Gnolls

Gnolls, which the Flan call kell, are large, evil, hyena-headed humanoids that roam the land in loosely organized bands. They stand about 7½ feet tall. These nocturnal scavengers are humanoid, but the fine details more closely resemble a hyena than not. The skin of a gnoll is greenish gray that gets darker near its muzzle. They have short manes of reddish gray to dull yellow hair.

Filthy and vile, gnolls are also strong and roam widely through every clime, threatening outlying areas. They usually live beneath the ground or within abandoned ruins. Underground tribes operate mainly during the night. The strongest gnolls rule their brothers, using fear and intimidation to best advantage. Gnoll females fight as well as the males, though they rarely get to use the best armor and weapons available to the band.

Some of their largest and most feared warbands include the Scarsavage, Gashclaw, Lowgorge, Foulpelt, Retchtongue, and Battlehowl. Many gnolls dwell in the Pomarj and in Bone March.

Gnoll society uses slaves but always look for more, as they tend to eat them. Their packs are riddled with infighting and treachery, though they often work with other humanoids, including orcs and bugbears. This works best when the gnolls and their allies are of similar strength and numbers. If either gains an advantage, the other usually becomes food. To a gnoll, hunger comes before friendship or fear. They dislike goblins, kobolds, giants, humans, demi-humans, and any type of manual labor.

Among the Civilized

Encountering independent gnolls is extremely rare, for it is very difficult for them to overcome their chaotic and evil upbringing. Those who reject gnoll society usually do so out of hatred of the gnolls or to gain revenge against their race for some real or imagined wrong.

Those gnolls who become outcasts often exhibit evil tendencies. They fight a constant battle to keep their bestial urges in check, and to overcome their natural aversion to manual labor. They find it particularly hard to break their taste for intelligent creatures, as they are confirmed carnivores. Under dire circumstances, gnolls will put up with races they don't like out of necessity.