Beefermatic
Hero
Hey guys I decided to post my subepic stuff here, These are the Zards, my first created race from when I was a teenager, they've gone from highly magical, to more gritty, terrifying, and 'real' I hope you enjoy. 
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Zard, CR 10
This daunting reptilian biped looks like a humanoid cross between a dragon, and a velociraptor. It's scaled hide glints lacquer black and it's eyes glow with a blinding light giving it a truly ferocious appearance.
XP: 9,600
N Large Dragon (Humanoid)
Init+7, Senses: Low Light Vision, Darkvision 60, Scent, Perception
Defense
AC:23 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +5 Natural, +6 Breastplate) Touch: 12, FlatFooted: 20
Hit Dice: 8d12+32 (86 hp)
Fort+10, Ref +9, Will +8
Immune:Fear, Sleep, Paralysis; +4 resistance to poison and disease.
Resist:Acid and Sonic 5
Spell Resistance: 14
Defensive Abilities: Ferocity
Offense
Speed: 40 ft, 60 ft if wearing no or light armor. Climb 30 feet
Melee: 2 claws + 13 (1d6+5 p) and Bite +13 (1d8+7), tail slap +5 (1d8+2), or Titanium Bastard Sword + 14 (2d8+5), Javelin +11 (1d8+5)
Space: 10ft.; Reach 10ft.
Special Attacks: Rend (2 claws, 1d6+7), Roar, Acid Spit, Eye Rays, EyeFlash
Statistics
Str: 20 +5
Dex: 16 +3
Con: 18 +4
Int: 16 +3
Wis: 14 +2
Cha: 14 +2
Base Attack+8; CMB +14; CMD 27
Feats: Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Combat Reflexes, Skill focus: Perception, Intimidating Prowess*, Multi attack*
Skills: Acrobatics +18, Appraise +14, Bluff +14, Climb +26, Craft (any) +8, Diplomacy +6, Fly +6, Heal +5, Intimidate +20 , Knowledge (all) +8,Linguistics +6, Perception +17, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +14, Survival +13, Swim +14, Use Magic Device +6; Racial Modifiers: +4 Acrobatics, +10 Climb, +2 Crafts, +4 Intimidate, +4 Perception, +2 Sense Motive, +6 Swim, +2 all knowledges
Languages: Common, Zard, Draconic, Undercommon, Elven, +1 more
SQ: Vocal Semiosis, Militant, Deep Sleeper, Educated, Hold Breath, Hot-Blooded
Ecology
Environment: Tundra, underground, or any.
Organization: Solitary, Pair, squad (3-4, +50% chance of 1-10 Kobolds), Patrol (5-8 +2-20 Kobolds), Raiding Party (10-40 + 10-100 Kobolds),
Treasure: Standard (Titanium Breastplate, Titanium Bastard Sword, 1d4 Javelins ,other treasure)
Special Abilities:
Rend: If a Zard hits with both claw attacks in one round it immediately deals an additional 2d6+7 damage
Roar (su): Zards can produce an immense array of vocal effects some of which at such high decibels that it can actually damage objects with it's voice alone.
This ability has three distinct forms:
Cone: As a full round action once ever 1d4+1 rounds, a Zard may release a 30ft cone of sonic force dealing 4d4 points of sonic damage and deafening opponents for 1d4 rounds. A DC 18 Fort Save reduces the damage by half and negates the deafening effect.
Spread: As a full round action once per day the Zard may emit a sonic concussion that causes every creature in a 30ft spread to make a DC18 fort save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds, a successful save negates the effect.
Grand Roar: By combining the above mentioned effects, the Zard can produce an earth shattering bellow that can be heard for miles like the sound of thunder. By spending 5 consecutive rounds just drawing air into the lungs (a move equivalent action) the Zard can release a blast of sonic energy in a 60 ft spread dealing 8d4 damage to all caught in the blast, permanently deafening them, knocking them prone, andstunning them for 1d4 rounds. A DC 18 Fort save negates the deafening and prone effects and reduces the damage by ½. Regardless of the outcome of the saving throw, both the Zard and all creatures caught in the effect are dazed for one round. Once a Zard uses this ability, they cannot use their Roar ability for one day.
