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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BLACKDIRGE" data-source="post: 529828" data-attributes="member: 1953">Nithrekel, Earth Mephit Small Outsider; Ftr 4, AL N; CR 7; Year 9HD 3d8+4d10+21; hp 65; Init +0; Spd 30 ft, Fly 40 ft; AC 21 (+1 size, +6 natural, +4 chain shirt)BAB +7/+2; Atk +14/+9 melee or +8/+3 ranged;SV Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +5;Str 22, Dex 11, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14Skills (46 points): Bluff +6 (7), Craft (weapon smith) +7 (9), Craft (armorer) +7 (9) Hide +6 (10), Intimidate +1 (3), Listen +6 (7), Move Silently +6, Spot +6 (7) Feats: Power Attack, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Cleave, Weapon Specialization (bastard sword)Languages: terran, common, dwarven, ignanArmor: Mithral Chain Shirt, +4 AC, 10 lbsWeapons: Bastard Sword +1: Atk +16/+11 melee, Dmg 1d10+12, crit 19-20/x2Dagger: Atk +8/+3 ranged, Dmg 1d4+6, crit 19-20/x2, range 10ftClaws (2): Atk +14 melee, Dmg 1d3+6, crit x2Other Gear: potion of cure light wounds (2)Breath Weapon: 15 ft. cone of rock shards and pebbles, Dmg 1d8, reflex save for half DC 16Spell-like abilities: 1/hour – enlarge, 1/day – soften earth and stone, cast as 6th level sorcererFast Healing: Nithrekel heals 2 points of damage per round when underground or buried up to his waist in earth Summon Mephit: Once per day Nithrekel can summon another earth mephit with a 25% chance of success.The twenty gnolls Nithrekel was given command of were a mangy disorganized lot of flea-ridden trash. When Nithrekel entered the barracks that housed his gnolls he was appalled at the stench and general disarray of the place. The gnolls lounged about on the floor or upon filthy straw mats, some were armored and others wore nothing but their own dirty pelts. Nithrekel’s heart sank, it was worse then he feared, and the fact the he was intended to live in the same place as his “men” only compounded his misery. Nithrekel did the only thing he could, he began barking orders at his gnolls, demanding they clean up their filthy living quarters and don their armor and assemble for inspection. The gnolls looked up at their new commander with complete wonder, no one had ever spoken to them in such a way. Growls of defiance and curses muttered in the guttural gnoll tongue were the only response Nithrekel received from all the gnolls but one. A massive brute called Omog, climbed to his feet and approached the tiny winged man that dared give him an order. Omog stalked towards Nithrekel fingering his battle-axe a look of pure murderous hatred wrinkling his dog-like snout. When Omog reached Nithrekel he stared down at the tiny mephit and barked out a challenge, raising his battle-axe to cleave the upstart commander in twain. None of the gnolls even saw Nithrekel’s sword leave its sheath, they heard the hum of steel cleaving air followed by the meaty thwack of a blade striking flesh. One moment Omog had been towering above the mephit ready to end his miserable existence and in the space of a heartbeat the huge gnoll was laying on the ground trying to keep his intestines from spilling out of the huge gash in his abdomen. His foe helpless before him Nithrekel stepped forward and removed Omog’s head with a powerful underhand cut to send it flying across the room to smack against the far wall of the barracks. The gnolls stared in awe and horror at the headless corpse of their comrade and at the tiny stone man standing above it, his naked blade still dripping crimson. The gnolls wasted no time in scurrying about donning armor and attempting to organize the filthy chaos of their barracks. Nithrekel allowed himself a tiny smile of satisfaction as he watched the gnolls scramble to obey him, he had hoped that bloodshed would not be necessary but he knew that there had been no other choice. Over the months that followed Nithrekel trained his troops to the best of his ability. He outfitted them with quality weapons and armor crafted by his own hand and drilled them constantly in the use of their weapons. He focused on using the gnolls formidable size and strength in their tactics and tried with some success to curb their natural inclination to wild disorganized combat. The twenty gnolls he commanded were broken up into two groups of ten each with one of the gnolls placed in charge of the other nine as an acting sergeant. The first group of ten gnolls was armed with shortswords, large shields and wore banded mail. These troops were trained as heavy infantry, and though at first they disliked using the small piercing swords in place of their battle-axes, they quickly learned the benefits of the smaller weapon. Nithrekel equipped the second group of ten gnolls as light skirmishers with studded leather, small wooden shields and a brace of 6 javelins. The gnolls were skeptical of their new commanders techniques but his tactics proved quite effective. After four months of training Nithrekel and his gnolls were sent out on their first patrol. They encountered a group of orcs loyal to Sheveker not more than two miles from Hazergal’s tower. The orcs numbered just over thirty and immediately charged into battle on first sight of Nithrekel and his gnolls. Nithrekel ordered his skirmishers forward and they rushed up and loosed their javelins into the onrushing line of orcs. Eight orcs went down fatally wounded slowing their companions charge and allowing Nithrekel’s skirmishers to pull back and the heavy infantry to move into position. The gnoll infantry locked their shields together and gripped their shortswords awaiting the orc charge. The orcs smashed into the gnolls with a terrific crash of metal and flesh, but they were unable to break the gnoll line. The orcs leveled great crushing blows with their greataxes only to have them clang of the formidable shield wall the gnolls had erected. Here the gnoll shortswords paid off, for in the tight confines of the shield wall there was little room to swing a longsword or battleaxe. The orcs continued to flail away with wide sweeping strikes leaving themselves open to the lightning quick thrusts of the gnoll shortswords. The orcs were slaughtered wholesale, cut to ribbons by the gnoll infantry and peppered with javelins by the quick moving gnoll skirmishers. In moments it was over and 32 orcs lay dead with not a single gnoll casualty. Flushed with success, Nithrekel allowed his gnolls to loot the fallen orcs and then marched them back to the tower to report their victory. The victory over the orcs was the first of many and Nithrekel and his gnolls began to garner much respect and jealousy from the other commanders. The gnolls under Nithrekel’s command learned to respect him and to follow his orders without question, his tactics kept them alive and gained them much loot from their fallen foes. Occasionally one of the gnolls would be overcome with its natural tendency to chaos and murder and Nithrekel’s wicked blade would make yet another example of the rebellious humanoid. Hazergal was much pleased with Nithrekel’s progress and rewarded him with his own quarters in the upper reaches of the tower. Despite his improved situation Nithrekel still detests his master and would like nothing more than to drive his blade through the wicked human’s heart.</blockquote>

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