Gnoll

Gnolls are large, hyena-like humanoids with short muzzles, sharp teeth, and large and expressive round ears. Their bodies are covered in shaggy fur, rougher on the back and softer and lighter on the stomach and throat, usually in an off-white, tan, or brown shade—spots and stripes are both common. Gnolls typically stand between six and seven feet tall. Women are usually about a head taller than men, and correspondingly stronger. Gnolls are considered adults at fifteen, and live about 60 years on average, though some can reach a hundred or more in good health.
They dwell in warm grasslands, savannas, and arid hills. Given their appearance, their affinity for hyenas should not be surprising; gnolls share their homes, food, and even many of their own behaviors with these animals. Much like hyenas, gnolls have a notorious reputation—they are known as bloodthirsty gluttons and slavers who worship demons or other reprehensible powers. Though these rumors are often true, the behavior of gnoll clans varies widely. Some groups are composed of capable hunters who rarely clash with other humanoids unless there is a conflict over territory. Others hew closer to the unsavory stories, preferring to raid settlements and enslave innocents, snatching the fruits of others’ hard labor by strength of arms and forcing their victims to perform the hard, demeaning labor necessary to maintain the brutal clan.
Gnolls lack any particular reverence for the remains of the dead, which adds to their reputation as scavengers or even cannibals. They willingly eat nearly any other creature, including dead gnolls, which can evoke strong reactions from people and cultures with a strong taboo against cannibalism or desecrating the dead. Gnolls consume their dead as a sign of reverence, holding a grand feast and transforming the bones of the fallen into art or weapons. Gnolls extend this honor to respected foes, hoping to bring their enemy’s cunning or strength into the clan. While it’s a sign of admiration, not everyone sees it that way. In fact, they refuse to eat the bodies of particularly hated foes; particularly warmongering gnolls even spike the bodies or heads of such despised enemies on tall spears, which they place around their tribal holdings to dishonor the dead and intimidate would-be invaders.
Gnoll women are far stronger and more aggressive than gnoll men and are typically considered the leaders of their hunting packs and clans. Though gnolls tend to be disorganized when it comes to practical matters or negotiations, they are extremely efficient at working together to hunt down prey or overwhelm a group of foes. Much like hyenas, they prefer to hunt in packs, and are exceptionally skilled at setting up ambushes or separating individual targets from larger groups.
Mwangi Expanse

Geographic Distribution

• Garund
• Katapeshx
• Mwangi Expanse

Related Ethnicities

• Kholo

You Might... • Always try to work smarter, not harder. • Be very physically demonstrative—often hugging, punching, or licking your friends. • Keep a bone from a favorite relative to ask for advice.
Others Probably... • Are intimidated by your size, teeth, and eerie laugh. • Assume that you are dishonorable or worse. • Respect the brutal efficiency of your hunting style.