Lizardmen

"The time of the Great Serpent is nigh!" One of the most significant events in the history of the Lizardmen was the rise of the Skink cult of the Serpent-God, Sotek. Traditionally, the gods of the Lizardmen were, and still are, the Old Ones, said to have come to the world in its primeval era from beyond the stars: such shadowy entities as Tlaxcotl, Chotec, Quatl, Tzunki, Xapati, Huanchi and the inscrutable Tepok, whose decree was for the world to have a central place in their unknowable plans. Sotek was a new god, an upstart god, the 'God of the Skinks', whose fateful prophecy was an obscure cautionary detail known only from a single plaque once kept in the great pyramid-temple of Chaqua, the City of Gold. The former Mage-Priests of Chaqua had believed the Plaque of Sotek contained the true words of the Old Ones, but tragically did not ponder on them, assuming they spoke of events in the very distant future. Little did they know that Sotek’s prophecy not only predicted the collapse of the Warp gates, but also an imminent cataclysmic invasion of Lustria by the Skaven, starting with a deadly plague sweeping over the land. And so, when a virulent sickness arrived in Chaqua and decimated the population, it was already far too late. Soon, the unprepared Mage-Priests of the temple-city were also overcome by the sickness and perished. With the spawning pools infected and countless Skinks sick or dead, the events prophesized by the Plaque of Sotek had begun. Doom had befallen the City of Gold… The remaining population of Chaqua were now leaderless, but the few survivors were of the particularly resilient generation of Skinks known as the ‘Red Crests’. The greatest amongst them was an individual with a zeal for slaughtering Skaven very rarely seen in the dispassionate Lizardmen’s ranks – Tehenhauin, the Prophet of Sotek. As his following grew, the Cult of Sotek quickly became the focal point of the Lizardmen’s counter-offensive against the ratmen’s virulent invasion. For Sotek himself is prophesised to be a mighty serpent of such awesome size and appetite that he can swallow the Rat God himself and spend thousands of years digesting him! Having led the remaining cohorts of Chaqua on a migration ahead of the plague, Tehenhauin triumphantly grasps the Plaque of Sotek as he leads his apostles against Skaven armies wherever he finds them. It seems impossible for a short-lived Skink to attain his lifespan, but it is whispered that as a snake sheds its skin and is renewed, so too does Sotek’s Chosen. The prophecy states that the Serpent-God’s coming shall be heralded by the appearance of his forked tongue in the sky, but also that his invocation can only be made possible by sating his near-boundless appetite for sacrificial offerings. Tehenhauin will not rest until the waters of the River Amaxon run red with sacrificed Skaven blood, empowering Sotek to deliver Lustria from the rodent-spawn once and for all!

"Flying braves, bring wrath from the sky!!" Dwelling in the warmer, jungle climes in the southern regions of the world are the ancient societies of the Lizardmen. Often mistook as a single race, these reptilian guardians of Order are composed of several distinct species serving under the enigmatic Slann Mage-Priests. Of all Lizardmen species, the Skinks are the most mentally and physically agile, and on occasion a Skink spawning will not produce an entire cohort from the pools of life as is the norm, but instead only a single Skink will issue forth. These individuals are considered marked by the Old Ones as destined to lead, or otherwise achieve greatness amongst their kind. When such individuals emerge, the Slann Mage-Priests of Lustria make use of them in the Lizardmen chain of command to help achieve their indecipherable ends. Tiktaq’to is one such special individual – a cagey but death-defying Skink Chief who has proven himself peerless when it comes to aerial combat and leading bold hit-and-run attacks from the sky. From his outpost in Tlaqua he patrols the Southlands, leading a squadron of flying reptiles, from atop his Terradon, Zwup, through reckless paths of dense vegetation and steep-sided ravines so narrow that the flying beasts brush against the cliff-faces with each flap of their mighty wings. A keen sense of when and where to strike has led Tiktaq’to to countless victories against forces many times the size of his own. His foes always attempt to shoot him and his squadron out of the air as soon as they come within range – a feat easier said than done, since he leads his formations in such breath-taking aerial manoeuvres that they can evade clouds of arrows and emerge unscathed to deliver their own lethal attacks. For his many acts of fearless flying and savage attacks on the Lizardmen’s foes, Tiktaq’to has been named ‘Master of Skies’, a pre-eminent position that has also granted him ownership of the Mask of Heavens – a thrice-blessed heirloom from an elder age, which allows the wearer to meld their consciousness with the minds of the mighty Terradons. Tiktaq’to has been sent from Lustria in aid of the Great Plan, leading his squadron across the World Pond to the Southlands – a place of considerable significance to the Lizardmen as it was once a single landmass that included their home continent of Lustria, before Slann manipulation many ages ago divided it in two. As those who have braved both places will attest, this is why the jungles of the Southlands bear so much in common with those of Lustria, both being home to the same reptilian carnivores as well as long-forgotten temple-cities that have fallen off the newly-altered Geomantic Web. With new aeries now established in the ancient ruins of the previously abandoned temple-city of Tlaqua, the Lizardmen’s ancient holdings in the Southlands shall be forsaken no longer. It is the Master of the Skies’ duty to reclaim them, uphold the will of the Old Ones, and destroy all those discordant with the Great Plan!

