Full Name: Huakroataxa
Associated Names: The Hunter of the Dead
Age: 320
Race: Lizardman, Saurus.
Rank: Scar veteran
Place of Spawning: Lustria, Quetza
Physical Description
Huakroataxa, put simply, is over eight feet of savage, dark blue reptilian muscle. Scarred from serving the Old Ones his entire life, Huakroataxa bears the blood-red crest of those blessed by Sotek. His savage, alien glare emanates from two bright yellow, slitted eyes and speaks the untold lengths of Hatred of the Unnatural that Huakroataxa’s simple tongue never could.
Personality
Huakroataxa is a Lizardman; thus, his thought patterns, wants and desires are different to any warm-blood. He is completely selfless, going to any length to accomplish his unending mission: to purge the world of the undead. He has no personal wants or ambitions other than to accomplish his goal. The fact that this mission is all but impossible doesn’t worry Huakroataxa at all; all that matters is that he is completing his task.
He has little consideration for personal safety, bar one qualm – should he die, the Old Ones would lose a valuable tool. This is common to all saurus, but even his stalwart brethren can sometimes be rooted to the spot by fear of the unnatural. Huakroataxa, however, has been fighting the untold horrors of undeath for over two centuries, and no longer fears them in the least.
Being a Saurus, his mind is entirely focussed on the Art of War. His mind fails to grasp the concepts of most other things; farming is beyond his conception, although he understands the importance of good nutrition to a soldier. He has no ear for music, other than the pounding drums used to relay orders around the Armies of the Old Ones. He has no eye for art or beauty – for him, beauty is Sotek’s sacred colour of red spread over, well, everything.
Highly religious, Huakroataxa’s faith in the Old Ones is unshakeable. He needs no evidence that they exist; after all, he was himself a blessing from Sotek. Huakroataxa believes that everything he kills is a sacrifice to Sotek, but to make the sacrifice more potent, he often feeds parts of his different kills to Mon-ti.
Now, thus far it seems that Huakroataxa is little more than a cold blooded (in more ways than one) killer. And in many ways this is true, but a common misconception is that Lizardmen in general (and especially Saurus) are bereft of emotion and character. This is simply not true. Whilst he mostly contains it with martial discipline, Huakroataxa has the natural rage needed to be a true warrior, that primeval fury that separates the predators from the prey. This is amplified even more by Sotek’s blessing. A brutal and vicious monster on the field, Huakroataxa lets his fury overcome him as he ascends from mere soldier to an unstoppable force of nature. He also experiences a combination of bitter nostalgia and deep sorrow, pining for his homeland and contact with others of his kin near daily. Saurus were built to fight in armies, not individually, and though he would never question his orders he often longs for the scent of damp earth, the unearthly howls of his home. Similarly, he also longs for the combined strength of arms and will of tightly packed ranks of the Old One’s holy warriors.
Brief History
Huakroataxa and his spawn kin, or “brothers of the same waterâ€, were marked from the beginning as Blessed of Sotek. More vicious and aggressive, even when compared to their fellow saurus, like many saurus of such a blessing they were drafted into the Purging Legions of Lord Gargoq the Quaxocibiki, a fifth generation slann of great aggression and virility. Following the words of the Great Mazdamundi, Gargoq believes that it is the duty of the Old One’s servants to hunt down and crush all unnatural races that appeared against the will of the Old Ones, and unlike many of his peers he believes the time for that is now rather than later. Via arcane stone portals, Gargoq’s army travels all over the world, devastating those who they regard as unworthy of existence; beastmen, followers of chaos, skaven and the undead, returning to Lustria only after long and glorious campaigns have all but exhausted the armies.
Huakroataxa’s manifest destiny was not immediately apparent to Gargoq; he was just another Saurus foot soldier. Admittedly, he was the champion of his unit and a noble and ferocious fighter, but nothing especially out of the ordinary was apparent about him. However, it became clearer and clearer over time that Huakroataxa had an especial knack for dispatching that which would not stay dispatched. Using large, crushing blows to demolish the body entirely, removing the head and other tried and true methods of ending the unholy abominations of necrotic flesh and bone came naturally to this saurus when it had to be taught to others. Over the period of nearly two hundred years, Huakroataxa’s spawn kin died off one by one, the first by a minotaur’s axe, the next by a skaven’s poisoned blade. Eventually, Huakroataxa was the only one left, and was promoted justly to the rank of Scar Veteran; he who survives when all others perish.
