Xulgath Deepmouth

Xulgath deepmouths wield the powers of the Abyss against their clutch's enemies and invoke righteous fear in their followers. The vast majority of deepmouths worship demon lords, most commonly Zevgavizeb. Scalescribing-the warping of xulgath flesh into imitations of Abyssal script-is a widespread practice among deepmouths, enabling them to channel the power of the Abyss through their fanatical devotees' own bodies.

Reptilian humanoids who live in the uppermost reaches of the Darklands, xulgaths (known as troglodytes to many surface-dwelling folk) often attack intruders in their territory on sight. They live in simple familial communities, battling rival groups and other aggressive Darklands inhabitants in order to survive. They occasionally raid surface settlements, usually at the behest of cruel, bloodthirsty leaders who are often themselves in the thrall of more powerful creatures like nagas or demons. A typical xulgath has dull gray, dark gray, or ashen scales, with a long tail and bony protrusions that run the length of its spine. A typical xulgath is 5 feet tall and weighs 150 pounds.

Although today the xulgaths are brutal and scattered, they were one of the first intelligent humanoids to rise in the primeval world, once ruling over a mighty empire that stretched throughout the Darklands. Today, all that remains of this era are ruins of massive stone ziggurats and crumbling cities found within some of the larger caverns. Some groups of xulgaths continue to live among these ruins, venerating their ancestors' accomplishments, while others consider these areas taboo and leave them to become infested with Darklands vermin. Sages don't agree on why the ancient xulgath civilization fell. Some suspect it was the result of a loss of several wars waged against serpentfolk, while others suggest that the corruptive influence of demon worship rotted their culture from within.

Certainly, many xulgath settlements continue to worship demons to this day, paying homage and offering live sacrifices to terrible creatures from the Abyss. Occasionally, a xulgath shaman can call forth and bind a lesser demon to help serve the group, but a shaman who delves too deep into occultism might summon a more powerful fiend that either tears the xulgaths to pieces or enslaves them.