"No fear. No pain. More scars for the Old Ones!" Since the days of their creation, the Lizardmen have been at the forefront of the battle for the world’s survival. While much has been lost over the long ages of warfare against the many foes of Order, the Lizardmen still fight on, unleashing their cold-blooded savagery upon any who stand in the way of their sacred mission. Ever-primed for war, the Lizardmen march to battle with armies comprised of titanic reptilian beasts who lumber onto the battlefields surrounded by vicious cohorts on the ground as well as in the sky, all in aid of the Great Plan. Unsurprisingly, the greatest of the Lizardmen cohorts are stationed at a location of paramount importance to them and their fulfilment of the Old Ones’ will – Itza, the First City. For buried in the labyrinth beneath the primordial temple-city’s wide concourses are vaults containing many of the Old Ones’ creations, including devices of such potential devastation that not even the Slann Mage-Priests dare dwell upon their nature for too long. Itza is also home to the most powerful and ancient practitioners of magic to be found anywhere in the world, most notably the venerable Relic Priest Lord Kroak, whose indomitable spirit has guarded Itza against the return of Chaos ever since the Great Catastrophe. It is not only powerful figures like Kroak who help uphold the Old Ones’ plan, however, for there are other champions at Itza with the same steadfast resolution. At the apex of Itza’s tallest pyramid is the resting place of the Great White Lizard, Gor Rok. Like all Saurus, Gor-Rok is a fighting machine, a creature wholly purposed for war and the slaughtering of enemies. Unlike most of his species, however, he has albino colourings and is oversized, his heavy frame corded with muscles covered with scales tough enough to deflect all but the most determined of sword thrusts. Indeed, Gor-Rok has survived horrendous wounds and bears monstrous scars, yet never has injury hindered him from duty or prevented him from achieving victory. Now, with his Skink attendants having hefted the Mace of Ulumak upon his shoulder and with the Shield of Aeons strapped to his arm, Gor-Rok has descended from his resting place once again. With Itza and indeed the whole of Lustria suffering new threats, the Great White Lizard is on the prowl. With cold-blooded purpose, he senses his role in the Great Plan: to go where the fighting is thickest and help the Old Ones’ children in battle wherever he can. Those that do not fall beneath the powerful blows of his mace shall be smashed aside by his massive shield, or otherwise brutally crushed beneath his mighty tread.

