Marsh Lizardling

The marsh lizardling is a knee-high, upright amphibian that haunts still, mud-bottomed swamps. It looks like a small gila monster walking on its hind legs, with a mottled grey-brown back, a yellow belly, webbed rear feet and a short balancing tail; its tiny front paws are nimble but too weak for real labour. Lizardlings live in chattering tribes, lairing underwater with a muddy bank for basking and feeding. They are crafty ambushers despite their size, lurking just beneath the murk until a victim wades within range. Timid one-on-one, they grow bold in numbers and revere any larger creature strong enough to dominate them, they will even attach themselves to bigger marsh-dwellers as fawning servants. They covet anything that glints like water.