Gnoll (nol-l)

Gnolls are a formidable and nomadic humanoid race, bearing a striking resemblance to hyenas or wild dogs. They stand between six to seven feet tall and are recognizable for their savage culture and warlike ways. In contrast to the common belief that female gnolls are shorter, male and female gnolls are indistinguishable by size. The only reliable method of distinguishing between them, aside from a close physical examination, is identifying a female as pregnant or openly nursing.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Gnolls possess a distinctive hyena-like physiology, standing between six to seven feet tall with a lean, muscular build. Their bodies are covered in coarse fur that varies in color from tan to dark brown, often with spots or stripes that provide camouflage in their natural habitats. Gnolls have sharp claws and strong jaws, adapted for tearing flesh and bone.
Painted Gnolls, a subspecies of Gnoll, have fur patterns with a mix of black, brown, white, and yellow patches. They are slightly smaller and more agile than their hyena-like cousins, with a more slender build and longer legs adapted for running long distances. Painted Gnolls have a different skeletal structure that favors endurance over brute strength, allowing them to cover vast distances during hunts.

Biological Traits

Gnolls have notably short lifespans, with an average life expectancy of about 30 years. They mature at a remarkably fast rate, reaching adulthood early. In battle, Gnolls exhibit a natural ferocity and a pack mentality, coordinating well within their hunting packs.

Genetics and Reproduction

Gnolls share many reproductive traits with actual hyenas. Female gnolls are the dominant sex and possess pseudo-penises, making it difficult to distinguish them from males without close physical examination. This unique anatomy plays a role in their matriarchal society, where females hold significant power and influence. Unlike hyenas, however, both male and female gnolls are equally strong and capable warriors, and their social structure emphasizes cooperation and survival.
Reproduction among gnolls is fraught with challenges. Pregnant females face difficulties due to their unique anatomy, and the mortality rate during childbirth is high.
Painted Gnoll females, unlike their hyena-like cousins, do not possess pseudo-penises. Their reproductive system is more similar to that of wild dogs, with a clear distinction between males and females. They come into season once a year, and their mating system is cooperative, with a dominant pair leading the pack and other members helping to care for the pups.

Growth Rate & Stages

Gnolls mature rapidly, with cubs reaching full maturity within a year. Their early development is swift, preparing them for the harsh life ahead.

Ecology and Habitats

Gnolls thrive in challenging and arid desert environments. They are adaptable and can survive in a variety of habitats, including savannas, grasslands, and rocky terrains. Their nomadic lifestyle allows them to move in search of food and water, and they often establish temporary camps before moving on.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Gnolls are obligate carnivores, primarily subsisting on a diet of meat. Their predatory instincts and acute sense of smell make them efficient hunters and scavengers. They are opportunistic feeders, targeting small game and occasionally wandering individuals who venture too far from civilized settlements. Their diet consists of whatever flesh they can obtain, and they have a reputation for relentless pursuit of their prey.

Biological Cycle

Gnolls are primarily nocturnal, hunting under the cover of darkness and resting during the heat of the day. Their biological rhythms are closely tied to the cycles of the moon, with full moons often triggering heightened activity and aggression.

Behaviour

Gnolls are known for their aggressiveness and ferocity in combat. They exhibit a relentless and predatory nature, often stopping at nothing to satisfy their hunger and territorial ambitions. Their societal structure emphasizes cooperation and survival, with strong bonds formed within their packs.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Gnolls are organized into nomadic tribes led by a matriarch and her mate. These matriarchs hold significant influence over the tribe, making crucial decisions related to hunting, territory, and leadership. The mate of the matriarch serves as a close advisor and enforcer of her authority.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Gnoll pelts, bones, and teeth are often sought after by traders and collectors, though hunting gnolls is dangerous. Their knowledge of the desert and survival skills can be valuable to those willing to ally with them.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Gnolls are widespread across arid and semi-arid regions, with Hyena-like Gnolls preferring deserts and rocky terrains, while Painted Gnolls are more common in savannas and grasslands.

Average Intelligence

Gnolls possess average intelligence, comparable to humans, but their cunning and predatory instincts often make them seem more calculating and ruthless.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Gnolls have excellent night vision, allowing them to see in low-light conditions and darkness. This ability is particularly advantageous for their nocturnal hunting habits. Their acute sense of smell helps them track prey over long distances, and their hearing is finely tuned to detect the faintest sounds of movement.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Gnolls often have symbiotic relationships with hyenas, dire wolves, and other scavengers. They also face parasitic threats from various desert-dwelling parasites.

Civilization and Culture

Beauty Ideals

Gnolls value physical strength, agility, and hunting prowess. Scarification and other marks of combat are seen as signs of beauty and status.

Gender Ideals

Gnolls have a matriarchal society where females hold significant power and influence. Males are valued for their strength and combat abilities but are subservient to the matriarchs.

Courtship Ideals

Courtship among gnolls involves displays of strength and hunting prowess. Males present their kills to potential mates, and successful hunts are seen as a sign of suitability.

Relationship Ideals

Gnolls form strong bonds within their packs, with loyalty and cooperation being highly valued. Relationships are often pragmatic, focused on survival and mutual benefit.

