Gnoll Gnolls are one of the younger races of Lordaeron . Indigenous to both the Alterac Mountains and the Redridge Range far to the south , these hyena - like humanoids are extremely aggressive and are often found quarreling amongst themselves . Though relatively intelligent compared to most beasts , they are not very bright by human standards . They have been known to manipulate each other into fights over ridiculous things like " whose shadow is larger " . It has often been stated that the gnolls would be quite a fearsome race , if they ever stopped tearing each other to pieces long enough to organize themselves into an army . Gnolls are known for their beastly cunning , their ferocious tempers , and their penchant for infighting . Though more intelligent than beasts , they tend to lack the finer reasoning of other sentient races . They enjoy fighting — almost too much . Gnolls make their home in Lordaeron in the Alterac Mountains and the Redridge Mountains , but they have spread throughout Azeroth , even to Kalimdor , where they compete with other aggressive humanoids for hunting grounds . Their tendency to challenge each other over petty matters ( such as who is the tallest ) prevents them from achieving any real unity and thus lessens their overall threat . This is fortunate , for their numbers are such that they could easily overrun other races of equivalent strengths . Occasionally , gnolls hire out as mercenaries , either as individuals or in small packs of two to five warriors . Gnolls are hyena - like humanoids standing about 5 feet tall . Gnolls of the same tribe tend to share a similar appearance , with either a reddish - brown , black , greenish - gray , or yellow mane . Eyes range in color from pale blue to bloodshot red and are typically small and close - set in the head . In wet conditions , they give off a distinctive musky odor . As carnivores , gnolls consider all creatures as food , including members of their own race . Hunger , not gold or magic , is what motivates them . They have no love for other races , preferring to eat rather than work with them . Any alliances made will last only as long as the gnolls are well fed or are cowed with displays of force . Gnolls , being lazy and feral , have little natural industry . They are capable of limited crafting , but no metal work . They do not mine or farm , relying instead on a nomadic existence and hunting . Gnolls like to attack when they have the advantage of numbers , using group tactics and their physical strength to overwhelm and knock down their opponents . They show little discipline in battle unless they have a strong leader ; at such times , they can maintain ranks and fight as a unit . While they do not usually prepare traps , gnolls do use ambushes and try to attack from a flanking position . They always take special care to seek the most favorable conditions possible ( such as darkness , cover , or some other form of advantageous condition or terrain ) when laying ambushes . Gnolls are known for their habits as raiding marauders or hired soldiers . Though they have average intelligence , they are easily duped by promises of food or treasure . Locations . Gnolls ' main stomping grounds are the Eastern Kingdoms . Recently , they have also been seen in Kalimdor , though usually under the employ of one of the goblin cartels or pirate groups , although a few independent gnoll tribes have been seen in Feralas . A gnoll seer named Sayge travels with the Darkmoon Faire as well . He gives out fortunes and different buffs based on how you answer his questions . Gnolls were first seen in Warcraft III . Thrall leaves his home after a dream tells him to meet with a stranger . He destroys a camp of gnolls , and levels up . The gnolls in question were most likely Mosshide gnolls , due to their location and coloration . Culture . Society . Gnoll society is organized entirely around might . The strongest and deadliest gnolls ascend in the tribal order to become the leaders , while the weaker gnolls soon become food for the rest . This lifestyle means the average gnoll tribe is always in a state of tension - the slightest sign of weakness in those leading can cause the tribe to turn upon itself in a frenzy of violence . It also prevents the gnolls from organizing for very long into anything more than a tribe . Gnoll society displays a limited specialization . Brutes are the largest and nastiest gnolls , made stronger by their privileged position in the food chain . Gnoll assassins are noted for their intelligence and use complex weapons such as bows and poisons . Gnoll poachers act as scouts and hunters for the gnoll tribes and use weapons taken from prey . Gnoll wardens have developed a magical connection with nature and use their powers to keep the