Slithzerikai
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Slithzerikai (singular Slith) is the name of a fictional lizard race in Avernum and Exile computer role-playing game series published by Spiderweb Software.
Of the three humanoid races in the game (Slithzerikai, Nephilim and Vahnatai), they are the one endowed with the greatest physical strength. As reptiles, the Slithzerikai are cold-blooded creatures and therefore require warmth to grow active. In cold environments, they slow down greatly. A distant relative to dragons, they are believed to have longer life-spans than humans as well.
Following is a brief summary of their role in the storyline of the game.
The greatest part of the Slithzerikai population dwells far below the subterranean caverns known as Avernum, in a land unreachable for humans which they call 'Bahssikava'. The Sliths who live in Avernum itself were exiled from their homeland below in much the same way as the humans dwelling there were exiled from the surface above, though for different reasons. As legend goes, the Slithzerikai of Bahssikava were a highly civilized and cultivated race (who still lived in tribal societies, nonetheless). Fighting was rare and actual wars were a totally alien concept to them. From what records tell, they were a highly religious people who valued spirituality. They were also great artisans, and skilled in the making of stone statues which also played some role in their faith.
Then, some of the tribes rebelled, under the leadership of a cruel warlord named Ssss-Thoss. These became a war-like people, cruel and bloodthirsty. It is now believed that they also turned from the true Slith deities to worship demons. After causing great unrest in their home country of Bahssikava, the Slith people sentenced them to exile. Banishe to the caverns far above their country, the Sliths continued to worship darkness for the most part, and remained a cruel race, but some repented and began looking for ways to regain the right to live with their race again.
Centuries later, when the humans discovered Avernum and explored it in the famous First Expedition, the Slithzerikai were one of the menaces that decimated their explorers. When the exiled humans founded their subterranean nation and started to call themselves 'Avernites', they had great troubles defending themselves against the Sliths at first, who still were united under the grandson of Ssss-Thoss, a Slith named Ssss-Thsss. Ssss-Thsss was later slain by adventurers, and most of the remaining Sliths made peace with the kingdom of Avernum.