Editing Gnolls (section)

=== Signature Weapon ===
Throughout the source text, Gnolls are seen swinging around just about every kind of weapon in existence, often based on what’s most practical for the current job at hand. But there is one weapon that Gnolls will favor regardless of practicality. One weapon that is so ubiquitous among them that it gives the species as a whole a reputation.

Gnolls get ''weird'' about bows.<ref name=":5" /> The entire race is crazy about them.<ref>[[Chapter 5.07]]</ref> Carrying a well-made bow past a group of Gnolls will turn heads, and may even be a conversation starter between complete strangers.<ref name=":5" /> And not just among the tribes, either - even a city-dweller can shoot with high precision,<ref name=":20" /> frequently engaging in sport shooting for practice.<ref name=":5" /> Gnolls so elderly that they can no longer pull back a normal bow will try to obtain a crossbow instead, if they can afford the rarity.<ref name=":6" /> But given the choice, a real, proper bow is what any Gnoll desires.

It’s a good match, too. The large size and great strength of a Gnoll allows them to use bows that are larger and sturdier than what most other races could wield,<ref name=":42">[[Chapter 2.05]]</ref> with a much higher draw weight behind the string. This should allow them to achieve a higher maximum range than smaller species, and penetration comparable - or even superior - to crossbows. It also allows for larger, heavier arrows,<ref name=":33">[[Chapter 2.02]]</ref> which are more precise at range and only amplify the other advantages even more. Add the ability to out-sprint other species on all fours<ref name=":10" /> to dictate range at their leisure, and a unit of Gnoll [Archers] becomes a terrifying force on any battlefield.

Such is the reputation of Gnolls and their [Bowmakers] that everyone else defers to their expertise in questions of analysing feats of archery, such as the controversy surrounding the famous yet unlikely shot with which [[Elia Arcsinger]] slew [[Velan|Velan the Kind]].<ref>[[S02 – The Antinium Wars (Pt.5)]]</ref>