When the Lizardmen marched to war, the very earth
shook from their thunderous advance. Jungles came alive with slithering serpents and feral
behemoths, the skies above roared with flying packs of ravenous predators, and the air was thick
with an ancient, cosmic magic. If their foe were not warmbloods fated for feasting and sacrifice,
then their fate was annihilation… for the glory of the Old Ones! Welcome to the second in our
Video Series on the Races of the Warhammer World, where we will cover the Lizardmen armies.
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battle map. Just check out the link below. Chapter 1: Army Composition
The core units of Lizardmen armies were of Saurus and Skink variety, with the occasional posse of
hulking Kroxigors. The Saurus warriors primarily brought swords, spears and shields into the fray,
while the more mobile Skinks kept lighter weaponry with them, such as javelins, blow darts, or short
swords. Chameleon Skinks were exclusively ambush missile infantry or hybrid melee stalkers, and
the Red Crested Skinks were strong enough to tote larger weaponry into a fight, much
like their Saurus brethren. Elite Saurus of the Temple Guard would occasionally march into
battle, always to protect the Slann Mage-Priests. Lizardmen Cavalry needed mounts that could
bear their massive Saurus soldiers into battle. Certain Saurus warriors were spawned
with the instinctive ability to tame and ride the perfect predators for the job, known
as Cold Ones. They were swift reptilian predators with an insatiable drive to attack any
warm-blooded creature that came near. Naturally, they hunted in packs and were capable of felling
a target many times their own size. An extremely rare subspecies of Cold Ones called the Horned
Ones, was fielded by Lizardman armies as well. Virtually extinct, they spawned from the
Pools always at the same time as their riders and were adapted for fighting duels
with their large horns and spiny crests. But not all Lizardmen cavalry were bound to the
ground. The lightweight and clever Skinks had mastered the art of riding Terradons, no easy
feat considering the hazards of approaching a lair of these flying reptiles. Skinks would cling
to their backs and either wield poison javelins or slings of fire-leech bolas. The Skinks trained
their mounts to carry stonemason spheres with them into battle. Troops of Terradon riders
would fly in formation and cue the beasts to let go of their payload atop a selected target,
unloading a deadly avalanche of crushing stones. The Skinks flew beasts called Ripperdactyls,
even more bloodthirsty than Terradons, into battle. The ravenous creatures attacked
anything that moved and could not be stopped once they identified prey and plunged down upon
them. The talons alone could decapitate enemies with ease, and Ripperdactyl attacks scarcely left
behind anything but strewn limbs and innards. Lustria was a thriving ecosystem with
countless creatures, large and small, in which the Lizardmen were tamed for war. The
species that could not be ridden as cavalry were trained to hunt in packs alongside the army.
War machines came upon the backs of massive monsters, while the more feral beasts were
unleashed as unstoppable killing machines. The smallest of these special units was the
Jungle Swarm, which was actually one mass of slithering reptiles ranging from tiny poisonous
lizards to large pythons. In a typical engagement, these swarms almost always preceded the
main lizardman army and attacked their foes in a frenzied entanglement
of suffocating coils and biting fangs. They naturally gathered near any
shrines and temples dedicated to Sotek. Often found covering the Lizardmen
army flanks were the Salamanders, giant amphibians with a belly that belched
a liquid so volatile it would immediately burst into flames. They were trained in packs by
Skink handlers who would goad them into position with jabbing spears and then annoy them to the
