i

Although the destruction of their empire under the blows of nascent humanity was a catastrophe the Lizardmen could never recover from, they had not faded into obscurity in an instant. For generations yet, descendants of the dragon-blooded rulers struggled to put the shattered remnants of their great realm together. For generations yet, the Lizardmen fought in the name of vengeance when they could no longer claim dominion. Zii Ixchi is a child of those dark, cruel times.

Heir to a proud dynasty of warriors, she was nonetheless born to a dwindling tribe. Her kin had to fight for every scrap of land against countless human barbarians till they were all but exterminated and forced to survive amid the fens where few humans dared to tread. Faced with such odds, the Lizardmen learned to fight with guile rather than force. They taught their children to rely on ambushes and cunning to defeat much stronger foes. And as she came of age, Zii Ixchi took part in many raids against the invaders. Though she had proven herself a capable warrior, she would oft act on her own accord rather than follow commands she believed unworthy. 

Having recognized the danger of hubris but unwilling to waste natural talent, the Elders chose to direct her lessons toward mastering the art of assassination. That way, Zii Ixchi would still be of use to the tribe, and her troublesome nature would not endanger the lives of others. The results have exceeded all expectations. Over the decade that followed, Zii Ixchi was honed and tempered into a fine weapon, a dagger in the dark that was worth more than a dozen swords. At first, she targetted enemy warriors and scouts, silently eliminating them as they infringed upon the tribe’s territory. Then, she began raiding barbarian settlements and sowed terror in the dead of night with only bodies and blood left in her wake.

For a while, fortune seemed to smile upon her tribe once more. They had regained some of their holdings and drove rivals back on the field of battle. Until a self-styled king rose among the humans, united several warring clans beneath his iron fist, and routed the Lizardmen once more. Unbeknownst to anyone, the tyrant had struck a deal with the Demonspawn lords and drew upon the unholy might of Siroth to fuel his conquests. But not even black magic could protect him from the vengeance of the fallen empire.

Zii Ixchi took it upon herself to eliminate that threat even if it were the last thing she would do in her life. She studied the king’s war camp for weeks before infiltrating it at sunset, slipping past barbarian sentries and striking just as the would-be conqueror prepared a ritual to honor his demonic masters with a living sacrifice. Her blade struck true - the king’s black heart was pierced and his threat was ended. Whether she wished to or not, Zii Ixchi saved many lives that eve, and she would find her reward years later when the Arbiter chose her to ascend as Lumaya’s Champion. But that is a different tale altogether.