Army Fluff Guns of Sotek

Doing some silly art. Might do some more later

 

The 3rd installment to my time-traveling lizard story

"That was the worst display of discipline I have seen in four centuries! You not only defied a direct order, an order from a top general, but you did so in front of a holy Slann Mage Priest!"
Scar Veteran Ataxor paced back and forth in front of Ruq-Gar and Ka'rah. Spittle hanging from his snarling jaw before he plunged on.
"You have disgraced yourselves, your cohort and our entire delegation. Furthermore-"

"Ataxor! A word please." Xi-Boq called out to the Scar Veteran. It gave a final snarl towards the two Saurus before following Xi-Boq as he left the barracks. He lead it down a corridor and into the chamber he had been given to stay in while the delegation was is Tlaxtlan. As soon as Ataxor had entered the room Xi-Boq turned to the Scar Veteran.
"You will not make it to the status of Old-Blood if you cannot see beyond surface details." He snapped.
"You're meaning, Lord Xi-Boq?"
"That Slann was not testing our soldier's resolve. They are so below the consideration of one such a being."
"Then who was being tested?"
"It was I! Lord Chuqa-xi was testing me and my resolve. The devil knows my objection to seeing our own kind spilling each other's blood. I was being tested, to see if I would give such an order. "
"You did well then my lord!" Ataxor rumbled, "It was just a shame that it was disgraced by-"
"As far as I am concerned, those two passed the test flawlessly." Xi-Boq growled, advancing on the Scar Veteran, "I just don't know if I passed…"

The Old-Blood turned to face the shrine to Tzcatli he had assembled in the chamber.
"Let those two go to enjoy the feast. I need to meditate." he rumbled. " Send Aktaka in." he added as the Scar Veteran bowed and backed out of the room. It saw a scrawny Skink scribe waiting by the door.
"Xi-Boq said-"
"Yes, I heard."

The Skink entered and closed the door.
Ataxor walked back to the barracks and looked at the two Saurus, who were still standing to attention.
"You can go." it said.

###

The feast wasn't an overly grandiose affair. But visiting dignitaries and their entourage were traditionally welcomed with a display of the host city's generosity and abundance. One of the smaller plaza's had been set aside to hose a number of long tables, several roasting fires and a performance area where a selection of songs, dances and music were performed. A few barrels of pulque and mezcal were also made available for the delegation.

When Ruq-Gar and Ka'rah rejoined their assigned Saurus squad, their Champion was just about to square off in wrestling match with one of the Saurus of their host's barracks. They both took deep swigs from the jar of harsh fire-water being passed around.

The two wrestlers stood in the performance area. They leaned in close, touching each others crests before taking up combat stances.
"I thought you were going to be executed or something." one of the squad said, turning to Ruq-Gar.
The wrestlers charged, grappling each other, then broke apart. They circled each other and then lunged again.
"Yeah, disobeying a direct order, from Xi-Boq no less!" chimed in another. He passed a huge lump of roasted meat to Ruq-Gar.
The saurus took it, holding it by a huge bone and tore off a chunk with his powerful jaw, "Nah, I saw his eye. I'd be in worse trouble if I'd pulled the trigger!" he said, spraying meat and spittle.
There was a roar of from those watching, as one of the wrestlers managed to fell their opponent, but they rolled away before they could be pinned.
"It was really strange in there." Ka'rah said. "My head was so fuzzy, I could feel 'myself' evaporating, if that makes any sense?"
"Yeah… Maybe" Ruq-Gar replied. "I'll tell you though, if that Slann, that Lord Chuqa-xi had ordered me to shoot you, Scar Veteran Ataxor wouldn't have bawled me out!"
Their Champion had now pinned the other Saurus to the ground and it was signalling submission. A drum beat started as the winner was declared and given a small feathered band by way of a prize. Another drum beat on top of the first and then a flute began playing as a few Skink musicians moved onto the performance area.
Ka'rah took a big sip of mezcal, "Makes you wonder what it'll be like when we start finding our own Slann.", she mused, thinking back to the sight of that Saurus killing its fellow in complete obedience to its master.

###

"I thank you Lord Chuqa-xi for finding time between your celestial contemplation for someone as humble as I" Starseer Tel'aqua said, kneeling painfully before the Slann.
"Under the circumstances, I thought it would be more productive to talk with you in person."

The Starseer's aids helped the Skink back up and onto a carved wooden bench. His was clearly still suffering from his injuries, but had insisted he be transported to negotiate with Tlaxtlan personally. He doubted the efficacy of Saurus diplomacy. After hearing the results of Xi-Boq's first discussions, his doubts were not shaken.

"I hope that we can move past the mistakes of my General. As you know, we have been wrecked upon your lands. I, as the most senior member of the expedition as as a member of the highest echelons of the celestial priesthood would like for formally request the assistance of you and your city in our recovery efforts." Tel'aqua said, stiffly but confidently. He then slumped on the bench, wincing in pain.

The Slann sat in a contemplative silence for some time. One by one, he took a proffered grub, slurping it down noisily until the platter offered up to him was empty. He then turned his attention back to the crippled Starseer in front of him.

"Well said. On behalf of the city of Tlaxtlan, I accept your request. But one thing Xi-Boq did make very clear was how much you do not considered yourselves spawn-kin. As such, any requests for help will come with strings attached. I wish to make sure Tlaxtlan is compensated for any reduction in its capacities. And to prove our good intentions, a supply caravan has already been dispatched to the site of your unfortunate accident."
"Thank you my Lord." Tel'aqua said, awkwardly bowing while sat on the bench. His attendants leaned over, ready to catch the injured Starseer if he should fall. He would have to have a word with the great General Xi-Boq. While he was a mighty warrior and a grand strategist, his diplomatic skills were lacking.

