Lizardmen RPG - Accepting new players

Hakal looked on towards the diverging passageways, each one of them ending in darkness. He had grown accustomed to darkness' feel whenever it enshrouds upon him, and when he couldn't sense or predict where harm may appear. The skink friends of his past nourished his bravery, and yet it was these same lizards who belittled him from the dark earlier.

In Hakal's entire life of fighting, he never truly found anything more terrifying than the nothingness that is the dark.

So was the kroxigor's heart shaken when looking on, he decided to stick with his skink priest comrades, his bulky form siding along with them.

Hakal's heart flickered with warmth as he did so. His lizard kin right beside him.

Yet he still looked on as though each of the darkened passageways had their own voices taunting and beckoning them to come forth...

 

The oracle asking around does peek the interest of the beast handler, tail thumping with slight interest and approaching the oracle. The skink's voice clicks with excitement.
"You need help? Heat..Heat.." Their voice devolves to thoughtful hisses and clicks as they grab a bag from their living area, their supplies for attempting to befriend new animals, or retrieve eggs. "Can help with Heat."

 

Xolek studies the new Skink, he had not seen it before. Shifting his head side ways and side to sude he studies him and then smiles

"Yess, help with...Salamander" a large grin, "In the swamp, I already lure and gain little trust. You further process?" Speaking awkwardly the Oracle blinks a few times

Before the other skink can say a word a pipe and then smoke rise into the air, "This is how I got into her mind", Xolek Laughs

 

Xahanol sniffs the smoke curiously, giving a short nod and tilting their head.

"Salamander..yes, okay. Lead the way please?" They seemed eager to give this a try. It was certainly a leap from their frogs and snake, but that was part of the thrill, to push their skills more, and to bring more beasts to follow the Plan after all.

 

Nodding the Oracle smiles and then offers the pipe to the skink, "What is name? Take this, smoke. I mix the herbs, it will help you not feel pain and focus your mind...and maybe make you a little crazy like me later on. I am Oracle, Xolek-Zi" Xolek winks in a joking way...but something in his eye could make another guess differently about his sanity. Turning before the beast tamer is able to give the pipe back the oracle begins to walk out of the camp back towards the camp, mud not dried all over him from the chest down, "Come, follow" he calls back

Walking back to the swamp the jungle seemed alive, bird calls and other fliers over head while smaller creatures played in the trees. Floral aromas entering his nose as he passes a lump of flowering plants. Upahead Xolek can hear thrashing in the water as something moves. peering through some tall cattails that line the swamps shore he sees Xuihcoatl dragging the silk cacooned dragonfly onto the shore, the silk burning away due to the corrosive saliva.

Xolek looks behind him to make sure Xahanol was still behind him....and looking for his pipe

 

Xahanol does not question the oracle, they follow, and tentatively take a drag off of the pipe as told, coughing slightly as they exhale, not used to attempting such a thing. "Xahanol, that is my name." They mumble as they follow, and when they see Xolek turn and look at the pipe they offer it back. They watch with interest at the thrashing within the water, hands fumbling in the bag for some supplies. Some meats used for bait, a leather collar type structure to lead the animal by, similar items that a beast master would normally use to train a new acquisition.

 

Seeing his fellow skink pull out the collar and other supplies Xolek emerges from the cattails and walks into the swamp slowly towards the Salamander. Kroaking frogs can be heard all around, dashes in the water as they jump in for cover, some very small ones even line the giant tree leaves. Fish rub up against the Oracles feet as he walks, he knew large fish lurked in the swamps of Lustria, large enough to swallow small warm bloods. Approaching the reptile Xolek hopes to himself that his beast magic had not warn off and that the Salamander, and that it would remember the many berries given (though drugged). Wading chest deep ever closer, he makes a clicking sound at the Salamander as to not spook it. Having experience with Salamanders and Razordons the Oracle kept his eyes forward, until it hit him, he wasn't sure if the beast tamer was behind him.

Looking back to see briefly if Xahanol had followed him or if the tamer was still on the shore. He would not look long though - as to lose sight of the Salamander in the swamp could prove fatal if not still under the oracles influence.

