Army Fluff The third dawn (The Death Of Lord Kroak)

This is likely to Grow more and more, branching outwards so I've popped an index just below. Hopefully I'm confusing things with the various tangents, everything will tie in neatly at the end I promise.

Sections I haven't posted yet are marked accordingly, but not everything is included below as much of this is growing and growing as I type.

The Third Dawn.

Characters (None of these are completed yet)
- Avatar Of Xolotl (yep....you think I'd leave this MurderSaurus as just a shadowy figure)
- Mage Lord Xlept
- Nakai
- Oxayotl
- Quango
- Rigg
- Ulotp’al
- Xholankha
- Xolotl

Contemplation
- Perspective.
- Simplicity.
- Of Leadership.
- Council Of The First in disagreement.
- The Lost.
- Of focus.
- Of Sacrifice.

The New World
- And so it was that the old world ended.
- The city of Alignment.
- Xolotl's Avatar returns.
- Rebirth Of The Sleeper.

The Old World
- The Aftermath (Lustria Post Great Summoning)
- Xolotl's Avatar is spawned.
- Dark Elf Army squashed.
- Of Shadows And Secrets (Ulotp’al inducts Tec-olptl into a hidden council)
- The First Death Of Lord Kroak.
- The Collapse (Chaos spilling out of the Old World)
- The Final Death Of Lord Kroak.

Historian's Notes
- Council of first.
- Understanding Of The Old Ones Pantheon.
- Understanding Lustrian. (https://www.lustria-online.com/threads/historians-notes-lustrian-language.20722/)

The Forgotten Timeline
Work In Progress, this is much like the Timeline sections in the Warhammer books, only this one will cover much of the time before the fall and go some lengths to explain just why the collapse happened and what happened to the Old Ones.


In the spirit of all things fluffy and fluff related, I thought I'd start be sharing some fluff I wrote on Nakai just before the End Times started, ironically, the darker quality of this fluff is something that tied nicely into both the End Times and Post End times.

As a result I've continued to expand on it, covering the fate of the old ones, the Lizardman who survived and their path on the road now that their world has been shaken to it's core and they are forced to continue without the aid of the Slann. I've also included the words uttered by Tehenhauin, after the survivors of Lustria and the Southlands, find themselves in a new land/world and learn the terrible truth of the Old world, the Slann and even a final gift left by the great lost old one Xholankha.

For too long we sat idle, ignorant of our mistakes, despite what the cost we paid. We forgot how the world once was, we grew used to its change and accepted how it had withered.

We forgot the cities we lost, we forgot the teachings of the masters long dead, we forgot the rituals and their meanings, we forgot those who gave their very souls to preserve an already dying world.

But most of all, we forgot ourselves, the whole purpose for of the great plan. We allowed ourselves to grow complacent, content to ignore the younger races, to shut ourselves in and in doing so, we have paid the final price for our hubris.

The Old Ones never returned, our leaders are dead, or forever removed beyond the stars, our few cities have fallen, our lands obliterated and for the first time, we are now completely alone. The Slann gone, our last connection to the old ones now completely severed.

Chaos has flooded the world, the younger races scattered and our enemies multiple.

The Old ones, the Slann, the younger races…we failed them all. Yet in our failure we have one remaining grace, we still live and we are angry.

Now is the time when we take back what we failed to protect, without the guidance of the Slann, a cold savagery awakens within our hearts, our warrior leaders grow mighty like never before, a dark savagery awakens within. The great plan can still be met, but it will not allow for complacency, let the jungles thunder with our roar and those who would subvert the great plan learn what a terrible mistake they have made.


The time of rebirth is here, let the world be re-made."


- Tehenhauin, high priest of Sotek.

Hmmm, this is already a sizeable chunk, I'll add in the bit about Nakai later on, rather than cramp one post.

Ooh. Things could get messy in the Rikardiverse.

