One day the pack had cornered a large moose, at least they thought they had. What they had thought was a thicket turned out to be a mere illusion as the panicked moose walked right through the thick brambles. The hungry wolfs would not be denied their kill by a mere two-leg magic spell. They chased the moose through the illusion.

Once on the other side the wolves found themselves in a place with strange foreign smelling trees. Before they knew it the wolves started to feel as though they were being torn from the inside out. Their wolf bodies began to twist and distort, bones broke and formed, muscles changed shape and when the horrifying process ended the wolves had been changed in a way they could barely conceive.

They now had the form of a two-leg, mixed with Smell Taunter (wolf name for hyena). It was a cruel joke and the wizard who had done this to them managed to control their every movement. Somehow the Crazy Elf held some sort of sway over the race he had twisted the wolves into.

This Gnoll form was quite awkward at first, but Fleet Paw eventually got used to walking on two legs. He had a newfound intelligence and hands in which to wield the Man Steel.  The former wolf found himself stronger as a Gnoll than as a wolf, and the Man Tools were quite useful once learned how to manipulate.

The Elven Wizard, Arugulah Breaviell, them forced his Gnoll army to do his bidding. Killing and robbing Man-things for their resources.  Fleet Paw learned to hate the wizard. But the poor wolf-gnoll could not break the wizards hold over him./

Then one day Fleet Paw met Salvation through tragedy. Another Magi, one who went by the name of Nightmare, came to see Arugulah Breaviell and demand his allegiance and the use of some Magical relic which was stored on the premises.

Arugulah had refused and a vicious and colorful battle took place. The home Wizard commanded all his Gnoll protectors to rush to his aid. But the Gnoll-wolves resisted. Somehow the Nightmare Wizard was nullifying the dominating effects the wizard held over their Gnoll forms.  When Arugulah realized the Gnolls were hesitating he attempted to intimidate some of them into action by zapping and killing ½ of them with a lightening blast. This did not prod the Gnolls into action, they simply stood, battling an inner struggle of will and domination.

Then Nightmare struck a felling blow. Arugulah’s figure fell to the ground. But as he landed his last effort was to loosen a small vile which crashed on the ground next to him. When the liquid in the vile hit the air it exploded in a blast of flame which filled the courtyard.

The Wizard Nightmare erected a large fire-barrier, and Fleet Paw had been lucky enough to be standing within the shield’s radius.  Right place at the right time.

When the ashes fell Nightmare and Fleet Paw were the only two left standing. The human wizard addressed the Gnoll.

“What’s your story?” he asked.

Fleet Paw then proceeded to tell the human his story.

“Ah, he polymorphed you; and enslaved you,” the Wizard replied. “That was a cruel joke.”

“Yes a cruel joke, and now I have this cursed flesh.” The gnoll says, tearing at the fur on his arm with his razor-sharp teeth. “I hate myself. Yet I like the power of this body. The thought I have now. An awareness, and feelings. Feelings of pain, and hate. I hate Elves. I wish to kill every one I see. Knock them down with these Man Tools and rip their throats out with my maw.”

“But what if you could have you wolf form back?”

“To be a wolf again. Yes, I would like that. I have lost much, but I would not want to lose what I have gained. But if I cannot be a wolf I cannot find a She-wolf to bond with me. Without a life-binding female I can never start a pack of my own.”

“I see your dilemma, gnoll-wolf. No that won’t do.” Nightmare begins, regarding the mangled self-mutilated gnoll form.  

“Follow me young one. Follow me and I shall restore your form, and give you the power to change form at will. For I am on the path to godhood and I shall soon be in a position to reward those who aided me on my holy journey.”

“Will I get to kill elves?”

“Probably.”

“I agree, I will follow you, and when you restore me I shall be the most faithful wolf any religion has ever seen.”

“I deem you, Tanglewolf. Come, my friend, let us loose our might upon this realm.”

Tanglewolf traveled worth Nightmare through many adventures. Soon the wolf-Gnoll became a devout and trusted follower of Nightmare.  A loyal, mean, horny guard-dog who is in constant need of emotional release of any kind. usually released in ways not good to those he dislikes.

he devoutly does whatever Lord Nightmare needs to get done in order to achieve the goal he has set upon.  The cruelty he invokes onto others in mostly in payment for what was done to him. Especially Elves, who he always had no use for as a wolf, but truly despises now that he has become a twisted version of one; at the hands of an Elf no less.

But, he also likes his new capabilities at the same time, so while he is angered at the transformation, he truly does not want to go back to being a normal wolf. And this disturbs and torments him. For he must find a female wolf to mate for life, and he cannot do so as a humanoid.

His ultimate desire is to be able to change form from one to the other, so he can enjoy mating and building a future pack as a wolf, but also utilize all his new abilities as well. The Master has promised to do just that, and to make his future She-wolf a Gnoll form as well, so that they can share in all things.