point of spitting fire. When fortifications were encountered during times of war, the salamander
packs were particularly effective at burning out garrisons through embrasures. Much like the
Salamanders, the Razordons were prodded with spears to elicit the creature’s defensive
reaction: an ejected hail of barbed spikes. The spines were tough enough to pierce through
both shield and armour and did not easily break. The larger creatures of the jungle fought
alongside the Lizardmen, such as the dreaded Carnosaur. They were the ultimate jungle hunters
and could attain a size as tall as two-story buildings. Just a taste of blood would send the
behemoth into a frenzy, tearing through any living being, warmblood or coldblood, to satiate their
bloodlust. They marched with Lizardmen armies, either feral or as the ferocious mount of
Saurus Old Bloods or Scar Veterans only, for enormous strength and skill are needed
to even begin controlling a Carnosaur. Much like the Carnosaur, the Troglodon were feral
beasts trained to seek out high-value targets. Also called the Pale Death, they were entirely
blind and relied on whiskers to track motion, as their natural environments were
subterranean grottoes. It was able to spit toxic bile and listen for sizzling
flesh to triangulate its prey’s location. The Skink Priests claimed that these
twin-tailed giants were marked by Sotek himself and were untamable except only by the
hand of a similarly twin-tailed Skink Oracle. The Lizardmen’s treasured weapons of
war were lugged by the tough Bastiladon, a hulking species of armoured reptiles that
were regarded as walking fortresses. Even the most powerful Carnosaurs had trouble cracking
the shell, and instead, the biggest threat to the Bastiladon was its own gargantuan weight. The Arc
of Sotek was a sacred stone artifact that had the appearance of a basin engraved with Sotek glyphs.
As the Bastiladon thundered towards enemy lines, the Skink crew activated the glyphs and raked
hot coals beneath the basin to aggravate Jungle Swarms. When a Bastiladon was deemed blessed
by Chotec, the Solar Engine would be mounted upon its back instead. When activated, it
would radiate golden rays that invigorated nearby Lizardmen or blast a sunlight beam
of intense heat. A Revivification Crystal could also be mounted to allow wounded warriors to
rejuvenate their wounds and spare dying soldiers. Stegadon were bulky creatures with heads crowned
in thorny crests and renowned for their stubborn, territorial behaviour. Amongst the oldest
of their kind were the Ancient Stegadon, and they were the only creatures
that had the correct temperament and sufficient strength to bear the revered
Engine of the Gods. Upon activation, the device thrummed with arcane energies
to protect allies and devastate foes. Chapter 2: Lords and Heroes
The armies of primeval glory needed leaders of equal greatness who were
able to direct the ferocity of the Lizardmen and prevent disorganization in the ranks from
out-of-control bloodlust. Without a firm hand, instinct would quickly overcome reason to
the detriment of the army. The oldest race had many lords and heroes fit for the task,
hailing from every part of the caste society. "Amid the darkness and horror of a world
splintering apart, the armies of the true creators, we who were ancient at the dawn of
time, will march forth once more. We shall sweep away all that is chaos and disorder, for
ours is the true path, and none shall defy us." Translation from ancient plaques
attributed to Venerable Lord Kroak. Of the generals of the Slann, none were older than
Lord Kroak. So old was Kroak, in fact, that it was said that he was of the first generation of Slann
created by the Old Ones themselves. At the Defense of Itza during the Great Catastrophe, he succumbed
to the attack of a dozen Bloodthirster demons of Khorne, but his spirit refused to surrender.