Acid Spit (ex):As a standard action, 3 times per day a Zard may spit a glob a sticky corrosive acid as a ranged touch attack dealing 4d8 points of acid damage and dealing half this amount for an additional 1d4 rounds,this ability has a 5ft splash effect dealing 4 points of acid damage with no lingering effect. This ability has a 60ft range.
Eye Rays (su): Zards, though resistant to magic, are born with rudimentary magical abilities. This takes the form of rays fired from the eyes. The rays work like a free action Magic Missile spell with a range of 250 ft dealing 1d4+1 force damage, there is no save againstthis effect but a shield spell or similar force effect will negate it. The Zard may also opt to use up one (or more if he has the Combat reflexes feat) of his attacks of opportunities to instead fire an eye ray at a foe within 250 ft and within line of sight. This is primarily used to disrupt spell casters and demoralize opponents and cannot be used on any round that a Zard uses an Eye Flash.
Eye Flash (su): A Zard emits a blinding flash of light from its eyes once per round as a free action. This is a 30ft gaze attack that dazzles any opponent looking directly at the Zard with no save. This ability cannot be used any round the Zard uses an eye ray and may be stopped or resumed by the Zard as a free action.
Vocal Semiosis (ex):All zards are born with an innate communications set much like an animal. This manifests as an extremely crude form of language understandable by all zards but rarely by non zards. Base commands such as warning calls, identifying a friend or foe, base emotions (fear, sadness, affection, etc.), base directions (up, down, etc) can be relayed but nothing complex. A Comprehend Languages, or Tounges spell will allow one to understand Vocal Semiosis, but not speak.
Militant(ex): Zards are proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons, Bastard Swords, Whips, gunpowder/ clockwork weapons, and all armors.
DeepSleeper (ex): Though Zards are immune to magical sleep, they need excessive amounts of natural sleep. A Zard must rest for 10 consecutive hours in order to be considered rested and gains an additional -5 penalty to perception checks to awaken without aid.
Educated(ex): Zards have an extensive education and gain a +2 to all Knowledge skill checks and Crafts, and these are always considered class skills. (Zards can educate others, allowing party members with intelligences of over 13 to take this ability as a feat if a Zard has remained in their party and they've actually trained for a suitable period of time up to the dm)
Hold Breath (ex): Zards can hold huge amounts of air in their lungs and can hold their breath for an amount of rounds equal to their Constitution score x 4 before they risk suffocation or drowning.
Hot-Blooded (ex): Zards are native to icy climates and cold weather and have a natural resistance to the effects of cold. Surface capillaries in their limbs periodically allow surges of warm blood to pass through them and maintain their flexibility. As such they gain a +6 bonus to saves against natural cold effects.
Untold ages ago, an ancient dragon mingled it's own blood with the blood of primitive saurian humanoids, using magic, the dragon was able to create a hybrid almost free of flaws.
For centuries the dragon used the Zards, as they were now known, as foot-soldiers and conquerors.Granted of extremely long life, pugnacity, and created to be bothphysically and mentally superior to most races, the zards quickly became known as the perfect soldiers, and for a while it seemed this was true. The zards, however, were given an expansive mind and free will, and were not content to be simple pawns. Within one generation, the zards had turned on and destroyed their creator and began carving out an empire for themselves.
Zards believe themselves to be an evolutionary marvel, a race literally created to be dominant, to be superior and born of the blood of dragons. They are known as ruthless slavers and eaters of men and have been known to enslave entire races to work as miners and laborers and serve as farm animals.
Interestingly, Zards almost exclusively take slaves of races usually thought to be evil, such as Drow, Orcs, Ogres, and Duergar, and gain the vast majority of their slave stock from the Underdark.
