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Trace_Coburn
Learned Scribe
New Zealand
137 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Apr 2006 : 13:08:27
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What (little) information I have/can find regarding gnolls suggests that they're found primarily in the mid-eastern portions of Faerun - certainly their inclusion in Unapproachable East would lead one to that conclusion! 
Being that I lack said tome, could someone help me out? I need a thumbnail view of gnoll sociology/mindset (the 2e MC entries being a little thin on that side of things)... and rather more importantly, I could do with some help in figuring a plausible explanation for a sizeable body of gnolls being found in the Dalelands-Cormanthor-Thunderpeaks region.  Bugbears are native and make a decent alternative, of course, but by sheer dint of not belonging there in the first place, gnolls would make strange, exotic foes - and one the characters would be a little less prepared to handle. Besides, that whole "favoured class: Ranger" thing fits a bit better with what I have in mind (even if gnolls likely make very poor cavalry, they'd be pretty damn' solid shock troops....)
For now, I've got any or all of these as possible backstories for a good-sized gnoll population being in the region:
- emigrated via Underdark to escape danger X back 'home' (which must've been pretty bloody nasty if they decided to bug out through the flamin' Underdark!  )
{sub-possibility: possible riff on the 'orog orc' creation theory - driven into the Underdark, adapted thereto, and are now filtering back towards the surface?  }
- involuntarily relocated en masse by Red Wizards so they wouldn't bother Thay any more (much like the Tuigan would be, a century or two later)
Any more suggestions?
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D&D collection: Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual I, Complete Arcane, Arms & Equipment Guide.
FR sourcebook collection: Dragons of Faerūn, Faiths & Pantheons, FRCS, Lords of Darkness, Monsters of Faerūn, Player's Guide to Faerūn, Power of Faerūn, Races of Faerūn, Silver Marches.
I just got back into this, okay? Give me time (or better yet money) - I'll catch up soon enough.  |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2006 : 14:00:42
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There are Gnolls in the Forest south of Westgate
Correct me if Im wrong but didnt an Army of Gnolls destroy Northkeep in the Moonsea? (There where Gnolls living in one of the Ruined Sections of Phlan)
Also werent there Gnolls in the monster army that destroyed Myth Drannor? |
I am the King of Rome, and above grammar
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2006 : 15:24:58
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| elminster's ecologies might be a big help here. I will reference mine and see what I come up with. However, I do recall gnoll tribes/ bands/ whatever throughout the realms. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2006 : 16:08:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth
Correct me if Im wrong but didnt an Army of Gnolls destroy Northkeep in the Moonsea? (There where Gnolls living in one of the Ruined Sections of Phlan)
40,000 inhuman mages, priests and shamans... As I recall, gnolls were mentioned as part of the Dark Alliance that brought down Northkeep.
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EvilKnight
Learned Scribe
USA
162 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2006 : 16:27:36
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Gnolls are mentioned as being on the Hullack Forest side of the Thunder Peaks somewhere. A favorite meal of one of the red dragons living in the Peaks (much dislikes by a green dragon that calls the forest her own). I do not remember the source for this info, I think it is Elminster's Ecologies Box.
Another mention of gnolls happens in the novel <U>The Glass Prison</U> which is also in the Thunder Peaks.
EvilKnight |
Edited by - EvilKnight on 03 Apr 2006 16:54:14 |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2006 : 18:15:41
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| Gnolls do feature in the Elvenwood encounter tables in Ruins of Myth Drannor. A large concentration of them would usually be due to an ambitious war leader from one of their population centres (wherever that might be). |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6648 Posts |
Posted - 04 Apr 2006 : 00:42:15
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In the frozen Moonsea North, east of the High Ice of Anauroch, there exists a great mount named Ghaethluntar. It is honeycombed with tunnels and caves and inhabited by thousands and thousands of gnolls and flind. Source is Ed's "Polyhedron" column.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Trace_Coburn
Learned Scribe
New Zealand
137 Posts |
Posted - 04 Apr 2006 : 12:09:56
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
In the frozen Moonsea North, east of the High Ice of Anauroch, there exists a great mount named Ghaethluntar. It is honeycombed with tunnels and caves and inhabited by thousands and thousands of gnolls and flind. Source is Ed's "Polyhedron" column.
-- George Krashos
Huh. So much for the SRD consigning them to the savannahs alone....
Thanks, everyone. Unfortunately, I'm still a little shy on that sociological information... and moreover, I find myself needing some info on gnoll religion, as well; directions to a site or tome where I might be enlightened about these matters would be greatly welcome. I understand that they have a tanar'ri lording it over them? One might have expected Malar to fit their style better.... 
(I have this beautiful concept for a gnoll tribal leader as a Ranger/Cleric (Malar) who wears scale armour made from a behir's hide, wields a heavy pick formed from its horns and a shortbow from which he shoots arrows crafted from its teeth, and uses the shell of a monstrous spider as a shield - all of these items being trophies from beasts he personally slew in battle or the hunt.  ) |
D&D collection: Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual I, Complete Arcane, Arms & Equipment Guide.
FR sourcebook collection: Dragons of Faerūn, Faiths & Pantheons, FRCS, Lords of Darkness, Monsters of Faerūn, Player's Guide to Faerūn, Power of Faerūn, Races of Faerūn, Silver Marches.
