Gnolls

Gnolls are large, spotted canae, in fact the original breed of canae. Children of Ukhraj, gnolls are extinct on Vala, though a few survive in the World Below. Gnolls stand at least six and half feet tall, though this is small for the race. Many are seven feet tall, or even larger, with immensely thick limbs, powerful chests and massive necks. Their pelts are often a sandy brown, spotted or sometimes striped. Grey or white fur is less common. 
=== History ===
Gnolls were created in the Age of Giants, when Nyx acquired Stone Men for her children to shape as they wished. Ukhraj, Dragonson of Strength, favored a race of powerful, ferocious warriors. He placed his gnolls in the harsh and expansive Seiyuf Mountains, where they hunted beasts and warred among each other. Various gnoll kingdoms were founded during this period, the largest of which was Haska. The gnolls went to the aid of the Hesha in the Night Wars, but even their strength was not enough to counter the combined might of Zakhema and Tir Urdun. The gnolls retreated into the mountains at the end of the Night Wars, bereft of Ukhraj's guidance, as the Dragonson had been driven into a mad frenzy following his mother's fall and sister's death. In the early First Age, ogres began to move into the Seiyuf Mountains, and the gnolls were soon engaged in constant war with the shapeshifter's and their felkin hordes. 
As the First Age wore on, waves of gnolls began to migrate from the Seiyufs, pillaging their way through Orestes and over the Ondos Mountains. Several of the gnoll kingdoms fell to the ogres, and the kingdom of Haska was briefly conquered by Kaldes the Horned of Aldan in 84 IR. While the gnoll kingdoms were declining, gnoll tribes spread across the north, settling in their favored mountains and launching raids on the lowlands. Gnolls fought with orcs and dwarves, and harried the growing Gallian Empire, as well as raiding into Heide, to contend with the newly-emerged Veldyn. Many gnolls settled on the savannas of southern Orestes, and these gnolls diverged into the Zorn. Other gnoll tribes had already become the ancestors of Vakki and Torags. Separated from their kingdoms, tribal gnolls grew increasingly savage. The Gallian Empire alternated between purging gnolls and incorporating them into vicious auxiliaries. However, the gnolls, like their creator, proved difficult to control. In 924 IR, the gnoll Slave Legion rebelled over its food allowances, causing havoc across the empire. The revolt took several years to suppress and cost tens of thousands of lives. Anti-gnoll sentiment continued to grow, and factions within the Senate called for a general extermination of the race. After a coalition of gnoll tribes swept down from the Worldspines in 1141 IR, the Slave Legion was disbanded and gnolls either banished from Gallia or enslaved. At the end of the First Age, due to the upheavals following Typhon's consumption by the Beast, Haska, last of the gnoll kingdoms, fell to the ogres. The gnolls were eradicated from the Seiyuf Mountains in a few generations, essentially removing the gnoll presence in the south. The many towering fortresses constructed by the Seiyuf gnolls were occupied by the so-called ogre kings and their mutant broods. 
Later, in the Second Age, the Orestian Hegemons that ruled Gallia undertook their own campaigns to purge gnollkind from the north. Archon Achelas launched several attacks on gnoll tribes in the Worldspines, and in 1139 IR obliterated the great fortress of Tirask, which resulted in the slaughter of 'over 50,000 canae.' While this might be an exaggeration, gnoll raids subsided for many decades afterwards. Archon Kontos reversed some of the anti-gnoll policies, recruiting the savage warriors for his infamous Peace Companies. However, when Kontos died in 1573 IR, his gnolls were targeted for extermination. Emperor Gyons (r. 1627-1654) was brutal in his destruction of the Peace Companies, harrying the gnolls back into the Worldspines. The gnolls were only a minor nuisance until Emperor Merov launched a crusade to convert the Worldspines to the worship of Eos-Adrana in 1733 IR. Gnoll tribes that rejected the Supreme Light were exterminated. Even though Merov was ultimately slain by frostlings, the Worldspine gnolls suffered grievous losses that they struggled to recover from. They launched increasingly desperate raids to acquire slaves and resources, eventually earning the ire of Emperor Corin 'Dwarf-Friend.' Though the records are confused, Corin apparently discovered one of the sleeping giants in Erebus and used dangerous magics to enslave the divine being. This giant, Ada-Irim, used its worldshaping powers to 'speak' the Worldspine gnolls out of existence, erasing whole tribes. By 1903 IR, most of the gnolls were gone. Later emperors still sought to destroy the gnolls and eliminate their threat forever, and in 2411 IR, Emperor Bando attacked and destroyed the last true gnoll fortress, Uliska. Hibaak, son of Uliska's chief, was the only gnoll to survive the slaughter. Bando kept him as something of a pet, and after the emperor's death, Hibaak went to dwell with the Keepers, who recorded all he had to say of his people. 