Zards also employ massive followings of kobolds, who worship the zards as demigods, viewing them as the missing link between themselves and the dragons they believe themselves to be descended from. They see the zards as leaders, teachers, mentors, and their eventual evolutionary destiny. The zards in turn have taken somewhat of a liking to the pathetic creatures, viewing them as a model race. A race that both knows their own worth and their place among their superiors. Inplaces where zard influence is greatest, kobolds have almost completely forsaken and abandon their old ways in favor of zard emulation.
As such the zards have made expendable shock and awe armies out of them, using them as everything from light infantry and archers to sappers, harriers, and suicide troops, and have granted them a society which is entirely dependent upon the zards for sustenance. The kobolds don't seem to mind though as more and more pour in and new kobold 'cities' are founded all the time.
Other reptilian humanoids have been known to ally themselves with the zards, mainly troglodytes and lizardfolk, though the latter far less than the former.
Race, even among their own kind, plays a major role in their society and is the basis for their rigid caste system. Zards believe that Chromatic Dragons are their direct stock and take pride in this heritage, though they show a reverence and respect for all of dragon kind, Half true-dragon Zards are seen as the most desirable of all genetic traits and are known as the 'Zenith', any Zard who successfully bears a Zenith has her house elevated and is given the option to found a new noble house. If not a relatively minor one.
Zards vary in color between sand yellow, green, black, or blood red. Red zards are almost always nobility or royalty, and seen as the most desired color. Black zards are seen as another desirable color though very common, and are usually the warrior caste. Green Zards are also common but are given freedom to choose their role in their society based off of their personal strengths; most Zard adventurers come from green zard stock. Sand yellow Zards are seen as barely equals and represent the lowest rung on their social ladder. Yellow zards are thought to be the stock of 'great desert dragons' and given the worst and dirtiest jobs, they are laborers, commoners, prostitutes, and surfs. They are never allowed to become soldiers, leave their respective cities, or allowed to breed outside their caste. Yellow zards found outside of zard territory are almost unilaterally runaways and can never return, those that do are immediately executed or thrown into the slave pits.
Zards believe Io, creator of dragonkind, to be the highest god in the heavens, even beyond the creator god himself, but revere Bahamut creator of good aligned dragons as their primary deity and the living god Paya as their primary religious figure. Paya believes in fierce passion, devotion, and loyalty, beyond all else, and wants his zards to take an expansionist role in the world. To conquer the world and then the stars themselves. He appears as a herculean zard male with scales apparently made of pure platinum, his back is banded in the five colors of the metallic dragons. Every 10,000 years he is born in a new body and once again attempts to make his dream a reality. His domains are war, glory, knowledge, nobility, and strength.
Zards look like well-muscled draconic humanoids with crested, velociraptorlike heads and long thick sinewy tails. They stand roughly 8-9 feet tall and weigh between 300-800 lbs. Zards mature between 120 and 180 years of age and live between 1200 and 2000 years, making them one of the most long lived races around in theory, in actuality due to their brutal lifestyle, most Zards don't live past 350. Zard soldiers typically wear breastplates with little or no clothing, many wearing just a simple loin cloth and little more, though some wear longflowing cloaks and leather strap tunics. They are expert metallurgists and chemists and the vast majority of their equipment is made of titanium or plastic.
Titanium has the roughly the same properties as steel (hardness 11 instead of 10) but weighs half as much and is immune to rust. It is enormously expensive to mine and process titanium, costing roughly 5 times the price of steel, thus zards use extensive slave labor to mine the ore and reduce this cost. Though the secret to actually take the useless ore and smelt it into titanium remains a closely guarded zard secret.
Plastic has the same physical properties as wood mechanically but is more easily processed. Plastic is used in almost all applications of Zard life, from buildings to dishes. Zards also arm their fodder soldiers, kobolds, in plastic breastplates, and cheaply produced but nicelooking plastic and cheap metal spears.
