Hissites

== Hissites== Hissites, also known as he Children of Hiss or Lizardfolk, are a sentient race of reptile people. They are the children of the Turtles of Time, Hurr and Hiss, and their homeland is the Hurrian Marsh on the Western Continent.

Physical description
Hissites vary greatly in their physiology. Each of the original Thirty Fathers and Thirty Mothers is said to have been given their own physical gifts, reflecting the wide variety of lesser repitles and amphibians.

For all their varieties, Hissites do share several qualities. All Hissites can stand and walk upright, all can speak and think. All Hissites are cold-blooded, and as such are vulnerable to extreme temperatures. When hot, Hissites become energetic, eventually reaching a level of mania and ultimately death. When too cold, Hissites become sluggish and lethargic, both physically and mentally, and can likewise die. They are omnivorous, with different bloodlines needing a different mix of plants and fruit, insects, and meat or fish.

Hissite females are difficult for outsiders to differentiate from males. They lay clutches of between 4 and 7 eggs. Incubation times vary, primarily based on temperature. In hot conditions eggs can gestate rapidly.

Society
The foundation of Hissite society was laid out for them by Hiss in the time of the Thirty Fathers and Thirty Mothers. Hiss is revered as the Eggfather, the patriarch and prophet of the Hissite people, and their leader.

The Hissites are divided into thirty matrilineal tribes and thrity patrilineal clans. Hiss commanded all Thirty Mothers to have one clutch of eggs by all Thirty Fathers. In this way the bloodlines and gifts of all the fathers would be present in all the tribes, while each tribe would retain its own identity from their common mother. Each Mother built her own nest for her children on one of the sixty-one small islands in the lake. Hissite mothers lay the eggs, but Hissite fathers are expected to guard the eggs until they hatch. Hissite hatchlings live with their mother's tribe, but retain ties to their father's clan, especially in terms of education and occupation. Hissite hatchlings are expected to fend for themselves at a young age, finding their own food and making their own decisions, but it is incumbant on their parents to set examples and keep them from outside harm.

As of yet, the Hissites have little in the way of laws. They have taboos against Hissite on Hissite violence, and against harming eggs. They traditionally gather at the Hatching Place, the sacred island where the First Brood hatched, to discuss great matters.

The First Brood
The First Brood is the term for the collection of the Thirty Mothers and Thirty Fathers. Their deeds, along with those of Hiss, shaped and built Hissite civilization, and gave the clans and tribes their identities.

Known Fathers:

 * Philos the Wise: Philos was the seeker of knowledge, who was forever asking questions. Seeking answers, he consumed a Blossom of Hurr, and gained total knowledge of all things that were, are or will be.  But since the Blossom's power doomed a mortal who ate them to die if they should speak, Philos invented art, writing and mathematics to share what he had learned.  He then encoded all his knowledge in a secret cave filled with art, writing and equations.  Then he told his children, "See!" and died.  His children became the Philosoraptor clan, the Hissite scholars and priests
 * Kaiju the Mighty: Kaiju is the largest and strongest of Hiss's children. Hiss bade Kaiju try to throw him down into the dirt, in order that Kaiju might learn the art of fighting.  After sixty days, Kaiju did so.  Hiss then commanded Kaiju to teach his children what he had learned, and challenge them to wrestle their father.  Kaiju's children became the Komodon clan, the Hissite's foremost wrestlers and scholars
 * Gekoq the Traveller: Gekoq was the first Hissite to leave the Hurrian Marsh. He is the smallest of the fathers, but gifted with extraordinary hands and feet that allowed him to climb any surface.  Among his discoveries was the portal to Almirdûr.  His children, the Gekkin, became the scouts and explorers of the Hissites.