The Slann Mage-Priest took a deep breath and closed his eyes, lapsing into the deep concentration of his kind. Starseer Tel'aqua waited to see if there would be any more but the audience was apparently over.

The ancient Starseer Ockchi-iktotl shuffled into the grand chamber and indicated that Tel'aqua should follow it. One of the temple guard Saurus that was watching over the Slann picked up bench after Tel'aqua had vacated it. It followed them as the Skinks made their way to a side chamber.

"We have a growing problem with the children of the horned rat." The old Starseer explained after his counterpart had sat back on the bench the temple guard had laid down for him. "A sizeable force has been discovered north of the city, centred around a number of Lost Shrines. We are unable as of yet to deduce their motive or what their interest in the Shrines may be, or even if it is connected at all."
"Surely you aren't expecting us to take on a Skaven war host for you?" Tel'aqua objected.
"Ah, but with the help I suspect you will require, this would be of adequate payment. We do not have forces of size enough to cleans the foul vermin from our soil by ourselves. But we do have enough to augment your own forces. We know the land and can guide your forces."
"Our own forces are too, also not large enough to take on an entire Skaven army. If joined by yours, we may have adequate numbers, but the casualty rate would be great."
"Your numbers may not count as much if you were to fight conventionally. However, I see that your warriors possess weapons and equipment that may lay waste to them more effectively. Ah, I see that even you lack confidence in your effectiveness. Perhaps you should consult your war leaders. We can make some of our own forces available for a joint patrol to assess the enemy." Ockchi-iktotl said. He'd been shuffling back and forth across the finely carved tiles of his chamber.
"I believe we can work with that." Tel'aqua said. He would absolutely need to consult with Xi-Boq on this. Fighting a war against the rat kin was certainly not on their agenda for getting the Star Canoe repaired. But then, this was the Old World. A fight with them should never be ruled out of the possibilities.
"In the meanwhile, I would like to establish a meeting between our engineers and your Priests to see what help they can provide." he said.
"That will be arranged. I will send a delegation to their barrios shortly."

###

"If that is your order, Starseer." Xi-Boq said slowly.
"The Mage-Priest was quite firm and his emissary was quite clear."
"We can certainly make some reconnaissance missions. And it may well be good to give some of the new Saurus some fighting experience against a traditional adversary… But we should avoid being drawn into the kind of conflicts that would affect our battle-readiness. We still have our own mission to accomplish once we are back on course."
"Of course, of course. You are perfectly correct, General Xi-Boq." Tel'aqua said. "I will relay our position to their Starseer."

The Old-Blood bowed his head slightly and turned to leave.

"Oh, General. One more question-"
"Yes, Starseer?"
"What do we have in terms of armour and artillery at our disposal?"
"We have one armoured division of various heavy support weapons. A regiment of transports and two batteries of artillery-"
"Oh, that's wonderful, we should-"
"I can radio for a report on how many need repair. I would, however, advise against their deployment in the jungles of Lustria, Starseer. The labour to clear a road would be excessive."
"How do you define 'excessive'?"
"To carve a path from the crash site to Xahutec it would take perhaps one moon cycle."
"I see. Well, thank you General. I'll discuss with you again once I've talked this over."

The Saurus nodded and left.

###

Almost a week had gone by as more squads and their equipment entered Tlaxtlan. A temporary set of barracks and other support buildings had been constructed in the plaza that had been used to welcome the initial delegation. Ruq-Gar and Ka'rah butted the head of Scur't'kah in greeting when he arrived in the camp with the rest of their squad. Xi-Boq had the warriors in his delegation training alongside the Saurus they were staying with. Ataxor had also insisted that they do joint patrols too. The arrival of more of their own kind meant that they could practice more familiar drills.

A radio mast had been built on top of a nearby pyramid observatory for better communications with the crash site. Repair work was well underway there. The sizeable military build-up in the city had not gone unnoticed though. Phlemclaw Skritchbone twitched his whiskers as he lay amongst the ruins of an ancient stone structure. He adjusted the focus of his eye-lens, taking in the view of the lizard-things and their strange equipment. They were up to something, he'd almost run into two different patrols while making his way here. He'd slit the throats of the smaller lizard things when on their patrols as a matter of course, but now they were sending out the larger warriors. He itched to spill more of their foul cold blood but for now, he'd do with gathering information.

Ruq-Gar watched another Skink messenger run from the plaza encampment to the temple pyramid. It was the tenth one today. He stood on watch duty outside the stairwell that lead down to the barracks his squad was staying in. Another, native Saurus stood to the other side. They both quietly baked in the mid day sun. Squad Champion Scur't'kah had been extended an offer for residence on the plaza for the squad but turned it down. The tent had been situated close to Scar Veteran Ataxor. With his hatred of the quirks of the New Brood well known, he opted to keep them amongst the quiet indifference of the native Saurus.

While he had his laser rifle slung over his back, Ruq-Gar stood guard with a spear and shield. It was a new spear too. The light glinted off the freshly knapped surface of the obsinite blade and through the thin, razor sharp edge. It had a satisfying weight to it and the balance made it feel so easy and natural to wield. The weapons made back home felt like pale imitations, and in many ways, they were. The wood of their realm was unnaturally grown and only a few decades old. Pollutants and heavy metals permeated it, making it foul to use unless it was heavily lacquered. There were also no sources of obsinite, so new blades were knapped from flints, or made of metal. He could see why some of the Old Brood were reluctant to give up their old ways and old weapons. But of course, they must. If Ruq-Gar had been armed with a spear and shield, even a Lustrian spear and shield, in the battles he'd fought, he would have met his death far sooner, and would have taken down far fewer enemies.

