Stegadon

Stegadons are mighty beasts that have dwelt within the primeval jungles since long before the coming of the Old Ones. They are bulky creatures whose heads are covered by armoured crests, out of which project massive horns. With bony scales and spikes shielding their bodies, there are few predators that dare challenge them.

Stegadons will feed upon almost anything they come across — devouring lush vegetation or the flesh of any creature foolish enough to get in their way. It takes great quantities of food to sustain such behemoths, and they grow so large and heavy that their footsteps have been known to split stone. Territorial and highly aggressive, Stegadons will charge any creature that intrudes upon their habitat. Other creatures stay well clear of these herds, for fear of being trampled or gored. Even the Lustrian jungle appears to part for their formidable girth; trees are smashed to splinters or swatted aside as the Stegadon stomps through even the densest foliage. It is said that the only beast in all of Lustria that can make a Stegadon alter its course is the colossal Thunder Lizard, although a bull Stegadon sufficiently riled might well offer challenge, and in its fury may even drive the enemy off.

Since the earliest days, the Lizardmen have used Stegadons as beasts of burden, to smash roadways through the jungle and to drag huge blocks of stone to build temples. They are also used for devastating shock attacks in times of war, and to add serious fighting heft to far-ranging ground patrols. These creatures are reared by teams of Skinks who stay with them throughout their lifetimes, and the Stegadons grow to become very protective of those Skinks they have known since their days as hatchlings. Large howdahs are attached to the beasts’ backs, and from this protected vantage point, the Skinks can hurl a storm of poison-tipped javelins in battle and fire huge arrows from the mounted great bows known to the Skinks as ‘Sotek’s Curse’.

On the attack, a Stegadon lowers its horned head and charges into combat. For all its awesome bulk, the Stegadon’s short but powerful legs can drive it forward at such a pace that its momentum is nothing short of devastating. Foes not slain outright by the impact of its charge are crushed to bloody pulps by its sheer bulk or speared upon the ends of one the Stegadon’s imposing spikes.

Ancient Stegadons
The eldest Stegadons have grown yet thicker hides and they are the strongest of their kind. Over the ages, some of their fiery temper has cooled and, as they often outlive their Skink crews, they gradually become more accepting of new handlers. Each new team honours their beast and the elder Stegadons are widely venerated. Many crews will hammer bronze or gold plates covered with glyphs into their gnarled hide, more to mark a beast’s status than to provide additional protection. Likewise, on the eldest of beasts, reinforced masks are set over the creature’s headcrest, and ornamental bracelets or sharp metal tips are commonly seen to cover its horns. Ancient Stegadons frequently carry fearsome blowpipes in their fighting howdahs. Each fires a cluster of darts that separates in flight to create a hail of poisoned death. It is for good reason that the Skinks name these fearsome weapons ‘Sotek’s Sting’.

The most revered of Ancient Stegadons are judged to have sufficient strength and the right temperament to carry the archaic artefacts known as the Engines of the Gods. If the Lizardmen ever had the knowledge of how these ancient wonders worked, they lost it long ago. However, they do know how to activate them — when the glyphs are touched in the right order, the device thrums with arcane energies. The Engine of the Gods has mysterious powers that can protect nearby Lizardmen or send rays to smite their foes. Even the Winds of Magic can be better siphoned to aid the casting of spells in the presence of such a potent apparatus. Only a handful of the Engines exist, and they are hidden away in temple vaults and only rarely brought forth. They often serve as war mounts for Skink Priests of great importance, and are used to anchor a battle line.

The first to utilise the Engines of the Gods was Tehenhauin, the Prophet of Sotek. At the height of the Siege of Quetza, Tehenhauin led his disciples into the surrounding jungle. They returned three days later, the entire group riding upon Ancient Stegadons that bore Engines of the Gods, and used them to destroy the Skaven. Since that time, the Engines of the Gods have been brought forth only when they are needed most, for each is an instrument of the Old Ones’ power, and the loss of a single one might irredeemably jeopardise the Great Plan of the Lizardmen’s long-gone creator gods.

The thunderous herds
Stegadons roam throughout the Lustrian continent in herds ranging in size from a handful of related beasts to great migrations of many thousands. Some of these groupings have distinctive colours and markings, such as the tan striped beasts that dominate the cracked earth of the Huahuan deserts, or the green-spotted Stegadons that live in the hidden Gwangee Valley.

Most Stegadons, however, vary in colouration, ranging from pale blue-greys to rich greens, browns and reds. As the bony plates that cooer their thick hides age, they become much harder as well as lighter in colour. Young Stegadons can be quite brightly coloured, and those within a few decades of having hatched are often heavily mottled or otherwise camouflaged. As the monstrous reptiles grow older, they usually lose some of these contrasting patterns and become more evenly coloured. This is not always the case, however, as shown by the brilliant diamond-backed patterns exhibited by some Stegadons of the Piranha Swamps - notorious beasts that can wallow in the deepest swamp channels, where they lie hidden in ambush.

Older Stegadons, particularly the largest bulls, leave their herds and strike out on their own. Such rogues establish farther ranging territories, and challenge any of their kind that dares trespass. These head-clashing bouts can last for days and can flatten swathes of jungle. It is not unknown for striking and colourful markings to appear on the crests of these elder beasts, signalling that these are the most powerful of their kind.