Lord of the Flinds

Blessed Blight, the most lovely Pixie larcenist ever produced by the Forests of the Hidden Dance in the Outlands, recently spent some time with a fellow Fated 'filiate, a high rising Flind (y'know, the more handsome and brainy of the Gnoll folk, if that can be SAID of Gnoll Folk) who seems bent on making waves in the Plane of Iron and Enmity. Acheron/Avalas/SteelGlint (Realm).

Have ta' say, beginnings, I was glad to arrive here. Well I mean you would be to after traveling everywhere else on this cursed void. Metal this, Iron that, everyone stirrin' for a place to rest their fist that’s soft and warm and fleshy-it can just get old, least to me. Then I come to this place. It’s different. For one thing it’s actually alive and earthy, instead of Rust Dragon Leftovers. The Flinds say when The Movement began their Lord brought this most Fertile Earth in from another Plane and spread it over a specially-charged cube-some say. He did this cause' a rainforest is the natural place for a Flind to be, others so that their home could serve as something special, to "stand out" from the rest of the crowd. Its smaller than most cubes and hidden well away from the other berks on the Plane, but its thick with flowers and veggies that grow well even in the haze, and streams-I almost felt back home.

So I come to the Castle, this fortified place where everyone's so on their toes you can't chance to pocket anything 'less your barmy, and I'm known to be coming so they lay down the rules, kinda stern and sneering like. Then I'm strolling thru the Iron Gates inside (Damn even this burg has Iron!) and there's a Proclamation in Bronze written on the sidewall of the entrance to the Grand Chamber-the quarters of the Lord: "War is the greatest affair of our society, the basis of life and death, the means to survival or extinction. It must be contemplated, analyzed, and embraced. The SoulFlame of the People is One with the Marshal, the Marshal One with the People: They shall die with him, or live with him and never fear danger. The Leader encompasses Wisdom and Credibility, Fairness and Courage, Strictness and BloodLust-and he knows his Enemy as well as he knows himself.Xuanaux"And at that those words, friend, suren I knew I was in for a severe time of it.

RulerXuanaux is the Marshal of the Flind "Fighting 10,000", military strategist and Power aspirant. His cube is a permanent homebase; in addition to supporting life, it has an unusual magic 'charge' at the core which opposes those cubes around it and is repelled away from them, making it one of the few places on the Plane safe to settle. For the moment it remains hidden away and inconspicuous, which is how Xuanaux likes it. The Flind Lord does not fight his battles here but on other Cubes. He is as wise as he is cautious, and realizes the position of his kind; out numbered by goblins, orcs, bladelings and others in Acheron, a mere subgroup (if a successful one) of the gnolls. He fights his battles one at a time, with a long-term vision for his brethren. He has made a reputation for himself in the art of deception, a rather useful discipline for a relatively outnumbered people:

"Although you are capable, display incompetence to the enemy. When committed to raising the Battle Flag, feign inactivity. When your objective is within your grasp, make outsiders think that it is distant; when far away create the illusion of proximity. Entice the enemy with fool's gold and hollowed baubles, and fester small disorders in their ranks. Show false deference to foster their arrogance-if they are angry. Redden their cheeks further, so that rage razes reason and their guard is down. Go forth always when they least expect it.Xuanaux"

The Guerrilla LifeBlessed had the opportunity to spend time with a scout party and conduct a brief interview with a "Cubonomer"

Blessed: Ok Blood, What's with these Slaadi-sense Specs and Charts?

Marrow Mace the Cubonomer: The Specs allow me to calculate the movements of all the cubes around us through the Void. They allow us to know where and when cubes will crash and where a particular cube will be up to 6 cycles in the future, or when cube faces will be visible relative to other cube faces, etc.

Blessed: And exactly why does any bloke care where a score of iron rocks will be smackin' and crackin"?

Marrow Mace: It allows us to plan our course of actions against the orcs and goblins-we can pick cubes that will be traveling near theirs to launch attacks from without their seeing us approaching, and be gone before they knew what cracked their cranium.

Blessed: Makes sense, so what’s with the Self-Jouster you have over there? (Nods to the tied-down Unicorn in the middle of the camp).

