Moonpaw Pack

The Moonpaw Pack is a clan of Gnolls who are native to the Mynyw Heartlands. Their society is largely shamanistic. It is through this shamanistic path that they have been able to overcome some of the more barbaric traditions of their cousins across the world. They are led by a Packlord, who is traditionally the strongest female shaman of the Pack.

The Moonpaw Pack rose to dominate the other packs of the Heartlands through trickery, diplomacy, and warfare -- managing to temporarily pit smaller clans against the larger clans of yore. If these smaller clans survived the prolonged savage warfare, they were given the choice: integration, exile, or destruction. Suffice to say that if there are any other Gnoll packs within the Heartlands, it is most likely that they are subservient to the Moonpaw.

Breaking away from their barbaric practices took time and practice. Influenced by the ways of the Mynyw who settled in the Heartlands, they no longer cannibalized the dead of their race or any other. They established bloodlines and pacts that are typically placed matrilineally and were raised to ultimately respect the authority of the Matriarchs.

Several hundred years before the opening of the Dark Portal, the Moonpaw Pack came into conflict with the Mynyw. To the Moonpaw, it is unknown why this aggression occurred -- whether it be the Mynyw’s need for land, a directive from the Trollbane dynasty to clear out the Gnoll threat, or simply racism. The Mynyw decimated the Moonpaw population, causing the Gnolls to retreat from many former Gnollish holdfasts and take root in the denser part of the forests.

Once the War of Aggression ended, the Moonpaw attempted to keep to themselves, avoiding the Mynyw and pitched battles at all costs. They hunted in the forests and over time, were generally accepted into towns to sell wares. However, the Mynyw often consider the Gnoll Merchants who hawk their junk to be dishonest merchants and shady dealers.

Relations with the Moonpaw in their enclaves and the Mynyw are always tense -- short bouts of violence and small skirmishes are common. They are currently not seen as equal to the Mynyw. This has stifled the growth of the Moonpaw overtime. With the coming of the Forsaken, the Moonpaw’s strength is at an all-time low -- enemies are all around them and with only a few enclaves left, Packlord Luna must make a decision. Shall there be war… or peace?

Packlord Luna
Packlord Luna is an elder matriarch of the Moonpaw, chosen through ritual combat several decades ago. In her youth, she led warriors into battle against the Mynyw and was once considered ‘The Forest Devil’. Age has softened her claws however and many among the Pack have criticized her for not striking out while the Mynyw are weakened.

Warspear Lycaon
Selected to be Luna’s secondary leader and likely the Gnoll to succeed her, Lycaon is an aggressive Gnoll who believes that the Moonpaw must attack all who dare oppose them. She believes in quick, brutal strikes against the enemy and tends to punish those who dare negotiate with the Mynyw. She currently leads a large group of warriors and raids Mynyw villages, much to the disdain of Packlord Luna.

Bonerattler Crocuta
A Druid of great renown, Crocuta is another who seeks the title of Packlord. She is known as a great healer and warrior, even once considered to potentially join the ranks of the Mynyw Rhyfellion. She is respected by the more religious Gnolls and has maintained good relations with the Mynyw in the past. However, even she tends to be aggressive when dealing with outsiders -- knowing that the Moonpaw Pack must be recognized as a legitimate people.