Ah yeah, this question is my jam! I was running a not-Egypt D&D game that sadly fell apart. I used a mix of Hamaunaptra (Green Ronin) and Necropolis (Gygax) which included a gnoll race who were creations of Anubis. The player of the gnoll ranger asked for more details about his people, so I wrote this up...
Anpur (Gnoll) Culture
Grim as the grave, gnolls live closest to the Red Lands and thus closest to death. They know the favor of kings blows hot and cold like the desert wind. During the 12th Dynasty, the golden line of Amenakht made close allies of the gnolls. Then they were mistreated as slaves during the 14th-16th Dynasties, when the Keshan “Jackal Lords” claimed the throne, only gaining their freedom in a bloody rebellion. From these ashes, the 17th Dynasty of Herumet rose with gnolls swelling the ranks of its military. Since then, human sentiment has grown suspicious as the Wasting pushes gnolls into contact with city-dwellers.
Northern and Southern Tribes
Anpur are nomadic, travelling between oases, secret watering holes, and seasonal streams. While gnolls have much in common, there is a clear distinction between tribes native to Northern Khemti versus Southern Khemti. As a rule, the further south a tribe hails from, the more it has suffered persecution at the hands of Settites or Keshans. Southern Khemti has a large gnoll population which has integrated into city life. The stereotype many have of gnolls as raiders stems from the ongoing conflicts between the southern tribes and the Settites and Keshans.
Anheni and the River of Fire
The
Anheni are a northern tribe, believing they were given the sacred task of watching over the “river of fire” – a reference to a feature of the Underworld, and a metaphor for the diminishing edge between the Red Lands and Black Lands. Their annual migration takes them from Qema Oasis, to Kheperu Oasis, and to the Tashet. When a new priest or
ghaffir (paladin) is chosen, some of the tribe travels to Tepra Oasis for the initiation.
Their priest,
The White Arrow, consults with tribal elders on weighty decisions; he is known to contact tribe members with hyenas enchanted with
animal messenger and marked with an ashen arrow on their snouts. It was The White Arrow’s ancestors who found one of the rare
ka fentu (psychic scarab-symbiotes) in the Cave of Secret Waters, and (until recent events) its most recent host was
Vashkeri. This
ka fentu birthed three
fentu over the last century, known by host’s names:
Kaimeton, Nehkewet, and
Tetchikamses.
Divine Truth
If Anpur have a second obsession, it is the truth. While human laws may recognize shades of truth, the law of Anubis is clear: What comes from the heart is true. False testimony and concealing one’s true feelings are viewed as equally dishonorable.
Isis, Blink Dogs, and Fentu
Legend holds that the psychic scarabs known as
fentu were created by Isis in the wake of the Cataclysm, when the corrupt world was scorched by Ra’s fire. They were her gift to the tribes of Khemti. However, Anpur oral tradition paints a different picture. Isis sought to honor her brother Anubis’ yielding of the Basalt Throne to Osiris, and she created blink dogs in the likeness of the jackal-faced god as a gift to Anubis’ children.
A lost gnoll tribe domesticated these blink dogs –perhaps explaining why blink dogs in Khemti often understand the Gnoll language instead of, or in addition to, Sylvan. It was a blink dog which sniffed out the secret caves where
fentu lived; thus, the Anpur believe themselves the first to discover the
fentu. Elves – who claim descent from Isis – strongly disagree, and came to use the word
“engnol” (jackal) as a disparaging term for
“stealing the credit.” During the Cataclysm, this tribe was annihilated under uncertain circumstances and the blink dogs scattered across the desert. Some whisper the tribe fell to demon worhip, while others insinuate the blink dogs were elvish spies all along.
Allies Without: The Necropolis
Anubis has few functional temples; instead, his priests are found among Anpur tribes or small funerary shrines. There is is one exception. Kher-semet, the necropolis across the river from Hamunaptra, is the seat of the
Shield of Semet, an order of monk-priests devoted to keeping tomb robbers and undead at bay. Gnolls have historically been received as friends by these monk-priests, though it is rare for gnolls to venture among the predominantly human tombs. Legend describes a gateway to Neter-khertet (the Ethereal Plane and/or Shadowfell) maintained in secret by the Anubian priests, which leads to the High Temple of the Jackal. The truth of this legend is suspect, as the High Temple was destroyed in the ancient past.
Enemies Within: Cult of Yeenoghu
While gnolls may harbor resentments against Osiris’ faithful and city-dwellers, they reserve hatred for the demon lord Yeenoghu. Preying on those gnolls who hunt demon kind, Yeenoghu tries to lure them into wanton acts of destruction that blur all boundaries of justice. To Yeenoghu there is no disproportionate response; there is only ruin and slaughter. The cult represents a miniscule number of gnolls, as tribes rally together to wipe out their kin fallen to Yeenoghu.
Ghost Stories
Every Anpur knows a handful of ghastly tales, with deep morals hidden behind the tragic and the grotesque. Ghosts are a centerpiece of gnoll story-telling, often revolving around a living hero who serves as a guide to lead the spirit to its final rest. A common theme is avoiding fates worse than death, such as eternal torment or slavery. The few examples of humor among the Anpur can be found in these ghost stories, though it often leans toward the macabre.
Death Without Borders
When a gnoll dies beyond the reach of its tribe, the tribe’s
ghaffir (paladin) is tasked with retrieving the body. No matter what. Failure at this holy task is the highest shame and grounds for exile. Anpur tradition holds that no law supercedes this duty. Indeed, gnolls are so relentless in their pursuit of their tribe’s remains, that a saying is used throughout Khemti:
“Better to come between two stones, than between a gnoll and his bones.”
Una’at: The Journey Backwards
There comes a time in a gnoll’s life when the bones of their ancestors call to them. This is known as the
Una’at or “The Journey Backwards”, when a gnoll retraces their steps both individually and collectively as a family or tribe. For most, this happens toward their later years and may coincide with discovering the place they are meant to be buried. For a rare few, however, the
Una’at becomes a call to adventure, pushing the gnoll towards discovering ancient mysteries of their people. One recent story tells of a cunning gnoll named
Cheropthses who was called to “The Journey Backwards” at a young age, ultimately leading his entire tribe to rediscover the supposed birthplace of the Anpur, settling in the Eastern Redlander city of Qarta Nefu.