It was at this point that his aptitude emerged from the chatter of the skinks into the respect and adorations of his fellows. Huakroataxa was charged with leading a small scouting party of skinks, Saurus and Terradons with the assistance of the Skink Priest Edi-Izard the Lizard Wizard. Huakroataxa’s immense fighting ability and strategic skill won his tiny army victory after victory, especially against the undead. Edi-Izard scribed for the Scar Veteran a scroll, of “Tactics against those who fall and refuse to stay thus.†The piece, which included assessments of the use of psychologically terrifying beasts such as Carnosaurs and Stegadons against the dead, methods by which a warrior could be sure never to see his opponents again, various tactical advice relating to the vital place of magic users against the undead and the need for modified, blessed poisons on skink weapons, amongst a variety of other inspired and useful information. The scroll was copied again and again, becoming a hit in the temple cities. Skinks discussed it over wriggly grub burritos, Saurus leaders had it read to them by attendants, nodding sagely and asking for the particularly inspired parts to be read to them again, and even a Slann passed his eyes over it, absorbing the information in seconds and delivering it to all others via the Sublime Communion.
Via that same duct of knowledge, the Slann all but demanded that Lord Gargoq somehow reward this intellectual warrior. This didn’t ire the comparatively hasty Slann in the least; he had been planning to anyway.
And thus it was that Huakroataxa was clad in the finest enchanted armour and weaponry the vaults of the Old Ones could spare, specifically tuned to the destruction of Huakroataxa’s chosen prey. And then Huakroataxa’s real gift was given to him; he was addressed by Lord Gargoq personally, with the simple but profound phrase “Hunt the Dead.â€
This could have been interpreted in many ways, and indeed it was by the various skink priests in attendance. One said that it was a mere commendation; you’re doing a good job, keep it up. Another suggested that it meant that Huakroataxa’s role as a scout leader should be encouraged, with greater Terradon intelligence support and chameleon skink squads added to enhance its stealth. One Skink even went so far as to suggest that they should sacrifice Huakroataxa to sotek, so that he might be able to inflict unending pain on foes that the Lizardmen had already disposed of. He was not listened to.
Huakroataxa himself, being a saurus, took simpler and more direct approach to the command. Having heard the words of Gargoq himself, he believed he fully understood them. Huakroataxa believed he had been commanded to destroy the undead. All of them. By himself.
Shocked and horrified, the Skink priests in attendance tried to sway the great warrior’s opinion, providing logical and clear arguments backed up by the holy texts. But the Saurus could not be swayed, and even whilst they begged him to stay in high pitched, frightened voices, he left the eternity chamber of Gargoq. One priest even went so far as to beseech Gargoq to explain the true meaning himself, but Gargoq was already asleep again, and the skink was escorted out by the temple guard, a horrified expression frozen on his face.
And thus it was that Huakroataxa left his position of command and ventured forth into the world, alone. What was undoubtedly intended to be a reward for combat prowess and intellectual achievement instead turned out to be an unending exile. Internally he was deeply aggrieved, separated from his comrades, his peers, his homeland, but Huakroataxa followed his order in a staunch and disciplined manner, never questioning the validity of his quest. His only hope of seeing his homeland and people again was to fulfil his impossible quest, to destroy every last zombie, skeleton and tomb warrior. Only then could he return to Lustria with honour.
Basic Stats.
Speed: 4 (7 on Xalot)
Huakroataxa moves slightly slower than a man would, and his long loping strides while running are anything but swift. However, he can move like this for almost a full day. However, he moves much faster when riding Xalot, his Cold one. Cold ones are to horses what Saurus are to men when it comes to movement; slightly slower, but with an almost mystical endurance.
