Loxatl

A komodo dragon with a gun.

The Loxatl (Varanus dracones) are a minor xenos species. They're a species of mercenaries with no known homeworld, and they're also distilled awesome. Basically giant murder-geckos with underslung flechette weapons which they control with their minds. Loxatl hunt in groups, and, while their vision is poor, they can taste you from kilometers away. Cool. They're also able to sense vibrations and breathe underwater, which is neat.

Loxatl are a water species and can barely see and hear out of water. Instead they use their tongues to taste the air, much like komodo dragons. The Loxatl hunt in small groups of 3, though they can form broods of 20 Loxatl. Each brood is led by a matriarch. Broods will launch surprise attacks and assassinations and often go before the full assault by their employers.

They're often used by Chaos cults such as the Blood Pact and Tau as assassins because of their ridiculous speed and fine-tuned senses. Although apparently their one weakness is that they can be detected by the smell of rancid milk and crushed mint. Gross. This is assisted by their apparent resistance to las-weapons, although not enough to be immune to some good old-fashioned flashlight spam.

Loxatl Organization

A kitbash of a Loxatl.

Loxatl make great scouts and trackers, since they can "taste" the presence of enemies from miles away and feel their location through the vibration of their heartbeat or footsteps. Extended dewclaws on their limbs let them climb on any surface, an advantage they fully exploit to strike by surprise from unexpected angles, Although their presence is often given away by a distinctive smell of rancid milk and crushed mint, believed to be some kind of chemical secretion exuded by them when in combat.

Loxatl seem to operate in small groups of related kin led by a matriarch, likely the only member of the group capable of bearing young. The group communicates with sub-sonic vibrations and, at close range, through iridescent patterning that they are able to flash across their skins. Loxatl are usually grey but seem able to be able shift the pattern of scales on their body and colour at will. Las-weapons have been reported to be less effective against Loxatl compared to solid projectiles, since their hides apparently provide them with a form of defence against laser emissions. No indications have been found of higher organisation than the kin-related brood of around three to twenty individual Loxatl, but multiple broods will work together with a high degree of teamwork. There have been times where a large of number Loxatl groups have used their capabilities to infiltrate defenses and stage surprise attacks together, usually so they can open the way for their employers.

Loxatl Flechettes

Loxatl Body Mounted Flechette Blasters

It seems that all Loxatl so far encountered have used unique weapons called Flechette Blasters by Imperial troops. These are worn, along with ammunition bandoliers, on mechanical armatures strapped to their bodies. The Flechette Blaster is aimed and fired by an implant attached to a mind impulse device that has been wired into the the wearers brain, leaving all four limbs free for maneuverability. The blasters fire blasts of millions of tiny shards that can absolutely shred through armour and leave terrible wounds. A common Loxatl tactic is for some members of a group to pin down an enemy while the rest climb into positions to catch the foe in a crossfire.

Idea for a Loxatl datasheet

	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	A	Ld	Sv
Loxatl	12	+3	+3	4	4	2	4	8	+5
Loxatl Matriarch	12	+3	+3	4	4	2	4	9	+5

Possible datasheet for Flechette blaster

	Range	Type	S	AP	D
Flechette blaster	6	Pistol 5	4	-2	1

Explanation: Flechette guns shoot several, fast, armor piercing rounds. The Admech flechette pistol shoots 5 rounds.