It was a nice spear though. He wondered if he would be able to keep it.

###

Another of his squad came to relive Ruq-Gar after his eight hour shift. He'd managed to stay absolutely motionless throughout. An unusual feat for his generation. The native Saurus gave him a small nod of acknowledgement as he left.

He met with Ka'rah and Scur't'kah after returning from the armoury. They had some free time on their hands and Scar Veteran Xoc-Xor, who had spawned under the temples of Tlaxtlan, had offered to give a tour for those of the New Brood so that they could learn their history.

Xoc-Xor had lived in and around Tlaxtlan for well over three hundred years, but it hadn't been spawned for another thousand years in the future. However a lot of the cities major features had been constructed in the early period, over a thousand years in the past, before the collapse of the polar gates.

###

Another two days passed with a few more Skink squads turning up with heavy weapons and two regiments of Cold-One cavalry.

A number of the Tlaxtlan's own Saurus and Skink regiments were being readied too. Xi-Boq summoned his Scar Veterans for a council of war.

 

Just finished creating an actual character sheet for one of my characters. Next step is to finish the model so I can put her in game.
I'm really happy that I mostly managed to capture the shape of the older saurus model well enough here.


I do need to figure out how to draw the newer ones, but their head crests are complicated and they aren't as hunchbacked. They do have lovely big tails though.

 

Mmm... Honey roasted gaint cockroach. XD

 

They have a good crunch to them!

 

A new short story I came up with when preparing to adapt some Temple Guard models into Scions.

Spoiler: Temple Guard

Yuk-Roq emerged from the dark passages that lead to the Star Chamber, with two Temple Guard in tow. They were ancient reptiles, their scales were a deep, faded red and they wore the skulls of large, horned beasts. Dust and corrosion had left the mark of time on their ornate bronze armour. The procession marched in rigid formation out of the Temple of the Sun, each one wincing as the glare of Chotek hit their gloom-accustomed eyes. His warmth on their backs was welcome though.
They progressed towards the subterranean barracks Yuk-Roq had specially built for these elite warriors. The entrance was built into the side of the Temple of the Lost. A cenotaph built to commemorate those left behind during the evacuation of The World That Was. It wasn't a particularly tall or grand building, but it was well used, at least by those who remember the event. A groove was already wearing into the steep staircase that lead up to the top. Yuk-Roq would take them there later. For now there was work to do.
The Temple Guard Champion lead the two ancient warriors to their new home, under the monument. Its layout was common to most Saurus barracks, being made up of three main chambers, the sleeping area, the training area and an armoury, all behind a narrow, defensible entrance hall. The main entrance of this one, however was much wider than was custom, with semicircular niches carved all around the internal walls. In many of them small carved totems stood. These represented the Slann who each of the Temple Guard resident there called master.
"There are shrines to so many Slann here." one of the two Temple Guard rumbled.
"Of course. Temple Guard from many different Slann's retinues made it on board during the evacuation. Here, we make a place for each to honour their own master." Yuk-Roq responded. He walked them closed to one shrine in particular.
"The shrine to Lord Rarqamundalan. Your Slann Starmaster I believe."
The two Temple Guard fell to their knees before it, mumbling prayers.
A Skink administrator marched across the fine geometric mosaics on the floor to meet the new-comers.
"You have new recruits, yes?"
Yuk-Roq nodded, "This is Tlorar and Kraqok. They join us from the honour guard of Lord Rarqamundalan."
The two kneeling Saurus stood and looked down at the tiny Skink. It bowed to each of them in turn.
"This is Zectok. The master Scribe of this barracks. He will be sure to integrate you fully into the way things run here."
"It is truly an honour for more revered warriors of the World That Was to join our ranks." The Skink said.
"May the first Slann to be resurrected here cast us down with the fiery wrath we surely deserve for betraying our sacred duty." Tlorar said, ponderously.
There was a long silence.
"He may well do that, and deserving of it we must be. But until then, you can honour your sacred master by engaging in the work to return him to his mortal form. Here and now, the Temple Guard are the most elite warriors of our kind. The have access to the best weapons, the best armour and the best training. And you will be expected to perform to a high level in the field." Yuk-Roq said. Tlorar grunted and nodded.
"If you would follow me, I can show you to your quarters…." Zectok said, leading the two ancient warriors away.
Another Skink approached Yuk-Roq, holding a datapad with the rest of the days schedule on it. He took it, read it and then returned it. It was time to drill some of the newer spawnlings in unarmed combat. He thought about what Tlorar had said as he trudged towards the parade grounds. What they were doing now, what the Temple Guard as an institution had become was probably considered blasphemous from the point of view of a Slann mage priest, or, at least from the perspective of other Temple Guard who still thought like they did on The World That Was. He, like many he had recruited, had stood guard outside the empty star chamber of his master for almost a quarter of a century. With no Slann to protect, the only prerogative had been to wait. They would not take orders from Skink Priests, no matter how high and mighty they thought themselves to be. Unless they spoke with the power of the Slann, then they were as the dust motes that settled on them over long guard duties.
It had taken Xi-Boq the best part of two years of discussions to convince him to join. Well, one year and one season of talking to him before Yuk-Roq even began to respond. Every day, for one to two hours the Old Blood would patiently explain their situation, the situation of the Slann and the fact that everything they were doing was in service to summoning the Slann back once more.
It made sense, he knew it made sense. The idea of guarding an empty chamber in perpetuity while those outside are doing all they could to bring back their master was an idiotic one. But the call to duty was ingrained at a deep level. Yuk-Roq, like Xi-Boq was very much aware that being resolute made you a fine soldier, but not necessarily a fine leader. One had to know when to give ground and by how much. It was the ability to be flexible that made Yuk-Roq a good Champion, something that the Old Blood had recognised. After a five year mentorship, the Temple Guard Champion was given a command, a staff and the responsibility to grow the Temple Guard as a fighting force. And now it was his duty to patiently discuss and persuade the others to join him.
He approached the plaza where the massed ranks of Saurus were spread out. Spawned only a year ago, their scales still shone brightly in the sun. Their head crests had hardly any of the bony spikes and protrusions of their older kin. While naturally proficient at firearms, their killer instinct for close quarters combat was lacking. It was up to him and the older Saurus from the The World That Was to drill that into them, before they all died off.

