RealAlHazred
Frumious Flumph (Your Grace/Your Eminence)
I have three main tribes of gnolls in my home setting. They are split along quasi-religious lines (they're animists, so it's more complicated than simple god-worship).
One follows the Mother, thought to be the first of their kind. She is a mother-goddess who, myths say, eventually led them to freedom. This parallels the claims of the Eldritch Elves of my setting (think Melniboneans) that they created the gnolls as slave-warriors until the gnolls rebelled. In any case, her followers generally trade more than raid, and practice fishing and hunting/gathering along the coasts.
Another tribe follows First Blood (called First Loved by the followers of the Mother). He is a warrior-god and thought to be the first husband of the Mother. They have something of a libertarian philosophy, and raid unless paid off. They usually leave the more peaceful tribe alone.
The last tribe follows the Hunger (called Yeenoghu in their tongue). The Hunger's religion has it that the world is made up of Eaters and the Eaten. All things Hunger. They're practically feral, and would be the smallest tribe except for cheaty magic -- their shamans know a ritual which can turn hyenas feasting on a humanoid corpse into more gnolls. This ritual means that even when they suffer horrible casualties, in a season or two they will be back as strong as before. They control the largest area of the wilderness, or they would except for covens of hags who brook no challenge to their authority. They are currently at a detente with the hag covens, but it is said they have a new leader whose knowledge of rituals is great.
One follows the Mother, thought to be the first of their kind. She is a mother-goddess who, myths say, eventually led them to freedom. This parallels the claims of the Eldritch Elves of my setting (think Melniboneans) that they created the gnolls as slave-warriors until the gnolls rebelled. In any case, her followers generally trade more than raid, and practice fishing and hunting/gathering along the coasts.
Another tribe follows First Blood (called First Loved by the followers of the Mother). He is a warrior-god and thought to be the first husband of the Mother. They have something of a libertarian philosophy, and raid unless paid off. They usually leave the more peaceful tribe alone.
The last tribe follows the Hunger (called Yeenoghu in their tongue). The Hunger's religion has it that the world is made up of Eaters and the Eaten. All things Hunger. They're practically feral, and would be the smallest tribe except for cheaty magic -- their shamans know a ritual which can turn hyenas feasting on a humanoid corpse into more gnolls. This ritual means that even when they suffer horrible casualties, in a season or two they will be back as strong as before. They control the largest area of the wilderness, or they would except for covens of hags who brook no challenge to their authority. They are currently at a detente with the hag covens, but it is said they have a new leader whose knowledge of rituals is great.