Saurians and the Origins of Modern Humans

Let us now clear some doubts about the commonly mentioned saurians.

The saurians are considered to be among the lesser of those greater beings worshipped by influenced individuals and particularly by beastfolk. Among those beings, they are the ones most directly connected with modern humans. Not only did their technological remnants trigger the industrial revolution in The Steppes, but it is in fact believed by many that modern humans are an artificial creation of the saurian race.

Nothing is known about the saurians' sudden disappearance and beastfolk lore altogether denies it. Their history is lost to humankind but there is no evidence of a large number of these beings ever existing despite their advanced technology. It is believed that saurians, in fact, did not originate in this world, at least not in a natural way.

The hard fact is that they lacked the numbers or even shape to manipulate tools or develop a civilization, but they somehow acquired advanced technological knowledge.

Beastfolk creation myths are contradictory and confusing, but there seems to be a certain consensus in the fact that before humans existed, the saurians either emerged or descended from the stars into this world. Their purpose is never specified, but it is always stated that they brought with them the "subsaurians", a lesser race that built and operated most technology for them.

For reasons that vary from one retelling to another, subsaurians either deserted or were vanished into the underworld of Hieronhorte, which by that time was still a lush, warm jungle similar to Malahs Kovoss, were the saurians continued to thrive. The fact that Hieronhorte, the current tundra of hail and ashes, was a jungle before recorded history has often been attested by scientific expeditions.

Although saurians are depicted as colossal four-legged reptiles, subsaurians must have necessarily been completely unconnected. They appear to be only slightly larger than humans and have a slippery eel-like body with large jaws, eight eyes and two sets of four radiating, clawed tentacles protruding from their upper bodies. Their morphology suggests that they would be exceptionally well adapted to the unexplored and sprawling underworld of Hieronhorte.

It is at the point in which the relationship between these two species ended, so beastfolk lore goes, that humans were created to replace the subsaurians in their tasks. It is a particular saurian, Draknharn, which is considered to be the creator of modern humans, which were based on the remnants of ancient, bygone native beings, the so called primigenial humans. Virtually nothing is known about these creatures though.

Again, after this part, each version of the tale begins to differ wildly from each other. For some reason, however, it is never explained when or why did the beastfolk acquire their mortal enmity towards the humans of The Steppes.

The truth is, however, that there is no such thing as a separate race of beastfolk. All beastfolk are born human in appearance.

Shortly after birth, parents eagerly modify their offspring through the use of mutagens in order to avoid even looking like their hatred enemies. These mutagens, in the form of small vials of crystal clear, inodorous liquid, appear to be regularly supplied by an unknown source that is sure to be making a huge profit, since most of the beastfolk clans' expenses are spent into acquiring this mutagen.

This hints at the fact that somewhere in The Outer Lands, saurian technology is still working and whoever or whatever is operating it, is steadily extracting resources from The Steppes through the marauding beastfolk bands.

For this reason, in beastfolk lore, the disappearance of the saurians is denied. They believe Draknharn is the source of the mutagens and is sure to one day come back to reclaim its rightful land and restore its glory.

Non beastfolk influenced individuals like to cling to this idea as well and often cooperate with beastfolk bands. Their belief is that saurian guidance is actually lenient and wise, while subsaurians are simply treacherous and unreliable. The Court, of course, considers subsaurians potential allies and has at times even attempted to contact them or at least confirm their existence, but the hieronhortean underground is even more hostile to humans than the surface is.

It is believed however that there is some sort of connection between the equally puzzling hieronhortean savages and the subsaurians. Subsaurians are often portrayed as behaving exactly like the savages do after all.

This leads many to believe that the unconditional and spontaneous assistance of the savages to The Court originates in fact from subsaurian minds and devices, but that's a different story.