###

Zectok lead the two new Temple Guard to the armoury where they were issued training weapons.
"I am no tadpole, I need no training weapon. And what is this? I could smash this with my halberd." Tlorar said, picking up the laser rifle and turning it around and around. Kraqok simply stared at the other weapon as if it was a venomous snake, coiling to attack.
The quartermaster Skink gave a weary sigh as it put a couple of additional battery packs in front of the Saurus.
"Now, you could keep your shield and halberd, but, you've seen war; imagine you were fighting a force of expert men with fire weapons. You've seen comrades fall in battle to those. Imagine if they were as accurate as a Skink blow dart and had the range the length of a temple precinct. Now, imagine if they could fire over and over and over. Bang bang bang! And every man is armed with one." The Skink saw that Kraqok got it as it slowly reached for the weapon.
"Impossible! The puny men would not be able to stand the force such weapons would generate!" Tlorar countered.
The Skink pinched the bridge of its snout, "Well its not just men who have these. The orcs and other races have them, and more."
Tlorar went quiet. Its cold-blooded mind filled with the massed hoards of greenskins armed with weapons that could create a hail of tebaz, metal-of-the-air.
"Zectok, have they been shown their quarters yet?" The quartermaster asked.
"Of course!"
"Well, you should probably take them to the firing range. See if someone there can get them started."

###

The long gallery of the firing range was mostly empty. The majority of the Temple Guard were out for physical training at this time of the morning. There were always at least one or two around though. One in particular. Zectok approached the Saurus at the far end of the carved rock passage, who was concentrating on taking very precise shots. Her spines were of the characteristic orange hue of the New Brood, but her frame was a lot bulkier. She too wore the skull of a large, horned animal.
"Temple Guard Xan'zah. This is Tlorar and Kraqok. They have both recently been recruited from the Star Chamber regiment." Zectok said. The Saurus did not immediately respond.
"This is no Temple Guard!" Tlorar erupted, "It has donned the false helm, taking a station it was never born to"
Xan'zah carefully took the shot, hitting a target on the far side of the range, obliterating it. Then turned to the newcomers.
"Are these two are still wet from the spawning pool, Zectok?"
"Oh, yes, sorry, Yuk-Roq dropped them off with us this morning. Tlorar, Kraqok, this is Xan'zah, an auxiliary. Recruited from the best warriors in the ranks of Saurus. We have many such auxiliaries. They have undergone a rigorous selection process and they have all had Temple Guard training and have taken the oaths. They are held to the same standard as naturally born Temple Guard."
"Except, we aren't called auxiliaries, are we, Zectok?" Xan'zah hissed.
"N-no. There is no distinction in the Temple Guard. They have all fought together and died together for decades now."
Tlorar maintained a baleful glare at Xan'zah.
"If you doubt my worthiness of this rank, we can spar in the arena. "She said, matching Thorar's glare, "I'm confident I could take on two reanimated statues." She changed out the power pack in her rifle before turning to take aim again, "While you were guarding an empty room, I've been training hard. You two, you've still got dust on your helms."
Tlorar started to growl, but stopped when Kraqok put a hand on its shoulder.
"Remember, we are now oath-breakers too." It boomed. It stepped forward, presenting the laser rifle. "Please, show us how this new warfare works."
Xan'zah raised an eyebrow, "At least one of you might be a fast learner." she muttered. Then she took a shot, blasting straight through the target at the far end of the gallery.

 

Got a new story. One I've been working on since berfore Christmas. There might be a familier name up front...
---
Tepaz walked slowly up to the Star Priest Yak'tar, who was studying a scroll spread out on the stone table. It depicted the constellations as they appeared a thousand years ago. Next to it was a book of more modern construction showing more recent stars. He had a slate tablet to hand which he periodically made notes on. Scratching away at it with a stylus.

"Ah, Tepaz-Cuaqatec, my student. Have you finished that translation for me? It's been almost three weeks now. Olo'kor-Cuaqatec and Huatenq-Cuaqatec have already finished theirs."

Yak'tar continued looking at the map, shifting a couple of golden frogs he was using to keep the scroll open.

"I… I… Star Priest, I have been unable to make a full translations of the plaque. There are symbols I cannot divine the meaning of." the younger Skink quivered.
"Tepaz-Cuaqatec. I have checked the plaque you were assigned. We have been over every symbol that appeared on it, some of them, several times." The priest looked up and locked eyes to emphasis the last point. "You have not come to see me during the entire assignment. I checked your records at the archives and while you did visit it, once, you looked in entirely the wrong section."
"Oh, well in that instance-"

The Priest raised his voice in anger, cutting off Tepaz, "While learning the ways of the winds of magic, you failed to develop even the most basic illumination spells."

"But Star Priest, I have-"

His voice spoke even louder and more angrily, "And when giving a speech to the Temple Council as a part of your lessons in persuasion, you gave, by far, the _worst_ oration I have ever heard from a student!"

