Okay, gonna toss out some ideas on the swamp-dwelling Narven (Lizardfolk). Maybe they're trash, maybe we use some, maybe we use all, just let me know what you all think.
Firstly, they're big. While desert Narven are like desert lizards in that they tend to be light coloured and more slender (smaller body mass = more surface area / body mass ratio = better heat dispersion and ability to survive high temperatures) swamp Narven are more along the lines of gators- they're big and fairly brawny, lacking the dexterity and agility of their desert-dwelling cousins but making up for it in more brute strength. Their coloration is also darker to allow them to blend in to their environment, generally shades of green that range from the green of tree leaves to almost being jet black, green only on the highlights when the light reflects off it.
Coming from the swamp as they do, they have no history of working with stone or metal, instead using the materials that can be found in the swamp- namely wood, vines, and animal parts. Most of their weapons are constructed using bones, frequently jawbones, and the majority of their clothing, what little they need to wear (mostly ceremonial) is generally made from barkcloth. Their homes vary from tribe to tribe, with a general trend of the lighter the tone of the Narven in the tribe, the more raised their dwellings will be- the darkest of them seem to be borderline amphibious, not actually capable of breathing underwater, but quite comfortable with being partially submerged indefinetly. As a result, several Blackscale Narven tribes actually construct their dwellings half submerged, making such villages rather difficult to find.
Most swamp Narven seem to be prejudiced against magic to some degree, and those Narven who show a predisposition towards it are often ostracized by their tribe. These outcasts often form small communities of their own, around which many dark rumors tend to flow- regardless of what they actually do, in the eyes of other swamp Narven these spellcaster communities are unholy abominations. Due to the fact that they tend to be composed of members from all different skin tones, such villages are often quite chaotic and mismatched, showing cultural icons important to a wide variety of tribes.
Though not magical, the swamp Narven do have a few traditions that somewhat confuse outsiders as to how they are done without magic- first and foremost among these is their habit of shrinking heads. This is only ever done with the heads of intelligent creatures, and among most swamp Narven it is done as a precaution against the angry spirit of the slain coming back for revenge. When in the hands of some of the Narven spellcasters though, these heads are used as far more than grisly decoration or jewelery- they can be reanimated or used as the focus of dark magic, allowing some rather unpleasant effects.
Their language is also subtly different from that of desert Narven, not enough to be incomprehensible, but it is more difficult for them to talk. A real world equivalent would be if someone with a strong cockney accent was trying to talk to someone with a strong deep-southern american accent; they can make themselves understood, but their pronunciations are different and they use different sayings and turns of phrase.
In explanation of that, swamp Narvan language tends to be more gutteral with less sibilant sounds, and due to the frame and stature of the Swamp Narven it often tends to be very deep. Hearing it spoken would be similar to hearing a blend of Russian and German spoken by a very large black man.
General reference for the build of the swamp Narven