Marrow Mace: Well if you want to surprise some gullible goblins, ya' need a lure, something to bring them flying over where you want them-specially if their stomachs are screeching.

Blessed (horrified): You're baiting the Uni!!!

Xuanaux plans his wars with the Orcs and Goblins carefully; the situation in Acheron requires quick, decisive victory. The Flind will usually start with a distraction, such as what appears to be a strange artifact or a beast that might be useful for food or a Warmount, standing alone on a cube within sight of the intended enemy. Enemy scout parties sent forward to capture it are quickly massacred by the Flind and their possessions seized, and they are often gone before the enemy knows what happened. Xuanaux also launches attacks in the middle of orc-goblin skirmishes, raiding poorly defended outposts or exposed flanks of either Army.

The guerrilla tactics frustrate the higher-ups in Clangor and Nishrek, not only because they are poorly prepared but routed in terms of casualties-mortality ratios of 20:1 or 30:1 in favor of the Flind are quite common. Among his own kind, the wisdom of Xuanaux is revered with a slavish loyalty and, bizarre as it may seem in the Lower Planes, sincere affection. But this attitude goes beyond mere battlefield success:

" The Law of the Conservation of Spirits in Acheron is the Great Lie, the disingenuous attempt of the Powers to place the hope for an endtime on the Battlefields of the Plane-for how can an Infinite Plane have finite occupants? The fools in Sigil mimic the lie out of laziness and perhaps bribery from those in the know; Gruumsh and Maglubiyet have nothing beyond the hope of a distant victory to offer their followers, petty crumbs of a life devoid of honor. The Flind do not fear never-ending war-it reaffirms the dignity inherent in our kind. The Dead are eternally honored for what they have given Flindkind-our injured are not trod upon or imprisoned in a Dungeon, the pathetic attempt of an overseer to maintain the balance.

The wounded always demand and are accorded the Frontline, to spit in the visage of death yet again in sneering contempt. Through the Sickle slick with blood I, We, Flindkind shall find its destiny. The coward of the Abyss (Yeenoghu) reclines in his palace weakly, cackling with the hyenas and driftless brother Gnolls in the apathy of Lawlessness. He shall fall to our movement as surely as the foolish Goblin Lord and the One-Eyed God, who is but a blind sod in his vision of the future. Already a Plane quivers at our 10,000; how the Great Ring will shake when we have millions, for the day is coming my followers, the day is nigh here....Xuanaux"

Structure of the MilitaryAmong the Fighting 10,000 Xuanaux rules as Grand Marshal, followed by his 9 Generals, 90 Lieutenants, 900 Captains and 9000 regular Militia. Generals command the 9 regiments, Lieutenants the 90 Companies and Captains the 900 Squads of the forces.

Squad: A Captain and his 10 regulars. Due to extensive combat experience even the regulars are a good deal hardier than typical Flinds (3+3 HD, AC 4). They are typically armed with Flind Bars, 2 iron bars attached by a chain which a Flind regular can attack with twice per round, forcing the enemy to make a saving throw or be disarmed. Flind Captains (5+3 HD, AC 3) use weapons known as Whipping Chains, a length of 6 short Iron Bars connected by Links, and are very skilled with its use, attacking twice per round (2x1d8 dam, +1 hit/dam). Squads generally focus on specific objectives (breaching a particular wall/gate, taking out enemy archers, etc.)

Company: 10 Squads led by a Lieutenant (7+3 HD, AC 2). Lieutenants typically ride into battle upon Worghemoths (6+6 HD), giant Worgs (wolves) specifically bred for size, ferocity and loyalty. Lieutenants employ a weapon known as the Silver Crescent, consisting of a 6-foot shaft with a crescent blade fitted at both ends. Lieutenants can attack twice (2x1d12 dam) and on a roll of 20 can lift and impale the victim in the air for an additional 1d12 dam/round. Lieutenants with impaled victims typically move to the back of the ranks with their impaled victims until they are dead before returning to combat. Companies have special cavalry and aerial squads. Cavalry will usually be Flind upon Hyaenodons trying to outflank the enemy, and the aerial squad will be 10 Flind atop Hippogriffs (their captain often employing a true griffon). Companies focus upon specific fortifications and encampments.

