Overview:
The Bakali civilization is vastly different from any civilization from Ansalon. There are no organized nation states, rather there are temple cities dedicated to various God Aspects. These cities form a religious and cultural center, yet have not developed the sophisticated political background necessary for the formation of advanced governmental systems. A low-level form of tribal feudalism makes up most of the government process.
As such, the various priest and monk groups are the most powerful organizations wielding tremendous influence and power. If any one group can be said to speak for the Bakali the priesthood could make that claim. They have the seeds for an organized theocracy if they cared enough to organize for a society, rather then specific concentration on the Gods.
Overall there are about 142 million Bakali spread over a continent and islands about 1500 miles by 890 miles roughly. There are under twenty major population centers, usually with about 250,000 to 300,000 Bakali living there. These centers act as educational, trade, and religious centers, usually organized around a large temple pyramid at the center. One city follows the teaching of one God. The rest of the population is also concentrated around some sort of religious focus, such as a standing circle of stones, important mound or anything else. Usually these centers have populations ranging from 100 to 1000 but the higher numbers are excessively rare.
Most of the continent is desert/Savannah/jungle. Mountains or major river regions usually separate these regions, keeping processes of entrenchment or desertification to a minimum.
Culture:
As mentioned above most of the Bakali civilization is organized around a common religion, if not common nationality or ethnicity. Great focus is put on religious holidays. So great, that you can be assured that no one would ever consider doing any act of business or war during a religious event. In fact, there are recorded incidents of violence coming to abrupt halts when it is realized a holiday has arrived. When the city of Tik was invading Potalik, they were on the verge of victory, and delayed long enough for both sides to worship Chislev in the Potalik temple grounds before returning to combat.
Art and music form the other forms of Bakali civilization. Most of this, again, is centered around the worship of the Gods, however, the art has also taken steps into a hieroglyphic language, highly sophisticated, advanced, with multiple dialects, grammatical rules, and even separate forms of the language similar to the development of French and Spanish from Latin.
Perhaps one of the most important thing about the Bakali culture is their breeding habits. Much like alligators, Bakali lay their eggs under water. This occurs every year on the first hour of the first day. All the Bakali mate and drop eggs into the water of controlled breeding ponds while the older priests, incapable of breeding due to age, begin blessings and control over the new generation.
Technology:
The Bakali have a stone/early bronze age culture. Paper and paints are all highly developed, as are most light industry: textile, pottery, and copper tools. Heavy industry is very rare, and is usually sporadic, such as weapon and armor production. The vast majority of the population lives on a basic hunter/gatherer to farming level. Most villages are made out of grass huts, some with mud brick. There is almost no concept of massive industry for the production of large goods.
However, there are mass civil programs, such as road development, irrigation canals, and temples. There are almost 35,000 miles of paved highways, and over 100,000 miles of irrigation canals. These projects hint at the sort of massive organization usually seen in organized structured governments, but due to their sporadic and unplanned nature, they more represent the current system of government as it is seen right now.
Life and Society
The Bakali society is strictly regimented. This has gradually led to a division of the species, into subsets that fulfill their own roles. Your average Bakali is exactly as presented as a Lizardman, and most of the population is like this. But there are two other subsets. The first is a smaller more graceful species of Bakali, the Bakali'Qit. They make up the scribes, priests, and sorcerers of the Bakali cities. The second group, the Bakali’Vet are an underwater species that can live in both salt and fresh water. They are far more amphibious then your standard Bakali.
Deserts and Savannas have led the Bakali to develop heat resistant and water retentive species known as the Bakali’Kich. These Bakali have led to the Bakali controlling vast amounts of the continents surface, underwater regions, and civilizing most of their known world.
With two primary exceptions.
The Human Lands
There are two primary groups of humans living near and sometimes with the Bakali. The first group are known as the Empire of the Dolphin. They are native to the land, and have lived their as long as both they and the Bakali can remember, which means as far back as the nearly deadly ice age from the dawn of history. The second group is a recent interloper, having been a lost colony expedition from the Ergothian Empire. They have been living on a large island for almost one thousand years. Long forgotten in their homeland they have formed the Empire of the Phoenix, and have become almost the same as their neighbors.
These two Empires show remarkable sophistication in all aspects of life. Highly advanced art forms, music, language, religious worship, military application, technology and even urban resource allocation. They use their organizational capabilities to erect beautiful cities dedicated to their fallen leaders, or to great battles, and other such things. Continuous warfare with the Bakali have isolated their two civilizations. The Empire of the Dolphin is located in the deserts of the northwest, with their capital city in a large oasis. The Empire of the Phoenix is located on an island off the southwest coast.
Note all of the civilizations are at a bronze/stone age era of civilization.
Racial Statistics
BAKALI
Medium Humanoid (Reptilian)
Hit Dice: 2d8+2 (11 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+5 natural) or 17 (+5 natural, +2 heavy shield), touch 10, flat-footed 15 or 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2
Attack: Claw +2 melee (1d4+1) or club +2 melee (1d6+1) or javelin +1 ranged (1d6+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +2 melee (1d4+1) and bite +0 melee (1d4); or club +2 melee (1d6+1) and bite +0 melee (1d4); or javelin +1 ranged (1d6+1)
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Hold breath
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +0
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 10
Skills: Balance +4, Jump +5, Swim +2
Feats: Multiattack
Environment: Temperate marshes
Organization: Gang (2–3), band (6–10 plus 50% noncombatants plus 1 leader of 3rd–6th level), or tribe (30–60 plus 2 lieutenants of 3rd–6th level and 1 leader of 4th–10th level)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: 50% coins; 50% goods; 50% items
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1
Overview:
A Bakali is usually 6 to 7 feet tall with green, gray, or brown scales. Its tail is used for balance and is 3 to 4 feet long. A Bakali can weigh from 200 to 250 pounds. Bakali speak Draconic.
