"Warboss Grak Beastbasha of the Red Snakes tribe was once visited by a vision from Gork (or possibly Mork) that inspired him to lead a horde of more than five thousand sun-crazed Savage Orcs in a march through the jungle to claim the ruins of the temple-city of Itza Chiquita. On their way, they were regularly waylaid, led into the pathway of hunting monsters, and picked off mercilessly by poison darts. It took only seven Chameleon Skinks to ensure that not a single greenskin from that formidable horde survived. Such are the dangers of Lustria...."
- —Accounts of the Lost Waaagh!
The Chameleons, the greatest hunters and infiltrators the Lustrian Empire has to offer
Chameleon Skinks are a subspecies of Skink that have a number of peculiarities that distinguish them from others of their own kind. The Chameleons are much more aggressive than other Skinks and their role centers around scouting, infiltration, concealment and hunting. They stalk their prey through the jungles, whether that prey be food or intruder and are able to move to within yards of their target without being seen. This is chiefly due to their chameleonic skin that can shift in texture and color in a heartbeat to match the surrondings almost perfectly.[1b]
Chameleon Skinks have large protruding eyes that can move independently, allowing them to see everything around while still remaining perfectly motionless.[3a] Chameleon Skinks do not dwell within the temple-cities, but instead strike out deep into the Lustrian jungles. Some spawnings roam in groups across the land, while others instinctively guard a home territory — most often a neglected monument long lost to the jungle. From there, they join Skink patrols and stalk rogue beasts when they inadvertently enter sacred grounds.[1b]
Overview
"These ambushes occurred everytime we broke from the cover provided by the tree and had to cross expanses of open marsh. Every day we lost more men. The enemy were experts in concealing themselves among the marsh plants and were able to approach dangerously close to our men by keeping most of their bodies underwater. Only their eyes and nostrils were visible just like crocodiles I had seen on other voyages..."
- —Voyage of Yin-Tuan to Lustria, circa 1690 IC
A Chameleon keeping a lookout over his home territory
Chameleon Skinks are an unusual spawning that for many ages was thought to have become extinct. They originated exclusively from the sacred spawning pools of Pahuax, a temple-city destroyed soon after the fall of the polar gates, and it was thought that the last of their kind was slain in the battle of Blood Ravine. However, beginning in the Age of Strife, a few haphazard spawnings occurred across Lustria, and in recent years, they have proliferated at rates never before seen. The fact that they have spontaneously begun to spawn again has been interpreted in many different ways by the Skink Priests. It is assumed to be a part of the Old Ones’ Great Plan, but whether the proliferation is due to the growing Chaos threat, or because the Old Ones deemed that Chameleon Skinks would be needed for the Lizardmen to once more expand their realm, is mere speculation.[1b]
With skin able to mimic the patterns of their surrounding environment, Chameleon Skinks are able to sneak within a few arms’ lengths of their enemies. Chameleon Skinks are exceptionally accurate, able to fire with unerring precision. They are aided by their large, protruding eyes which give them the means to focus on two different things independently, and to achieve all around sight without moving their heads — a vital ability for a creature that stands completely still in order to blend in with its environment. Last, but not least, the Chameleon Skinks’ eyes have a telescopic ability, enabling them to zoom their focus upon a target. Even heavily armoured foes are not safe, as the Chameleon Skinks can aim at the more vulnerable joints or thread a shot straight through a minuscule vision slit.[1b]
Warfare
"Did you hear something?"
- —Last words of a Dark Elf Corsair
A Chameleon leading his fellow Skinks against the enemy
Beneath the canopy of the jungle, not everything is as it seems. Without warning, invaders are struck by a multitude of whirring darts, a sound not unlike the high pitched buzzing of the incessant Lustrian insects. To the enemy, it seems as if the very jungle itself has come alive, though only blurred shapes can be picked out amongst the vines and leaves. Many panic at the thought of being shot by some invisible threat and fire back blindly into the dense foliage. One by one, their cries fall silent as their bodies slump to the forest floor.[1b]
When the interlopers are dead and only the sounds of the jungle remain, the shapes shift, revealing the hidden presence of the Chameleon Skinks. So do many foes and invaders fall, their slayers nearby, but unseen. During invasions or times of war, Chameleon Skinks appear at army gatherings, putting themselves at the disposal of the Skink Chiefs. They are often used to scout out the foe, stealthily creeping into a concealed position. From their ideal ambush position, the well-camouflaged Skinks will loose a hail of blowpipe darts, each tipped with the venomous secretions of a Lustrian tree frog. The poison is so virulent that it can even boil the foul blood in a Daemon’s veins. Once ensconced in cover, the Chameleon Skinks will unleash death from their blowpipes, and only a determined charge will ever dislodge them.[1b]
