Studying the ancient mysteries of the gnoll race is a profound challenge, not least because the gnolls are violent, uncooperative, and deeply unconcerned with their own background. The value of what Yeenoghu took from them is incalculable, though perhaps it is more accurate to say that the gnolls let everything of value slip away from themselves when they abandoned any better natures they may have once possessed. What can be said with certainty is that the gnolls as a people have lost something of themselves when measured against their contemporaries; what few vestiges remain manifest at an individual level only.
Gnolls have an oral tradition, which tells of a number of great spirits that formed the basis of gnoll religion in the time before Yeenoghu. Curiously, they have no creation myth, which may have been part of how the demon prince was able to corrupt them so easily - they do not contextualize themselves as being "of" a particular deity or other divine figure. The following are some of the repeating motifs of gnoll oral tradition.
Spoiler: Oral Tradition
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Terms with subjective translation or that cannot be simply translated have been marked <in this manner> to indicate rough meaning.
The hunt was good, more than <howling brother> could bring down alone
<howling brother> howled and we answered, he called us and we came and fed
We howled at <high place> and called <great dark> to join the hunt
<great dark> came forth alone and hunted alone, and ignored <howling brother>
What <great dark> hunted she kept for herself and her get
She roared that we had no part of it, and her <many hours feast> was <bee sweetness> and <water bird>
Alone she feasts, as must you
We howled at <deep place> and she was under our feet like a shadow
She put fear into us and she seized <night sun> in her jaw
<Howling brother> took her and pulled her from herself so long
She wrapped herself around <night sun> and <egg shell made> our hearts
Fear <she who bites the moon>
We howled at the sun and <other one> howled back
Others came for his hunt and some of us joined them
They were to hunt us and <other one> <pouring> bright fire
All through the wood, <other one> taught us pain
Be strong or suffer
We howled for they chased us with <pouring fire>
Enemies thought to hunt us. <Dark giving place one> hid us well
She sent us out in the night and we killed our enemy
Out on the plain, <other one> waited still
Know where you are strongest
We howled when one died, we could not divide his body
To eat, and <air disease> came down among us
Marked his body, gave us all fear
<Air disease> ate well and we went without
Turn not against <brother> for <air disease> waits
We howled when <spear horse> danced in the wood
We would feast well on his bones and on his blood
<Spear horse> struck among us and laid us low
He will come again and we shall remember
What is needed may cause pain
We howled when <red thief> came among us with a gift
He told us he could teach us to win more <hunt gifts>
We gave him rabbit for his teaching but he <entered into a small cave>
They died who waited for <red thief> to return
Do not wait for the wisdom of others
We howled when <tree child> sang to us
She sang of foolishness and we sang of the hunt
In her tree no axe could strike her
We made <spear air branch> and took her for our own
To rest in comfort is not safe
We howled at <many small faces pack>
<Many small faces pack> ate of our blood and skin
<Many small faces pack> gave us madness and we struck it
All across the world its pieces spread
Kill the small for many are great
We howled with <small hunt chief> when he was born
He unmade <shield frog> and took its steel
Into the hands of his get what he made
And they joined in the howling and made a great hunt of humans
<Steel might gnoll> is great
We howled when <awful/foul one> came among us
Ugly in all ways, who <defecates/makes hatred> upon us
<Defecates/makes hatred> upon all that is wanted and needed
Cast it out, the <kicking/biting/stinging> beast, cast it away
Drive off what is awful, do not suffer it
The most recent oral tradition bears a different pattern, not unlike the earliest:
We have hunted far, so far that we cannot find ourselves
We listen for the howling, and we hear it
It is raw and red
It is the song of slaughter
Watch as it brings down giants, we do not <heart hunt> them now
Now we have seen them fall
What is strong must be of us if we are to have its strength
We take ourselves from where we have been
We give ourselves to <giant blood spiller>
We are his get
We take as he takes
An overview of the known and conjectured members of the ancient gnoll pantheon follows. The three that have been documented to any extent begin the list:
Spoiler: Known Gnoll Deities
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Gorellik, CN Demipower of Pandemonium
He Who Hunts
Portfolio Hunting, hyenas, hyenadons
Realm Pandemonium/wanders or Abyss/wanders
Symbol White hyenadon head
Domains Animal, Chaos, Gnoll*, Hunt*, Strength
Favored Weapon Unarmed strike
Most likely candidate for creator of the gnoll race, Gorellik is among the earliest attestations of their oral tradition. Based on the mythology they share, it would appear that Gorellik ceased direct involvement with the race under his patronage fairly quickly, leaving his people to search for other sources of strength. This was the source of his ultimate downfall, and it's entirely possible that Gorellik hasn't even acknowledged it yet given the limited records about his activity during the period where he was more commonly worshiped.