The spears though shoddy suffer no minuses when compared to normal spears of their type. Plastic armor however, though durable, and light, is no match for steel weapons. Thusly a plastic breastplate only grants a +3 armor bonus but a max dex bonus of +4. Plastic armor costs roughly 1/5th the price and weighs half as much as it's steel analogue; it has 2 hp per inch of thickness and a hardness of 5.
Zards have a very extensive formal education system lasting well over a century and focusing on art, philosophy, crafts, and expansion of the mind in all forms. Tactical training, attention to detail and improvisation are heavily stressed. There is also a focus on weapon and armor training, physical fitness, extensive combat training, and psychology.
Zard cities are almost always situated around a wine or hour glass shaped structure known as a Desi; this usually appears as a vast, monolithic, usually over a thousand feet high and over a thousand feet across platform looming high enough to be seen for miles. These structures have beautiful Eden like plots of land on top of them, weather is controlled artificially by well payed druids, and the area exists as a haven of learning, relaxation, and sophistication for the upper class, the cultured, and those that can afford it.
Situated all around the Desi is a city lined with high spires, many races, strange buildings and gladiatorial arenas, creating a vibrant mix of class and brutality. Though almost no one is allowed into the Desi, all races are welcomed into the city proper and welcome to make trade and even make a life if they are useful enough. Zard cities are known to be clean, beautiful, brutal, and dangerous.
The Zard power base is in truth however, is subterranean, and though they are considered a surface race, they do most of their day-to-day business underground.
The Zard nation is connected by an impressive tunnel network. Underground highways lead to outposts, main chambers, fungal gardens, waste pits, vast smelting pits, forges, plastic factories, small underground cities, and a myriad of other structures. The tunnels are designed to provide good ventilation and the shortest transport routes.
Zard tunnel networks are primarily constructed by Duergar and Drow collaborators, Kobold and Zard engineers, and massive slave workforces, the zards putting their combined expertise to good use and as such the whole network appears as a seamless hybrid of sweeping spires, and stout structures both built into the walls and built inside of massive natural and excavated caverns. All of which is made to be both efficient and aesthetic. Lit in deep colored heatless drow faerie fire, it creates a truly surreal, alien, and beautiful landscape. The zard's kobold allies represent their main fighting force and population underground, outnumbering the zard 80:1 in most cases though utterly loyal to the point of Zeal.
Combat
Zards rely on advanced combat tactics using plans that may take years or decades, even centuries, to fully come to fruition.
They are, if anything, patient and know that in most cases they can simply outlive most adversaries.
Over time, or lifetimes, they know that they can make humanoid populations complacent, and easily malleable with small foot-in-the-door tactics over hundreds of years. They are far happier to make alliances vice war, and when pressed they do not usually believe in skirmishes or small escalations and will usually employ a total-war mentality if challenged by any potentially serious military threat, crushing them.
Though they generally prefer to shy away from such things,they are not above poison and assassination, and have been known to make extensive use of scorched earth tactics when they deem necessary.
In most cases, the zards will simply march their kobold army, usually numbering in the hundreds of thousands, 1-20 of their own legions of 5,000- 6,000 Zards each, and several auxiliary battalions of 500-1000 mixed medium sized humanoids usually Troglodite, Human, Dwarven, Gnoll, Goblinoid, and Elven sympathizers, and Lizardfolk, but their extended time in the underdark has allowed for all manner of strange and unique beings to show up within the ranks of Zard lines, from Hook Horrors to Pechs and mind Flayers and Neolithids, all are welcome among the Zard ranks and their unique abilities will be used most effectively, but only if they can prove themselves worthy and equal, and show that their loyalty isn't just to themselves.
From here they will attempt to open dialogue. Usually this display of power is enough to dissuade most belligerents, and end would be wars in minutes. During this time, they will leave crops and all land alone, specially trained zard negotiators will allow their enemy to know that if they simply ally with them that they will be able to keep everything they have and that incredible prosperity will follow. If the enemy persists or refuses, the zards attack without quarter, utterly destroying the area, burning forests, poisoning water supplies, enslaving the population and leaving the land a burning husk as a warning to those that would oppose their will.