In the moment that his body was torn apart, his freed soul sailed over the ruins
and banished the entire demonic army, attacking Itza with a blast of light as powerful
as the sun itself. The Skinks diligently collected the parts of his dismembered body and mummified
the Slann, who became the first Relic Priest. The Relic Priest in battle would carry the Standard of
the Sacred Serpent, which would animate when any foe came near the Relic Priest. Upon Kroak’s head
was the Golden Death Mask, used both to protect his mummified skull and hypnotize opponents. Even
if Lord Kroak was unable to lift a weapon anymore, he brought his Ceremonial Mace of Malachite as
he did in life. Just the residual magic alone was powerful enough to negate any magic weapon
used against the Relic Priest in battle. Not even magic spells could harm Kroak due to the
Amulet of Itza that decorated his preserved body. An arcane Glyph of Potec was inscribed
upon the bindings that helped to preserve him, and they markedly increased the damage
Lord Kroak could inflict upon Undead. "Woe to the warm-bloods who would despoil our
realm, for their craving for trinkets and baubles drives them deeper into lands forbidden
to them. Cast them out, show them no pity, feed their carcasses to the beasts of the jungle
and leave their bones to bleach upon the golden shores of our land. Let them see that it is folly
to intrude upon the domains of the Lizardmen." —Translation of the proclamation of Lord
Mazdamundi, from the chronicle of Hexoatl The oldest living Slann to lead the Lizardmen
in battle was Lord Mazdamundi of the Second Spawning. He was the successor of Lord Kroak
and the guardian of Hexoatl, City of the Sun. In battle, Mazdamundi’s palanquin throne would
levitate above his trusted Stegadon mount, Zlaaq, who had served the Mage-Priest for
more than five hundred years. Like Kroak, Mazdamundi brought with him many pieces of war
gear for magic and defence. The Cobra Mace of Mazdamundi could animate with lightning speed
and bite down on the magical weapons of his opponents. He held with him two stone tablets:
The Plaque of Tepec to counter spells and the Plaque of Xoloc to power his own. This Slann never
went into battle without his gourd of Itxi Grubs, insects known by the Lizardmen to possess
the ability to absorb raw earth magic from the ground. By eating them by the gourd-full,
Mazdamundi received a boon of magical energy. He closely guarded the Egg of Quango even in a
fight, a curious relic kept by the Mage Priest that was said to hatch only with the return
of the Old Ones. Mazdamundi’s palanquin held a banner to inspire nearby Lizardmen warriors:
The Sunburst Standard of Hexoatl. When enemies looked upon it, the light from the
standard would result in blindness. Lord Mazdamundi himself selected a champion fit to
exterminate the races not part of the Great Plan: a Saurus Oldblood from the ruined temple-city
Xhotl named Kroq-Gar. He was spawned with a handful of other Saurus marked
for greatness at the same time, a brood of mighty Carnosaur were reared.
The warrior claimed the largest and most aggressive of the brood as his mount, called
Grymloq. Kroq-Gar was the only survivor of Xhotl and was gifted the Hand of Gods by
Mazdamundi. It was an artifact of the Old Ones capable of summoning a searing ball of
light to lob at the enemy and sear the flesh from their bones instantaneously. In his other
hand he carried the Revered Spear of Tlanxla, said to have been used by the Old One as he rode
his sky chariot into battle. When struck by it, enemies are overwhelmed with visions of
doom that neutralize any will to fight. "The Great White Lizard is renowned for the
stoicism he displays whilst simultaneously savaging his enemies in battle."
—Gor-Rok. From the spawning pools of Itza
during the early years of the world, an unusually large Saurus with albino scales
emerged. Gor-Rok, the Great White Lizard, was among the most feared and renowned Saurus
commanders. In battle, he could always be found where the fighting was most intense, bearing
the Mace of Ulumak and The Shield of Aeons. The mace was said to have the guiding hand of
the Old Ones themselves, and the shield was blessed with the unmovable resistance of the
volcano where the original slab was sourced. Hailing from the City of Mist, Chakax was a
Saurus warrior who was tasked with defending the vulnerable Slann while meditating in the
Eternity Chamber. Chakax earned the title of Eternity Warden, and no Mage-Priest ever
perished under his watch. He alone kept The Key to the Eternity Chamber. In war, it granted
Chakax the same speed as his opponent no matter how swift they were and made dodging blows
effortlessly. Upon his skull was The Helm of the Prime Guardian that once belonged to the
first of all Temple Guard and was said to be infused with the spirit of the long-dead Saurus
and heightened Chakax’s awareness of threats. The Eternity Warden also wielded The Star-stone
Mace, a massive double-handed weapon that had been crafted before Itza was founded. With it, Chakax
was able to render magical enchantments inert. "Nakai earned his epithet due to his solitary
nature, for instead of pledging himself to a single temple-city, he goes wherever the Great
Plan deems it necessary – whenever the Lizardmen are in dire need; when catastrophe threatens
their existence. He is revered by the Skinks, who adorn him with tokens of his many battles
fought in preservation of his race and the furtherance of the Great Plan."