other gnolls in line . Gnolls do well as hunters or warriors . Their inborn aggression and decidedly cruel nature drive them to pursue their quarry for the sheer pleasure of the capture and , usually , the kill . Gnoll spellcasters tend to be shaman with strong elemental and warlike tendencies . Occasionally a gnoll might join an adventuring party in pursuit of a common enemy . Sometimes a gnoll is ousted from gnoll society and must make his way in the world outside . Adventuring bands who value aggressive , persistent hunters and warriors may allow a gnoll to join them . Gnoll characters may take up with either Alliance or Horde , depending on which group has been their primary enemy . ( More often than not , though , they join the Horde . ) A few operate independently , hiring themselves out as mercenaries to the highest payer . Gnolls are strong - limbed and fierce , but they are poor planners with little forethought and deficient leadership qualities . The Defias Brotherhood have been known to ally with Gnolls occasionally . Gnolls are extremely violent creatures . They have been known to pick lethal fights with each other over such insane arguments such as who has the longer shadow . Many wonder how these pugnacious creatures ever stand each other long enough to breed . They only gather in large groups when the opportunity for battle or plunder arises . They make vicious , if unreliable mercenaries , as they will go anywhere they can be offered a good fight . It is believed by some that if the gnolls were ever to put aside their differences long enough to band together into a single group , they would make a formidable army . Lazy and feral , gnolls prefer to pillage and steal what they want rather than working for it . The largest , strongest gnoll in a group is known as the Brute . He is the de facto leader of the tribe , and all others submit to him . Brutes are allowed to take the best loot from raids , leaving what they don ' t want for the others to fight over . There is a possibility that gnolls eat other sapient races ( see Little Timmy ) , although this could simply be slander on the part of other races and very few pieces of evidence have been presented to support this . While most gnolls use melee or ranged weapons , some can use shamanistic or even warlock magic . Their favored weapons are maces ( or other blunt weapons ) and crossbows . They prefer blunt weapons because they break bones , as marrow is considered a delicacy , and because they are easy to make . When dealing with magic , gnolls prefer the nature and lightning schools . Smaller gnolls and runts are used as assassins and scouts because of their agility . Gnolls are known to build small settlements with permanent structures ( Gnoll Hut s ) and to mine gold . Gnolls have been seen using complex mining techniques such as railcarts and have been seen in extremely remote and dangerous locations mining gold . They have been sighted in the Jangolode Mine , allied with the Defias brotherhood . Many gnolls can be seen wearing a round crest with a paw print in the middle . This symbol is seen in many tribes and its exact meaning is unknown to other races . Gnolls are known to wear leather and metal armour and always wear clothes . Languages . Gnolls speak Low Common , though some speak with a broken Common . Gnolls learn the languages of those they interact with . These are the languages spoken by the races most likely to interact with gnolls : Common , Darnassian , Orcish , Thalassian , and Zandali . The language Gnoll is a language known by the skeletal mage , Chauch - eta , however , it is apparently no longer spoken by gnolls or is another name for their dialect of Low Common . A few gnolls knew Common as a primary language , or least a broken Common . However , this appears to be uncommon in recent times . Like many other creatures in northern Lordaeron , the gnolls were unable to escape the Lich King ' s plague . Now a number of them serve as undead minions to the Scourge . Tribes / Clans . Woodpaw . It is unknown whether or not the Rot Hide gnolls were a tribe unto themselves or if " Rot Hide " is a template added to gnolls who become undead . It is possible that the Rot Hide s are in fact Mudsnout gnolls that have fallen to the Plague . The Mudsnout s seem to be the only tribe of gnolls native to Lordaeron , and the Plague would account for their low numbers ( in addition to the fact that the Mudsnouts don ' t have a main village to call home , only a converted human farm stead ) . Sayge the NPC from the Darkmoon Faire is either a Mudsnout , Palemane , or a Shadowhide , based on his coloring . Origins . Gnoll origin is a mystery , though it is likely , ( like the trolls ) that they were formed from the life essence of Azeroth herself .