The priest had absentmindedly picked up one of the golden frogs and was angrily tossing it up and down.

"And now, you come to me, a week late, and tell me that you are struggling with a simple translation!"

The Star Priest paced back and forth as he harangued his student.

"I am not one to question the gods," he continued, his words bouncing off the stonework of the study chamber, "but I do often question myself as to what I did to end up with a student like you!"

He thew the frog at the cowering Skink.

* * *

Huan-Ty snapped her eyes open. It had been a long time since she'd had that dream, or heard that name…

The first crack of dawn light filtered through the window to her office. The Skink's eyes opened and saw the grey concrete walls of her office, decorated with finely carved, gold plated mouldings set into the walls. A typical adaptation of an existing structure to the tastes of their new reptilian inhabitants.

The rusted light fixture was perhaps the one remaining indication that this building was a long-abandoned ruin before it became her workshop and office.

Her nictitating membrane blinked a few times before she pulled herself up from the nest of cushions she'd piled into the corner to sleep on. First things first was to review some of the new design notes from yesterday. A simplified form of the laser rifle technology to make the weapons easier to produce. She grabbed her datapad from amongst a pile of papers from her desk and went out to the balcony. With a nimble move she pulled herself up onto the tiled roof and laid down on her front. It was a perfect place to catch the warmth of Chotek's morning blessing.

By the time the sun had fully risen above the treeline the Chief Engineer finished the design revisions and was now trying to figure out how to schedule the most important things of the day. She needed to find time to oversee the restoration work at the steel mill. That was going to be vital to building and repairing these new weapons of war. A review of the current operating procedures in the mines would also be needed too. And also, she needed to go and see that _tlazchomundi_, Xi-Boc once again to convince him of the merits of Saurus in heavy industry. She'd see them out training, lifting useless lumps of rock to maintain their muscles. If only they could lift and move useful things. They were an untapped resource, to be sure.

"Uhh, Chief Engineer? Are you around?" a tremulous voice came from the balcony.
Huan-Ty put the datapad away and scrabbled across the roof to look down at the interloper
"What do you want?" Huan-Ty snapped. A young Skink stood, trembling on the balcony
"The, uhh, the Great Starseer, Tik'ol'tec has requested a meeting with you."
"And he didn't think to just message me?"
"I, I was just following orders."

They had unlocked all this wonderful technology during the time of the great exodus from the World That Was. The legacy of the great Old Ones had been furnished to them along with the mighty temple-ships they travelled within. Where once they made use of clay and stone tablets to keep records and complex weaves of string and beads to tally data, they were granted access to tablets of glass and light that could perform these functions and so many more. Where data was effortlessly transferred, copied and updated and messages could be sent instantaneously. Now that they had been planted again on firm ground, the old ways had come creeping back. Huan-Ty pinched the bridge of her snout, she would not let herself backslide.

"Tell him I'll be along directly"

* * *

The market was just opening up as the Chief Engineer marched through it. Cooking fires were being set up and various wares laid out. She mentally noted that the Turquoise merchant was back in town. She made a mental note to visit later to have her gold and bronze headdress encrusted to match her ceremonial robes. There was no official position of Chief Engineer in traditional saurian society so Huan-Ty was attempting to insert herself into the ranks normally held by Star Priests. With a combination of attitude and dress, it was currently working.

With the smell of cooking wafted above the market, the Skink crossed the Solar Plaza and acceded the stairs of the Temple of the Sun. On top stood a large and complex building. Before entering, she turned back to look at the Solar Plaza. The tiles materials and geometry were arranged in such a way that different patterns and colours shone through at different times of the day. It had been a long time since she had been up this early to notice this particular display. She nodded at the pleasing pattern of geometry and colours, she headed in to the temple proper.

Grand Starseer Tik'ol'tec, overseer of the capitol city Sotzalzan and therefor overseer of the whole civilisation on this world, stood in the temple's inner sanctum, waiting. Huan-Ty walked towards him, bowing her head and lowering her crest respectfully.

"Ah, my chief engineer. We need to discuss some urgent matters." he said to Huan-Ty's bowed form. The Starseer turned and started walking, indicating that she should follow.
"As you know, the quest to locate our lost Slann is moving at pace. Our observatory has already located some areas of interest in the heavens and construction of the Star Canoe fleet is well underway. We have however reached certain limitations…"

They descended deeper into the bowels of the temple, following increasingly ornate passage ways. They eventually ended up in a large, richly decorated hallway, with columns of sculpted limestone, inlaid with gold and many different kinds of gemstones. The flickering light of burning torches, set into crevices lent a strange and almost claustrophobic feeling to such a large space. Between each column stood two hulking Temple Guard warriors, clutching enormous halberds and wearing atop their heads, the skulls of some huge horned beasts of the Lustrian jungles.

Huan-Ty looked at each impassive face in turn. Each figure was almost twice her size and at least a century old. They stood in the same rigid pose, each one distinguishable only by its scars and gold adornments. As they reached the huge golden door at the end of the passage, the last two shifted, taking on a defensive stance. Huan-Ty heard Tik'ol'tec sigh loudly.

"Champion Yuk-Roq, must we do this every time?"
"Only those of the Star Priesthood are permitted to enter the Holy Chamber of Constellations." he said in a deep, throaty voice. The Temple Guard Champion was a brute among brutes. He wore ornate, golden armour inlaid with so many precious gems that the cuirass alone must have weighed as much as a Skink. The immense crest on his head had developed many spikes and protrusions over the centuries of growth and it was topped with the skull of a particularly fearsome creature. His small, yellow eyes were fixed on Huan-Ty and communicated the message that one step closer would result in her being crushed utterly by the huge Obsinite and gold pole-arm he held.

