Gnoll

Gnoll

Species	humanoid (orcish)
No. Appearing	3–30
Behaviour	clan
Range	tundra
Size	7 ft. tall
Weight	280 lbs.
Intelligence	7 to 9
Armour Class	5
Hit Dice	2
Action Points	5
Max. Stride	8
THAC0	20
Hp/Die	d8
Attack Forms	fist or by weapon type
Damage	2–8 or weapon
Special Attacks	infravision, strength (17)

Gnolls are statuesque humanoids with lean, powerful bodies and wolf heads, with a biological relationship to orcs that likely predates these races' arrival on the Prime Material Plane. They possess a wolf's tail which they prefer to wear beneath loose-fitting clothing, such as kilts and cloaks. They dwell in sub-polar lands occupying the coasts of the Barents, Kara and Yukaghir seas. Gnolls are marginally dense and single-minded, hateful of outsiders, highly loyal to their clan shamans — moreso than to the clan itself — and have been a bane for the peoples whose land borders theirs.

History

It's believed that gnolls were the first race to enter through the Kodar Gate, originating in the Ice Lands of Fortitude, within the Outlands. Exploring the empty parts of Asia in a north by northwest direction, they came to settle in a land they called Samoyadia. Recognizing similarities to Fortitude, they grew in population and spread westard into Yak'Margug and Bjarmaland, making friends with frost giants and enemies of the elves of Colyan-Ar some 5,000 years ago. Gnolls and elves have occasionally warred against one another since that time, and still the border between the two remains dangerous and confrontational. In recent centuries, the halflings of Archangel have served as intermediaries, though this has required great skill and danger on the part of diplomats, some of whom have given their lives to keep the peace.

See Bestiary