AO Astra Opus

Saurian Empire

The Saurian Empire occupies a hot, river-fed land of jungles, stone uplands, and volcanic ground. It is ruled by the Saurians, a large and physically powerful reptilian people who dominate — but do not replace — other reptilian cultures within its borders.

The Saurian Empire occupies a hot, river-fed land of jungles, stone uplands, and volcanic ground. It is ruled by the Saurians, a large and physically powerful reptilian people who dominate — but do not replace — other reptilian cultures within its borders. The Empire is orderly, secretive, and always preparing for the next campaign. What it lacks in openness, it makes up for in stringent control. Rank-and-file Saurian troops often wear sleeveless fur tunics widely believed to be taken from Ratogs — which explains the long-running war between the two powers.

Saurian Hierarchy and Culture

Saurians are the visible authority in the Empire: tall, broad, and heavily militarized. Their generals wear plated armor, marked by canes and barbed whips that are only partly ceremonial. The Empire contains two additional reptilian peoples who serve by necessity rather than affection:

  • Zards: Smaller, gecko-like, and sharp-minded, Zards handle scouting, craftwork, and diplomacy for the Empire.
  • Strack: Chameleon-bodied and tree-dwelling, the Strack serve as the Empire’s eyes and knives — near-invisible scouts, ambushers, and supply escorts. They operate in ambush and skirmish style warfare, engaging primarily with javelin and bow, and carry a small shield made from the shell of large snails; in direct combat they use a heavy curved sword. They are lightly armored and difficult to counter. Strack units have saved Imperial forces on numerous campaigns against the Crocodylians, Insectoids, and Turtlelians. They also provide the drivers and guards for Imperial supply columns, using Protoceratops for lighter loads and Kannemeyeria for heavier transport. When the Imperial court requires Strack service, envoys travel to established gong sites in the Valley of the Dawn and strike the large bronze gongs installed there. They then wait. The Strack arrive on their own terms, hear what is required for the annual campaigning season, and depart. No Strack settlement has ever been fully mapped by Imperial cartographers.

Religion and Politics

Religion and rule are intertwined through the Seraphate of Xhotl, a solar theocracy that guides imperial policy. Xhotl, called the Burning Scale, is revered as a sun-god of order and survival. The Empire is governed by five High Seraphs, who meet beneath the Golden Canopy, an obsidian and sunstone ziggurat.

The Empire maintains a cautious foreign policy: it tolerates Dwarves and Elves, trades cautiously with Humans, respects beastfolk who honor the land, and hunts undead, void-worshipers, and corrupted lizardfolk without mercy.

Neighbors and Enemies

The Saurian Empire occupies a dominant position in the central-to-south coastal jungles and uplands:

  • Turtlelians (Kethrul March, South): The primary and most direct enemy. The two empires share a border along the Rhel Basin, defined by the ancient, unforgiven Breaking of Ternosk Ford and constant border skirmishes.
  • Ratogs (Gnawlands of Vrekshaal, West): Continuous conflict along the Murkflow River Delta over salt deposits, fresh water, and subterranean fungus beds.
  • Crocodylians (Marshwood Reach): The sworn existential enemies of the Crocodylians border the Empire to the West. Raids along this border are frequent. Saurian patrols actively avoid the swamps unless forced in. The Empire officially labels the Marshwood Reach “hostile and ungovernable.”
  • Other Races: While the Empire maintains cautious trade with Humans and tolerates Dwarves and Elves at a distance, primary conflicts remain focused on the reptilian and mammalian factions bordering direct territory.

Notable Settlements and Points of Interest

  • Xhotl-Kar (Capital): The imperial seat and site of the Golden Canopy.
  • Drevik-Spire: A fortified river-city controlling access to the Valley of the Dawn.
  • Ashkel Verge: A volcanic settlement supplying arms and mounts.
  • Canopy Nests of Virex: A loose constellation of Strack clan-holds hidden in the eastern forests.
  • Valley of the Dawn: East of the imperial core — a long forested basin where the Drevik River feeds dense jungle reaching three hundred feet high. The homeland of the Strack. Clan numbers are unknown; no complete map of the valley has been produced. The established gong sites are the only reliable contact points with Strack leadership.
  • The Fossil Fields: An expansive upland region of ancient massive bone deposits. Saurian engineers and Zard artisans mine these fields for materials used in crafting specialized armor and ceremonial weapons.
  • The Screaming Caves: A network of volcanic caves near Ashkel Verge. Geothermal vents emit constant loud, eerie wailing sounds that Saurian shamans use for spirit rites and to intimidate enemies.

See also Saurians, Turtlelians, Ratogs, Crocodylians, Humans, Dwarves, and Elves.