Tik'ol'tec closed his eyes for a moment, one hand rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"It's not even three measures past sunrise…" he muttered to himself. Then he spoke directly to the huge reptile, "I, Great Starseer Tik'ol'tec, proxy to the great Slann Lord Rarqamundalan, invest a exception upon this individual so that they may enter the Chamber of Constellations to attend to matters of the very Heavens themselves."
"Exception acknowledge." The Champion rumbled. After a moment the two Saurus returned to their simple guarding positions. The Starseer then pressed his hand to a small recess on one of the doors and they both began to ponderously swing open.
"I wish there was a way to reassign them. I don't even know where their barracks is. We've not had a Slann in the chamber for almost three decades now." the Starseer muttered as they headed inside.

Huan-Ty looked up and was, momentarily, awe-struck with the magnificence of the construction and ornamentation of the room. Stone bas-reliefs decorated with fine gold lines and inset gems covered almost every surface of the lower two thirds of the chamber. Strange lighting fixtures extended from the walls periodically, emitting a warm and steady glow. There were a few panels of mysterious controls placed at irregular intervals around the walls too. The thing that really drew in the Chief Engineer however was the gigantic hemispherical ceiling. It was finished is a finely polished dark stone and on it lay a star map of gems, each of which emitted a glow as if lit from behind. Connecting many of the stars were fine lines of gold and silver that painted an array of constellations that shone in the warm light against the black stone. Huan-Ty instantly recognised them as constellations as seen in the night sky above the World That Was.

She was about to turn her attention back to the Starseer when two things struck her. At first she noticed that the star ceiling was slowly moving, presumably in accordance with the movement of their current planet. The second, was that either the ceiling only represented a small part of the heavens, or there were some very clever mechanism going on behind the walls of this room.

"Chief Engineer? Chief Engineer!"
Huan-Ty snapped out of the reverie, the network of cogs and mechanisms that she was building in her mind collapsed.
"Yes, Starseer. For what purpose have you brought me here?" she asked.
"Well, there are a number of matters. The first of which concerns the stars, but not this star chart overhead. Impressive isn't it? Come over here."

The Starseer walked towards a large wooden dais where a hand-drawn star chart was sprawled across its entire surface. These stars seemed more familiar at least. They were a map of the heaves as seen in the night sky on this new world.

"The observatory has been upgraded many times and has been vital in locating a number of artefacts. We have, however reached the limits of what it can ascertain, at least on its own. Therefore, we have a proposal for the construction of an array of eight observatories. The Star Priests have drawn up designs for the layout of the array." Tik'ol'tec unrolled another smaller scroll, holding it in place with decorative golden frogs. The paper showed a series of nodes, connected by lines, forming complex geometric shapes. Huan-Ty began rotating such a network in her mind. Around it other, augmented ideas gathered, rotating like a mental solar system of interlinked thoughts.

"Well we would need to make sure there is enough land for such a wide array. Do you know how sensitive it is to geographic location?" The Chief Engineer asked.
"I do not, I will put you in contact with the Star Priest who has been in charge of the observatory's design. This will be your primary project over the next period. The architecture is being handled by another Priest, I need you to oversee the sites surveying and the mechanism designs for the observatory equipment."
"Of course."

The Starseer then moved away from the plans to stand further towards the centre of the room. Huan-Ty followed.

"What was the other matters you wished to discus, Starseer?" she asked.
"The other matters... Yes." He pivoted to look directly at the Chief Engineer. "It concerns the level of resources being spent on this steel mill project of yours and the efficacy of the work being done." He said in a more serious tone. He pulled out his datapad from a pouch on his belt.
"Progress is going well. We have already mapped at least fifty percent of the mechanisms and have restored some of the lesser machines to working order." She started.

Tik'ol'tec looked down at his datapad, pressing various parts of the screen. Huan-Ty felt the need to fill the silence, "The mine project was unexpected, yes, but it is a fortunate find. It makes the whole site more or less self-contained."
"Four dead and fifteen injured in the past moon cycle. Seven of them severely injured." Tik'ol'tec announced. He went on, "Twenty one dead so far this solar cycle, seventy three injured. Are these the kind of numbers I should continue to be seeing from this project?"
"It sounds largely within reason." She replied, lashing her tail but taking on the flat tone of someone discussing business, so as not to sound defensive. "The facility is at the very edge of Realmshaper Engine range. They are, of course increasing the range all the time so this number should decrease over time."
"The reports of shifts I've been told, eight to ten hours of exposure."
"Its a long project. There is a lot to do. You've read my reports yes? The Skinks have access to shielded helms that provides some level of protection."
"I have read those reports, but I am still asking if the level of sacrifice is worth the progress you have made so far."

Huan-Ty felt bile rise in her stomach. Her crest raised and reddened with rage. What would a mere stargazer know of the complex interlinked infrastructure and electromechanical workings of such a complicated facility? He said he read the reports, and yet he's questioning the necessity of the work? She then remembered the hallowed place they were in and the deference demanded by the Great Starseer's seniority. Her crest lowered a little.

"I am conducting the work the best way I can Starseer. "She said through gritted teeth, "Would you call into question the causeway construction projects if an errant block crushed a Skink foreman? Progress demands sacrifice and I am within the bounds you laid out for me."

Tik'ol'tec closed his eyes and breathed out. As the current rate of losses, she'd exceed that bound in the next two lunar cycles, but has not exceeded them at the current moment.

"Chief Engineer Huan-Ty. We have yet to activate the spawning pools. We have no way to replenish our numbers and we do not know how many of our number will be needed to retrieve the artefacts required to summon back the Slann. Keep this in mind as you conduct yourself on that project."

