The Cold Broods are a group of humanoid and semi-humanoid reptiles who have been seen on almost every continent on Nave and can most often be found in jungles and on beaches, but have also been known to seemingly opportunistically occupy ruins. While they primarily form tribes among their own, there are rare examples of “multi-species” settlements consisting of two or more different members of the Cold Broods family.

The Khurites of Myrland have been combating the Cold Broods of the jungles for as long as anyone can remember, with songs about ancient battles where birds play important roles as allies to the tribes. Terror Birds for example are seen as the guardians of the border between the jungle and the plains.

According to the Khurites, they are reason the Cold Broods seldom venture up to the plains. Unbeknownst to many, the tribes closest to the jungle sacrifice food down the cliffs to the violent birds deep below.

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The following is an incomplete list of the various Cold Broods family members.

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Bufonids are alleged to be virtually defenseless physically, but a few individuals are said to be able to dominate other members of the Cold Broods by intellectual and magical superiority. At a superficial glance, they appear as organizers, leaders, and commanders of the rare, “multi-species” Cold Broods settlements.

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Among the less “intellectual” of the Cold Broods, surviving records on the Crurotarsi or Croc-ogres indicate that they seem happy enough to splash about in small ponds within the rare, “multi-species” Cold Broods settlements.

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Unfortunately, the only surviving records on the Najash are those with their name appearing on various lists alongside other members of the Cold Broods family, and at least one accompanying “creative” depiction by a very likely bored Tindremic researcher or student presenting them as snake-like with very exaggerated humanoid secondary features.

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Very little is actually known about the Sators, although there is no shortage of scholarly speculations and pretentious disquisitions even nowadays. During the glory days of the Tindremic Empire, the Tindremenes encountered the Sators as they extended their dominion into the southern region of Myrland.

Notable works were penned during that era, such as the renowned Natura Myro Lanarius. However, most accounts from that time were swept away in the cataclysmic event known as The Great Washout, hundreds of years ago.

G|k’qaãzz!      !qāhezz!      !n̥aãzzss!
|àh’ni kâ       |ù̱hāzzss!

Ostensible "transcription" of Sator chant, author unknown
"Natura Myro Lanarius", Liber XI, XXXV

Additionally, the Khurites have numerous stories about the Sators, although these accounts are often difficult to separate from myth. Nevertheless, it is known that the Sators inhabit various regions, including Myrland, Sarducaa, Sidoia, Urmôthar, and several islands to the south.

The Satorian tribes are numerous and likely exhibit behavioral and ecological variations. Some explorers have even reported engaging in trade negotiations with specific tribes, while others perceive them solely as cunning territorial predators. In Myrland, the Khurites possess a rich mythology that portrays the Sators as nigh-unknowable monsters, probably owing to their long history of encountering raids from the jungle-dwelling reptilians.

There is a consensus among scholars that the Sators possess a developed language. Their communication involves clicks, hisses, various vocalized articulations, as well as horn-like calls. As a curious side note, these calls, which are supposedly also made by Dragons, may have inspired the Tindremic musical instrument called Ophis or “serpent”, constructed from Messing. This connection likely contributes to the Khurites' aversion to such metal instruments.

Several attempts have been made to study the Sators' language, their intelligence, and their social structure, but these endeavors have yielded limited…scholarly success.

Furthermore, very little is known about their origins, hierarchy, or how they interact with other species within the Cold Broods family, where the Sators consistently appear to be the majority.

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In Myrland and Urmôthar, either the Sator or Bufonids have been known occasionally carve dwellings out of giant conks found on equally colossal trees. However, it remains unclear whether they actively cultivate the fungi or utilize preexisting growths.

Some scholars propose the former possibility, as certain tribes, aside from constructing wooden structures, also create Veela-like “organic” frameworks through some pleaching-like process or “biotecture”. Often, these shapes are invisible to the untrained eye.

Theories exist regarding the role of Bufonids within certain tribes, particularly in terms of how they appear to pacify or dominate these groups. The prevailing hypothesis suggests that a Bufonid is a prerequisite for the formation of the relatively rare “multi-species” tribes that have occasionally been reported.

However, the precise mechanisms behind such gatherings remain largely unknown.

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The jungles in southern Myrland have been quiet for a long time, and if any of the Cold Broods survived they have remained hidden. While there have been mysterious disappearances of Sidoian explorers looking for ancient structures deep in the jungle, danger comes in many forms in the region and there may be many explanations.

What's more concerning are the alleged findings of crude weapons crafted from Tagmaton raptorial appendages.

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