The Redtooth Tribe: The Other Type of Gnoll

[LilyBear]

It goes without saying that gnolls in general are less than kind and cuddly. They are predators and scavengers who eat the flesh of, well, pretty much anything. They stand seven feet tall, have sharp claws and nasty big pointy teeth! Most of them are vicious and cruel by a pretty large majority, but there are more than a few exceptions to this rule.

Gnolls are not a true Underdark race, nor have they always worshiped the demon prince Yeenoghu. They are ancient and were once of the land. The wilds of Toril still boast tribes of gnolls who may not be good in the traditional sense, but they are far from evil. Their motivations vary. Some are adventurers, some are out to prove that gnolls are more than savages, and some feel a connection to the land. Enter the Redtooth Tribe.

Redtooth is a holdout tribe from the ancient days based in the dry pine forests of Gauros in Thay. They are a proud tribe of nature worshipers who have taken it on as their responsibility to aid the struggling forests of their homeland and protect it from all manner of threats. Their numbers, like the forests they call home, have dwindled. Through loss of habitat, the lure of other faiths, warfare with other tribes, and the slave trade, they are all but gone.

While each individual Redtooth may have different quirks, different personal goals, and different outlooks, they almost all share a few commonalities:
- They revere the land. Whether that is through the worship of nature deities like Chauntea, Silvanus, Kossuth, or Toril itself or even just a general respect, they identify as protectors of the land. They are not all druids or rangers, but they all show reverence for nature.
- They generally dislike Yeenoghu. The attitude of the tribe has always been that Yeenoghu is a false god who "stole" the gnolls. The level of distaste for the demon prince may vary, but they don't like him.
- They (at least try to) practice self control. Though Redtooth identifies as a part of the natural order, they believe that as sentients they have a responsibility to exercise free will over pure instinct. As Karral often says, "I am predator, but not monster. I am killer, but not murderer. Gnoll is more."

Though they may be the exception to the norm, the Redtooth Tribe is determined and proud to be more than monsters. Their time in Thay may be coming to an end, but the wilds of Arelith may be just the place for them to rise once again and reaffirm their ancient pledge to protect the land. Only time will tell.