 

I've also been very impressed and am having loads of fun. Definitely plan to do more after this. From what I've heard these sorts of things usually don't go too long before fizzling out. But the use of the Lustria Online Discord has kept it alive and thriving and we can use it to coordinate responses and events.

 

Once the passage into the depths is open, Tik is rather hesitant to explore. Remembering stories of strange rat-things coming up from the underworld to sow their plagues and wreak havoc causes him to pause and double-check his surroundings, examining the walls, floor, and even the ceiling for any signs of their presence. "Let the others look for the works of the Old Ones. I would like to ensure we are not going to be attacked..."

 

When he had to decid in which pasway he would go the inscriptions on the Wall were of Prime Importance. Kuoteq'eko read on one of those the Name Tepok and Tzeentch then he knew where he would go. A few Meters paßt the Entrance he recognized that the amount of Lapislazuli increased at the sides and the Top, but on the ground the stones were increasingly covered by blue feathers. When he couldn't see the Stone on the floor anymore he discovered something, a light blue burning arm and then another one and a leg. He was very frightend when knew that These were the relinquics of a tzeentchian Daemon assault. Then heared something screeching and when he turned around he saw that the noise came from.........

 

His ears ringing from the noise of screeching Kuoteq’eko turned around to see a swarm of bats frantically disperse from a nearby chamber around the corner…

When the noise of distraught flapping and distressed squealing died down, the silence was punctuated with the sound of heavy breathing and the echoes of quick footfall. suddenly a pair of bright blue arms and legs seemed to charge forth from the darkness...

----

Commotion and the hectic clicking and chirping of excited skink excavators flooded the camp, they had come bearing news of a new tunnel that had been uncovered and reclaimed from the detritus and rubble’s grasp.

Upon viewing the exited pandemonium that had come over the camp Quas looked out across to the inconsolable forlorn ruins, crumbling buildings draping with raw jungle vines as they shimmered and baked in the hot sun.

Quickly placing down the simmering cooking pans and other tools he had in his hands he began to head towards the extraction site with haste. Quas was sure that a helping hand, especially a strong one could be valued during the explorations, as well as the small satchel of dried and salted hyaenodon meat that would be accepted as a small snack... But above all that, it was curiosity that drew Quas’s simple mind towards the excavations, it isn't every day that a chance to uncover lost artefacts of your ancestry or the secrets of a pass time were dug up.



With an eagerness and curiosity in his stride, the kroxigor cantered past the ancient Ahautli as it shuffled forward, weighed down with huge wooden baskets piled high with rubble as well as a smaller crate overflowing with newly found artefacts

Peering into the open chest Quas’s inquisitive eyes could spy out a small collection of rare Gleaming jade totems, Shining obsidian shards and gleaming gold trinkets spilling forth from the crate’s jaws. His curiosity was only elevated when he saw a huge chunk of obsidian, coloured navy and dark onyx as it breathed in the fresh air and felt the warm breeze of the wind as it whipped around it for the first time in centuries. As quas peered closer it became clear that the obsidians smooth surface was engraved with what seemed to be a mythical serpent enshrouding a city within its protective coils and huge feathered wings.

Now with gleaming eyes and a stimulated mind, his job became a gallop, he was yearning to know what other secrets and relics were being imprisoned amongst the gloom and dust.

Soon he arrived at the excavation site, it was a large overgrown temple plaza, covered in mounds of rubble. Quas quickly stopped to open his huge mouth, gulping in fresh streams of air to catch his breath.

After gathering his energy back the kroxigor peered into the gloom before stepping inside the large corridor and picking a small tunnel to go down hoping to catch up with the others before they trekked to deep into the tunnels…

Running through the darkness Quas could hear his large footsteps and breath reverberating and echoing down the corridor above the noise of blood rushing past his ears as well as the screeching of disturbed bats as they frantically dived out of his way. And with a sharp turn Quas curved around a narrow bend…

Suddenly a gloomy figure came into his view as he scraped around the bend, unable to slow his approach Quas crashed into the shadow with the force of a charging Rhonik… as the events played out in slow motion he could make out the familiar face of Kuoteq’eko as the skink went flying forward. With a loud scraping thump the priests already frail body skidded along the ground, kicking up a cloud of ancient dust that chocked both lizardmen, the fluttering particles illuminated by the priests torch that was now rolling in circles on the cold floor...

