The Circle of Swords Gaming Guild

The History of the Races

The Gnolls

Gnoll Homeland: Nip, Oslot

In the Age of Life, new animals, creatures, and great beasts were emerging from the elements. One of the first created was Silvermane, Lord of the Unicorns, who emerged from the very essence of life itself. Life decreed that Silvermane be caretaker of all the beasts that roamed the wilderness.

This was a mighty task, so Silvermane summoned to his side the largest of the great beasts to aid him in his work. These great beasts were the wolfweres, led by the largest named Blacke Fange. Silvermane, Blacke Fange, and the wolfweres were the guardians of the wild animals that lived in the woodlands.

As Death took shape in the world, it wreaked havoc on all living creatures in the realm. Blacke Fange, in order to find a way to cope with the effects of Death, called together the most intelligent packs of animals in the woodlands: wolves, dogs, foxes, hyenas, and the great lynxes. This was the First Meeting of the Packs. During the meeting, Blacke Fange named Lords of the individual packs, two hundred in all, as well as twelve Highlords of the individual packs. These Lords became known as the Knightwolves, who would find their own ways to help their packs fight for survival versus Death. Thus the meeting was adjourned, and the packs went their separate ways.

Survival was rather hard for the packs, but it wasn't until the dawn of man that survival became a difficult trial. Man unleashed the elements upon the world, causing much destruction to the woodlands and disrupting the natural order of the realm.

Finally, as the Age of Might began, and Life was greatly weakened, Blacke Fange and the wolfweres called the Second Meeting of the Packs, and the Knightwolves responded. Blacke Fange explained the growth in Death's power. Therefore, through the essence of life, Blacke Fange and Silvermane bestowed upon the Knightwolves the ability to walk upright and wield weapons of man in defense of their homeland. At the end of this ceremony, Silvermane collapsed to the ground. He told the now bipedal Knightwolves that a portal to the realm of Death had opened in the far north, beyond the reaches of men. The forces of Death would overrun the realm of the living unless the Knightwolves traveled to the northern wastelands immediately to close the portal. Thus the force of over two hundred Knightwolves sped north to stop the hordes of Death.

The Knightwolves, upon arriving in the northern wastelands, beheld the gate to Death's plane. It was a large magical bridge that rose into the air to a glimmering portal. As they watched, hordes of undead, Death's minions, rushed through the portal and down the bridge. The Knightwolves charged and fought the abominations valiantly, and destroyed most of the undead. Before more could emerge from the portal, Blacke Fange and the twelve Highlords of the Great Packs climbed onto the great magical bridge between the realm of the Living and the realm of Death. Unable to affect it with their normal weapons, the thirteen summoned the very essence of Life itself into their mortal bodies and concentrated it upon the glimmering bridge. Unable to handle the sheer strain of the power, the bridge dimmed, blinking in and out of existence, until it shattered and flung the thirteen to the ground. With the bridge destroyed, the portal to Death's plane slammed shut.

When the Knightwolves approached the thirteen, they were horrified by what they discovered. Apparently the shattering of the bridge and the strain of channeling so much power through their mortal bodies was too much for them to bear. Only the scorched skeletons remained of the thirteen. The remaining Knightwolves placed the thirteen skulls around the site of the portal, so that the spirits of the fallen could forever guard the area.

Silvermane, back in the woodlands far south of the wastelands, informed the wolfweres of the closing of the portal, but at the cost of their leader, Blacke Fange. The wolfweres were outraged. They believed that if they had gone instead of the Knightwolves, they would not have lost their great lord. Silvermane tried to explain that he had sacrificed himself, but the wolfweres were beyond reason. They vowed to avenge their fallen lord by destroying the Knightwolves. The wolfweres knew, however, that they lacked the power necessary to defeat the Knightwolves, so they looked to darker powers for the strength they needed. Upon making a pact with Death, the wolfweres were granted foul powers that were fueled by their thirst for vengeance, and so it corrupted them.

As the Knightwolves returned to their woodland homeland, they were greeted by the news of the wolfweres by Silvermane. Not knowing what to do, they tried to consult with their packs, but they realized that, because of the ceremony, they no longer had dominion over their packs. The wolf packs did not wish to accept this, for they were the most power-obsessive pack. Therefore they left the wilderness to search for the power needed to dominate their packs. As they searched, they grew greedy for more power, until it corrupted them as it had the wolfweres and man, thus were created the werewolves.

The other packs, content with the loss of dominion, decided to spread throughout the realm to continue the struggle versus Death and his minions. The stronger dog packs returned to the far northern wastelands, while the fox and hyena packs stayed in the surrounding wilderness. Thus the humanoid canines, the gnolls, created. The great lynxes of the Knightwolves promptly forgot what they were supposed to do, so they decided to spread across the plains and explore. Thus, the race of furbins were created. The Knightwolves and their children, known to them as Moonwolves, continued their battle against the forces of Death (except for the furbins; no one's exactly sure what they think they're doing).

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