Nurglings - Role: Though Nurglings are some of the least of Nurgle's minions, they are some of the most numerous, and among the most favoured of the Lord of All's daemonic pantheon. Much smaller than the Plaguebearers who serve as the Plague Lord's daemonnic footsoldiers or the Greater Daemons known as Great Unclean Ones, Nurglings barely reach over a Terran foot in height. Their appearance resembles Grandfather Nurgle himself, perhaps not surprising, given that Nurglings are formed within the innards of Great Unclean Ones, who themselves physically reflect Nurgle's repulsive magnificence.Nurglings serve the Filth-father in which they were formed, often pretending that their progenitor is Nurgle himself. They play within the folds of his flesh, fetch morsels for him to consume, pick at his sores or give him new ones, and otherwise seek his approval, giggling all the while.Like Nurgle and most of their fellow Nurglish Daemons, Nurglings are jovial and playful in nature. They will hop and cavort around their larger fellow Daemons, amusing them with their jolly antics. As befit servants of the god of decay, Nurglings are also quite mischievous, biting, clawing, pulling and tearing at anything that catches their fancy. Mortal servants of the Plague God quickly learn not to entrust anything they deem valuable to the guard of Nurglings, for they inevitably will return to find the item utterly destroyed, torn to pieces and covered in filth.Daemons of Nurgle emulate the Lord of Decay and follow his path in many different ways. When they are not vying for the attention of their parent-Daemon, Nurglings most often try to do things that reflect the mirthful nature of Nurgle himself.This frequently leads to them interfering with the work of the Plaguebearers, who find Nurglings to be something of a nuisance -- though they don't normally give voice to their irritation, at least not when a Great Unclean One is within earshot.Just when a Plaguebearer is nearly finished counting the number of drips of pus required to fill a particular pool, for example, a swarm of Nurglings may come running through it, playfully splashing in the rancid goo and scattering it all around. It is their nature to cause mischief, just as it is the Plaguebearer's nature to keep tallies. In the Realm of Chaos, even in the relatively ordered domain of Nurgle, it is no surprise that harmony eludes the grasp of most Daemons.When the Death Guard Traitor Legion goes to war, infestations of Nurglings appear spontaneously wherever they go. They wriggle through the innards of the plague ships like merry little maggots, plopping unexpectedly from ventilation grates and frolicking in the cesspools that collect in the vessels' bowels.On the battlefield, they spill from ammunition crates, cling gleefully to the hulls of advancing tanks, and even burrow through the innards of the Plague Marines themselves as they march to war.Some attach themselves to individual warriors, following their masters around like faithful pets and attempting to "help" in any way they can. Many Death Guard find these effusive mites a constant annoyance as they filch Blight Grenades to wave, scramble up armoured limbs to lap at putrid discharge, and mimic bellowed orders in squeaky voices while waving their stubby arms.Yet their presence is also believed to be a sign of Nurgle's favour, for the Grandfather does not entrust his squelchsome pretties to just any mortal servant.Individually, a Nurgling is not a dangerous opponent. A grown human can simply kick it aside without difficulty. That is why Nurglings gather in monstrous swarms on the field of battle, making up for their lack of strength and size with raw numbers and their highly infectious claws and bites.Their favorite method of attack is to overrun a single individual and bring him down under the sheer mass of their pestilent bodies. For all their mischief, Nurglings prove a surprisingly powerful asset when the fighting rages hot. Masses of them swarm across the battlefield, finding their way into hiding places such as tank wrecks, sewer systems and collapsed, corpse-choked ruins.As the enemy draws near, the Nurglings erupt from concealment like a repugnant tidal wave, piling atop one another and spilling over their victims to muffle frantic screams and rattling panic-fire beneath hundreds of flabby little bodies.Nurglings are rarely a formal part of any of the daemonic Plague Legions, but instead they tag along, cavorting upon the heels of the commanding Great Unclean One or scampering amongst the Heralds and troop formations. They are very protective creatures and will gleefully launch themselves at foes that threaten them or their friends.They swarm forwards in a rush of malevolence, spilling over their victims like an irrepressible tide. Possessed of pointed teeth and sharp claws, the Nurglings swallow up their enemies in a mound of biting, scratching bodies.Such small wounds as are inflicted by these minuscule creatures would be inconsequential were it not for the lively toxins and contagions from which the Nurglings are made, which quickly infect and mortify even the slightest injury.Nurglings especially favour the vectoriums of the Death Guard's 4th Plague Company, gravitating towards those ruled over by Death Guard Sorcerers. Such warbands as the Filth-favoured, the Prophets of the Seven, and the Bilious Ones enter battle amidst living carpets of Nurglings.Meanwhile, the name of Dulthrox Globbergor is renowned throughout the Death Guard; this Malignant Plaguecaster is known as the "Father of Mites," and is borne into battle upon a jabbering mountain of adoring Nurglings.Occasionally very dedicated Chaos Champions of Nurgle will become infested with Nurglings, which will live in gaping wounds and orifices in the Champion's body and armour. Great Unclean Ones also tend to keep a large amount of favoured Nurglings upon and inside their bodies, for they find their tiny counterparts highly amusing.Great Unclean Ones often swallow one of the Nurglings just to see from which orifice in their vast bodies the tiny giggling creature will emerge again. In battle, these Nurglings will fight ferociously to defend their host from any opponent who dares approach him.