Combat:
Lizardfolk fight as unorganized individuals. They prefer frontal assaults and massed rushes, sometimes trying to force foes into the water, where the bakali have an advantage. If outnumbered or if their territory is being invaded, they set snares, plan ambushes, and make raids to hinder enemy supplies. Advanced tribes use more sophisticated tactics and have better traps and ambushes. When organized under religious leaders, the Bakali become fierce opponents, using their best equipment and tactics to decimate enemy forces.
Racial Statistics
Hold Breath: A Bakali can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
Skills: Because of their tails, Bakali have a +4 racial bonus on Jump, Swim, and Balance checks. The skill modifiers given in the statistics block include a –2 armor check penalty (–4 on Swim checks) for carrying a heavy shield.
BAKALI AS CHARACTERS
Lizardfolk characters possess the following racial traits.
— +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, –2 Intelligence.
—Medium size.
—A Bakali’s base land speed is 30 feet.
—Racial Hit Dice: A Bakali begins with two levels of humanoid, which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +0.
—Racial Skills: A Bakali’s humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 5 x (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Balance, Jump, and Swim. Bakali have a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Jump, and Swim checks.
—Racial Feats: A Bakali’s humanoid levels give it one feat.
—Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bakali is automatically proficient with simple weapons and shields.
— +5 natural armor bonus.
—Natural Weapons: 2 claws (1d4) and bite (1d4).
—Special Qualities (see above): Hold breath.
—Automatic Languages: Common, Draconic. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Goblin, Gnoll
—Favored Class: Fighter
—Level adjustment +1.
Currently no stats for Bakali sub species. Those will come momentarily.
Unless my sources are radically incorrect, on Earth around 1000 AD there weren't more than 275 million human beings on the entire planet.
Now all of this happens before the All Saints War, Starbirth of the Mortals, or any "recorded history." So you're looking at events that take place before the 9000 years of recorded history. I would state that the Ice Age probably lasted about a hundred to two hundred years (no reason really, just nice round figures that would kill dinosaurs). And before then you probably have thousands of years of history that was summed up quickly.
So in the 9000 years of breeding, if you estimate a 100 to 150 clutch of eggs I'm sure the population could rise that high that quickly. Humans have been around for 10,000 years or so and we're already at 6 BILLION! So my bet is that this is a LOW number for the Bakali who breed faster then us.
Well thats my reasoning.
Rosisha
Classes in the Land of the Bakali
Barbarian
Everywhere. Many Bakali villages have barbarian defenders. They are very common in the outlying regions. Note, however, that most barbarians are not leaders. they are too chaotic. The Bakali respect law and order.
Bard
Bard's do exist. They even have aracane power, no healing, but they do. However, due to langauge and cultural concerns, their special abilities, like boosting attack and damage bonus only applies to other Bakali. Hearing the great tale of how the Bakali tore apart a bunch of humans and ate their livers won't do much to inspire a Solamnic Knight.
Cleric
Common, but only within the temple cities. Outside of the cities worship is primarily led by Druids. Every diety has followers as well. In many instances evil gods could be worshiped by good populations simply to keep them appiesed. However, the clerics will always match the dieties alingment.
Druid
Very common. Druids are everywhere, and the three major druidic gods are the most commonly worshipped Gods in the Bakali pantheon. The exception to this is that Sirrion also has a large number of supporters and clerics as well.
Fighter
Everywhere. Plenty of perfectly normal Bakali fighters. They come from every walk of life.
Monk
Although there are no offical monestaries, and I would normally say no monks, 3.x rules do like everything open. In this case I would say that temple cities dedicated to Majere or any other lawful order could perhaps develop a group of monks who might go to defend a percieved holy site themselves, and dedicate themselves to learning their natural talents (claw claw bite gurgle blood and spit down throat... Automatic fear check in opponents. lol).
Paladin
None exist. the Role of the Paladin is completely foreign. Note, there are human paladins all over the place, but no Bakali ones. In fact the Empire of the Dolphin has no secular knighthood, but is rather dependent on the God's choosing champions. The Bakali champion of good, neutral, OR evil, is replaced by the PRC "Temple Guard."
Rangers
There are plenty of rangers around, and they make up a fairly large group of the fighting population in the villages. Though there are more barbarians.
Rogue
These do exist, but their are extensive skill changes to make them fit the bronze age style world.
Sorcerer
These exist and are actually very common in the world of the Bakali. They have always had access to the old magic, and have always had a tradition of using it. Most villages have one or two sorcerers who make their lives a little easier, and magic is seen as perfectly natural and normal.
Wizard
These do exist but with serious changes from the typical Krynnish wizard. They are known as the Moon Priests, and are seen as worshippers of the Moon Gods. As such their are temple cities dedicated to the moons as well and the "priests" of these temples are, in reality, wizards. They have one of the oldest foundations of magic in the world, and the longest unbroken chain of magical knowledge. Many Bakali wizards are far more powerful then their Ansalon counterparts.
The Bakali were created for worship. Their entire life is centered around the worship of the Gods. Notice that their major population centers are not government but theologically oriented. The importance of the Gods in their daily life is to large to be replaced by a faith in themselves. Even with the God's leaving after the Cataclysm and again after the Summer of Chaos, they would not abandon their faith but continue to belief faithfully and continue the divine works as they understand them.
So thats what I've got for that. Nobles and Mariners exits as well. I was mostly just working off my notes which were around long before i got DLCS or Age of Mortals.
Rosisha
AM
Rosisha