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"Don't run my friends, don't run. The Carnosaur is a simple beast. His vision is poor and, like most predators attuned to detection of swiftly moving prey. It's all in my book, you know."

—Reputed last words of Bonnaudo, famed Bretonnian explorer.[3a]
Warhammer Lizardmen Carnosaur Rider

A mighty Old Blood riding a juvenile Carnosaur to battle.

Carnosaurs are large apex predators that have terrorized the darkness of the primordial jungles since the dawn of this world's existence. Considered by many as the ultimate jungle hunter, with some growing nearly two stories tall, these massive reptilian beasts are powerfully built and highly aggressive creatures, with long, muscular hind limbs and a heavy tail that is used to balance its enlarged and powerful skull. Only the Dread Saurian are above even these mighty predators.[1b]

Upon scenting prey, or catching sight of even the slightest amount of movement, the Carnosaur propels itself with enormous strides, moving with a surprising speed for such a large beast. Their shortened forelimbs and sharp claws are ideal for locking hold of prey, allowing the Carnosaur to better line up its most destructive attack; Carnosaurs have massive jaws, their gaping mouths filled with dagger-like death. Their bite can hack through huge chunks of flesh on larger prey, and by twisting its thick, serpentine neck, a Carnosaur can simply rip its quarry apart piece by bloody piece.[1b]

Having tasted blood, a Carnosaur is at its most deadly, for it enters a state of savage bloodlust ā€” biting and tearing at any living creature, sometimes slaughtering its gory way through entire herds of giant reptilian without pause. Such is what they were bred to become, for the primordial jungles of Lustria only spares the strongest and most ferocious of monsters, whilst the weak are simply left to be eaten by those seeking to consume flesh.[1b]

Role[]

"The first Carnosaur ever encountered by Men was not a mature beast in its natural habitat. Instead, foolhardy explorers stole an egg. Six months later, the explorer's vessel, the Narcissus, was found wrecked upon the coast of Bretonnia. All that was discovered onboard was the cracked remains of the egg, and the bones of the crew. Of whatever had hatched from the egg, no trace was ever found..."

—The mystery of the Narcissus.[2a]
Warhammer Carnosaur

A fully grown adult Carnosaur.

In the danger-filled lands of the lost continent, there are a few beasts larger in size than the Carnosaur, but none of them are as aggressive or so dominant a predator. No creature, big or small, is safe from its relentless attack. The Carnosaur is undeterred by the thickest hides or the toughest bony plates; they are one of the few natural predators of the mighty Stegadons. Protective spines, lethal venom or razor-edged sabre-fangs ā€” they matter not to the Carnosaur.[1b]

A fight between the larger beasts of the jungle is a titanic sight, a resounding battle that often leaves even the victor badly mauled. Almost always, the beast that rises from the circle of smashed trees and trampled undergrowth is the Carnosaur - it rears back, shakes the gore from itself and roars its triumph to the heavens above. The jungles of Lustria are filled with a cacophony of sounds, but all come to a dead silence when the bellowing roar of a Carnosaur reverberates through the land. Not even the dense undergrowth can drown out that roar, which can be heard for many miles. It is a sound that sends shivers of fear through even the most hulking of behemoths, for it can mean only one thing ā€” a Carnosaur is on the prowl.[1b]

Carnosaur eggs are highly coveted by the Lizardmen and countless Skink hunters brave the wilds seeking to find them. It is a dangerous task and many Skinks die in the attempt, squashed underfoot or swallowed whole by a female Carnosaur defending her nest, but such treasures are highly valued. On rare occasions, a precious egg is snatched by the Skinks and returned to the temple-cities to be incubated. There, the eggs are closely cared for by attentive Skinks, who continue to nurture the young hatchling even though they are soon dwarfed by the growing beast. Even newborns are capable of biting a Skink in two, and few of the trainers survive long enough to see the fruits of their labours. Eventually, however, the Carnosaur is trained to accept a rider and take direction.[1b]

Habitat[]

Wh2 main lzd mon carnosaur

Portrait of a Carnosaur

While commonly found in the streaming jungle of Lustria, there are other places in the world where carnosaurs are known to hunt. Many of the mighty lizards live in the Southlands and sometimes Carnosaurs are known to have long ago followed the trails of prey northwards, as far as the dunes of Araby and even into the foothills of the Badlands. The roar of the Carnosaurs has been heard in the Old World as well, introduced through eggs stolen by raiders of fullhardy explorers. Even far in the north the great lizards can occasionally be found embedded into the glacial ice of Naggaroth or Norsca. Frozen there for many long ages since the time before the continental shift engineered by the Slann Mage-Priests.[3a]

Warfare[]

"From its back, their war leader, the Saurus Oldblood Ax-Hotl, drove his spear through the bodies of the foe. Following this king of predators was a living wall of armoured monsters whose tread flattened a path as easily as it shattered shieldwalls. If the Dark Gods heard the desperate pleas of their mortal minions, they did not acknowledge them. In a few short, savage minutes, it was over, the sounds of battle replaced by the crunching of bones."

—Accounts of the Battle of Toradotek.[1a]
Warhammer Carnosaur Art

A Carnosaur feasting upon an Imperial expeditionary force.

Only the most powerful of Saurus Warriors (a Saurus Oldblood or Scar-Veteran) can ride these bloodthirsty behemoths into battle, and it takes much skill and strength just to keep the beast under control. This is simply due to the own extreme will of a Carnosaur, for they are far from dull-witted creatures, and it takes a great force of will to dominate them into submission.[2a][1b]

Even that semblance of mastery however, is shed in the heat of battle as soon as the Carnosaur tastes blood. When the vicious killing fury is upon a Carnosaur, it is likely to revert to instinct ā€” the apex predator of a deadly land, charging and devouring any creature in its sight that so much as moves. At this point, much of the rider's prowess will be needed just to hold on. With a rider, however, a Carnosaur can become a death-dealing colossus, able to wade through enemy battle lines and shatter an armyā€™s resolve to fight in a few bloody moments.[2a] [1b]

Notable Carnosaurs[]

  • Gargantulzan - The mightiest and and most legendary of feral Carnosaurs has roamed Lustria for centuries, devouring all unlucky enough to encounter it.
  • Grymloq- This ageless, blood-red Carnosaur has served as Kroq-gar 's battle-mount for millennia.
  • Geltblom's Terror

Miniatures[]

Trivia[]

The Carnosaur is likely based on the Tyrannosaurus Rex, a large predatory bipedal Dinosaur. The fact that it has larger arms in proportion to it's body may also draw inspiration from the Allosaur, which also had larger, more useful arms in comparrison to similar Dinosaurs.

"Carnosaurus" is also an informal generic term for the Carnosauria group of Dinosaurs.

Sources[]

  • 1: Warhammer Armies: Lizardmen (8th Edition)
    • 1a: pg. 30
    • 1b: pg. 50
  • 2: Warhammer Armies: Lizardmen (7th Edition)
    • 2a: pg. 59
  • 3: Storm of Magic (supplement)
    • 3a: pg. 94

Gallery[]

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