Long before the fledging races of Elves, Dwarfs, or men could even stand upright on their own feet, the ancient race known as the Lizardmen had already proven themselves victorious on countless battlefields across the world. Stranded by the starfaring creators known as the Old Ones and left to contemplate a world irrevocably changed over the ages, the Lizardmen nonetheless work tirelessly to fulfil the Great Plan. From timeworn temple-cities deep within the steaming jungles of Lustria they sound the drums of war and bellow with the blood-rage of creatures of a primordial past, marching to battle against the forces of destruction as the ground trembles beneath them. In addition to the contemplative Slann, the warrior-caste Saurus, and the nimble Skinks that make up the bulk of their societal and military hierarchy, the Lizardmen’s ranks are also bolstered by the imposing Kroxigor – hulking, crocodilian behemoths whose destructive potential make them overwhelmingly effective shock troops. Physical prowess was originally gifted to them for practical necessity, enabling them to be the beasts of burden that constructed the monolithic structures, vast pyramids, and wide plazas of Lustria’s awe-inspiring temple-cities, upon which it is said the Old Ones themselves landed their star-sailing ships. An infrequent spawning, it is rare for more than a handful of Kroxigor to enter the world at the same time, and even rarer for one to become so long-lived that it starts to act autonomously, without the direction of the Skink handlers and overseers. Roaming master-less throughout the world in aid of the Great Plan, the Kroxigor Ancient known as Nakai the Wanderer is a revered creature. He has often been the harbinger of the Lizardmen’s most pivotal battles throughout the ages, famously appearing in times of their greatest need to annihilate their enemies. He is by far the hardiest of any Lizardmen champion – even the twisted, biological warfare of the Skaven has not been able to overcome him, as proved when he managed to defeat the bemuscled Rat Ogre known as the Beast of Clan Pestilens, despite being fever-stricken by its disease-ridden splatter. Nakai is enigmatic even to his fellow kin – regarded by them as a powerful jungle-spirit and their mightiest protector. He is festooned with golden tributes, for a millennia his victories have often led to the Skink Priests adorning his massive, battle-scarred body with ceremonial tokens as a mark of deference, before he heads off once again to continue his search for those foes who dare defile the hallowed realm of the Lizardmen.

"I have existed in the full horror of Chaos. I have glimpsed firsthand the fate of all races of the world. The Dark Gods must not prevail." Many aeons ago, the continent of Lustria was the realm of the creator-gods – the mysterious Old Ones, who ruled with the Lizardmen as their servants to have the world fulfill its unique, boundless potential. This world was not their only dominion; the Old Ones’ empire spanned not only space, but also time itself. One day, disaster befell them. The dimensional pathways and gateways they used to travel collapsed, as destructive beings who dwelled in the darkling halls and stygian depths were stirred from their in-between realm – malign intelligences that resented the Old Ones’ trespasses, forces the creator-gods had long fought in a constant war for mastery over that impossible dimension. Thus, Chaos gained entry into this reality and the Old Ones departed, never to be seen again. Whether they were destroyed, or simply abandoned the world to its fate, none will ever know. The Slann, Skinks, Saurus and all other castes of Lizardmen spawned to further the work of their creators had a new purpose: to be the defenders of the world. Oxyotl was already an accomplished hunter when Chaos arrived, leading successful ambushes against the oncoming hordes with his fellow Chameleon Skinks. After his Slann Lord was tricked by the Ruinous Powers, the colossal energies with which the Old Ones tried to banish the foe spiralled out of control, ripping holes in the fabric of reality itself. The Slann Lord and his Chameleon Skink protectors were sucked into the Realm of Chaos and Oxyotl awoke in a living nightmare. His Lord and spawn-kin were devoured and he was alone in a land of living shadows, untruths and impossibilities. Using his innate abilities, he was able to stay mostly unnoticed, still having to fight to survive using his instincts and cunning. He covered his scent against the Daemonic hounds tracking him by daubing himself in his pursuers’ blood, and ambushed the mystic sentinels that sought to destroy him. Most miraculously of all, the Chameleon Skink successfully willed himself to resist all temptations. After trials almost beyond enduring, Oxyotl found a path home, passing through fell places that he cannot recount even to himself for fear of going mad. The passage of time flows strangely within the Realm of Chaos, and upon his return to Lustria he found that over 7000 years had passed, during which the Lizardmen’s realm had fallen low and the lesser races had spread like plagues. Since his return, Oxyotl has waged a war of revenge against the fell powers. Some say his experiences changed him irrevocably, allowing him to foresee the presence of the Dark Gods’ minions before they execute their destructive schemes. Time after time, the Daemons arrive to find Oxyotl already ensconced nearby, a hidden nuisance that always finds a way to thwart their immortal plans. After each great deed, he fades back into the jungle, perhaps already en route to where he is needed next.