Agility: 3 (7 against lesser undead, 5 against greater undead due to Armour)
Huakroataxa strikes blows that are large and hefty, rather than quick and dagger like. He prefers quality of strikes over quantity. Additionally, he’s a cold blooded creature and his reflexes aren’t as swift as a warm blood, meaning that a swifter opponent could probably get a few shots in. However, his armour makes him
Weapon Skill: 6
Huakroataxa’s blade skill is derived from being born as one of the Old ones super soldiers, and years of honing his technique against enemies of the Slann. However, he is still in favour of using brute force rather than cunning swordplay to defeat his enemies.
Ballistic Skill: 1
Huakroataxa, unlike other Saurus has attempted on accasion to throw something at the enemy.However, after accidentally maiming a revered Skink chief he has learnt that this is a skill no manner of refining will perfect.
Raw Strength: 6
Raw reptilian muscle, rage and the blessing of Sotec make Huakroataxa a sheer monster in terms of bulk. Was known to wrestle with Kroxigors in the old days.
Technique Strength: 5 (7 against undead due to Blessed Blade of Purging)
He can aim his blows reasonably well and has developed blade techniques over the ages, but never the less he relies more on Brute strength than technique. However, due to its magical enchantments, against the dead he usually has the edge in combat.
Toughness: 6 (7 with eternal shield and 8 against the dead with the Glyph necklace)
Saurus’ are naturally tough, especially venerable Scar Veterans like Huakroataxa. However, when combined with the ability to regenerate damage, he becomes nearly unstoppable. Dead opponents, however will find themselves weakened by the Glyph necklace of secured soul, and their feebled blows will have a hard enough time scoring against his scaly hide.
Tactical Knowledge: 7, 8 against undead
Huakroataxa has combined instinctive understanding of tactics with genuine intellectual talent. He is reguarded as a military genius umonst his people, especially in concerns with fighting undead creatures, and any warrior of the old ones would be more than Glad to fight under his banner. Should he ever get an army, he might actually be able to use this skill!
Equipment
Xalot: Xalot is Huakroataxa’s sixth cold one. She is almost as vicious as her master, but with a skull as thick as they make them. Whilst this makes for an excellent initial charge (or battering ram) it can be quite irritating when the creature attacks something it shouldn’t, wanders off in the wrong direction or does something completely moronic like suddenly leap of the battlements. Xalot gives Huakroataxa extra speed, protection and damage potential in combat, as well as a companion. Huakroataxa has been known to mumble the occasional phrase of Low Saurian to his mount, who, naturally, does not respond.
Mon-ti the python: Mon-ti is a snake, specie ‘Winged Crypt Python’. This is meaningless to Huakroataxa, who simply regards the reptile as a means of communing with his god. Winged Crypt Pythons are often used as such, as their winged forms make them seem to be avatars of the serpent god himself. Huakroataxa will ‘sacrifice’ by feeding pieces of the creatures he’s killed to the Python whilst murmuring prayers. One who is concerned about such things would be greatly concerned for Mon-ti’s health, seeing as most of Huakroataxa’s kills are, shall we say, far beyond their use-by date. However, Mon-ti is a Crypt Python, and Crypt Pythons are famous for devouring the corpses of dead, even long dead creatures. Their guts are quite capable of handling the putrid flesh, and this imbues their bite with a harsh bacterial agent. This bacteria induces necrosis and almost immediately puts the victim into shock, providing the venomous qualities that they are unable to produce themselves. Mon-ti has no use in combat, and mostly sleeps in a woven basket tied to Xalot’s flank (counterbalanced by another basket filled with various supplies) or hunts down large prey. Flying swiftly on leathery wings and bringing the deathblow by vicious bite, it brings down creatures such as boars, elk or other beasts for the three Lustrians to eat.