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Zard, CR 10
This daunting reptilian biped looks like a humanoid cross between a dragon, and a velociraptor. It's scaled hide glints lacquer black and it's eyes glow with a blinding light giving it a truly ferocious appearance.
XP: 9,600
N Large Dragon (Humanoid)
Init+7, Senses: Low Light Vision, Darkvision 60, Scent, Perception
Defense
AC:23 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +5 Natural, +6 Breastplate) Touch: 12, FlatFooted: 20
Hit Dice: 8d12+32 (86 hp)
Fort+10, Ref +9, Will +8
Immune:Fear, Sleep, Paralysis; +4 resistance to poison and disease.
Resist:Acid and Sonic 5
Spell Resistance: 14
Defensive Abilities: Ferocity
Offense
Speed: 40 ft, 60 ft if wearing no or light armor. Climb 30 feet
Melee: 2 claws + 13 (1d6+5 p) and Bite +13 (1d8+7), tail slap +5 (1d8+2), or Titanium Bastard Sword + 14 (2d8+5), Javelin +11 (1d8+5)
Space: 10ft.; Reach 10ft.
Special Attacks: Rend (2 claws, 1d6+7), Roar, Acid Spit, Eye Rays, EyeFlash
Statistics
Str: 20 +5
Dex: 16 +3
Con: 18 +4
Int: 16 +3
Wis: 14 +2
Cha: 14 +2
Base Attack+8; CMB +14; CMD 27
Feats: Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Combat Reflexes, Skill focus: Perception, Intimidating Prowess*, Multi attack*
Skills: Acrobatics +18, Appraise +14, Bluff +14, Climb +26, Craft (any) +8, Diplomacy +6, Fly +6, Heal +5, Intimidate +20 , Knowledge (all) +8,Linguistics +6, Perception +17, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +14, Survival +13, Swim +14, Use Magic Device +6; Racial Modifiers: +4 Acrobatics, +10 Climb, +2 Crafts, +4 Intimidate, +4 Perception, +2 Sense Motive, +6 Swim, +2 all knowledges
Languages: Common, Zard, Draconic, Undercommon, Elven, +1 more
SQ: Vocal Semiosis, Militant, Deep Sleeper, Educated, Hold Breath, Hot-Blooded
Ecology
Environment: Tundra, underground, or any.
Organization: Solitary, Pair, squad (3-4, +50% chance of 1-10 Kobolds), Patrol (5-8 +2-20 Kobolds), Raiding Party (10-40 + 10-100 Kobolds),
Treasure: Standard (Titanium Breastplate, Titanium Bastard Sword, 1d4 Javelins ,other treasure)
Special Abilities:
Rend: If a Zard hits with both claw attacks in one round it immediately deals an additional 2d6+7 damage
Roar (su): Zards can produce an immense array of vocal effects some of which at such high decibels that it can actually damage objects with it's voice alone.
This ability has three distinct forms:
Cone: As a full round action once ever 1d4+1 rounds, a Zard may release a 30ft cone of sonic force dealing 4d4 points of sonic damage and deafening opponents for 1d4 rounds. A DC 18 Fort Save reduces the damage by half and negates the deafening effect.
Spread: As a full round action once per day the Zard may emit a sonic concussion that causes every creature in a 30ft spread to make a DC18 fort save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds, a successful save negates the effect.
Grand Roar: By combining the above mentioned effects, the Zard can produce an earth shattering bellow that can be heard for miles like the sound of thunder. By spending 5 consecutive rounds just drawing air into the lungs (a move equivalent action) the Zard can release a blast of sonic energy in a 60 ft spread dealing 8d4 damage to all caught in the blast, permanently deafening them, knocking them prone, andstunning them for 1d4 rounds. A DC 18 Fort save negates the deafening and prone effects and reduces the damage by ½. Regardless of the outcome of the saving throw, both the Zard and all creatures caught in the effect are dazed for one round. Once a Zard uses this ability, they cannot use their Roar ability for one day.