LM with Sleepy Slann guidance really were a bit soft, I suppose (seeing as how we are the ultimate killers and all, but still just kept losing ground for millennia) Now the leash and muzzle have been removed. Growl.

Just being savage makes us no better than orcs. How will the very grumpy LM remnant stay focused?

Stay tuned.......

I hadn't fully decided yet, but I agree, full blown barbarism is a bit too Orcish for my liking.

I'm still tweaking and playing with ideas, though I was thinking it should have a feel all it's own, will keep you posted on this.

As promised SOME of the Nakai re-write I had started (before end times was even announced).

Little is known of Nakai's past, other than he originally came from the lost temple city of Tlanxla (city of the sky) and is perhaps from the very first spawning of Kroxigor ever to have been created by the old ones. These now long dead Kroxigor were spawned with an even tougher hide than their younger counterparts, this has caused some confusion as to which Old one in particular has blessed the ancient Kroxigor, originally it was believed (due to his ferocity and stubborn refusal to give ground) that it was the old one Sotek who watched over him. Many skink priests argue that this cannot be the case, as Nakai was spawned many thousands of years before the rise of Sotek, or even the creation of the realms of chaos. This belief was then changed to Quetzl the protector, due to Nakai's apparent death on several occasions only for him to return in later battles.


However a new theory is beginning to emerge and it fills some of the older Slann with concern, though they do not openly speak of their fears. Nakai originally had been albino in colour, a sign of favour by the old ones, but this began to change subtly at first, ever since the great war against the Skaven. The skaven warlord Nurglitch had bred a foul monster with the aid of forbidden magic that could not seemingly be wounded, let alone killed, that was until a titanic battle where Nakai and the hell spawn fought for hours without end, until Nakai proved the greater and smote the foul creature a death blow from which it did not heal. Yet even as he did so, foul fluids of pus and blood splattered the mighty Kroxigor, instantly infecting him. Although the battle was won and saw Clan Pelestines driven from Lustria, it took many weeks before Nakai healed and vanished into the jungles once again.


Since that time Nakai's appearances have become more and more frequent in battle, sometimes only the remains of an invading race are sign of his passing, mangled bodies and broken machines litter the ground where he strikes. On the occasions where he has been seen it has been remarked that his scales have darkened (indeed they appear to be getting continuingly darker) and at the great reckoning; skink priests and chiefs have remarked that his scales are now as black as night, all, except for a skull like white patterning about his face, though his ferocity if anything is growing. Some of the younger Skink priests have remarked that it could simply be the blessings of the Old one Huanchi finally manifesting, this would explain how the great kroxigor is able to appear and disappear from the jungles without leaving a trace, or the ferocity of his attacks; one or two have even speculated that his markings change according to the will and need of the old ones themselves, as he was originally white, marked out for his greatness by the old ones, though these theories are, on the whole, disregarded. Tetto'eko has proffered the suggestion that the marking itself could in fact be the blessings of an Old one not seen since the time of the great fall, perhaps Tlanxla, Potec or even Xapati.

The Slann however have remained worryingly silent on the subject, they will not speak of it, not even amongst themselves,. Ultimately opinions are divided, though the increasing frequency of his attacks and his savagery are surely a sign of darker times ahead.



The skink priests believe Nakai to be some form of jungle spirit, an avatar of the Old Ones, here to bring about the doom on all would be trespassers.


I did write a short set of fluff and rules for a second Kroxigor hero at the time (one to fit with this little fellow, called Ankoltepictl).

Cool intro. I hope that you know the reason the Slann won't face the possibilities regarding Nakai, and that you will trickle us more info over a period of time. Please.

The thing that strikes me about Ankoltepictl is how his shoulder and hip scales look like quartz or amethyst crystals. Too long working as a stone mason? There could be an intersting paint job, background story and rule set right there.

Interesting! Liking it so far!

I concur with Bob I'd like to see where you go with the Slann being so quiet on Nakai!