Regiments: The Generals of the Flind Armies are an imposing lot of berks (9+3 HD, AC 0). They are between 4th-9th level Mages (promising Lieutenants begin training in magic back at SteelGlint, and must be at least 4th level before rising in the ranks). Generals always ride into battle atop Nightmares. There are 2 special forces at the regiment level: the Archers, and the Rammoth handlers. Archers will typically be a Company of Flind trained in the Light Repeating Crossbow, capable of discharging twice per round for 5 rounds before reloading. Rammoth Handlers come into play when a General is REALLY serious about ending a siege and breaking through fortifications.

This is a Company of Flind who lead, protect and set up the Rammoth-an enormous beast native to a few of the worlds populated by Flind. They resemble enormous Mammoths (even by Mammoth standards!) some 20 feet at the shoulders (20HD), though rather than tusks the Rammoth possesses 2 large horns that curve back and around the head, along with a thick, strong neck and shoulders. It is capable of achieving speeds of 50 mph in a charge, and a charging Rammoth is a site to behold-the Iron under its feet vibrating and the fortifications taking hundreds of points of structural damage. All the same a charging Rammoth ain't too particular about the berks it tramples, and Rammoth handles are a jittery bunch.

Xuanaux himself: The Flind Lord is often found at SteelGlint, though he ventures to the battlefield for major campaigns, especially if it might result in an encounter with one of the orcish or goblin proxies. He is a ferocious adversary (Pl/ m Flind/F14, W14/Fated/LN) who carefully measures the ability of the opposition to find blindspots, and the Flind have yet to suffer a major setback. He rides into battle on his Great Red Buffalo Rolzha (10HD), and attacks with a deadly +5 Morningstar he calls Bloodscorn (2x2d10dam).

The Flind Lord is unlike many of his counterparts on the Plane, those who are content to limit their scope to the War Zone without any further ambitions. Acheron has always been a stepping stone for Xuanaux-a good training ground for his kind to build strength and deepen their numbers. It was not long ago that his forces numbered in the mere hundreds, so his tactics are paying off. He is an increasingly appealing choice to the Flind-the fading Gorellik, now a mere Demigod, and was far too bestial and animalistic in his atavism to attract a large following. Most Flind have grown weary of the Tanar'ri Lord Yeenoghu, who like many in the Abyss has power but lacks the focus and purpose to put it to any use.

He has already weathered the first threat from Yeenoghu, a few dozen Rutterkin and Hezrou troops under the Marilith Tully-Terra sent to harass him, which were quickly dispatched; Tully-Terra's skull is mounted on a stake just outside the Gate Entrance. The immediate goal of the Flind Lord is power in Acheron, but it is rumored he is about to take a momentous action-inducting the first gnolls into his Army-and it is only a matter of time before he attempts to displace Yeenoghu. But he is already making preparations for the future beyond this goal.

Mechanus/BaatorAmong the humanoid species Flind have always stood out intellectually, usually at least average in intelligence and often higher (Xuanaux is between Genius and Godlike in intellect, and his Generals are all at least Exceptional). The Flind Lord has sent several scholars/emissaries to feel out the nature of Mechanus and the Modrons; some have joined the Guvners and at least one General has strong ties with the mathematicians. Xuanaux has always been curious about the end goals of Primus and Modron society, and is both fascinated/wary of their behavior.

For the Baatezu Xuanaux holds no curiosity, only contempt. The Deal-makers and Contract-cutters are nothing more than innate cowards at heart, relying on words to get their way rather than rage, sweat and force of will. His Lieutenant Zhi' ivid currently has a company in Avernus, carefully and discretely scouting out the area. Zhi'ivid's crew has done well against Abishai squadrons and learned some of the key portal points of the Blood War. It is said that the ever-planning Xuanaux has prepared for the day, generations if not centuries into the future, when his Armies march on the First Layer of the Hells, perhaps as part of a joint operation with the Tanar'ri (Xuanaux might despise the lack of purpose in Abyss denizens, but he’s not above using them in his Master Blueprints).