Isth'hhtaw 'hhs S'Kra'in
- Mhhrikath Alazh'na

Preface .................................. Page ii
CHAPTER 1: S'Kra Origins ................. Page 1
CHAPTER 2: S'kra Civilization ............ Page 3
CHAPTER 3: Why We Are Hated .............. Page 6

(Preface, Page ii)

Isth'hhtaw 'hhs S'kra'in (The Ways of the S'kra Mur)

I, Mhhrikath Alazh'na, am the hereditary chieftain and chosen Speaker
of Sraan Mhhg, the Serpent Clan, most prosperous of all the Nine Clans. By
this authority I write and publish this book, intended for the enlightenment
of those unfamiliar with our ways, whether they be of another race or they be
cousins from far lands with differing customs, so that they may better
understand our ways.

It is not my intent to cover either the spoken S'kra or the written
Eth'ral'khh, but I would like to note the most common source of confusion
about our language. "HH" is a vowel in our tongue, roughly equivalent to
an "uh" or "eh" sound in most other languages. Hhshal, the name of a
notorious figure from our folklore, would be pronounced "ESH-all", not
"huh-SHAL." My own name is a bit more difficult, approximately
"MURR-ah-kaw." We generally forgive any other mangling of our language,
but keeping this one rule in mind makes all the difference between sounding
like an uneducated gutter-born cur and a person we can respect enough to
deal with.

Chapter 1: S'kra Origins

Self-styled modern "scholars," having no better way to spend their
time than attempting to disprove centuries of traditional wisdom, claim
that we, the S'kra Mur, are merely the descendants of the Black Molloky'i
of the badlands. But we resemble those knee-high dung-throwing motherless
gremlins as the sun resembles a stone. And I who have borne four children
myself can tell you that the S'kra most certainly do not lay eggs! My
acquaintance, the Lorethew Dumezyl, says this ridiculous notion about our
ancestry is "no more likely than the idea that apes are the ancestors of
Humans."

Our own time-honored lore says that Ushnish made intelligent, deadly
reptilians to harass and torment the Humans. Hav'roth looked at the
creatures, and with his brilliant intuition he saw their unfulfilled
potential. He gave them the gifts of the mind: language, creativity, and
magical talent. Peri'el watched the cold, cruel acts these creatures
committed against the humans and each other, and wept. She gave them

(Chapter 1, Page 2)

honor, love, and pride: the gifts of the tail (or the "heart" as other
races would have it).

So though we were created as monsters, by the wisdom of Hav'roth
and the grace of Peri'el we became the sixth of the Seven Peoples.

(Chapter 2, Page 3)

Chapter 2: S'kra Civilization

The tales of the hero-king Sarkhhl Smo'neh (called Longtail) and his
contemporaries, though now regarded as legendary, are our oldest
histories. Our culture was based on agriculture with an aristocracy of
warriors and mages, and the habit of raiding nearby clans for slaves and
cattle. During this time the Nine Clans emerged, and many of our traditions
were established.

At some point we came across the Gor'Togs, and enslaved them. We had
little concern for their lives because they bred so rapidly, and no
concern for their dignity for they were not counted as people, merely as
intelligent trolls. We bred them for the qualities we found most useful,
which we ourselves lack: strength, endurance, and physical hardiness.
They were a stalwart race when we found them, but we made them stronger.

With these loyal, hard-working drudges, our culture transformed. We
spent our energies learning and perfecting other arts, such as the

(Chapter 2, Page 4)

graceful, languorous dancing style known as sarhhtha. We mastered the lore
of herbs for healing, spices, poison, and other uses. We learned the Elven
sport of fencing, then developed our own fencing style which confounded
the greatest Elven swordsmen of the time. We created our own style of
intricate, asymmetrical ornamentation, and applied it to fine jewelry
and clothing which enjoyed brief popularity with the other races. Our
economy expanded and shifted away from agriculture into crafts and trade.

But then came the Long Winter, which lasted three years and devastated
our people. To conserve our stores of food, we turned the Gor'Togs
out. Even so, our numbers were decimated by starvation and the unusually
cold weather (our reptilian blood makes us especially susceptible).

