Gnolls

Avarlynian gnolls have the same stats as found in the Monster Manual.

Overview
Gnolls in Avarlyn are a highly organized, lawful culture who are recognized for their well-trained and loyal mercenary companies.

History
As gnolls use writing mostly for record keeping, there are few stories about their origins. According to the Romance of the Silver River Kingdoms, written in 927 BVR, that the dog-headed god Feng Tzi embraced the beautiful maiden Ri-shi, a servant to the wife of King Shu-li of Cho. She became pregnant, and when it was time for her to give birth, she produced a little of puppies - 8 bitches and 4 males. These were the first gnolls. King Shu-li saw them and was disgusted. He ordered his bodyguard Fe Xiao to kill them, but a statue of Feng Tzi fell upon Fe Xiao, killing him. King Shu-li suddenly realized that the puppies were under the warrior god's protection and from that point on raised them as his own children. As they matured, they demonstrated great skills as soldiers. In the War of Five Valleys, the gnolls defended Cho's Purple Rocks Pass from a much larger force from Zangri. Within a few generations, the gnolls number some 10,000 households and petitioned King Tang Caofei for a homeland. He granted them the wild counties along the Sleeping Dragon Mountains in the southern frontier of Cho (modern Arkulsk).
The Jycenan Theocracy made use of their martial organization to guard their network of Gates around the world, and thus gnolls spread from Arkulsk to most every corner of Avarlyn.
Today
Arklusk remains the only gnoll-dominated kingdom on the continent, though sizable communities can be found in most large kingdoms. Of particular note is the Suzerainty of Khaider Preshtun in Rhema and the Duchy of Mizhny Govgorod in Praschaal. Communities of gnolls are rather common on the Istasian Plains and in the Serran Brush.
Culture
Gnolls thrive on order and regimentation. Gnoll communities are organized in military style. Unquestioning respect for the dictates of one's commander is a fundamental element of gnollish society. A typical gnoll village - usually called a camp or fort, if it's walled - will have a marshal who is the clear leader of the community. All decisions affecting the group must be made by him. Groups of households will have a captain who reports to the marshal. The father is the head of the household, and the mother second in command. Most gnolls only have one littler consisting of 3-6 pups. Pups will generally differ to the strongest amongst them, and much of their play consists of fighting mini wars for territory within the home. These games are generally weeks to months long.
Not all gnolls are comfortable with the overarching lawfulness and martial stance of gnoll society. Within larger gnoll communities, there is some room for scribes, musicians, and artisans. But anyone who cannot abide by law is exiled - almost all adventuring gnolls are from this lot. Criminals are dealt with very harshly.
Gnolls are not given to farming or herding. They survive primarily through their mercenary companies. Contracts bring gold to the community which is then used to buy food staples. Other forms of trade supplement this income as well. Rich communities, or those granted feudal domains, will collect crops as levies on human peasants residing in their domain.
Wizards are very rare among gnolls, and those with arcane talents will often become warmages. Sorcerers and warlocks are highly anathema to gnollish morals. Bards are not common, but every mercenary company will seek them out. There are priests in gnoll society, worshiping Feng Tzi(called Marmuk by western gnolls) and to a lesser degree, the First Litter (the first twelve gnolls). Naturally, Feng Tzi is a lawful neutral good, and the priesthood is highly lawful. The sacred weapon of Marmuk is the glaive. All gnolls learn to fight with the glaive as a pup, even if they will not be warriors.
Gnollish society is patriarchal, though female leaders are not unheard of. There are ritualized battles wherein an unfit leader can be challenged, and through these duels, females can become a leader. Sometimes, a commander may recognize a particularly gifted female and treat her as a male. Women do fight in the mercenary companies, making up about 20% of most battalions. The priesthood is much more female-oriented, with about 45-50% of priests being female. Almost all bards, wizards and warmages are female, however.

Mercenary companies are the most common calling for most gnolls. The companies are known for their loyalty to their contract. Gnolls natural strength and constitution make them exceptional warriors, but they are not creative fighters. Gnolls tend to stick to predetermined tactics; they adapt somewhat slowly to unexpected events. Gnolls are quite often used in sieges and campaigns of conquest rather than in garrison duties. Larger mercenary armies will often hire human or other race tacticians to help them overcome this flaw. Given the highly lawful nature of gnollish companies, they have no problem accepting the position of an outsider who is properly integrated into the organization.

Gnolls have a complex relationship to normal dogs. Some gnolls love dogs and will raise them almost like children. Others view them with contempt or worse. Some mercenary companies will train war dogs; other abhor this as slavery. In Praschaal, some communities will raise sled dogs, others won't.