However, the gnolls were not exactly gone. Some had survived by hiding within Erebus, and there conducted rituals to charge themselves with the feral might of Ukhraj. The massive beasts that emerged from the Underworld were not truly gnolls, but they were the direct continuation of the gnoll line. These kobolds were first noticed by the Gallians in 2522 IR, when a horde of the creatures swept into Polaris and torched the Gallian colony of Lucina's Well. From then on, the kobolds would become the new menace of the Worldspines, warring with orcs, werebeasts, dwarves and any who threatened their territory. 
A few gnolls escaped into the Abyss, seeking refuge in the godly realms, or vanishing into Limbo or the Deadlands. These gnolls no doubt remain in the World Below, though how closely they resemble their Orbic kin is unknown. 
=== Society ===
Gnoll society was considered savage and barbarous, though this was only true in some contexts. The original gnoll kingdoms of the Seiyufs were sophisticated places, where mighty fortresses were carved into the living rock. The ruins of Haska remain impressive, filled with towering monuments to Ukhraj and forgotten gnoll heroes. The ogres claimed many gnoll strongholds, which have since proven difficult to breach, testifying to the skill of the original builders. The gnolls who fled the mountains, crossing the plains of Orestes and then travelling over the Ondos Mountains lost much of their original culture. These gnolls were more attuned to the darkest and most bloodthirsty aspects of Ukhraj. In fact, as the god himself was overcome more and more by rage, his children too became increasingly bestial. The savagery of the gnolls turned many against them, and their lack of allies ultimately destroyed the race, who were isolated in the Worldspines, enemies to Veldyn, orcs and dwarves. 
Gnoll prestige was gained on the battlefield, and chieftains drove their warriors to ever greater acts of slaughter to win slaves and loot. Despite this, the gnolls largely despised the Chaos powers, considering them enemies of Ukhraj and the dragons. Though cruel and bloodthirsty, gnolls saved their greatest savagery for servants of the Beast and other Chaos Gods. Infamously, gnolls freely ate other sapient beings, however they considered this simply part of the cycle of life. They balked at the idea of eating fellow gnolls, but other races were considered prey animals like any other beast, and so slain enemies were often honored by being the main dish at a wild and raucous feast. As gnolls considered themselves the apex predators of Vala, the great cullers of the herd, they ate other beings as part of a sacred contract between themselves and Veres, their grandfather. 
=== Religion ===
The most important cult among the gnolls was that of Ukhraj, who was the raging blood of the warriors. Second to Ukhraj was Veres, the god of potent virility and male lifeforce. Veres was paired with Nyx, though she was mourned rather than worshipped. Female fertility was thus ensured by Druna, who as dragon of spring was renewal and healing. Manah was considered a goddess of necessary subterfuge, witchcraft and the overcoming of enemies by deceit. Hila was regarded as the passionate instiller of energy as well as the god of the forge. Finally, Mortus was paid homage as not just guide of the dead, but dispenser of judgement and fortune. Gnoll rites were often rough and savage, involving ritual combat, bloodletting and orgiastic excess. Gnolls had great respect for shamans and almost never pillaged sites holy to their favored gods. Land spirits, the sylphs, were honored in fertility rituals and rites intended to strengthen a tribe's connection to their land. Each tribe would have its patron sylph, who inhabited a holy mountain, stream, tree or other suitable vessel. No violence was permitted at these sacred places, which were gathering sites for inter-tribal conferences, rituals and feasts. The eating of other sapient beings was a common part of gnoll ritual, though gnolls were never eaten, as this was considered taboo. Much of gnoll worship centered on nurturing the rage of Ukhraj and letting that rage manifest in battle. Gnoll religion positioned itself as contrary to the powers of Chaos, and gnolls frequently threw themselves into battle with those forces they considered anathema to Ukhraj and life. Indeed, gnolls, in some inscrutable way, believed they were guardians of life, though life to gnolls was brutal and savage, a primal and unending cycle of violence. But life followed death, and flesh fed the strong so they could continue the struggle. While many outsiders claimed the gnolls were evil, the gnolls themselves insisted they were merely obeying their nature, just as wolves hunted rabbits, and lions brought down antelopes. The fulfilment of one's primal nature was the ultimate purpose of gnoll existence, and it was encouraged by all the cults within their societies.
Category:Races
Category:Canae