Psychic_Llamas
Wizard in the Making
Ok, ploe, remember you asked for some fluff on the Old Ones and the oldest Slann/ well here it is
. i also think this would be the perfect time in which to start the game, in the "Rise of Sotek". please read it and see if we can use any of it.
(Its all quoted almost word for word from the old Lizardman rulebook.)
The Rise of Sotek
One of the most significant events in the history of the Lizardmen, and indeed the world, is the rise of the cult of the serpent god Sotek. Traditionally, the gods of the Lizardmen were, and still are, the Old Ones: such shadowy entities as Tlaxcotl, Chotec, Quatl, Tzunki, Xapati, Huanchi and the inscutible Tepoc. Sotek, was a new god, an upstart god, the god of the skinks. Now Sotek reigns as the great god of the Lizardmen, eclipsing the Shadowy Old Ones.
The Old Ones
All lf the Slann who knew the Old Ones when they dwelt upon the earth are now dead. Although the younger Slann were spawned in the time of the Old Ones before the Great Catastrophe, they never actually saw the Old Ones. The Slann of the first spawning acted as intermediaries. They were the only Slann wise enough and mighty enough to be permited into the presence of the Old Ones. All lesser Slann faithfully and unquestioningly worshipped and obeyed the Old Ones as though they were living gods, but had no idea what they actually looked like. They represented them with various carved images, totems and idols, derived from the imagination of the Mage-Priests. As far as the lesser Mage-Priests and the mass of the lizardmen were concerned, the Old Ones were indeed gods.
The Prophecy of Sotek
When the Old Ones perished so did the Slann of the first spawning. The Slann who remained continued to venerate the Old Ones and gods. The last of the first spawned Slann had inscribed the Great World Plan of the Old Ones onto sacred plaques of gold before they themselves perished. These plaques were copied by the remaining Slann and recensions of the sacred plan were created in all temple cities. It is not certain whether all the copies were faithful in every detail to the master copy, half of which has now vanished through the depredations and plundering invaders. For this reason, every sacred plaque is precious to the Mage-Priests, because it may reveal unknown details of the divine plan of the Old Ones. The mage priests will go to any lengths to retrieve sacred plaques which were plundered from their temples.
For countless centuries the Prophesy of Sotek was an obscure detail known from only one plaque, which was kept in the great pyramid temple of Chaqua. Only the Mage- Priests of this city knew about it and never pondered it’s meaning for very long., in case other Mage-priests should readthier thoughts and demand that it be rendered up to them, or worse still, demand that it be purged as corrupt. The Mage-Priests of Chaqua believed that the Prophesy was the true words of the Old Ones, but since it was to be fulfilled in the distant future, like so many of te other intentions of the Old Ones, they did not concern themselves with it before the appointed time.
The Prophesy of Sotek not only predicted the collapse of the Warp Gates but also the cataclysmic invasion of Lustria by the Skaven. As the Skaven were not part f the Old Ones’ sacred plan they are treated as enemies of all those who follow the Old Ones.
The cataclysm had to be endured. It would come, it would rage for many centuries, and in due course it would pass. The prophesy predicted the ruin of many cities, including Chaqua, and the spreading of a great and terrible plague.
The time of the rodent spawn would eventually be brought to an end when the mighty serpent Sotek would appear. Sotek was destined to prevail over the rodent spawn and would be heralded by the appearance of the forked tongue of a serpent. The Mage-Priests Chaqua considered Sotek to be none other than one of the Old Ones who would return to save his faithful servants from the dire peril that beset them.
The Plagues
It was not until rumours of a virulent pestilence arrived in Chaqua that the Prophesy was scrutinised by the Mage-Priests. This took a long time, and in the mean time many of the skinks in the city began to sicken and die. Finally the Mage-Priests proclaimed the Prophesy to the population and despatched a warband of skinks to fight and attack the rodent stronghold and bring back captives for sacrifice. The Mage-Priests had made up their minds to invoke Sotek in an awesome ritual. They hoped to attract the god with the smoking stench of the rat servants of his arch enemy, the Rat God.
Few of the skinks returned, but those who did, did not return empty handed. Unfortunately their captives brought the plague into the city with them. The Skaven chiefs were duly sacrificed upon the new alter to Sotek and the god was invoked. Within weeks the city was devastated by pestilence. The Mage-Priests perished. Their Saurus body guards took their remains into the crypts and sealed up the passages from within, determined to defend their masters to the bitter end.