I just got back into this, okay? Give me time (or better yet money) - I'll catch up soon enough. |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 04 Apr 2006 : 14:04:04
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| Yeenoghu is the Demon Prince of Gnolls hes detailed in the Book of Vile Darkness |
I am the King of Rome, and above grammar
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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GungHo
Seeker
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - 04 Apr 2006 : 19:17:05
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| I could easily see Gnolls paying homage to Malar - maybe even Talos - if you don't want to follow the BoVD, or if you have a "rogue" group. |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 04 Apr 2006 : 20:21:45
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| *shrugs* There are elves worshiping gods other than the Seldarine, so why shouldn't there be gnolls worshiping other entities than Yeenoghu? Go with it I say. |
There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11716 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2006 : 15:55:20
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You'll find gnolls pretty much anywhere in the realms that others might consider "barbaric". They're found in the frozen glaciers above Damara, forests everywhere, Thay, the Shaar, etc.... As to their society, it varies strongly based on environment. The gnolls in the glaciers are barbaric hunters. The gnolls in Thay are somewhat more civilized, but they're brutes in the service of the red wizards. The more commonly found woodland/plainsland gnoll tribes would have a very good model if treated like the American Indians (with maybe more of the sacrificial culture of the Aztecs to a degree, with less need to build temples). In all of these environments, the gnolls are lazy. They have no problem with slavery, except that they don't have a tendency to keep slaves healthy and often have them end up in the stewpot.
As to gnollish religion, Yeenoghu would be the most common of all their deities, but Malar, Talos, Tempus, Gauragos, Beshaba, and even Loviatar (some gnolls are sadists) would all make good gnoll deities. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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GungHo
Seeker
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2006 : 17:55:08
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
The more commonly found woodland/plainsland gnoll tribes would have a very good model if treated like the American Indians(with maybe more of the sacrificial culture of the Aztecs to a degree, with less need to build temples). In all of these environments, the gnolls are lazy. They have no problem with slavery, except that they don't have a tendency to keep slaves healthy and often have them end up in the stewpot.
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2006 : 03:20:40
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| this is feasable, elminster's ecologies shows that gnolls dwell in the stonlands as well as the goblin marches, among other locations. |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6648 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2006 : 04:15:47
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
In all of these environments, the gnolls are lazy. They have no problem with slavery, except that they don't have a tendency to keep slaves healthy and often have them end up in the stewpot.
Ahh, stop it Sleyvas. You're making me hungry.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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msatran
Learned Scribe
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 13 Apr 2006 : 07:27:37
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Well, speaking from the perspective of Joe Dungeon Master, not even a realmslore pointed Joe Dungeon Master, if you want some gnolls in the dalelands, put them there. THere's a whole bunch of cunning gnolls in the small forest to the south of the Elven Court if you're lore oriented, but truthfully...
Gnolls live in forests, breed fairly quickly, and are low level creatures for the most part. There's no reason there couldn't be more. Now if you said "I want a dozen pit fiends in the Dalelands" then you'd have a population issue problem.
'
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Ardashir
Senior Scribe
USA
544 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2008 : 19:12:25
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quote:
Originally posted by GungHo
I could easily see Gnolls paying homage to Malar - maybe even Talos - if you don't want to follow the BoVD, or if you have a "rogue" group.
And you could have non-evil (but still dangerous) gnolls who worship Shaundakul. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2008 : 19:55:12
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Gnolls had a VERY early civilization (Urgnarash), before the rise of both Orcs and Humans - about the time of the fall of the Giant and Dragon Kingdoms.
I have surmised that the major portion of theis empire existed in the Shar, and spread as far east as the Raurin, as far west as Erlkazar, and as far north as the Vilhon Reach (which was quite different at that time).
A series of disasters - both narural and unatural - and the rise of the Elven Kingdoms (mostly the Illythiir in the south), help to break apart the massive empire, which fractured at first into much smaller kingdoms, and then into tribal groups. The last 'civilized' group of Gnolls existed in the east, in their own kingdom in the fertile Raurin Basin region. This group finally fell with the coming of the Imaskari, and the last remnant of it can be found in the various smaller ranges of the Yehimal mountains (most notably the A-Ling Shan and Kun-Yen Shan).
So the Gnolls were not always viscous, feral killers and savages - and some groups (like those in Thay and the Westgate region) try to at least put on the 'trappings' of a civilized culture.
This is why you can now find Gnolls spread-out all over Faerūn and parts east - as the Human (and other) cultures and tribes moved into their regions, they were constantly "pushed-back" into the remotist portions of the world. The Elves take most of the forests, and the Orcs most of the mountains exterior surfaces, but the Gnolls have found a niche for themselves - the small bands of forested regions that lie half-way up the mountainsides - an area between te Orcs and Elves that most other have no desire for.
Such a stand of tress lies all along the southern and and eastern slopes of the Stromhorns in Cormyr, amongst many other places. Wherever you find civilization bordering on the lands of the humanoids, there you will find the Gnolls - forever trapped between their past and their present.
Hope that helps - a LOT of extrapolation, based on some canon sources and also at least one article here at CK.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 21 Jul 2008 19:58:20 |
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Gnolls in the Dalelands?