I'm still thinking on it, sometimes with open ended/unanswered bits and pieces, I like to have nothing planned or answered even for myself, as it's the things we don't know that intrigue us the most.

@spawningofbob,

Not a stone mason, but all part of the chicken 65 approach (which is something I still need to type up for the next sculpture tut), it's all about trying different looks and approaches, even with the ones you're happy with.

I looked up Chicken 65 and I'm still none-the-wiser. Will you be deep frying your model with a selection of spices?

Keep up the writing however. I am intrigued
..

Slanputin said:

I looked up Chicken 65 and I'm still none-the-wiser.

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Ditto.
Sounded sorta like what 'muricans call 'chicken tenders' but with way more sauce and spice and way less fried batter.
Origins obscure but from British India or Pakistan.
That was as far as I got.

But TLDR: chicken to be consumed with lager.


Feeling like I missed something obvious; posting extra sentries...

Its not my fault. Rikard started it

Rikard said:

Not a stone mason, but all part of the chicken 65 approach (which is something I still need to type up for the next sculpture tut), it's all about trying different looks and approaches, even with the ones you're happy with.

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spawning of Bob said:

Its not my fault. Rikard started it

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QUIET YOU! D:<

Anyways, thought I'd stick this in, it's from the End times fluff I started, this is only the begining, so it's set shortly after the End times (before Tehenhuain's speech in my first post).

Ahem! *clears throat*


And so it was that the old world ended...



But out of the chaos of it’s destruction some hope and survivors were saved, but at a cost they did not expect.

For the second time in their long existence, the Lizardmen have weathered a storm that should have destroyed them, only this time they not only lost their home, but the Slann too, their last remaining connection to the old ones. Commanders and great warriors find themselves carrying a burden they neither dreamed they’d have to bare and are left unsure of what to do next.

Lost children in a lost land.
Skinks like Tehenhuain guide as best they can, but are are wracked with doubt at the decisions they are forced to make, they know nothing of the new lands in which they found themselves, yet it feels as though it has always been, as though it was always planned and held safely away from others, even the powers of chaos. The jungles and swarms containing life indigenous to Lustria itself, from insects to even the great Coatls and dread saurian,

This place was never part of the old world, though it was clearly meant to be the culmination and more of everything they had achieved long ago, before the coming of chaos.

But if this world was meant to be their new home, then what must be done now? With no Slann remaining, what are the survivors to do?

The saurus for the most part have taken the change less well, the scar leader Kroq-gar has isolated himself, lost without cause, when others look to him for guidance, the nimbus of energy that came to life during the final wars is still, as radiant as ever, showing no signs of diminishing. Despite this urgency for action and command, few have approached Gor-rok, already noticeably different from other saurus, his body has undergone an alarming change, a deep blue (verging on black) appearing on his thick scales and around his eyes whilst his stature has nearly double, so much so, he now stands a full head taller than most kroxigor.

Nakai has vanished into the jungles of this new world, forever the wanderer, though some skinks jabbered noisily about an apparent change they noticed before he vanished, the wanderer’s scales and shape are changing, the brilliant whites turning to an ashen black, his scales looking more like cruel barbs.



The city of Alignment.
The Temple city the survivors found themselves in, is immense, far grander and mightier than even the city of Itza, the height of it’s spires, pyramids and dwellings should be crushed by their own weight, but are more solid than any building work witnessed before.

The stone work is perfect, almost flawless and without blemish, but it is clearly older than any of the lost cities. More surprising, is the city includes everything their home did, spawning pools, (some of which, even now show activity and life soon to emerge), barriors, barracks, armouries, grand halls, contemplation rooms and more and more areas/statues/shrines and other un-familiar structures and designs that the survivors could even hope to understand were it not for glyphs and markings, including the names of four old ones that perhaps even the Slann had forgotten about (Conalxa, Inhamex, Yuxa and Quatl), this is thanks due to the most surprising discovery, a gigantic chamber at the top of the central building, simply named as: Omeyocan*



*Mayan duel gender god of space and time.