----

Xolek-Zi looked back, reassured to see the beast tamer was only a few meters behind with a handling stick and a Muzzled collar within both of his hands.

Gently leaning forward Xo produced a comforting click to grab the attention of the beast basking in the shallow waters.

Upon hearing the clicking and tutting the salamander whipped around, its eyes burning with an animalistic fire as it stared down Xolek-Zi as he approached… Xolek-Zi whispered a prayer to Sotek before kneeling down beside the unresponsive creature. After fumbling through one of his many pouches Xolek produced a small handful of berries for the creature to eat. Despite the tempting snack laid out in front of it the creature diverted its gaze to meet the oracle's eyes.

Suddenly Xahanol jumped forward, the handling stick and muzzle falling from his grasp as he screamed “‘DIVE” whilst he lept for the salamanders face. Quickly the beast tamer landed down onto the beasts head, forcing it down with both hands into the water with which now erupted with a storm of churning bubbles as the salamander spewed forth a stream of sizzling acid.

Within seconds the water began to simmer and boil, as huge clouds of scolding steam engulfed the two skinks and salamander. “I CAN HOLD IT FOR MUCH LONGER! GRAB THE MUZZLE!!!” Shouted Xohanol as he pushed down on the creatures thrashing head with quivering muscles. It would be only moments before Xahanol would be forced to let go, allowing the salamanders vice-like jaws to become free…

----

It was one of the first times Hakal had ever experienced absolute darkness, a darkness so dark it reminded him of his daily battle and the thousands of nights spent shivering on the cold hard floor, struggling to lapse into the warm arms of sleep and rest.

The only noises down here hakal could use to distract him from his deepest thoughts was the monotonous ‘drip’ ‘drip’ ‘drip’ of water, His heavy anxious breathing and the crackling of his friendly torch, but even the torch was a traitor too, it produced shadows that laughed and mocked him from the bare, empty walls…

With fearful eyes Hakal glared into the void that suffocated the passageways in front of him, and after shuffling forward a few feet he could eventually make out the form of a skink slowly meandering down the tunnel. quickly scurrying down the corridor to meet them hakal’s racing pulse slowed and calmed as the friendly face of Tik emerged, the priest was cautiously scanning the walls and floor for any sign of danger or attack.


Eventually, the path the pair was following opened out into a large chamber, the walls turning from bare stone to neat stacks of saurus skulls smothered in dust mixed in with large stands covered in rusted battle armour, that would have once shone with a pure auroras light.

Hakal tried to wince his eyes closed to block out the neatly stacked mounds of bones that lined the walls. ‘This must be some sort of ancient Crypt’ Tik muttered under his breath as he too observed the mountains of cartilage. Soon the looming outline of an altar revealed itself, lying on its surface was a bamboo page book coated with a thick layer of dust and webs. Tiqxoltiq Gently reached down to pick up the ancient tome only for it to disintegrate and tear into thousands of unreadable fragments, the words inside that book seemed destined not to be read…

In line with the altar and the back of the room was the embalmed body of a skink priest, wrapped in tattered bandages and cloth that had now fallen down to the floor, having nothing more to cling onto other than the shrunken and boney outline of what once was the priest body. Clutched within skeletons two hands was a large staff, its metallic tip frayed and warped with age.




----

Xlauax quietly stalked through a narrow side passageway, the walls turning from tiles to bare stone as he progressed further in.


After several minutes of winding down a passageway that seemed to loop and swirl in unnecessary directions, Xlauax reached a circular, large rotating vault door, inscribed with thousands of runes and inscribed images. But something was slightly off, even he silenced his mumblings and quieted his footfalls as he peered down to see that the door was slightly ajar…

With a heave, Xlauax pushed open the door giving him enough room to slide past into another chamber, as he could feel the ambient air temperature drop as a broken spiral staircase leading downwards into the shadows came into view.

Carefully the chameleon leaned over the edge to peer downwards to see if he could make out whatever was at the bottom... Suddenly his heart skipped a beat, he could make out the faint noises of something or someone scrambling around, moving down there in the darkness below…

Freezing in his place Xlauax managed to pick up on the chipping sound of metal against rock, and many pairs of skittish, uncoordinated voices. all occasionally followed by the quite barking of an order...