Average Technological Level

Gnolls have a primitive technological level, relying on simple tools and weapons. They are skilled in crafting from natural materials and are adept at surviving in harsh environments.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Gnolls speak a guttural, harsh language known as Gnollish that stems from Abyssal. It is primarily oral, with few written records. They may also speak the common tongue for trade and negotiation.

Common Taboos

Gnolls have strict taboos against showing weakness and failing in a hunt. Cowardice and betrayal are seen as the greatest dishonors.

History

The origins of the gnolls are steeped in dark and malevolent lore, tracing back to the sinister influence of a demon lord known as Zuka'mwimbi. This lesser dark deity, whose name evokes dread and terror, is a towering figure of malice and destruction. Standing 12‒14 feet tall, Zuka'mwimbi resembles a monstrous gnoll-like creature with a grinning skull-like face and burning emerald or amber eyes that leer from his seemingly emaciated form. A mangy, yellow crest of fur stretches from his head to mid-back, with only small scabby patches of hair scattered across his body.
Zuka'mwimbi's desires are savage and insatiable, driven by an unending thirst for slaughter and destruction. He revels in inflicting terror and sorrow upon his victims, delighting in the devastation of their hopes and the destruction of their cherished possessions. His hatred for civilization is profound, and should he conquer other realms, he would leave their former structures in ruin rather than rebuild.
To Zuka'mwimbi, the gnolls are both instruments and children, created to bring his vision of an ideal world to fruition. This world is one of endless combat and brutality, where gnolls reign supreme, and all other creatures are either slaves or food.
Zuka'mwimbi's creation of the gnolls was an act of twisted artistry. He infused his essence into the gnoll race, endowing them with their predatory nature, ferocity, and relentless drive for conquest. These qualities made them perfect agents of chaos and destruction, embodying the very essence of their creator's dark will.
In the beginning, gnolls thrived under Zuka'mwimbi's direct influence, spreading terror and chaos across the lands. They were his favored warriors, wreaking havoc on civilizations and leaving desolation in their wake. However, as the gnolls evolved and grew more independent, they began to forge their own path. While many still revere Zuka'mwimbi and seek to fulfill his vision of a world dominated by gnolls, others have developed their own ambitions and agendas.
The legacy of Zuka'mwimbi remains a powerful force in gnoll society. His teachings of savagery, strength, and the relentless pursuit of dominance continue to shape their culture and actions. Even in his absence, the demon lord's shadow looms over the gnolls, driving them to live up to the brutal ideals he set forth.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Gnolls have complex relationships with other races. While often viewed as enemies, they can form temporary alliances with orcs, goblins, and other savage races. Their predatory nature and aggressive tendencies make peaceful coexistence challenging.
Feud with Leonin
The feud between Gnolls and Leonin is deeply rooted in territorial conflicts, predatory natures, and a long history of hostility. These two races have been mortal enemies for generations, with the enmity showing no signs of abating. Much of the animosity between Gnolls and Leonin can be attributed to territorial disputes. Both races inhabit arid desert regions, making competition for limited resources, such as water and prey, inevitable. These disputes have led to frequent skirmishes and confrontations.
Both Gnolls and Leonin are carnivorous and highly skilled hunters. This shared focus on hunting and predation has created intense competition for food sources. Gnolls, known for their aggressive hunting packs, often encroach on Leonin territory, which invariably leads to violent clashes. Generations of conflict and bloodshed have bred deep-seated mistrust and hostility between the two races. Gnolls view the Leonin as territorial competitors, while the Leonin perceive Gnolls as savage predators who threaten their way of life.

Cultural differences further exacerbate the feud. Leonin, with their pride-based societal structure and emphasis on honor and tradition, find the chaotic and brutal nature of Gnoll society abhorrent. Conversely, Gnolls see the Leonin's structured way of life as a weakness to be exploited. Occasionally, strategic alliances may form between individual Gnoll and Leonin groups in the face of a greater common threat. However, these alliances are often temporary and fraught with tension, breaking down once the immediate danger has passed.
Different subspecies of Gnolls and Leonin may experience varying levels of conflict based on regional and environmental factors. For instance, Painted Gnolls and Leonin may have less frequent but more intense clashes due to the differing territories they occupy.

Spotted Gnoll

Scientific Name

Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Hyaenidae (Hyena-like), Canidae (Wild Dog-like)
Genus: Crocuta (Hyena-like), Lycaon (Wild Dog-like)
Species: Crocuta gnollis, Lycaon gnollis

Lifespan

30 years

Conservation Status

Least Concern (LC)
Threats: Habitat destruction, conflict with other races, and hunting by adventurers.

Average Height

Hyena-like Gnolls: 6-7 feet
Painted Gnolls: 5.5-6.5 feet

Average Weight

Hyena-like Gnolls: 200-250 lbs
Painted Gnolls: 150-200 lbs

Average Physique

Gnolls have a lean, muscular build suited for hunting and combat. Painted Gnolls are more slender and agile, while Hyena-like Gnolls are bulkier and stronger. Gnolls have distinct hyena-like faces with strong jaws, sharp teeth, and large ears. Painted Gnolls have more elongated snouts and a more canine appearance.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Gnolls have fur colors that range from tan to dark brown, often with spots or stripes. Painted Gnolls have fur patterns with a mix of black, brown, white, and yellow patches.

Related Organizations

• Dhuma

Painted Gnoll

Striped Gnoll