* * *

The sun was rising to its zenith as Huan-Ty marched purposefully away from the Temple of the Moon, having discussed matters with the Chief Astrologer there about the new observatory array. She made a short detour to the market to pick up some dragonfly dumplings before heading back to the workshop. She munched through them while looking over the shoulder of mechanics and engineers working on the latest vehicles and weapons that had been recovered. She pointed out mistakes and problems as she spotted them, before moving on to examine finished products that were ready to be distributed. The Chief Engineer then acceded the stairs to her office, passing by a large Saurus that stood next to the door. She called out to a young Skink, demanding it fetch her some Tlaxtlan coffee while holding out a stained ceramic cup. Huan-Ty then spent ten solid minutes reviewing designs on her workstation before someone knocked on the door. She called out for the interrupter to come in. It was the young Skink with the coffee. She took it from him.

"I've been told to let you know also that Ataxor one of Xi-Boc's Scar Veterans is here to see you about something." he quivered.
"Was it holding a sheet of parchment?"
"Yes, Chief Engineer."
"Then go fetch it! It's probably more change requests for the laser rifles..."

She didn't grumbled about the Old Blood Xi-Boc's use of antiquated messaging. The fact the Saurus could write and grip a scribing pen without crushing it was a miracle as far as she was concerned.

The Skink returned with the parchment. Huan-Ty took it and read it before taking a big swig of coffee. She made a groaning sound and carried the cup over to the window, pouring the rest of the contents out.

"This was not Tlaxlan coffee." she growled, thrusting the cup out to the young Skink.
"It was, it, uhh, I'll go get some more" he quivered in response.
"No! I'm going down to check progress on the steel mill. The Gods know they are always slacking when I'm not there. And I don't want to have Starseer Tik'ol'tec having another talk with me about progress!", she snatched up a bejewelled helm, her datapad and a tube of drawings before marching out the door. "Every day that goes by without that Mill operating is another day of toil like our ancestors!" she yelled as she marched down the stairs and out of the workshop.

As she marched towards the city's west gate, she looked at the gold helm. It was a thing of beauty and magic and status. But its primary use was the emission of a small ward that would protect the wearer from the toxic fumes in the edge zone. She thought about coming up with something that used conventional materials and could be mass produced. Magic could be unreliable. She had a couple of low ranking Skink priests in the work crew to help maintain these protective wards but the truth was that with no Geomantic Web, their once powerful magic was tenuous at best. She even doubted if the return of the Slann into a bodily form would do any good since their power was drawn from the deep magical reserves of the World That Was.

A work truck was driving past on its way to the Mill site. She hopped onto the running boards and clambered inside.

* * *

The work site was already busy when she arrived, hopping out the truck with the next shift. She placed the bejewelled helm on her head and secured it, touching the central crystal to activate it. This was the very edge of Realmshaper Engine range. The heavy pollution that blanketed the rest of the planet permeated through the growing jungle and made breathing unfiltered air hazardous.

The shift foreman ran up to her with a datapad. The chief engineer looked it over, comparing with notes on her own. They had made a lot of progress on the mining tunnels and equipment. There had also been issues in the main machinery hall however. A gantry had given way under a Kroxigor, killing it and two Skinks and seriously injuring several more. She gazed dispassionately at two stretchers covered in bloody blankets being loaded onto a truck. After transferring the data onto her own datapad, Huan-Ty entered the site proper. She visited the dozen or so teams working there, to advise on what to concentrate on and troubleshoot any issues. Finally she went to her own project on the site- the control office. Banks of computers lined the room on either side and several rows of control interfaces were positioned in the middle, all facing a huge display board. It had taken her two months to map out less than a quarter of the room and its equipment. She would need to get a whole team involved eventually if it was to be mapped out in any reasonable time but for now she busied herself with the intellectual purity of following wires and figuring out components from their inputs and outputs.

As she worked away, her mind began to wander. The work she was conducting was vital for the survival of their civilisation. Her kind were mortal however, and not blessed with the indefinite life of the Slann or Saurus. Skinks lived barely less than a century, for the non-magically inclined. She would have to start training an apprentice. Or a team of them. It'd mean that she'd start having to pay attention to the technicians and talk with them rather than just hand down orders. All those soft skills she had never been that good at were going to be needed.

"By Sotek!" Huan-Ty hissed under her breath. She had gotten distracted and lost track of the cable she had been following for the past fifteen minutes.

A mottled green and yellow Skink ran into the room, "Chief Engineer. The South Expedition team has discovered something significant and desires your instruction!" it quipped.

"A thousand curses upon you! I am never going to get anything done around here" she growled, extracting herself from the electrical access panel. The Skink messenger coward back as she advanced on it.
"I can tell them that you are busy?" It offered.
"No, no. Just let me gather my tools and we'll go see whatever it is they think is so important."

* * *

Huan-Ty stepped out of the truck and looked up at the tangled mass of pipes and smoke stacks. A path through the jungle had been cut but, at it's current rate of growth, would need to be cleared again in another week.

An alarm chimed from her helm, alerting her to high levels of toxic contaminants in the air. They were past the range of the Realmshaper Engine's range now. The air was hazy with ancient industrial pollution.

"This way" the mottled Skink said, leading her through the cleared path and into the enormous industrial building.

They passed by the towering hulks of dead machinery. Cables and chains hung like jungle vines. In amongst piles of junk and rust were discoloured bones.

A small gang of Skinks stood or squatted at the foot of a mass of pipes and cabled that stretched into the darkness overhead. The fell into line when they noticed Huan-Ty. One of them stood a little taller than the others and wore a slightly more ornate helm. It approached the Chief Engineer as she examined the scouts.