"Summon Grymloq. Now we hunt!" To the south of the world, in much warmer, jungle climes, live the Lizardmen. These reptilian champions of order are not one race but a collective of various cold-blooded creatures all dedicated to bringing the Great Plan of the Old Ones – the stellar race that terraformed the world before the Ancient Enemy brought Ruin – to fruition. The Lizardmen are led by the Slann Mage-Priests, who in turn are served by the adaptable Skinks, the labouring Kroxigor and the fearsome warrior-caste, the mighty Saurus. It is the Saurus that form the bulk of the Lizardmen armies for they are spawned for that sole purpose – bringing war to those deigned as enemies by the Mage-Priests. Just because the Saurus have no concerns beyond battle does not mean they are limited in intellect. Far from it, in fact, for they excel in the role for which they are specifically spawned. None among their number is more capable or feared by the warmbloods than Kroq-Gar, Last Defender of Xhotl. Kroq-Gar is an Ancient Scar-Leader and a legendary presence amongst the Lizardmen, for he has fought Daemons and countless enemies over untold millennia. Unquestioningly, Kroq-Gar was blessed by the Old Ones during his spawning, for he was among the last survivors of Xhotl, a temple-city that suffered constant Daemonic attack during the Great Cataclysm. After the loss of his home temple-city, he continued to fight; master-less, he and his Saurus Warriors ranged far across the jungles seeking out foes and interlopers, of which there are many. In recent centuries, Kroq-Gar has fallen under the sway of Lord Mazdamundi. The great second generation Mage-Priest recognised in him an eternal warrior spirit and gifted him the Hand of Gods, a relic of the Old Ones. Strategically positioned for the coming wars, Mazdamundi has sent Kroq-Gar and his loyal cohorts across the World Pond to the Southlands. The Last Defender has been tasked with re-establishing the failing Geomantic Web and bringing about the next stage of the Great Plan: the annihilation of the myriad enemies of order.

"The time of inaction is over. The great purpose must be accomplished." The Lizardmen are the reptilian guardians of Order. They follow the Great Plan set down by the Old Ones, as interpreted by the Slann Mage-Priests who direct the small and capable Skinks, the Saurus Warriors, bestial Kroxigor and myriad other reptilian servants. Being cold-blooded, Lizardmen reside in the warmer climates, mainly across the jungle-continent of Lustria and the Southlands. Hidden within the undergrowth are the temple-cities where the Slann contemplate and the other reptilian castes live to serve the Old Ones’ will. Shining brightest of all the ancient temple-cities is Hexoatl, the City of the Sun. Though Itza is the First City, Hexoatl has eclipsed it in importance due to its status as home to Lord Mazdamundi, the most active of all the remaining Slann Mage-Priests. Due to its location and history, the City of the Sun is the most fortified and martial of all the temple-cities. Whereas the boundaries of most other cities simply merge with the jungle, Hexoatl has mighty walls and serried ranks of Saurus patrol its plazas. Until recently, even the Norse trespassers of Skeggi and its surrounding colonies avoided Hexoatl, although that has changed of late. Yet it is not just the city and its reptilian legions that enemies and invaders must be wary of, but its mighty leader, Lord Mazdamundi, oldest and most powerful of the living Slann Mage-priests; he who can bring ruination upon cities; he that rides the horned beast. After years of contemplation, Mazdamundi has come to a simple epiphany: the Great Plan cannot move to the next phase until the first stage has been completed. This involves relocating a few, select races and the utter obliteration of the fell spawn that infests the world. And so, with the fire of Old One, Chotec, burning within Lord Mazdamundi, the time of inaction is over – the Great Plan will be executed – order *will* come from Chaos, no matter the cost!