The Armour of Xokat (He the Dead Dread): Specialised glyphs of power, giving praise to the Old One Xokat are carved into Huakroataxa’s gleaming bronze armour. Whilst not turning tail and fleeing as they would under the rueful gaze of Harry the Hammer, when a creature of Undeath espies the Armour of Xokat (an Old One described by the glyphs as able to cause unending pain and torment to the unholy even after their passing) they become genuinely concerned. Perhaps he flinches or maybe even begins to shuffle backward. In combat, he may panic, and make stupid mistakes. It seems the armour feeds of the dark magic pulses that occur when a creature of undeath has been slain; as Huakroataxa kills more and more of the abominations, he will worry them more and more. On one occasion Huakroataxa, having survived a banshee’s scream, answered with a deep throated roar of his own that caused the cursed wretch to turn face and hide in a freshly raided grave. On other occasions he has used the power as a means of attacking higher undead, such as Tomb Kings, Wight Lords and Vampire Counts directly as their bodyguards part before the primordial fury of Huakroataxa, allowing the mighty warrior an open passageway and living arena in which to clash with these nexus points of dark magic.
Blessed Blade of Purging: Normally, this blade seems to be just any other Saurus obsinite blade: a huge, heavy, roughly sword shaped object with a vicious row of obsinite barbs down each side. A weapon used more for smashing than cutting or slicing, it would be a great weapon in the hands of warm-bloods but when wielded by a holy servant of the Old Ones it is a dangerous, if inelegant, hand weapon. Turning even normal armour aside under most circumstances, when the dark magic of Undeath is near the weapon becomes altogether more impressive. Starting as a mere flicker, the closer the undead approach Huakroataxa (or naturally, the reverse) the brighter and larger the blessed flames ensconcing the weapon’s blade grow. Huakroataxa has no need to fear the weapon’s flickering glory; this is no natural fire, but a holy fire, seemingly born of the very volcano Sotek first emerged from. These flames have no affect on natural creatures or items untouched by dark magic. However, these flames are more than potent against the undead. Anathema to the dark magic binding them, the blessing of the blade is that once something has been slain by the blade, it stays dead. Permanently. The corpse burns to ashes and no manner of dark magic may raise the corpse again
As a side note, The Blessed Blade of Purging continuously projects an aura of warmth, such as that that may be found on one of the baking stones on the top of a jungle ruin. This prevents the cold-blooded Huakroataxa and his animal compatriots from experiencing too much of an adverse affect from being in a much colder climate than their homeland.
The Eternal Shield: This is a Stegadon-hide shield, dyed purple with the three livid red strokes of war paint that are the symbol of Lord Gargoq’s purging war host. It is reinforced by bronze, and has large obsidian shards emerging from the front, used to slice and smash foes of the temple cities. Realising that he would not be able to receive new war gear for a long, long time, the Skink Priest Edi-Izard blessed this shield with a magic of regeneration; any damage suffered to any piece of Huakroataxa’s kit will swiftly heal (including the shield itself, which naturally receives the most damage), regenerating like the flesh of a lizard. This blessing extends to Huakroataxa and his animal compatriots as well. The Speed of healing varies depending on the injury; minor scratches heal near instantly, a blow around half an inch deep will heal in around a minute, and larger injuries, such as a missing hand or segment of armour, will take around a week.
Glyph Necklace of Secured Soul: This holy relic protects Huakroataxa against the dead even more than is already afforded. The undead’s blows will become enfeebled when directed against Huakroataxa, sliding off scale and armour plate. Weapons enchanted with the dark magics of undeath, and direct attacks with magics of undeath are similarly deflected, any enchantment or curse failing when directed against the Old One Sotek’s blessed servant.
Strengths
Strong: Huakroataxa is a vicious and cunning fighter, and against the undead he is a virtually unstoppable force of judgement, channelling his wrath and grief into as potent a weapon as his blade, and with mighty blows from said blade carves a rent in any and indeed all undead armies. He is heavily muscled, and could easily go blow for blow with a larger creature not to mention being blessed by Sotek, the prime Lizardmen War Deity
Tough: As a saurus lizardman, Huakroataxa is gifted with natural armour the form of scaly skin. Combined with his shield, armour, glyph necklace and cold one he is near impossible to kill by natural or unnatural means. He is far too relentless to allow something as trivial as pain stop him in his duty, and will allow the healing properties of his shield attend to his wounds whilst he attends to everybody else’s.