Refnara, NE Demipower of Gehenna
Moon-Biter, She Who Bites The Moon
Portfolio Fear, the moon, darkness, snakes, caverns, the earth
Realm Gehenna/Krangath/Dark of the Moon
Symbol Snake jaws around the moon
Domains Cavern, Darkness, Earth, Evil, Fear*, Moon, Scalykind
Favored Weapon Spear
Likely to have been a minor deity of nagas or another serpentine race, Refnara is associated with mythology around fear of the moon and the perils of the deep reaches of the world. Gnolls still base some of their behavior on the phases of the moon. It is possible that Refnara supplanted some even earlier moon goddess, but the taciturn deity has never had anything to say on the matter.
Sheth, CE Demipower of Carceri
The Outsider, Madhowl, He Who Burns And Binds
Portfolio Subjugation, helplessness, madness, sunlight
Realm Carceri/Minethys/Bone Ziggurat
Symbol Slavering gnoll head surrounded by rays of light
Domains Chaos, Domination, Evil, Sun, Weakness*
Favored Weapon Mace
Sheth is an anomaly, a god acknowledged by gnolls whose clerics are predominantly non-gnolls. His worship exists in areas where gnolls are indentured or enslaved in service to others, and he is associated with the light of the sun, which gnolls fear and despise. It is possible that he is playing some kind of long con with his non-gnoll worshipers and will ultimately turn on them to reward the gnoll race for enduring his treacheries, but more likely Sheth has betrayed the gnolls out of pure pragmatism as much as to indulge the subjugation element of his portfolio. Shamans of Sheth are quite despised among gnoll society - Yeenoghu worshipers don't like other faiths as a matter of course, but notwithstanding this clash of belief systems, Sheth's faith motivates gnolls to beat down and exploit other gnolls, which is generally a cultural taboo.
Spoiler: Conjectured Gnoll Deities
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Makka, CN Demipower of the Beastlands (Dead Power?)
The Lone One, She Who Feasts, Ruler-Of-Woods
Portfolio Survival, self-sufficiency, strength
Realm Beastlands/Brux/the Unshadowed Wood
Symbol Split beehive
Domains Chaos, Competition, Feast, Strength
Favored Weapon Greataxe
Depicted as a massive bearlike gnoll with honey-covered claws, attestations of Makka worship are vanishingly rare among old gnoll relics. Trace planar resonances suggest that a being like Makka may once have traveled with Gorellik. Theoretically, if Makka was vested with some of the lost essence of gnolls, her portion may have been that which drove gnolls to be self-sufficient rather than lazy and undermotivated.
Shuma, CG Demipower of Arborea (Dead Power?)
She Who Hides, She of Secret Paths
Portfolio Forests, camouflage, shelter
Realm Arborea/Arvandor/Whispering Canopy
Symbol Black branch
Domains Chaos, Gnoll*, Good, Plant, Protection
Favored Weapon Scimitar
A wood spirit according to ancient depictions, Shuma likely provided gnolls with the mandate to create semi-permanent settlements or shelters which could be used during inclement weather and times of danger. Oral traditions invoke her in relation to concealment and withdrawal from the world at large, but she is also associated with sleep during the day and with driving gnolls to reprisal against their foes in the dark of night.
Marrshok, NE Demipower of Hades (Dead Power?)