Measuring hundreds of meters in height, this titanic room names each old one (including Sotek), with a large complex dais set out on raised platforms on the floor, for each old one and in perfect alignment with the others. Arranged around each is a second (but much smaller) series of engravings and markings, made in tandem with its parent. These less grand stations are still exquisitely carved and measured, the shape being very similar to the size, shape and complexity of a Slann’s Palanquin (something that still causes no end of speculation and debate amongst the skinks). Perhaps each Slann who ever lived was destined to sit around his perspective old one in some titanic ritual, or converging of minds for a single purpose that few even dare to imagine. Other’s believe it could be a star map that once activated will open a gate allowing the lizardmen to return to their creators, or perhaps even bring the old ones to the city, but none dare risk trying to activate it, too easily can the miss use of such gates end in disaster, as they well know.

However, most intriguing is the exact center point of the room, for there is a structure made of a complexity to cause the heart to ache at it’s sight.

Some have already stipulated that it may well have been built by the very hands of an old one, for no mortal hands could ever achieve something so fascinating. But if this is the work of an old one, then which one and why has he/she been left un-named, for there is a seat here for such a being and a symbol to mark the their place. Whomever this is destined for is obviously held in a regard that far exceeds the other old ones, but it is not Sotek.

The discovery of this majestic sanctuary quickly gave rise to a name for this new home, which has been called city of Alignment for it represents the convergence of all things, the past and future, hopes and fears, of a world lost and a world found, of the ending of all that was known and the re-discovery of knowledge that was lost, of the loss of one purpose and discovery of a new one.





Stuff to come. (you pick)
The mountains of stars.
The polar gate of ending.
The Sentinels.
The World pond. (Giant spawning pool in central plaza)

Rikard said:

The World pond. (Giant spawning pool in central plaza)

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[x] The World Pond

pendrake said:

[x] The World Pond

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Thanks.

I should also have mentioned that each update with a new location mentioned, also comes with a healthy chunk of story line/fluff as the Lizardmen adapt to their new home.

This is a grand vision you are laying out, Rikard. Looking forward to more.

The poll is confusing. The poll options only tell us what the stories would be about in the vaguest terms. Just write whatever you think is coolest first because you seem to have the idea what you are doing.

Rikard said:

Thanks.

I should also have mentioned that each update with a new location mentioned, also comes with a healthy chunk of story line/fluff as the Lizardmen adapt to their new home.

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OK, voted in the actual pole. Vote unchanged.

Will there be boats and watercraft? Kroxigors wielding huge oars or barges with a pair of Krox as a gondolier team...

pendrake said:

Will there be boats and watercraft? Kroxigors wielding huge oars or barges with a pair of Krox as a gondolier team...

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To be honest I've not decided yet...I'll freely admit, much of what I type comes to me as I do it, but this is because I have an underlining idea of an event or place and then build on it as I type.

I'm still thinking about places/buildings/monuments, inspiration and ideas come from existing places even here (Nascar lines for example), or ones mentioned in mythology.

Your auto-correct is winning...

Rikard said:

an underlining idea

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Rikard said:

Nascar lines

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NASCAR lines:



I once tried to talk some guys into starting a Skaven Doomwheel Racing Club aka:

the North American Skyre Clan Racing Association - NASCRA

Dammit...

*an under-lining idea
*Nazca

Scalenex said:

The poll is confusing. The poll options only tell us what the stories would be about in the vaguest terms. Just write whatever you think is coolest first because you seem to have the idea what you are doing.

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No idea how I managed to miss your comment, sorry about that.
Yes, that's the idea, I've planned out ALL of those parts/places/events, the purpose of the poll was giving people a choice of the order, even though all of it will be provided.