Whilst this was going on, a new sight appeared in the sky, a comet with two tails forked like the tongue of an enormous serpent. This sign was viewed with awe and consternation in all of the Lizardman cities, but try as they might, none of the Slann Mage-Priests could interpret the omen. It was not predicted in the glyphs of any of their sacred plaques. Only on the Plaque of Chaqua was this even predicted and its meaning made clear. The Slann of Chaqua were dead and none of the Slann Mage-Priests in the other cities were even aware of the existence of such a prophesy.
The Migration of the Red Crested Skinks
The surviving Skinks of Chaqua wer left leaderless. The Skinks of that generation were red crested and the greates among them was Tenehuini. He proclaimed himself to be the Prophet of Sotek, and rallied the other Skinks to him. Tenehuini had declared that the sign of Sotek had appeared in the sky as predicted by the sacred plaque of Chaqua. This plaque was place in a reliquary and taking this with them, the entire population of red crested skinks deserted Chaqua and migrated ahead of the plague.
Wherever the red crests went, they proclaimed the Prophesy of Sotek and urged the sacrifice of rat spawn to invoke the god. All skinks were swayed by the new cult, especially as it was the skinks which were the main victims of the Skaven plagues
As for the Mage-Priests of the other temple cities, they viewed the prophesy with disdain and ignored it, despite the heavenly portent. Perhaps wisely, they forbade the bringing of rat captives into their temple cities for fear of plague. This frustrated the skink followers of Sotek who were at great cost and suffering, succeeding in capturing Skaven chiefs in skirmishes and raids. It was not long, therefore, before skinks began conducting their own rituals to invoke Sotek among the ruins of their stricken cities.
The Emergence of Sotek
Sotek heard their invocations, although it took many years of sacrifices to build up his power. Although the coming of Sotek was foretold, and the moment of his coming was heralded by the comet, it was still necessary for his followers to make him as strong as possible for when he was due to appear.
The appearance of Sotek was hinted at in the prophesy and by the comet. He was a mighty serpent, the swallower of all rodent kind. A serpent of such awesome size and appetite that he could swallow the Rat God himself and spend a thousand years digesting him. The rodent god would be crushed within his coils. So said the prophesy.
The time of Sotek drew nigh. In the Skaven stronghold, the comet had been observed and it was seen as an omen of another kind. Soon afterward, a snake infestation drove the Skaven up from their tunnels into the ruins. The serpents proved virtually immune to any pestilence which the Plague Monks unleashed upon them. At length the decision was made to abandon the tunnels and migrate. Clan Pestilens gathered together and resolved to hack their way though the jungle to the coast and from their return to their place of origin.
This was indeed what they did. It was said laterthat following behind the rat spawn came a gigantic serpent, none other than Sotek himself, accompanied by his myriad slithering legions of snake spawn.
It is also said that the serpent plunged into the sea after the rafts of the retreating Skaven, and emerged even mightier in the South Lands. From there he slithered into the depths of the earth in his relentless pursuit of the Skaven and now lurks there feeding endlessly on ratspawn and protecting his people from the menace forever. Such is the myth of Sotek.
Sacrifices to Sotek
The Mage-Priests could no longer ignore the power of the god of the skinks. Tenehuini, the Prophet of Sotek, was summoned before the High Slann. He revealed the prophesy upon the sacred plaques. It was now clear that the prophesy was in truth the words of the Old Ones. The Mage-Priests decreed that new pyramid temples be raised up to honour Sotek in every city, and so the Cult of Sotek became pre-eminent among the Lizardmen.
Every temple of Sotek has a sacred snake pit of great depth. At the bottom of the pit dwells an ancient and enormous serpent. These serpents have been nurtured for centuries by the skinks because they are sacred to Sotek.
Sotek is honoured and invoked by trowing sacrificial victims down into the snake pit to be devoured by the sacred serpent. Enemies captured in ballet are acceptable as Sotek’s rightful tribute of sacrifices. Sotek is most gratified by Skaven sacrificial victims because he relishes greately the flesh of the rodent spawn. The Lizardmen are therefore always eagre to render such delicacies to their beloved god.
EDIT: for more fluff on the Old Ones, Lizardmen and Slann, go to this website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizardmen
. i also think this would be the perfect time in which to start the game, in the "Rise of Sotek". please read it and see if we can use any of it.(Its all quoted almost word for word from the old Lizardman rulebook.)
