showcase their status, and will often wear complementary items such as hats and canes.

Marriage Ritual
In the Lycror tradition, marriages are sacred and life-long commitments between two individuals. The main culture of Lycror dictates that the Lycror remain monogymous and honor their vows to their partner for the remained of their lives. Lycror are expected to uphold their vows with their partners in this life and the next, lest they face the punishment of removing a scale from their tail which is seen as a great embarressment. Non-Lycror who marry into the Lycror tradition would face an equal punishment if they were caught breaking their sacred vows, this punishment is decided by the opposing partner. Despite there being distinct gendered roles within Lycror society, same-sex marriages are not frowned upon however the ceremony would follow the same sequence as a heterosexual marriage would. In the case of a non-Lycror marrying into the Lycror tradition who has been infected with things such as Neihernspried or is a Swarmling there is a purification ritual that must take part in prior to the ritual beginning. The purification ritual requires the infected individual to bathe in a cauldron of warm water and to drink something known as 'Nén', which will weaken the physical strength of the infected individual but allow them to interact with Lycror without the fear of infecting their to be partner. What exactly Nén is remains a mystery as it is a closely guarded secret within the High Priesthood of Lycror society. All traditional Lycror marriages follow a series of actions with officiates the marriage within the community and reflects their cultural matriarchy. At the beginning of the ceremony, the man would be typically accompanied by either a parent figure or significant friend onto the alter where he would bow to the priest officiating the ceremony. The person accompanying the man would exit the alter and return to their designated seating. The woman accompanied by a person of their choosing would be then be escorted to the alter where they would bow to the priest officiating the marriage and stand to the right of her future spouse. The priest would then greet the people attending the wedding and instruct the woman to begin making her "coils of love". At this point the the woman would say "For Love" and walk slowly around the man. After completing her circle, she would repeat the process each time with a new desire they would like from the marriage. For instance, a Lycror woman may ask for "For Longevity", "For Safety", "For Opulence". In accordance with tradition, after Love a woman may only ask for 3 things after Love. Any attempt to ask for more would bring bad luck and misfortune to the new couple. Similarly if the woman isn't looking at the man or if the man doesn't remain still during the duration of the ritual, it will also being bad luck and misfortune to the new couple. Following the "coils of love", the woman is to stand infront of the man and bite into his shoulder. After the wound has been made, the man will return a bite onto the woman's shoulder. These wounds represent the life-long commitment of these rituals and the willingness to suffer for the sake of one another. Immediately after the biting, the priest will collect blood from the man and woman and infuse it into the Sevyta crystal displayed in the center of the alter. If done correctly, the infused Sevyta crystal should produce a noise signifying the validity of the newly married couple. The crystal would then be picked up and given to the husband, who would then kneel and present it to his new wife. After the marriage ceremony, the newly married couple will reside in the same residence and display the Sevyta crystal ontop of a Lodestone located near the entrance of their shared home for good luck and harmony for the newlyweds. The Sevyta crystal can be taped at anytime to generate a sweet noise reaffirming that vows remains unbroken and eternal.