Chameleon Skinks

Beneath the canopy of the jungle, not everything is as it seems. Without warning, invaders are struck by a multitude of whirring darts, a sound not unlike the high pitched buzzing of the incessant Lustrian insects. To the enemy, it seems as if the very jungle itself has come alive, though only blurred shapes can be picked out amongst the vines and leaves. Many panic at the thought of being shot by some invisible threat and fire back blindly into the dense foliage. One by one, their cries fall silent as their bodies slump to the forest floor. When the interlopers are dead and only the sounds of the jungle remain, the shapes shift, revealing the hidden presence of the Chameleon Skinks. So do many foes and invaders fall, their slayers nearby, but unseen.

With skin able to mimic the patterns of their surrounding environment, Chameleon Skinks are able to sneak within a few arms’ lengths of their enemies. From their ideal ambush position, the well-camouflaged Skinks will loose a hail of blowpipe darts, each tipped with the venomous secretions of a Lustrian tree frog. The poison is so virulent that it can even boil the foul blood in a Daemon’s veins. Chameleon Skinks are exceptionally accurate, able to fire with unerring precision. They are aided by their large, protruding eyes which give them the means to focus on two different things independently, and to achieve all around sight without moving their heads — a vital ability for a creature that stands completely still in order to blend in with its environment. Last, but not least, the Chameleon Skinks’ eyes have a telescopic ability, enabling them to zoom their focus upon a target. Even heavily armoured foes are not safe, as the Chameleon Skinks can aim at the more vulnerable joints or thread a shot straight through a minuscule vision slit.

Chameleon Skinks are an unusual spawning that for many ages was thought to have become extinct. They originated exclusively from the sacred spawning pools of Pahuax, a temple-city destroyed soon after the fall of the polar gates, and it was thought that the last of their kind was slain in the battle of Blood Ravine. However, beginning in the Age of Strife, a few haphazard spawnings occurred across Lustria, and in recent years, they have proliferated at rates never before seen. The fact that they have spontaneously begun to spawn again has been interpreted in many different ways by the Skink Priests. It is assumed to be a part of the Old Ones’ Great Plan, but whether the proliferation is due to the growing Chaos threat, or because the Old Ones deemed that Chameleon Skinks would be needed for the Lizardmen to once more expand their realm, is mere speculation.

Chameleon Skinks do not dwell within the temple-cities, but instead strike out deep into the Lustrian jungles. Some spawnings roam in groups across the land, while others instinctively guard a home territory — most often a neglected monument long lost to the jungle. From there, they join Skink patrols and stalk rogue beasts when they inadvertendy enter sacred grounds. During invasions or times of war, Chameleon Skinks appear at army gatherings, putting themselves at the disposal of the Skink Chiefs. They are often used to scout out the foe, stealthily creeping into a concealed position. Once ensconced in cover, the Chameleon Skinks will unleash death from their blowpipes, and only a determined charge will ever dislodge them.