 

Coughing the dust off for a while which sounded more or less like on of the war machines created in Altdorf, Quas turned to the familiar Skink he just repositioned and gently placed his hand on his arm. "You... there.. still?" - asked towards him, with his low voice reverberating with millions of echoes. Reassuring his companion is on his feet again, he then stood up, grabbed the torch and turned to the Skink saying: "Which... way?"

 

Quickly getting to his feet Xolek-Zi looks about for the muzzle quickly, upon seeing it he picks it up and immediately leaps onto where the shoulders meet the neck and wraps his legs around to keep it from squirming too much. Quickly handing the muzzle to Xahanol the Oracle takes his place holding the head down in the water allowing the tamer to adjust as needed and secure the muzzle, hopefully. Ready to adjust as needed Xolek braces for the long haul if this becomes more than they bargained for.

 

Still very dizzy of the Crash with 2 tonnes of pure biomass, Kuoteq'eko answered:"Proba-ba-ba-ly we there where the signs are pointing." And showed Quas a small sign of Tepok with open eyes that looked left. He walked rickegly from the scene of accident away and searched for his Sraff which Flow in a large arc thruogh the air because of the Crash with Quas. Then he screamed , because of the Pain. again surging thruogh his leg, but he could search on. "Can I help....Ya.... searching?" Quas asked Stil a Bit confused too "No.......No....i will find it.....find it"Kuoteq babbled and shook his head repeatingly.After some time he found the Staff under a Statue of Chotec as the Sun. With the Staff again the Pain faded away and he could explore the temple further with Quas and the others.

 

First rule of Salamanders. Always approach from behind. Xohanol should have remembered this. It was too late now of course. They gritted their sharp teeth, arms and tail attempting to keep the salamander's jaws pinned closed, hind legs pressing the head down into the water, partly to keep it aimed down, and partly to act as a spring board if the oracle could not get the muzzle on in time. He scanned the area, hoping the oracle could find the supplies.

 

Taking the muzzle Xolek-Zi attempts to place it and secure it over the jaws of tbe Salamander

"Xiuhcoatl, calm your fire!" Screams the skink placing one hand inbetween the creatures eyes while pulling a strap with another. Muscles straining against the might of the reptile even though a young one.

Riding the creature as it bucks the Oracle yells, "Do something!" At his fellow skink

 

They grab the other side of the muzzle, trying to bring it over the snout and start adjusting it, using their tail to predominantly hold it as both hands fly over various straps and buckles in practiced motion. They hiss and click, in a rhythmic sort of way, something that other races may refer to as a cradle song like tone to the beast as they worked, sneaking in what they hoped would be considered welcome pats and rubs on scales as they moved, in time.

 

While impetuous with his desires to travel, Tiqxoltiq is annoyingly cautious with regards to excavation sites. He chose to prod the staff using mage-sense first, just to make sure it has not been trapped or cursed by the previous owner. For that matter, he wasn't keen on what felt like grave-robbing to his mind, and began mentally going over all the Lizardman funerary rites in his mind, contemplating if it was okay to even consider taking the staff. After all, he did not wish to anger the spirits of those entombed in this chamber. Something still felt off about this section of the ruins. Something nagging at his mind...

 

The skulls of lizards encompassed both Hakal and Tik. Their bony features were adorned with dust and spiderwebs as they stared towards wherever they faced. Every skull gazed on as though they were judging what was now standing amidst them, envious for a thing they've all lost forever. Now what they've always wanted were casually breathing warm grasps of air before them, looking so alive.

It was strange to see so much life present in a room only graced with spiderwebs. It was strange to see so much death present in a room that was visited by no one.

Hakal returned a look towards a number of skulls that had stared him down, and shivered from the macabre exchange. The reality that all of these distant, mysterious skulls were all lizards in the past, haunted his guts. Even still, he straightened out, refusing to be seen a weakling. His newly found urge for fearlessness was a defiance against what may lurk in the dark, and his mind...

And with the crackles of the kroxigor's flaming torch, and his flaring confidence, he stomped forward to retrieve this staff up front. It had grabbed his interest so much so, it seemed as if talking to him...