Not to be confused with the city of Tlaxtlan.
"You are from Tlax? What secrets do you hold?"
- —Kroq-gar speech with a Tomb Kings's emissary[5]
Tlax, the City of Ghost lies close to the Tarantula Coast, where ships are drawn by the Golden Spire of Chotec’s shimmering light. As a result of its location, only fifty miles or so inland, many intruders have come to Tlax. Very few, however, have left. Tlax, called with good reason the City of Ghosts, is quite literally haunted by the far distant past. It is as if the calamitous events of the Great Catastrophe were etched into the very air itself, to be replayed, over and over, at the alignment of particular constellations. At certain times of day or night, spectral forms battle one another for possession of the city — mighty, ghostly Saurus marching to war against hordes of leering Daemons. Those treasure hunters who have witnessed such sights have fled screaming into the jungle, their sanity shattered, most falling prey to Lustria's many deadly threats long before reaching the safety of the coast.[3a][4b]
The Human reports describe Lizardmen of Tlax as less hostile than those of other temple-cities, and have sometimes proved cooperative when the circumstances suit them.[4a]
History[]
In the year 1492 IC several human vessels arrived on the nearby coast, and much to the surprise and pleasure of the lizardmen, offered a tribute of stolen treasures and captured Skaven receiving initially food in return.[1b]
Lord Xtli dispatched Zltoc to meet with the barbarians with the scribe Huinipachuti as he spoke one of their strange languages. They discovered that the leader was Marco Colombo, a Tilean from Remas who sought to trade with them. Zltoc made it clear that We do not need to trade but the humans offered to aid them against raiders and other enemies with their ships and gunpowder weapons. The delegation returned to the city to consider the matter with lord Xtli.[1b]
Lord Xtli wished for the barbarians to answer some questions and summoned them to the city. Marco was able to show Xtli his maps and confirmed the dispositions of the continents and that Sotek had not appeared in their lands - both answers pleased the Mage-Priest.
The last question was about how Warm-bloods reproduce, Marco resorted to much gesticulation and noted that intoxicating beverages, music, and darkness were important - just as previous Dwarfs had reported in the past to Lord Zetec. To the Slann this all seemed very strange but fascinating.[1b]
In the year 1493 IC the High Skinks of the city continued the negotiations offering spice, grubs, potions, and the tusks of many great reptiles and when asked - pearls that were so commonplace with freshwater clams being a ubiquitous snack. The High Skinks were very pleased that they could be bought with such worthless objects. Whilst final negotiations were taking place, the city was attacked by Dark Elves and Marco bore witness to the Lizardmen at war led by Lord Ztlocutec.[1c][1b] He, in turn, was able to pursue and capture the Dark Elf vessel, killing all on board and was rewarded by even more pearls and spices for having brought back some important artifacts stolen by the Elves during their raid.[1b]
Marco and one ship decided to remain to help the Lizardmen and retrieved other sacred artifacts from three Norse Longship. Lord Xtli returned those artifacts to other cities that sent presents to him and his mercenary in gratitude. Finally, during a ritual celebration, the barbarians set sail and headed home with riches beyond their wildest dreams.[1b]
Great Pyramid of Inscriptions[]
Every decade on the day of the summer solstice, the Lizardmen perform a powerful ritual called The Ritual of Words Yet Unvoiced,[4b] atop the Great Pyramid of Inscriptions in the ruins of Tlax. A Slann delegation consisting of one representative from each of the existing Temple-Cities meets in the "Chamber of Unspoken Words" at the top of the pyramid.[3a][2a]
Before sunrise, the Slanns combine their powers to perform a powerful summons. At the climax of the ritual, the great plaza in front of the pyramid fills with insubstantial figures, and the entire ruined city appears pristine once more. The figures are those of the city's defenders, as they were before facing the Demons . Although the Slann cannot communicate with them, they offer them whatever power they can share so that they can defeat the forces of Chaos that destroyed the city in ancient times.[3a]
When the sun rises over the horizon, the ghosts fade as the city returns to its dilapidated state once again. It is conjectured if the Slann perform a ritual that allows the defenders of Tlax to defend the city as in the past, or if they accumulate power over millennia with which to one day change the past, and thus make the Temple-City rise again.[3a] What is certain is that Tlax has become a place where the very air tastes of magic.[4b]
Kenreth Silverbark, an Eonir scholar, wishes to see Lustria’s City of Ghosts for herself. She studied the Old One ruins in the Laurelorn Forest and believes there may be a connection between them and the fearsome spirit army the Grey Lords summoned during the War of the Beard.[4b]
Notable Inhabitants[]
Slann[]
- Mage Zltoc of Tlax - Another Mage Priest.[1c]
Skinks[]
- Anquipanqui - High Skink.[1b]
- Dotpechunini - High Skink.[1b]
- Huinipachutli - Scribe and translator, he knows the Bretonnian language.[1b]
- Mancixapati - High Skink.[1b]
- Manquoxutni - High Skink.[1b]
- Ylopulqua - High Skink.[1b]
Canon Conflict[]
A map showing, by mistake, the city of Tlaxtlan's location on the same spot occupied by the ruins of Tlax.
The battle between the Dark Elves and the Lizardmen changes location on different sources, Warhammer Armies: Lizardmen (5th Edition) states that happened in Tlax,[1b] while Warhammer Armies: Lizardmen (7th Edition) indicates Tlaxtlan.[3b] It is important to note that the 5th Edition book talk about the story from the point of view of Marco Colombo, that has misunderstood several names in his diary.[1b]
The powerful ritual atop the Great Pyramid of Inscriptions is said to be performed every year on Warhammer Armies: Lizardmen (7th Edition), and not every decade.[3a]
Trivia[]
The quote from Kroq-gar interaction in Total War: Warhammer II diplomacy with the Tomb Kings's emissaries is: "You are from Tlax? What secrets do you hold?", seems to be a roundabout way of Kroq-Gar to observe that the undead live a similiar fate to the ghost of the city.