In the Lizard Lords of Zapotec setting, there are no horses. Instead, folk ride around on feathered reptiles called Grizards. Possessing the intellect and temperament of dogs, they fill a horse-shaped niche without the inconveniences of simulating reality.
Grizards have greater endurance than horses when it comes to carrying riders. While historical cavaliers may have had to maintain a warhorse, and a horse for traveling on the road, and another horse or two for their luggage, and a spare for when their warhorse is on lunch, a lizardier can ride the same grizard to the battle that they intend to fight on. If you’re bringing multiple grizards, it’s because you want to carry MORE weight, rather than to continue carrying the same weight consistently.
Grizards are hardier. Horses can be fragile creatures. Driving them at speed over uneven terrain like we often see in the movies is a good way to wreck a horse. Not so for grizards. They can gallop over any terrain that a layperson would expect a horse to be able to gallop over, so long as they’ve never actually ridden a horse, nor read about them.
That being said, grizards have their disadvantages. They aren’t as fast as horses on flat ground. They are terrible swimmers and have a lower center of gravity than horses, so they can’t ford rivers any deeper than the height of a man. Perhaps more importantly, they are cold-blooded. Don’t expect to take them over the mountains or through the desert without them freezing or burning up, respectively.
People have a special connection to grizards. In a world where replacements are hard to find, they rarely break. We have adapted to live in diverse regions, so it should be no surprise that we have adapted our grizards as well.
THESE GRIZARDS ARE DIFFERENT
Tongue. Here, the flies are as fat as your hand. Our grizards can shoot their tongues quick as a dart up to 15 ft.
Heat Adapted. Here, it’s hotter ‘an Hell anywhere the sun touches. Our grizards can burrow through sand and loose earth. They may travel through the desert by occasionally cooling off within the folds of the earth. The desert folk so prize their grizards they will sell them for no less than triple the typical price.
Jumpers. Here, you can’t guarantee the path will still be here on your way back. Our grizards can jump 20’ standing, or 40’ if they have a good runup.
Swimmers. Here, the rain will make temporary rivers between every hill. Our grizards can move across the top of the water as long as they are going full speed
Skin Pouches. Here, it’s cold enough we all need some extra layers. Our grizards have layers of skin to seal in body heat. When leaping from high places, they can unfurl these skin pouches to glide for tremendous distances. This is so rad the mountain folk will not sell them to anyone other than proven friends who have helped in times of need.
Intelligent. Here, we know better than to treat them as animals. These grizards are highly social, rapacious, and clever. Said to be a more primordial form of our domesticated beasts, they run on two legs and devour anyone who comes close.
Spitters. Here the pits of many fruits are poisonous to the wrong kinds of critters. Our grizards have learned to spit great distances. Items they can fit in their mouths can be loosed like slingstones.
Sniffers. Here, the prey is of a canny breed. Our grizards can track by scent.
Sliders. Here, the wind makes a man smooth. Our grizards slide down hills and valleys at great speed. Double speed and +2 to hit and damage when sliding your grizard downwards.
Obedient. Here, we realized it made more sense to learn their language than to teach them ours. Come up with 10 one-word commands. Your grizard understand these commands.