Spoiler :
The Rise of Sotek
One of the most significant events in the history of the Lizardmen, and indeed the world, is the rise of the cult of the serpent god Sotek. Traditionally, the gods of the Lizardmen were, and still are, the Old Ones: such shadowy entities as Tlaxcotl, Chotec, Quatl, Tzunki, Xapati, Huanchi and the inscutible Tepoc. Sotek, was a new god, an upstart god, the god of the skinks. Now Sotek reigns as the great god of the Lizardmen, eclipsing the Shadowy Old Ones.
The Old Ones
All lf the Slann who knew the Old Ones when they dwelt upon the earth are now dead. Although the younger Slann were spawned in the time of the Old Ones before the Great Catastrophe, they never actually saw the Old Ones. The Slann of the first spawning acted as intermediaries. They were the only Slann wise enough and mighty enough to be permited into the presence of the Old Ones. All lesser Slann faithfully and unquestioningly worshipped and obeyed the Old Ones as though they were living gods, but had no idea what they actually looked like. They represented them with various carved images, totems and idols, derived from the imagination of the Mage-Priests. As far as the lesser Mage-Priests and the mass of the lizardmen were concerned, the Old Ones were indeed gods.
The Prophecy of Sotek
When the Old Ones perished so did the Slann of the first spawning. The Slann who remained continued to venerate the Old Ones and gods. The last of the first spawned Slann had inscribed the Great World Plan of the Old Ones onto sacred plaques of gold before they themselves perished. These plaques were copied by the remaining Slann and recensions of the sacred plan were created in all temple cities. It is not certain whether all the copies were faithful in every detail to the master copy, half of which has now vanished through the depredations and plundering invaders. For this reason, every sacred plaque is precious to the Mage-Priests, because it may reveal unknown details of the divine plan of the Old Ones. The mage priests will go to any lengths to retrieve sacred plaques which were plundered from their temples.
For countless centuries the Prophesy of Sotek was an obscure detail known from only one plaque, which was kept in the great pyramid temple of Chaqua. Only the Mage- Priests of this city knew about it and never pondered it’s meaning for very long., in case other Mage-priests should readthier thoughts and demand that it be rendered up to them, or worse still, demand that it be purged as corrupt. The Mage-Priests of Chaqua believed that the Prophesy was the true words of the Old Ones, but since it was to be fulfilled in the distant future, like so many of te other intentions of the Old Ones, they did not concern themselves with it before the appointed time.
The Prophesy of Sotek not only predicted the collapse of the Warp Gates but also the cataclysmic invasion of Lustria by the Skaven. As the Skaven were not part f the Old Ones’ sacred plan they are treated as enemies of all those who follow the Old Ones.
The cataclysm had to be endured. It would come, it would rage for many centuries, and in due course it would pass. The prophesy predicted the ruin of many cities, including Chaqua, and the spreading of a great and terrible plague.
The time of the rodent spawn would eventually be brought to an end when the mighty serpent Sotek would appear. Sotek was destined to prevail over the rodent spawn and would be heralded by the appearance of the forked tongue of a serpent. The Mage-Priests Chaqua considered Sotek to be none other than one of the Old Ones who would return to save his faithful servants from the dire peril that beset them.
The Plagues
It was not until rumours of a virulent pestilence arrived in Chaqua that the Prophesy was scrutinised by the Mage-Priests. This took a long time, and in the mean time many of the skinks in the city began to sicken and die. Finally the Mage-Priests proclaimed the Prophesy to the population and despatched a warband of skinks to fight and attack the rodent stronghold and bring back captives for sacrifice. The Mage-Priests had made up their minds to invoke Sotek in an awesome ritual. They hoped to attract the god with the smoking stench of the rat servants of his arch enemy, the Rat God.
Few of the skinks returned, but those who did, did not return empty handed. Unfortunately their captives brought the plague into the city with them. The Skaven chiefs were duly sacrificed upon the new alter to Sotek and the god was invoked. Within weeks the city was devastated by pestilence. The Mage-Priests perished. Their Saurus body guards took their remains into the crypts and sealed up the passages from within, determined to defend their masters to the bitter end.