—Description of Nakai the Wanderer There was only one Kroxigor spawned with a
clear purpose beyond mindless labour. Nakai the Wanderer, regarded by the Skink Priests
as an incarnation of a powerful jungle spirit, was known to appear when the Lizardmen were in
most dire need. Nakai was a Blessed Spawning of Quetzl, which gave him an extraordinarily tough
hide and bore the Blessed Mark of the Old Ones, or albinism. In wartime, Nakai was
enigmatic and would appear seemingly out of nowhere in the jungle and disappear just
as quickly. He brought a single blade with him: the Sacred Blade of Quetzl. It was
near-sentient and would guide Nakai toward his foes. It was claimed to have been
the manifestation of the Old One himself. Most represented in the caste, when
it came to generals and heroes, were the Skinks. Among them, Tetto’eko was
the most magically gifted and believed to have been blessed by the Old One Tepok. The
astromancer was spawned when the true moon, Mannslieb, was eclipsed by the cursed second moon,
Morrslieb. It was originally seen as an ill omen, but Tetto’eko’s remarkable ability to foresee and
even change the winds of fate made him an icon of good fortune. Like the Slann, he hovered above
the ground upon a palanquin and kept with him The Eye of the Old Ones, which allowed him
to glean the future, and The Stellar Staff, which was powerful enough to alter
the trajectory of passing comets. There were likely none more cunning
among the Chameleon Skinks than Oxyotl, He That Hunts Unseen. The skink was the only
Lizardmen known to have been sucked into the Realm of Chaos and escaped alive. In that dark
realm, he survived much like he did in the jungle, shifting his scales to blend in with his
surroundings and constantly keeping his scent covered with the blood of demons. The
torturous realm kept Oxyotl away from Lustria for seven thousand years before his return,
and in that time, he had seen the fate of all races should Chaos succeed in their
plans to bring the apocalypse. In battle, Oxyotl’s weapon of choice was the Golden
Blowpipe of P’Toohee, a pipe wrought from gold that could send a hail of darts toward
the enemy with just the slightest of exhales. From Hexoatl as the Master of the Skies was
Tiktaq’to, a Skink with no equal in the art of aerial combat. He was considered the
greatest of all the Lizardmen’s Terradon Riders and was a master of strategy and
flanking maneuvers. Upon his Terradon, Zwup, Tiktaq’to led a squadron of flying reptiles in the
skies outside the temple city and would often be the first to ambush trespassing intruders. His
wargear consisted of the Blade of Ancient Skies, carved from the jawbone of some monstrous
flying predator, and the Mask of Heavens, allowing his consciousness to blend with the
Terradons and fight with unmatched cohesiveness. From the surviving skinks of Chaqua, a
red-crested leader rose up to command a massive host of his fanatic brethren.
Tehenhauin, the twin-tailed Prophet of Sotek, rallied the plagued population and led a massive
migration of Skinks to establish the Cult of Sotek and spread the prophecy of his coming. So
successful was his campaign to drive the Skaven out of Lustria that even the reluctant Slann
acknowledged Sotek as a god equal to the Old Ones. Tehenhauin claimed two treasures prior to the
evacuation of Chaqua that he carried into battle: The Plaque of Sotek and the Blade of the Serpent’s
Tongue. The plaque provided Tehenhauin with a protective ward whilst the sacrificial dagger
always dripped with enchanted, deadly venom. While the supremacy of Lizardmen faded as the
World aged and the younger races spread their influence, their ferocity and savagery had
no equal. They frequently clashed with the other factions, all in the name of restoring the
Great Plan, diligent in fulfilling their role as Defenders of the World. More videos on the races
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