Acid Spit (ex):As a standard action, 3 times per day a Zard may spit a glob a sticky corrosive acid as a ranged touch attack dealing 4d8 points of acid damage and dealing half this amount for an additional 1d4 rounds,this ability has a 5ft splash effect dealing 4 points of acid damage with no lingering effect. This ability has a 60ft range.
Eye Rays (su): Zards, though resistant to magic, are born with rudimentary magical abilities. This takes the form of rays fired from the eyes. The rays work like a free action Magic Missile spell with a range of 250 ft dealing 1d4+1 force damage, there is no save againstthis effect but a shield spell or similar force effect will negate it. The Zard may also opt to use up one (or more if he has the Combat reflexes feat) of his attacks of opportunities to instead fire an eye ray at a foe within 250 ft and within line of sight. This is primarily used to disrupt spell casters and demoralize opponents and cannot be used on any round that a Zard uses an Eye Flash.
Eye Flash (su): A Zard emits a blinding flash of light from its eyes once per round as a free action. This is a 30ft gaze attack that dazzles any opponent looking directly at the Zard with no save. This ability cannot be used any round the Zard uses an eye ray and may be stopped or resumed by the Zard as a free action.
Vocal Semiosis (ex):All zards are born with an innate communications set much like an animal. This manifests as an extremely crude form of language understandable by all zards but rarely by non zards. Base commands such as warning calls, identifying a friend or foe, base emotions (fear, sadness, affection, etc.), base directions (up, down, etc) can be relayed but nothing complex. A Comprehend Languages, or Tounges spell will allow one to understand Vocal Semiosis, but not speak.
Militant(ex): Zards are proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons, Bastard Swords, Whips, gunpowder/ clockwork weapons, and all armors.
DeepSleeper (ex): Though Zards are immune to magical sleep, they need excessive amounts of natural sleep. A Zard must rest for 10 consecutive hours in order to be considered rested and gains an additional -5 penalty to perception checks to awaken without aid.
Educated(ex): Zards have an extensive education and gain a +2 to all Knowledge skill checks and Crafts, and these are always considered class skills. (Zards can educate others, allowing party members with intelligences of over 13 to take this ability as a feat if a Zard has remained in their party and they've actually trained for a suitable period of time up to the dm)
Hold Breath (ex): Zards can hold huge amounts of air in their lungs and can hold their breath for an amount of rounds equal to their Constitution score x 4 before they risk suffocation or drowning.
Hot-Blooded (ex): Zards are native to icy climates and cold weather and have a natural resistance to the effects of cold. Surface capillaries in their limbs periodically allow surges of warm blood to pass through them and maintain their flexibility. As such they gain a +6 bonus to saves against natural cold effects.
Untold ages ago, an ancient dragon mingled it's own blood with the blood of primitive saurian humanoids, using magic, the dragon was able to create a hybrid almost free of flaws.
For centuries the dragon used the Zards, as they were now known, as foot-soldiers and conquerors.Granted of extremely long life, pugnacity, and created to be bothphysically and mentally superior to most races, the zards quickly became known as the perfect soldiers, and for a while it seemed this was true. The zards, however, were given an expansive mind and free will, and were not content to be simple pawns. Within one generation, the zards had turned on and destroyed their creator and began carving out an empire for themselves.
Zards believe themselves to be an evolutionary marvel, a race literally created to be dominant, to be superior and born of the blood of dragons. They are known as ruthless slavers and eaters of men and have been known to enslave entire races to work as miners and laborers and serve as farm animals.
Interestingly, Zards almost exclusively take slaves of races usually thought to be evil, such as Drow, Orcs, Ogres, and Duergar, and gain the vast majority of their slave stock from the Underdark.
