Gnoles

Gnolls Evolved
There exists a significant difference separating gnolls and gnoles. Over the course of the last millennium gnolls have become an endangered species. The advancement and expansion of human civilization has all but driven them underground. Those surviving gnolls have taken to subterranean shelter, and the absence of light has changed them significantly. Many modern gnolls, although still considered intelligent, have white fur and tend to be mostly blind.

As the gnolls were pushed underground by human expansion, smaller numbers of them fled to isolated savannas and forests, where they were much farther removed from intelligent contact. The evolutionary result was a return to a more feral and animalistic society, much more akin to the beasts that evolved into gnolls. These surface-dwelling versions of the gnolls, now simply referred to as gnoles, have been a bane of frontier settlers for centuries.

Physical Description
Gnoles appear in the wild as large, brutish hyenas, as if they were dire hyenas. They have large necks, broad shoulders and stout forelimbs. Their hind limbs are slightly shorter than the forelimbs, making their gait similar to that of a hyena. At the shoulders gnoles stand roughly four and a half feet and can weigh a few hundred pounds. Their maws are lined with thick teeth perfect for puncturing thick hide and crushing bone. A gnole's bite is considered one of the most powerful in the animal kingdom, capable of not only piercing but crushing steel-plated armor. Complementing their teeth, the front paws of a gnole are equipped with long, curved claws easily capable of raking through both thick hide and plated armor. Their eyes are a dull yellow and carry with them a mark of keen instinct and intelligence.

Ecology
These animals can be found in the grasslands of northern Tardesche and the southern grassy plains of the Serjz-speaking countries (Sarjevi, Kjievska). It is believed warm, dry savannas were their original homelands, but over the last few centuries breeds of gnoles have been reported to hunt in the southern reaches of the Herosian Forest. The drastic differences in these two climates suggest that gnoles are highly adaptable animals, capable of migrating long distances and developing new hunting grounds nearly anywhere abundant in wild game.

Behavior
Gnoles are cunning and proficient pack hunters. Typically their tactics include sending a scout to draw the attention of prey while the rest of the pack quietly positions itself for attack. Despite their size, gnoles are particularly stealthy, thus when one is seen it is normally intentional, indicating an attack from other directions is impending. Moreover, in the Herosian Forest, gnoles are reported to be capable of climbing trees and springing from thick, overhanging branches unbeknown to their prey.

Gnoles cannot speak, though it is believed they communicate in other fashions. For the most part they are considered unique animals with higher intelligence. It is unknown whether or not their complex hunting patterns are merely a result of instinct or elevated intelligence. Either way, gnoles now pose a much greater threat than their gnoll cousins ever did in the past.