Skullkeeper Tribe

I don't know what else to tell you about them which wasn't in my report, sir. They wore skulls as trophies, and left headless dead bodies in their wake rather than take captives or recover the bodies for . . . the flesh. Fought like demons, too, I swear one of them took two arrows and was still fighting. I lost half my patrol before we chased them off, only to find out they ambushed a village while we were on patrol. They're smart, tough, and fearless. Don't bet against them, sir.

— Captain Sierra Tytal, Imperial Fifth Legion, during debriefing

See also: Gnolls

While there are innumerable tribes of gnolls on Erisdaire, there are a few who continue to exist despite many attempts to stamp them out. These tend to exist because the tribe is canny about evading attempts to pin down their camp, or they simply are one step ahead of most pursuing forces. One of these tribes has existed for many generations under a leader with exceptional power, and is a major hazard to everyone in the Highlands of Rhyliss. The Skullkeeper Tribe.

The Skullkeepers are an anomaly among gnolls for more than a few reasons, all of which serve to make them considerably more dangerous. They are intelligent, crafty, and raid more to cause fear or disrupt attempts to locate them than for supplies. They have a central lair which they consider to be their own, hidden somewhere in the mountains of the Highlands province. Their leader is a large female gnoll who possesses considerable magical abilities, calling on dark powers for many different types of aid. Worst of all, even when capable and powerful adventurers were pursuing them the Skullkeepers never were in danger of being completely wiped out.

Culture

Average technological level

Despite being gnolls, the tribe has managed to master a few skills to make weapons other than simple weapons and armor. They make leather from their kills, have the capacity to craft bows of their own, and recent generations have been learning metalwork through trial-and-error processes. As of yet, this has been restricted to melting and casting iron for arrowheads, or turning looted jewelry into new pieces. Magically speaking, there are a number of shamans who harness a broad variety of magic as well as some true devoted priests to 'The Gnawer of Souls'.

Common Dress code

The Skullkeeper tribe is very deeply connected to their habit of using skulls in their dress both as protection or decoration. This also means likenesses of skulls are used when possible, such as amulets shaped as a skull or sigils representing a skull on their clothing or equipment.

Coming of Age Rites

When one of the younger gnolls is of age to actively join hunting parties, they are handed four bone-tipped javelins and told to hunt specific prey. The chosen type of prey depends on what the elders believe is the most likely prey the hunter can take down with four javelins, but a rather common choice is a humanoid target. There are few rules keeping them from using other weapons or means of hunting their prey, only the understanding they return with the weapon which dealt the killing blow. Once the kill is made, and the proof accepted, the young gnoll must remove the skull before the elders. It will be fashioned into something the new hunter will wear from now on, a symbol they have moved from a young pup to a worthy hunter.

Funerary and Memorial customs

When a member of the tribe passes of old age, they are put on a funeral pyre and burned to ash while the tribe gathers to solemnly observe. Such deaths are rare, and thus they are to be remembered for their great deeds; the elders will sit around the fire as it slowly dies down and a shaman will recount tales of their life to the rest of the tribe. Once morning arrives, the ashes are gathered and mixed into ink - this ink is used to add symbols representing the dead and their deeds to a heavy parchment tome in the keeping of the oldest shaman.