Editing Gnolls (section)

=== Physical Qualities ===
==== Speech ====
Gnolls have loud, deep voices,<ref name=":0" /> even the females.<ref name=":28">[[Chapter 4.16]]</ref> Their speech is frequently accented by various growling noises,<ref name=":32">[[Chapter 3.36]]</ref> depending on how well a Gnoll speaks Common, and how agitated they are.

==== Senses ====
* '''Smell:'''
Gnolls have an excellent sense of smell.<ref name=":0" /> Much like dogs, they can identify people by scent even before they enter a room,<ref name=":20">[[Chapter 5.06 M]]</ref> determine someone’s emotional state or physical health, tell if they have been in a fight recently,<ref name=":1" /> track by scent, and many other things. The ability of Gnolls to smell blood is a recognized aspect of law enforcement in Drake cities.<ref>[[Chapter 6.58]]</ref> Young Gnolls have the best noses.<ref name=":9" />
* '''Hearing:'''
Gnoll hearing is very acute as well;<ref>[[Chapter 3.38]]</ref> it is roughly four times as good as the average Drake or Human.<ref name=":6" /> Trying to whisper while a Gnoll is nearby is usually doomed to failure, as they will hear you anyway.<ref name=":11" /> Gnolls themselves can whisper among each other, though; it’s just a matter of lowering their voices enough.<ref name=":35">[[Chapter 5.42]]</ref> As is the case with smell, young Gnolls also hear better than adults.<ref>[[Chapter 6.61 L]]</ref>
* '''Sight:'''
Gnolls have very good eyesight and can make out rough details even in pitch-black darkness.<ref>[[Chapter 6.28]]</ref>

==== Lifespan ====
The source material never addresses the aging process or the life expectancy of Gnolls. It is however mentioned that most Gnolls would see the [[Meeting of the Tribes]] three or four times during their lifetime, an event which currently takes place only every twenty years.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2020/11/25/interlude-the-tribes-of-izril/ Interlude - The Tribes of Izril]</ref> This could indicate that a Gnoll's average lifespan is around 60-80 years.

==== Reproduction ====
Gnolls have the standard two mammalian sexes, male and female, and give live birth. No mention is made in the source text about the typical number of children per pregnancy.

Female Gnolls do not menstruate the way humans do.<ref name=":4" /> Instead, once or twice per year, females go into heat (also called estrus). They generally enjoy the experience, much to the envy of a certain innkeeper.<ref name=":4" />

Male Gnolls are equipped similarly to canines, and as a result, a single joining can last up to an hour.<ref name=":13" />

Gnoll children look like vicious puppies,<ref name=":12" /> and typically behave somewhat animal-like.<ref name=":66" /> They start out life as quadrupeds, and are awkward on two legs for many years.<ref name=":9" /> At some point, but no earlier than age seven, each Gnoll child experiences what is known as their 'shifting year', during which their bone structure changes into one optimized for a bipedal lifestyle.<ref name=":70">[[Chapter 7.06]]</ref> For most of their childhood, they remain fairly compact,<ref name=":9" /> until they hit a growth spurt - possibly in conjunction with the 'shifting year'. As teenagers, they already tower over most humans.<ref name=":43">[[Chapter 5.49]]</ref> Females hit puberty sooner than males do.<ref name=":70" />

==== Diet ====
Gnolls are obligate carnivores.<ref name=":6" /> They must consume meat regularly in order to acquire essential nutrients which their bodies cannot produce internally. However, modern Gnolls have adapted to safely eat a wide variety of other foods as well. In the story, they are seen enjoying things like bread,<ref>[[Chapter 1.29 (Archived)]]</ref> cheese and dairy,<ref name=":3" /> pasta,<ref name=":5" /> lettuce and onion,<ref name=":15" /> and many mixed dishes. Chocolate is not a problem either.<ref>[[Interlude – Chocolate Alchemy]]</ref>

Still, Gnollish cuisine remains heavily meat-focused. A popular snack food is specially prepared kind of raw meat.<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":12" /> When cooking, many Gnolls prefer their meat hot, but rare enough to be bloody.<ref name=":15" /> Traditional Gnollish dishes include kebabs,<ref>[[Chapter 3.42]]</ref> marinated beef and vegetables,<ref>[[Chapter 3.37]]</ref> meat-stuffed tortellini,<ref name=":5" /> fish soup with dried beef<ref name=":9" />, meatballs,<ref>[[Chapter 4.19]]</ref> and silkap - a thick paste of rendered fat, pork meat, spices, milk, and onions.<ref name=":6" />

Gnolls like their food strongly flavored,<ref>[[Chapter 3.39]]</ref> but not as spicy-hot as Drakes would prefer.<ref name=":16" /> They also lean towards stronger alcohols<ref name=":30">[[Chapter 2.01]]</ref> - perhaps they simply need more to get drunk, due to their high body mass. Among non-alcoholic beverages, Gnolls favor tea. They have a number of traditional herbal blends, often also quite strongly flavored.<ref name=":6" /> Some of them have interesting beneficial effects, such as acting as a contraceptive.<ref name=":13" />

In contrast to Drakes and Humans, Gnolls are not above eating people.<ref name=":44">[[Chapter 2.18]]</ref><ref name=":17">[[Chapter 2.23]]</ref> Little information is provided about how widespread the practice is, but outside of some especially backwater tribes in the deep south, it appears to be a form of capital punishment. Humans might hang a serious criminal offender; Gnolls might serve them to the offended parties for dinner.<ref name=":17" />