Deathbringer, Foul Bird, Thief of Youth, Rotjaws
Portfolio Disease, decay, aging, death, storms
Realm Hades/Oinos/Carrion Tree
Symbol Wing punctured with an arrow
Domains Air, Decay, Evil, Pestilence, Sky, Storm
Favored Weapon Longbow
Not to be confused with the similarly-named yuan-ti deity, depictions of this spirit vary - some representations are vultures, while others resemble a gnoll with wings and talons, not unlike the marrash, pox-ridden fiends of the Lower Planes. Marrshok is not depicted as the keeper of the dead or as a psychopomp figure; oral traditions paint him as capricious, cruel, and eager to prolong suffering. A figure of spite, he is also associated with food spoilage and often takes the form of a troublesome imp who punishes laziness. This theme has gone out of modern traditions, of course, as gnolls have lost diligence and self-sufficiency.
Elen, CG Demipower of Ysgard (Dead Power?)
Crowned Warrior, the Worthy, He Who Yields Not
Portfolio Worthy prey, combat, merit
Realm Ysgard/Muspelheim/Hartsember
Symbol Bloody antler
Domains Animal, Chaos, Competition, Good, Hunt*, War
Favored Weapon Halberd
Another deity likely not originally related to gnolls, oral traditions attest Elen's presence in stories that line up with human idioms such as "you are what you eat" or "twice small potatoes is still small potatoes." He is depicted as an antlered gnoll or, more rarely, a white tauric gnoll/stag with antlers. Stories around Elen seem to emphasize the reasons behind the kill. Planar resonances suggest that Elen may have once traveled with Gorellik.
Llishik, CN Demipower of Carceri (Dead Power?)
The Red Deceiver, Red Goblin, Falsetongue
Portfolio Deception, trickery, cunning, trade
Realm Carceri/Cathrys/Fox's Fasthold
Symbol Grinning fox's head
Domains Chaos, Gnoll*, Planning, Trade, Trickery
Favored Weapon Dagger
In the old oral recitations, a figure similar to Llishik shows up early and often, a trickster archetype with elements of being a necessary evil in the lives of gnolls. For every story about tricking a gnoll out of food or into some danger or embarrassment comes a story about deceiving outsiders to pilfer their secrets and riches and deliver them to the gnolls. Most likely this spirit was originally part of the gnoll pantheon and may have been responsible for a natural cleverness and cunning which the race now lacks. Llishik was depicted as a grinning red gnoll.
Verfrik, CN Demipower of Arborea (Dead Power?)
She Who Smells Winter, the Collector, Clevertail
Portfolio Winter, luck, foresight
Realm Beastlands/Brux/the Unshadowed Wood
Symbol Acorn
Domains Chaos, Gnoll*, Knowledge, Luck, Planning, Winter
Favored Weapon Sling
Another spirit from the earliest stories recorded, Verfrik is depicted as idle and fat with an enormous bushy tail - except when she's depicted as lean, small, and too quick to catch. Relics recovered from old gnoll settlement sites appear to indicate that Verfrik's shamans were charged with predicting the change of seasons and attendant consequences for the hunt. Early storytellers emphasized the frustration of chieftains in such situations, which may have given rise to emphasizing the irksome qualities of Verfrik rather than the elements of guidance and preparation.
Koshnik, CE Demipower of the Beastlands (Dead Power?)
He Who Torments, He Who Is Many, Bogborn
Portfolio Stagnant waters, insects, torment
Realm Beastlands/Krigala/Bloodfever
Symbol Stylized centipede
Domains Chaos, Evil, Pestilence, Suffering, Water
Favored Weapon Trident
At one time a rare deity of evil who made his realm on the Beastlands, Koshnik is associated with the dangers of stagnation in stories, punishing those who grow complacent with swarms of biting, stinging insects. Many of these stories involve water in some way, teaching lessons about how water may become fouled and unsuitable if not managed over time, an art which modern gnolls have for the most part lost. Other stories associate Koshnik with following in Gorellik's wake, tormenting and devouring those who could not keep up with the hunt. This faith may have segued into Yeenoghu worship in later years.
Zagar, LE Demipower of Acheron (Dead Power?)