Zards also employ massive followings of kobolds, who worship the zards as demigods, viewing them as the missing link between themselves and the dragons they believe themselves to be descended from. They see the zards as leaders, teachers, mentors, and their eventual evolutionary destiny. The zards in turn have taken somewhat of a liking to the pathetic creatures, viewing them as a model race. A race that both knows their own worth and their place among their superiors. Inplaces where zard influence is greatest, kobolds have almost completely forsaken and abandon their old ways in favor of zard emulation.
As such the zards have made expendable shock and awe armies out of them, using them as everything from light infantry and archers to sappers, harriers, and suicide troops, and have granted them a society which is entirely dependent upon the zards for sustenance. The kobolds don't seem to mind though as more and more pour in and new kobold 'cities' are founded all the time.
Other reptilian humanoids have been known to ally themselves with the zards, mainly troglodytes and lizardfolk, though the latter far less than the former.
Race, even among their own kind, plays a major role in their society and is the basis for their rigid caste system. Zards believe that Chromatic Dragons are their direct stock and take pride in this heritage, though they show a reverence and respect for all of dragon kind, Half true-dragon Zards are seen as the most desirable of all genetic traits and are known as the 'Zenith', any Zard who successfully bears a Zenith has her house elevated and is given the option to found a new noble house. If not a relatively minor one.
Zards vary in color between sand yellow, green, black, or blood red. Red zards are almost always nobility or royalty, and seen as the most desired color. Black zards are seen as another desirable color though very common, and are usually the warrior caste. Green Zards are also common but are given freedom to choose their role in their society based off of their personal strengths; most Zard adventurers come from green zard stock. Sand yellow Zards are seen as barely equals and represent the lowest rung on their social ladder. Yellow zards are thought to be the stock of 'great desert dragons' and given the worst and dirtiest jobs, they are laborers, commoners, prostitutes, and surfs. They are never allowed to become soldiers, leave their respective cities, or allowed to breed outside their caste. Yellow zards found outside of zard territory are almost unilaterally runaways and can never return, those that do are immediately executed or thrown into the slave pits.
Zards believe Io, creator of dragonkind, to be the highest god in the heavens, even beyond the creator god himself, but revere Bahamut creator of good aligned dragons as their primary deity and the living god Paya as their primary religious figure. Paya believes in fierce passion, devotion, and loyalty, beyond all else, and wants his zards to take an expansionist role in the world. To conquer the world and then the stars themselves. He appears as a herculean zard male with scales apparently made of pure platinum, his back is banded in the five colors of the metallic dragons. Every 10,000 years he is born in a new body and once again attempts to make his dream a reality. His domains are war, glory, knowledge, nobility, and strength.
Zards look like well-muscled draconic humanoids with crested, velociraptorlike heads and long thick sinewy tails. They stand roughly 8-9 feet tall and weigh between 300-800 lbs. Zards mature between 120 and 180 years of age and live between 1200 and 2000 years, making them one of the most long lived races around in theory, in actuality due to their brutal lifestyle, most Zards don't live past 350. Zard soldiers typically wear breastplates with little or no clothing, many wearing just a simple loin cloth and little more, though some wear longflowing cloaks and leather strap tunics. They are expert metallurgists and chemists and the vast majority of their equipment is made of titanium or plastic.
Titanium has the roughly the same properties as steel (hardness 11 instead of 10) but weighs half as much and is immune to rust. It is enormously expensive to mine and process titanium, costing roughly 5 times the price of steel, thus zards use extensive slave labor to mine the ore and reduce this cost. Though the secret to actually take the useless ore and smelt it into titanium remains a closely guarded zard secret.
Plastic has the same physical properties as wood mechanically but is more easily processed. Plastic is used in almost all applications of Zard life, from buildings to dishes. Zards also arm their fodder soldiers, kobolds, in plastic breastplates, and cheaply produced but nicelooking plastic and cheap metal spears.
The spears though shoddy suffer no minuses when compared to normal spears of their type. Plastic armor however, though durable, and light, is no match for steel weapons. Thusly a plastic breastplate only grants a +3 armor bonus but a max dex bonus of +4. Plastic armor costs roughly 1/5th the price and weighs half as much as it's steel analogue; it has 2 hp per inch of thickness and a hardness of 5.
