Editing Gnolls (section)

=== Tribal Politics and Organization ===
There is no indication in the source text about a centralized Gnoll government. They do not have written law,<ref name=":36" /> and each tribe is self-sufficient, self-governing, and autonomous within its territory. That the Gnolls are still able to organize to the impressive degree shown in the source is a testament to the strong bonds of kinship between them, and the ability of magical communication between [Shamans].<ref name=":6" />

When two tribes do meet, there are a number of traditions and formal ceremonies to observe, which differ depending on the purpose of the meeting.<ref name=":36" /> When disagreements between two tribes cannot be resolved, the chieftains will formally declare war to each other in a face-to-face meeting, after which the tribes part for one full day before hostilities begin.<ref name=":36" /> Peace is equally negotiated in a face-to-face meeting of the chieftains.<ref name=":36" /> One of the main customs of peaceful meetings between Gnoll tribes is a mutual exchange of gifts.<ref name=":36" />

There is one institution, though, which does come close to being a centralized organ of coordination: the gathering of tribes,<ref name=":3" /> or as [[Erin Solstice|Erin]] calls it, "the Gnollmoot".<ref name=":67">[[Chapter 6.49]]</ref>

The gathering currently meets every ten years.<ref name=":3" /> In the past, the intervals used to be longer. [[Teriarch]] remembers how the Gnolls used to meet only every one hundred years, then every fifty years, then every twenty.<ref name=":45" /> The progressive shortening of the interval over the centuries has not been explained outright in the source text, but it can be theorized to be linked to the rebuilding efforts after the near-extinction of the Gnolls during the Human invasion of Izril.<ref name=":18" /> Krshia has stated that the tribes are still not back up to their historic strength,<ref name=":18" /> but also implied rather heavily that they have been growing rapidly, and that they have ambitious plans for the coming decades.<ref name=":18" /> Whatever the reason may be, the Gnolls certainly see a far greater need to coordinate at a large scale today than they used to in centuries past.

During the gathering, the Gnoll tribes exchange information, forge alliances, and coordinate the efforts of their species as a whole.<ref name=":3" /> As mentioned before, custom dictates that Gnoll tribes exchange gifts upon meeting peacefully,<ref name=":36" /> and the gathering is no different. Only here, since literally all tribes are meeting all others, each tribe attending is expected to bring a gift to be given to all Gnolls - to the entirety of their species.<ref name=":39" /> The quality and worth of that gift is subject to every other tribe’s scrutiny, and if it is a good one, the tribe offering it will rise in standing and gain influence in the gathering.<ref name=":39" /> Similarly, a poor gift reflects poorly onto the tribe. Evaluation of the gift is not simply based on quality or usefulness, but also how difficult it was to obtain.<ref name=":34" />

With the current rapid pace of the gatherings, tribes tend to invest the majority of the intervening decades towards procuring a worthy gift. For example, the Silverfang tribe decided right after the previous gathering to send a sizeable portion of its traders and crafters to Liscor, in order to amass the monetary resources required to purchase a suitable gift.<ref name=":39" />