"Chief Engineer, I am Sutak, the squad leader. We have made an important discovery and require your advice."
"Do you know what kind of facility this is?" she snapped.
"I do not. But-"
"Then how do you know it is important enough to interrupt my work?"
"I, uhh-" Sutak stuttered.
"There is a switch yard on the other side of the facility. From your briefing, you said that this was the signs of a power generator." said one of the other Skinks in the squad.
"That's correct." Huan-Ty said. The crest of the Skink who spoke up turned a pale blue. "Well, let's not hang around here all day. Show me this discovery!" she then demanded.
"Of course, please, come this way." Sutak said.

The hall Huan-Ty was lead into, up a rusted stairwell was filled with semicircular devices. Thick coils of copper wire were visible through metal shrouds.

They were much larger versions of the small generators and dynamos she'd seen before. Much larger. The power just one of these could generate would be immense. There was a bank of twenty four of them.

"Did you find the control room?" Huan-Ty asked.

The other Skink nodded and pointed the way. The chief engineer pulled herself away from generators and followed along.

They move up a creaking, rusted stairway and then through a network of narrow corridors in various states of repair. Finally, they emerged into a crowded room, packed with equipment.

With the exception of the level of grime that coated every surface, it all appeared to be in a remarkably good condition. Huan-Ty wiped her finger on the glass of several gauges. But then something caught her attention. Deep in the gloom, something was emitting it's own light. She crept forward.

On a control panel, hidden behind some banks of machines a red light glowed unsteadily. A set of controls were arrayed out in a row on the panel. The labels were cracked and peeling off. They were in the old human script so they would not have been useful if they were intact. She should send for a translator, but it was getting late and her mechanical intuition was second to none. She wiped the grime off a few of the gauges, then selected a crank wheel on the left hand side. As she turned it, the gauge next to it began to move. She continued turning the crank slowly until the needle was within a green sector of the gauge. She did the same thing again with the crank wheel next to the first one. A deep rumbling came from all around. The other Skinks looked around nervously. Huan-Ty was deep in concentration. The next thing was to pull a huge leaver. It took some effort but it gave way at last and the whole room shuddered. The rumbling became louder and a whirring sound kicked in, its tone gradually increased. It seemed to correspond with another gauge, the needle crept up slowly, past different markings. When it got two thirds of the way around, the whirring had become a roar. Just before it started tipping into the red zone, she hit a huge button next to it.

The building shook again, violently.

"Chief Engineer, perhaps we should wait for a team of specialists?" Sutak trilled, clearly unnerved.
"Silence! I know what I'm doing" she snapped back.

The control room was coming alive with the whirring of ancient machines. A huge panel at the far end of the room lit up. There were many blinking lights, connected by faded lines of paint labelled by yet more human glyphs. She approached it, running a clawed hand over the pitted and rusted surface. In the middle was a large dial. It was turning at a steady rate anti-clockwise. A warning tone sounded from her helm of protection to alert her to an increase in dangerous pollutants. She dismissed it.

On one side of the dial was a rusted crank wheel, on the other a large knife switch. She crept over to the wheel. A clattering of clicks and hums were coming from behind the control panel. She gripped the crank wheel in both hands and started winding it. It resisted for a moment before turning in protest. The turning dial sped up. She paused for a moment and then started winding the crank the other way. The dial slowed. She kept turning, calling over to the other Skinks to help. After a few more turns the dial slowed and stopped in the upwards position. A light blinked on over the switch. There was clearly only one thing left to do. After a moment's hesitation, she punched it.

Sparks shot out of the tangle of thick cables on one side of the room. The sharp crackle and pop of lighting could be heard and every Skinks moved rapidly away from the equipment as more sparks shot out. They left quickly the way they had come. The huge generator hall was filled with a wall of noise. Sparks jetted out at random from several of them. It was only when they had gotten halfway down the hall that Huan-Ty noticed that she wasn't relying on the built-in light on her helm. The huge hall was lit dully with overhead lamps, as were the corridors they progressed through.

The Skinks squinted into the low-laying sun as it began to fade behind the treeline. Turning back to look at the building, several of the smoke stacks were now belching forth heavy black smoke. Dull red lights glowed on top of one. Light was glowing from several other ruins that lay about, shrouded in the gloom of the jungle's canopy. A few poles that lined the broken road they had travelled down were now also emitting light too. The Chief Engineer made a mental note for an idea to enhance the new causeways under construction. She hopped into the truck and instructed the other Sutak to drive her back to the steel plant.

* * *

"I need three shifts, around the clock at the northern industrial plant." she yelled at the site foreman as she jumped down from the truck. "Get me greasers, electrical specialists and a fire crew just in case. The steel plant is now second priority."

She looked up at the hulking vine-draped concrete forms of the steel plant. Unnatural light was glowing out from a few of the grimy windows. She smiled and then turned to one of the crew trucks.

"Are you heading back to the city?"

"Yes, sir, shift change"

Huan-Ty climbed aboard, squatting down amongst a host of exhausted and filthy Skinks. The truck rumbled off towards the city.

By the time it drove through the city gates darkness had descended. Huan-Ty leaped from the truck as it slowed to take a corner. She started walking rapidly back towards her workshop. Small crowds of lizardmen had gathered in various places to admire and speculate on the curious lights that had appeared. She marched into the main hall of the workshop, ignoring the questions asked by a few of her engineers. She went straight upstairs and shut herself into her office. The Chief Engineer slumped into the chair at her work desk and started writing up her findings. She looked up to see the flickering electrical lamp overhead. She tapped it a few times and it settled down to a steady glow. Finally, things were starting to take a positive turn. She hunched over her workstation and looked forward to a brighter tomorrow.