Leader of Flinds, Steel Shaper, the Unbending
Portfolio Flinds, metallurgy, weapons, superiority
Realm Acheron/Avalas/Zagar's Crucible
Symbol Flind head biting flindbar
Domains Evil, Gnoll*, Law, Metal, Mind, War
Favored Weapon Flindbar (or warhammer)
If the mythology is accurate, flinds once had a separate deity, though whether Zagar was their true creator or whether they were an offshoot of gnolls is hard to ascertain. Gnolls generally omitted stories of Zagar from oral history, but flinds never did. The most popular story among their race is that Gorellik had hunted Zagar to the ends of the world and on trying to seize him in his mighty jaws, caught Zagar's flindbar instead. Zagar pleaded for its return, offering a pound of his own flesh instead, and Gorellik hungrily agreed to the trade. This was Zagar's plan, for with part of himself now infused into the hyena god, he could make sure that his people were the most elite that the two races had to offer, for only a flind would have the complete essence of everything Gorellik was - a gnoll would be missing that chunk of Zagar. When Gorellik realized this ploy, he attacked Zagar, who no longer needed to trick the hyena god and so beat him mercilessly with his flindbar. Zagar is associated with the gift of metalworking, an art gnolls almost never pursue these days.
Toknana, CE Lesser Power of the Abyss
The Hateful One, the Odious Beast, Poisonwind, Spitebringer
Portfolio Hatred, defilement, desecration, leucrottas
Realm The Abyss/wanders
Symbol Metal disk imprinted with leucrotta bite
Domains Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Hate, Slime, Trickery
Favored Weapon Heavy pick
While the other spirits from ancient gnoll oral tradition are speculative at best, Toknana is horribly, terribly real. A minor god in planar affairs, Toknana is an instantly detestable power who represents everything vile, not unlike the leucrotta species itself. Having once been bested in a hunt by Gorellik, the Hateful One has been on a campaign of vengeance ever since, and some have suggested that Toknana's foul breath could be smelled behind Yeenoghu's move to claim the gnolls as his own. Toknana has been represented in oral tradition as both a disgusting and deplorable hoofed beast and as a revolting twisted gnoll, with leucrotta-like teeth, hooves, and tail. As a general rule, gnolls despise Toknana and will kill leucrottas on sight in recognition of the waste and misery that they bring.
Spoiler: New Domains
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Fear Domain
Granted Power You get a +2 bonus to saving throws against fear effects. The save DC of your fear effects is increased by 1.
1st - cause fear
2nd - scareSC
3rd - blade of pain and fearSC
4th - fear
5th - phantasmal killer
6th - aura of terrorSC
7th - opalescent glareSC
8th - final rebukeSC
9th - weird
Gnoll Domain
Granted Power You gain a +2 bonus to Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.
1st - aspect of the hyenaSC (as aspect of the wolf but hyena stats and form instead)
2nd - share huskSC
3rd - spirit jawsSC
4th - jaws of the hyenadon (as jaws of the wolfSC, produces hyenadons with stats identical to worgs)
5th - echo skullSC
6th - lurking hyena (as Mordenkainen's faithful hound but 2d6+6 bite damage, may make a trip attempt (+10 bonus), bite bypasses DR as a magic silver weapon, caster can reposition hound up to 50 feet as a move action)
7th - shifting pathsSC
8th - phantom hyena (as phantom wolfSC)
9th - shadow landscapeSC
Hunt Domain
Granted Power You gain Track as a bonus feat.
1st - hawkeyeSC
2nd - scentSC
3rd - snare
4th - essence of the raptorSC
5th - nightstalker's transformationSC
6th - phantasmal disorientationSC
7th - true seeing
8th - discern location
9th - imprisonment
Weakness Domain
Granted Power Once per day you may afflict a creature within 30 feet with weakness as a standard action. The victim gets a -2 penalty to its next Fortitude or Wisdom saving throw and abilities which would negate a partial effect on a successful save (such as evasion) do not apply. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1 plus half your cleric level, rounded down.
1st - inhibit
2nd - hold person
3rd - bestow curse
4th - crushing despair
5th - hold monster
6th - fleshshiver
7th - symbol of weakness
8th - bestow greater curse
9th - mass hold monster
Originally Posted by Tzardok
Re: afroakuma's Planar And Other Oddities Questions Thread VII
