Sleestak

The Sleestak are a species of large green-hued sapients notable for a combination of both reptilian and insectoid features. According to the Library of Skulls, their population is quite minor, with only 7,000 existing.

Biology
Possessing both reptilian and insectoid features, they have scaly green skin and a neck frill, bulbous unblinking eyes (which are likely faceted like an insect's), claw-pincer-like hand-equivalents, stiffened stubby tails, and a solitary blunt horn at the top of their head. They are a nocturnalistic species, and are highly sensitive to bright light, causing them to only rarely venture outside during the day. The species go through a hibernation season during which they will cocoon themselves into rocky alcoves using biological webbing. During this period, the cool air keeps them in hibernation while they are eventually revived by the heat from the lava that pools in the Devil's Cauldron, in the caverns of the Lost City.

Altrusian Moths are required for the fertilization of Sleestak eggs, and thus the Sleestak are forced to hunt them whenever they emerge during the night. It is unknown why, but to cause egg fertilization, the moth-like organisms must be consumed to be useful - possibly because the moths have a special hormone in them that, when consumed, causes the Sleestak reproductive organs to become fertile. It is noted that a thousand Sleestaks can be created in a thousand hours, and the Sleestak have attempted to do this by disabling a second clock pylon to create perpetual nightfall in order to give them the numbers they feel they would need in order to resume control of the Land of the Lost (although why 8,000 Sleestak would be so much greater than 7,000 is not known). Unluckily for Sleestaks, this is an impossible task as the long night causes a cold which Altrusian Moths cannot survive.

Culture and society
Sleestaks are far more sophisticated technologically-speaking than the Pakuni, another sapient species in the land of the lost. While below current Human levels by quite a lot, they are known to have fashioned and manufactured crossbows, rope, nets, and periscopes, although their technology was not limited to these (it would be very confusing if it was). They possess a structure known as the Library of Skulls, where their ancient ancestors are still capable of speech despite being long dead. These skulls appear to be from an era when the Altrusians were still devolving into the Sleestaks, as despite them being quite intellectual and certainly capable of speech, they were still very hostile and warlike.

Sleestaks worship a god - a predatory organism whom has for one reason or another become stuck in a smoky pit within the Lost City. Below the god on the hierarchy are the Sleestak Council and the Sleestak Leader. The leader is denoted by a distinctive pendant which it wears; the current leader is not incapable of negotiation, and has negotiated with the surviving Altrusian Enik.

Their eggs are gestated within a communal hatchery, where the Sleestaks tie up captured live animals for the young to feed upon once they have hatched. Intestingly enough, on occasion a Sleestak will be born who is a sort of throwback to their Altrusian ancestry, which have greater intelligence and an innate knowledge of Altrusian history and technology, although for some reason they do not ever seem to possess knowledge on Pylon operation. Unfortunately for these new Sleestaks, they are considered a threat to the current Sleestak society, and are sacrificed to their god once they are detected. One of these "neo-Sleestaks", known as S'latch, was encountered by the Marshall family once, but since it was never seen again thereafter, it can only be assumed that the rest of the Sleestaks finally got to it and it was murdered.

The Sleestaks have encountered many humans over time whom have all become trapped in the Land of the Lost, and regard their species as a terrible threat to their own. Likely because of this they will attempt to capture any and all they discover and then sacrifice them to their god at the first opportunity possible, and will continue to do so until they succeed, causing them to be the bane of man's existence in the Land.

The Sleestaks have encountered many other humans who have become trapped in the Land of the Lost before the Marshalls arrive, and regard humans as a terrible threat; they attempt to capture and sacrifice humans to their god (an unseen beast who dwells in a smoky pit) at every opportunity.

Notable members

 * S'latch, a "neo-Sleestak"

History
The Sleestak are the degenerate ancestors of a significantly more developed species known as the Altrusians. They still inhabit one of the Altrusian cities, an underground tunneling complex now known as the Lost City. They are very defensive of this location, and know that their ancestors built it, although do not know how or why they would do so. While they have occasionally tried to explore beyond the chasm that separates this place from the rest of the Land, their expeditions generally never return, causing them to consider Lost City to be their only refuge.