Djukikh, Dretch Assassin

Not every creature of the Abyss is fearsome in appearance. Djukikh, a dretch in service to the demon lord Graz'zt, is one such. In appearance, Djukikh seems to be an ordinary dretch, a bit hairier and more corpulent than most but otherwise unremarkable. Few would guess that such a pathetic-seeming creature is actually more capable and deadly than many greater fiends.

Not much is known about Djukikh - like any good assassin, its past is kept closely hidden. Djukikh has known to have been in Graz'zt's service for at least the past two decades, a bare eyeblink in Abyssal terms, but whether it was empowered directly by its current master or adopted from some other archfiend's service is unclear. If Djukikh did once serve a different lord, that being isn't talking.

Though it appears weak, Djukikh can be a dangerous combatant when met on its own terms. Djukihk functions best as a hunter, ambushing its chosen prey and taking enemies down one at a time, weakest to strongest. If at all possible - and the demon will do everything in its power to make sure it is possible - the creature will slip away from an initial ambush site, waiting for enemies to come blundering after it so it can strike a second time. Though Djukikh is by no means intelligent, it has a definite animal cunning, and a sense of tactics learned the hard way.

Djukikh's favored weapon is a +1 holy light crossbow that it uses on devils, yugoloth mercenaries, and demons serving rivals of Graz'zt. The bolts it carries will vary depending on the nature and power level of its intended target, often being nonmagical but sometimes enchanted. (The deadliest ammunition Djukikh has ever received were a half dozen +3 keen brilliant energy evil outsider bane bolts, for use against a nycaloth mercenary captain that Graz'zt wished dead.) Though the dretch avoids melee combat whenever possible, it can still threaten enemies if trapped in a corner, using its fangs and claws to vicious effect.

Djukikh's utility is varied. 'Conventional' missions are sometimes possible, with the dretch being outfitted with spell effects that conceal its presence and allow it to strike without warning. Djukikh has also sometimes been attached to a squad of dretch serving on a battlefield, seeming to be one more bit of cannon fodder - until, of course, some hungry fiend gets too close, at which point Djukikh opens up with its crossbow. In these situations, Djukikh is perfectly happy to use its own squadmates as living shields, and between this ruthlessness and an attack from surprise, the dretch can often destroy fiends of far greater power.

Most often, though, Graz'zt prefers to insert Djukikh more subtly, attaching him to the entourage of a lieutenant as a nameless servant or lackey. Few pay attention to such a lowly being in the courts of the Abyss, allowing Djukikh to slip away from the festivities and await the proper moment. This has been successful often enough that Graz'zt's rivals are often suspicious of any lesser fiend presented as a servant of the Lord of Azzagrat. Such behavior is by no means unwelcome to Graz'zt - for every mission to which he attaches Djukikh, there are a dozen more where the only dretch present are snivelling weaklings, and his enemies must watch them all. Such an expenditure of time and energy amuses Graz'zt greatly.

What lies ahead for Djukikh is uncertain. It's possible that Graz'zt will reward such skilled service with greater power and advancement, promoting Djukikh further within the ranks of the tanar'ri. More likely, of course, is tht the dretch assassin will be destroyed at the talons of some vengeful baatezu or yugoloth, or be done in by some treacherous demon eager to destroy this tool of Graz'zt. It's even possible that Djukikh will be stolen by another demon lord, to be turned against Graz'zt's interests or even turned loose as a free agent in the Blood War. For the present, though, the dretch serves as one of Graz'zt's more unusual weapons, and an effective one as well.