The Sirrusha

The grizzled wood-elf with the scar above his eye sets his tea down with melancholic quiet.

"So, you've heard tales of the scaly marauders plaguing Tahirah? I'll tell you what the legends leave out. The Sirrusha -- the Children of Sirrush -- are dragon-kin, bred in the First Age by a Dragon and his lover in the northlands. It was said the father of this dragon-bride gained a kingdom for allowing such an unwholesome union."

He looks around and motions you in closer.

Art by Obrotowy (DeviantArt)

"The Sirrusha were pushed out of the Kingdom of Khandar near the close of the last age. When the Majirahan's took the Green Oases for their own, and pushed the Naga Kingdom out, the Nagas fled to Khandar and declared it their new home. The Sirrusha were...less agreeable. They're fiercely territorial. People declare the Nagas a myth of the Majirahan, a warning of greed, but I think they're real. The Sirrusha wouldn't have left and invaded Alandia--Tahirah--without reason."

He sighs, drinking his tea. The scent of jasmine wafts on its steam.

"The Sirrusha lost that bitter conflict, moving south and taking Alandian lands. They took the city of Belathia, slaughtering countless elves. Other border towns in the Shingalah Forest fell, and only through the relentless watch of the Emerald Guard do we remain safe, but it costs a lot. I tell you, if the Queen-Mother had half an ounce of magic as the stories give her, we'd be free of this all....

Their armor is made of thick scales and hide, which they adorn with precious metals taken from Khandar and the northern Isshan Mountains. They adapt the hides and shells of other monsters into shields. They are cunning and fierce, fighting to the death more often as a sign of pride than stupidity.... Or perhaps those are the same thing... Their magicians--wu jen--are canny spellslingers, able to shift into crocodiles and slip away, if you believe the legends."

He makes a face, finishing off the dregs of his tea.

"Sometimes the Sirrusha know the value of an alliance, though. They can be persuaded with honor and logic to their reptilian brains. But more often any ambassadors sent their way are displayed on spikes as warnings to trespassers, especially given Sirrusha only know dragon tongue, which is rare in these parts. Needless to say, if you venture into the Shingalah Forest, the Sirrusha are every much a threat now as owlbears and harpies. Moreso, if you count the fact that the Old Spirits of the woods are corrupted by their malignant ways."