Brave: Huakroataxa is completely fearless; he believes absolutely in what he is doing and has no fear of the undead. To back down would be to betray his duty.
Reptilian: Huakroataxa and his animal friends are reptilian, and thus don’t need to eat often, perhaps once a week. When they do eat though, they eat quite a lot. Being reptilian, Huakroataxa also heals faster than humans, and even faster than other reptiles due to his shield.
Smart: Knowing everything there is to know about the art of war, and being a particular expert in the affairs of the undead Huakroataxa proves to be not only a vicious and unrelenting predator but also a cunning and dangerously intelligent one.
Relentless
Lizardmen are famous for their savage, sometimes seemingly foolish determination, and Huakroataxa exemplifies this noble trait. He will fight when exhausted, in immense pain, horribly outnumbered, partially dismembered, out classed and out numbered. For him there is only the mission, and when at first a lizardman does not succeed, he has eternity to try again and again and again.
Proficient General
Huakroataxa has both an instinctive and developed understanding of battle tactics, especially in concern with Guerilla warfare and fighting against the undead. His preference is for small, fast army groups, but recognises and appreciates the slower but harder hitting power of his Saurus kin when the time comes for it
Not a vampire: Unlike many other participants in this roleplay, Huakroataxa is not a vampire and thus is not subject to many of their weaknesses. He does not thirst for human blood (although he is partial to goat), he is under no vampires thrall (although he does follow his orders unflinchingly), he loves the sun (sometimes even worshipping it), he doesn’t need to control his appetites (satisfying them is pretty much his job description), he isn’t subject to selfishness and petty infighting, he isn’t hunted by witch hunters, he isn’t adversely affected by holy magics, he finds garlic a strange but pleasant flavouring and striking a saurus scar veteran through the sternum into the heart takes approximately the might of a steamtank, so even that is an unlikely prospect.
Weaknesses
Stupid Mount: Xalot is a cold one, and that means thick. Huakroataxa’s mount often gets him into quite a bit of trouble, even though he can normally control this idiocy with a pertinent force of will.
Cold Blooded: Whilst warmed by the Blessed Blade of Purging, the mighty scar veteran is still a reptile and thus has rather slow reflexes, preferring large, mighty blows to small, swift ones. As demonstrated in Chapter 30, Ashes to Ashes if the Blessed Blade of Purging is removed, he is susceptible to all environmental pressures.
All Alone: Whilst the psychological affect of being solitary has already been mentioned, the martial aspects are also important. Huakroataxa is unable to call on reinforcements, call for covering fire, and will naturally be outnumbered in most fights. Whilst he is used to this and can usually hold his ground, undead forces of an especially large size will prove too difficult for even him to attack with notable success. However, this is by no means a permanent problem…
Not a vampire: How is that a weakness? The undead fiends are good for nothing but sacrifice! What does it matter if he cannot raise the dead, have an inbuilt master of necromantic magic, an ability to rise from the dead, command of the minds of weaker creatures and the weather itself? Huakroataxa is a holy warrior of the old ones and that’s all he needs!
Specialised: Brutally effective against the undead hordes, whilst Huakroataxa is still a formidable warrior against other foes he loses most of his magical aid. Thankfully, it isn’t often he must face a living foe.
Low Saurian: Huakroataxa can only understand and speak a single language; Low Saurian, the battlefield language of the lizardmen. Not only is this language poorly understood if at all anywhere but Lustria, but it is also quite limited in its descriptive ability, being limited primarily to terms and phrases used in battle. Whilst it could, in perhaps five syllables, command a legion of lizardmen to perform a pincer manoeuvre with heavy support units coming down the middle in order to drive the enemy into more difficult terrain so it could be picked off by ranged support from skinks and war beasts, it would take great effort and quite some time to, say, as for some knitting needles.
Additional Notes
Pronunciation guide:
Huakroataxa: Hoo-ah-crow-ah-tax-ah
Xalot: Zah-lot
Mon-ti: Mon-Tee
Gargoq: Gah-Gock
Xokat: Choh-cat