When the Elves offered us rich rewards for joining their side in the
Elven-Human War, not one of the Clans hesitated. But after six years
of fighting, when the entire Wind Clan, Sraan Mehath, was lost in
an avalanche, we bowed out. Some say it was a Human warrior-mage that

(Chapter 2, Page 5)

triggered the avalanche; others (mostly Humans) say it was one of the
omnipotent Guardians who intervened when the Elves and Elotheans drew
too much magic for their attack spells. By tradition, Sraan Mehath is
still counted as one of the Nine Clans. It is Sraan Mehath which all
dead heroes join, and it is led by the legendary Sarkhhl himself.

As you know, the Humans were the nominal victors, and called a conclave
of all the races which laid the groundwork for the Empire of the
Seven-Pointed Star. It is not my intent to delve into Imperial history,
except to say that our people did not fit well into its framework. Much
trouble arose when a S'kra assassinated Emperor Riini, a Halfling who was
unable to stay awake on the throne but was completely neutral on all
matters and thus deemed a politically safe choice. The days of the
Empire were prosperous, but few tears were shed by the S'kra Mur when
it fell.

(Chapter 3, Page 6)

Chapter 3: Why We Are Hated

Upon our shoulders, the rest of the world places the burden of the
reign of terror of the Dragon Priests. None of us living now are
old enough to have been party to the atrocities of that age, but the
Elves remember. The heinous acts of our grandfathers are not easy to
forgive - and fair or not, we are still paying for those acts today.

Sh'kial, the first Dragon Priest, was a fanatical, charismatic, and
utterly harmless dolt. His basic teachings are not so different
from the teachings of the Ru'atin Peri'el: keep the World Dragon pacified.
Unlike the Sisters, he focused entirely on that cause - and rather
than singing peaceful songs to encourage the Dragon's slumber, he taught
that symbolic offerings must be made to appease it. Misguided perhaps, but
not evil.

His religion became twisted by others into one of fear, encompassing the

(Chapter 3, Page 7)

unwilling sacrifice of Humans and other sentient species. Sh'kial himself
was murdered when he spoke out against that practice.

It is the tailless hag Dzree, may the sun never warm the stones of
her unmarked grave, who was responsible. Our own race was set back
centuries. She even murdered S'zhella on the night before Sithsia
prophesied her downfall.

The Gor'Togs have a more ancient grievance. When they were our slaves,
our people were not kind to them. When the Empire came they were declared
fully equal to the other races, and began to resent the time their
ancestors spent toiling for the Nine Clans.

Many Humans seem to dislike us especially. Some say they have an
instinctive fear of reptiles. They say our voices sound sinister, our
faces baleful. Others say the story of our creation indicates that
early in our existence, in the days before history, we were a threat to
them.

(Chapter 3, Page 8)

Our customs and our unique code of honor seem twisted to those that
do not understand it. A S'kra Mur gives his ru'at (circle of family,
friends, and allies) complete trust and complete honesty, and expects
the same from them. However, the privileges of trust and honesty are
not conferred on q'alrin (those outside one's ru'at) unless they are
earned; nor are such things expected from them. There is absolutely
nothing dishonorable about lying to, stealing from, or cheating an
outsider, assuming it profits the S'kra more than it harms the outsider.

Whether or not you are a q'alri or a ru'ati is determined by the
situation. With a few words you can either ingratiate yourself with a
S'kra or alienate him. This is a source of tension between the S'kra and
those who cannot determine which side of the line they are standing on,
and another reason we are hated and feared.

(Chapter 3, Page 9)

The fine old tradition of assassination is another example. Killing
innocents, or without a specific and valid reason, is the one sure way
to be declared smozh (tailless, utterly without honor). A fair and
just person need not fear.

However, the hag Dzree, though no assassin could touch her, died of
paranoia for she knew a thousand blades were pointed at her back.

Our justice is as swift and decisive as we are. Killing a single person
in a position of power is a merciful way to prevent war or suffering. When
done openly, it is an unquestionable political statement; it can also be an
art form. The q'zhalata or "knife of bold deeds," forged with a specific
target in mind and engraved with the arms of the person calling for the

(The rest of the pages have been torn out.)