Zards have a very extensive formal education system lasting well over a century and focusing on art, philosophy, crafts, and expansion of the mind in all forms. Tactical training, attention to detail and improvisation are heavily stressed. There is also a focus on weapon and armor training, physical fitness, extensive combat training, and psychology.
Zard cities are almost always situated around a wine or hour glass shaped structure known as a Desi; this usually appears as a vast, monolithic, usually over a thousand feet high and over a thousand feet across platform looming high enough to be seen for miles. These structures have beautiful Eden like plots of land on top of them, weather is controlled artificially by well payed druids, and the area exists as a haven of learning, relaxation, and sophistication for the upper class, the cultured, and those that can afford it.
Situated all around the Desi is a city lined with high spires, many races, strange buildings and gladiatorial arenas, creating a vibrant mix of class and brutality. Though almost no one is allowed into the Desi, all races are welcomed into the city proper and welcome to make trade and even make a life if they are useful enough. Zard cities are known to be clean, beautiful, brutal, and dangerous.
The Zard power base is in truth however, is subterranean, and though they are considered a surface race, they do most of their day-to-day business underground.
The Zard nation is connected by an impressive tunnel network. Underground highways lead to outposts, main chambers, fungal gardens, waste pits, vast smelting pits, forges, plastic factories, small underground cities, and a myriad of other structures. The tunnels are designed to provide good ventilation and the shortest transport routes.
Zard tunnel networks are primarily constructed by Duergar and Drow collaborators, Kobold and Zard engineers, and massive slave workforces, the zards putting their combined expertise to good use and as such the whole network appears as a seamless hybrid of sweeping spires, and stout structures both built into the walls and built inside of massive natural and excavated caverns. All of which is made to be both efficient and aesthetic. Lit in deep colored heatless drow faerie fire, it creates a truly surreal, alien, and beautiful landscape. The zard's kobold allies represent their main fighting force and population underground, outnumbering the zard 80:1 in most cases though utterly loyal to the point of Zeal.
Combat
Zards rely on advanced combat tactics using plans that may take years or decades, even centuries, to fully come to fruition.
They are, if anything, patient and know that in most cases they can simply outlive most adversaries.
Over time, or lifetimes, they know that they can make humanoid populations complacent, and easily malleable with small foot-in-the-door tactics over hundreds of years. They are far happier to make alliances vice war, and when pressed they do not usually believe in skirmishes or small escalations and will usually employ a total-war mentality if challenged by any potentially serious military threat, crushing them.
Though they generally prefer to shy away from such things,they are not above poison and assassination, and have been known to make extensive use of scorched earth tactics when they deem necessary.
In most cases, the zards will simply march their kobold army, usually numbering in the hundreds of thousands, 1-20 of their own legions of 5,000- 6,000 Zards each, and several auxiliary battalions of 500-1000 mixed medium sized humanoids usually Troglodite, Human, Dwarven, Gnoll, Goblinoid, and Elven sympathizers, and Lizardfolk, but their extended time in the underdark has allowed for all manner of strange and unique beings to show up within the ranks of Zard lines, from Hook Horrors to Pechs and mind Flayers and Neolithids, all are welcome among the Zard ranks and their unique abilities will be used most effectively, but only if they can prove themselves worthy and equal, and show that their loyalty isn't just to themselves.
From here they will attempt to open dialogue. Usually this display of power is enough to dissuade most belligerents, and end would be wars in minutes. During this time, they will leave crops and all land alone, specially trained zard negotiators will allow their enemy to know that if they simply ally with them that they will be able to keep everything they have and that incredible prosperity will follow. If the enemy persists or refuses, the zards attack without quarter, utterly destroying the area, burning forests, poisoning water supplies, enslaving the population and leaving the land a burning husk as a warning to those that would oppose their will.
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