Whilst this was going on, a new sight appeared in the sky, a comet with two tails forked like the tongue of an enormous serpent. This sign was viewed with awe and consternation in all of the Lizardman cities, but try as they might, none of the Slann Mage-Priests could interpret the omen. It was not predicted in the glyphs of any of their sacred plaques. Only on the Plaque of Chaqua was this even predicted and its meaning made clear. The Slann of Chaqua were dead and none of the Slann Mage-Priests in the other cities were even aware of the existence of such a prophesy.
The Migration of the Red Crested Skinks
The surviving Skinks of Chaqua wer left leaderless. The Skinks of that generation were red crested and the greates among them was Tenehuini. He proclaimed himself to be the Prophet of Sotek, and rallied the other Skinks to him. Tenehuini had declared that the sign of Sotek had appeared in the sky as predicted by the sacred plaque of Chaqua. This plaque was place in a reliquary and taking this with them, the entire population of red crested skinks deserted Chaqua and migrated ahead of the plague.
Wherever the red crests went, they proclaimed the Prophesy of Sotek and urged the sacrifice of rat spawn to invoke the god. All skinks were swayed by the new cult, especially as it was the skinks which were the main victims of the Skaven plagues
As for the Mage-Priests of the other temple cities, they viewed the prophesy with disdain and ignored it, despite the heavenly portent. Perhaps wisely, they forbade the bringing of rat captives into their temple cities for fear of plague. This frustrated the skink followers of Sotek who were at great cost and suffering, succeeding in capturing Skaven chiefs in skirmishes and raids. It was not long, therefore, before skinks began conducting their own rituals to invoke Sotek among the ruins of their stricken cities.
The Emergence of Sotek
Sotek heard their invocations, although it took many years of sacrifices to build up his power. Although the coming of Sotek was foretold, and the moment of his coming was heralded by the comet, it was still necessary for his followers to make him as strong as possible for when he was due to appear.
The appearance of Sotek was hinted at in the prophesy and by the comet. He was a mighty serpent, the swallower of all rodent kind. A serpent of such awesome size and appetite that he could swallow the Rat God himself and spend a thousand years digesting him. The rodent god would be crushed within his coils. So said the prophesy.
The time of Sotek drew nigh. In the Skaven stronghold, the comet had been observed and it was seen as an omen of another kind. Soon afterward, a snake infestation drove the Skaven up from their tunnels into the ruins. The serpents proved virtually immune to any pestilence which the Plague Monks unleashed upon them. At length the decision was made to abandon the tunnels and migrate. Clan Pestilens gathered together and resolved to hack their way though the jungle to the coast and from their return to their place of origin.
This was indeed what they did. It was said laterthat following behind the rat spawn came a gigantic serpent, none other than Sotek himself, accompanied by his myriad slithering legions of snake spawn.
It is also said that the serpent plunged into the sea after the rafts of the retreating Skaven, and emerged even mightier in the South Lands. From there he slithered into the depths of the earth in his relentless pursuit of the Skaven and now lurks there feeding endlessly on ratspawn and protecting his people from the menace forever. Such is the myth of Sotek.
Sacrifices to Sotek
The Mage-Priests could no longer ignore the power of the god of the skinks. Tenehuini, the Prophet of Sotek, was summoned before the High Slann. He revealed the prophesy upon the sacred plaques. It was now clear that the prophesy was in truth the words of the Old Ones. The Mage-Priests decreed that new pyramid temples be raised up to honour Sotek in every city, and so the Cult of Sotek became pre-eminent among the Lizardmen.
Every temple of Sotek has a sacred snake pit of great depth. At the bottom of the pit dwells an ancient and enormous serpent. These serpents have been nurtured for centuries by the skinks because they are sacred to Sotek.
Sotek is honoured and invoked by trowing sacrificial victims down into the snake pit to be devoured by the sacred serpent. Enemies captured in ballet are acceptable as Sotek’s rightful tribute of sacrifices. Sotek is most gratified by Skaven sacrificial victims because he relishes greately the flesh of the rodent spawn. The Lizardmen are therefore always eagre to render such delicacies to their beloved god.
EDIT: for more fluff on the Old Ones, Lizardmen and Slann, go to this website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizardmen
i mean, it makes sense that it should start at the begining, ie with the birth of the old ones, and civilisation. but then we would have trouble transforming it into a form that we can use in Civ.
)
and the High magic, and Lore of Athel Loren, and Gut magic, and Rune Smithing, and and and 
