Oxyotl taking down his prey
Oxyotl, known as "He That Hunts Unseen" is a legendary and much-feared Chameleon Skink who was at one time, the last and greatest Chameleon Hunter within the jungle-continent of Lustria, an ancient being who was alive when Chaos first came to this very world. Since his return from the Realm of Chaos, Oxyotl has waged a war of revenge against the fell powers. How the Chameleon Skink detects the presence of the Dark Gods’ minions is unknown, yet time after time, the Daemons arrive to find Oxyotl already ensconced nearby, a hidden nuisance that always finds a way to thwart their immortal plans.[1a]
When the daemonic legions burst forth at Xahutec in numbers beyond count, the Lizardmen garrison could not have withheld against their onslaught were it not for the timely arrival of Oxyotl. He arrived leading several bands of Chameleon Skinks and appeared just as the defenders were beginning to collapse. From atop the uppermost ruins of that once fabled temple-city, Oxyotl and his well-camouflaged troops rained down showers of poison darts that turned back every enemy breakthrough.[1a]
At the height of the Siege of Hexoatl, Oxyotl left the fighting and made his way to the long-corrupted spawning pool now known as the Pit of Sorrows. There, secreted in the ruins of that once-sacred site, he met Tzara'riador the Shimmering, a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch, even as he materialized into the mortal world. It was Tzara'riador’s intention to open a rift allowing a Daemon host to lend their weight to the attack against Hexoatl, yet the Greater Daemon found only death in a hail of barbed darts, and he fell with his vile ritual incomplete. After each great deed, Oxyotl merely fades back into the jungle, perhaps already en route to where he is needed next.[1a]
History
The legendary Hunter of Lustria
Oxyotl was alive during the time of the First Great Chaos Invasion. He and his kin mounted bold ambushes against the hordes, but were forced to retreat within the sacred walls of the temple-city of Pahuax, a host of Greater Daemons nearly catching them before they could duck within the protection of the magical barriers created by the Slann. Yet that barrier crumbled before the Chaos onslaught, until the Daemons stalked the plazas and the Lizardmen defence shrank back into the pyramid district. In a last effort for victory, the Slann Mage-Priest Lord Pocaxalan attempted to summon a nova-blast of energy to banish the foe. He needed time to conjure the mystic forces to power the spell, however, and called upon his last surviving Saurus, Oxyotl and his Chameleon Skinks to protect him, buying precious moments while the ritual was completed. But alas, the fickle powers of Chaos tricked Pocaxalan, and he tapped too deeply into the howling Winds of Magic — colossal energies spiralled out of control, ripping holes in the fabric of reality. The Slann and his last protectors were sucked into the Realm of Chaos. Pahuax aged millennia in scant seconds; large portions of the city, along with all its inhabitants, crumbling to dust.[1a]
Oxyotl awoke to find himself in a living nightmare. He was surrounded by all manner of Daemons, many of which were feeding on the sprawling entrails of his lord. He was alone in a land of living shadows, untruths and impossibilities. Luckily, his innate ability to blend in remained effective, despite the unnatural surroundings. Oxyotl was all but invisible, unnoticed by the creatures of that realm, although they detected him after a time. He survived the way he did in the jungle — by instincts and cunning. Oxyotl covered his scent against the daemonic hounds that tracked him by daubing himself in the blood of his pursuers. He ambushed mystic sentinels that lusted for his cold blood and he willed himself to resist all temptations.[1a]
The passage of time flows strangely within the Realm of Chaos. A year may pass in that twisted unreality whilst centuries pass in the real world. Now, in a timeless torture, Oxyotl was forced to exist in the full horror of Chaos. He glimpsed firsthand the fate of all the races of the world should the fight against Chaos falter, and their planet be overtaken by the Dark Gods. At last, after trials almost beyond enduring, Oxyotl found a path back to Lustria. He passed through fell places that he cannot recount to others or even himself for fear of going mad. He alone has discovered and walked through the fabled Lost City of the Old Ones, yet he tells no tales. Upon his return to Lustria, over 7,000 years had passed and the Lizardmen’s realm had fallen low, while the lesser races had spread like plagues. Portents of Daemons returning and war eternal abound. Indeed, Oxyotl’s own return is regarded as one such omen. It is unknown how Oxyotl escaped, for he dare not speak of it and no Slann will read his mind, lest the taint of Chaos remain within him. Yet Oxyotl has gathered others of his recently spawned kind and resumed the hunt, mustering his strength against the return of the hated foe.[1a]
Magic Items
- The Golden Blowpipe of P'Toohee - With just the lightest exhalation, this golden instrument of death blasts forth a hail of murderous darts.[1a]
Miniature
Sources
