Gnaw

Gnaw was originally the leader (with a different name) of a pack of hunting-dogs of the Teblor Rathyd clan in northwestern Genabackis.

In House of Chains

This Teblor hunting-dog pack-leader was re-named 'Gnaw' by the Teblor Uryd clan warrior Karsa Orlong after Karsa was able to fight the viciously attacking pack-leader into submission with only his bare hands - thus gaining Gnaw's complete loyalty as well as the loyalty of the pack as a whole.

Gnaw and his pack from then on accompanied Karsa and his two fellow Uryd warriors, Bairoth Gild and Delum Thord, on the continuation of their raiding through the territories of rival Teblor clans and of their attack on the lowland Nathii settlement of Silver Lake.

One outcome of the fiercely fought Silver Lake attack was that Gnaw was the only surviving Teblor hunting-dog, although he had suffered a shattered hip and multiple serious lacerations and wounds. Karsa, forced to leave Gnaw behind, carefully hid the badly injured Gnaw in an abandoned barn in Silver Lake, after placing a makeshift collar around Gnaw's neck on which he had hung a bronze sigil indicative of the Uryd Teblor. Finally, Karsa called upon the Teblor god, Urugal, to hide and heal Gnaw and to then guide the hunting-dog safely to Karsa's home village.

"Make fierce your long life, Gnaw. We will meet again, this I vow upon the blood of all the [humans] I have slain this day."

―Karsa Orlong's parting words to Gnaw

In Toll the Hounds

Gnaw, with the help of the Tebor god Urugal, was able to heal - although he was left with multiple scars, deep muscle damage, and a limp from his mangled hip. Still, Gnaw was remarkably agile despite his physical problems and he was able to make his way from Silver Lake to Karsa Orlong's distant home village (a place that Gnaw had never been to) where he was tolerated and fed because he was recognized by the Uryd village elders as being 'god-touched'. There Gnaw lived, accepted by the village and the village's hunting-dog pack, but not part of either, while Gnaw waited to meet with Karsa Orlong again, as Karsa had promised.

Karsa and Gnaw reunited by Corporal Nobbs

Years later Gnaw, sensing that Karsa had finally returned to Genabackis, left the village and made his way south in order to rendezvous with Karsa - who, having arrived in the far south of the continent, was making his way north, unaware of Gnaw. Although Gnaw paid no attention to them, the hunting-dog was followed by Karsa Orlong's daughters, Delas Fana and Tonith Agra.

Gnaw and Karsa Orlong finally both arrived in the same place at the same time in Darujhistan, where Karsa was in the middle of fighting the Hounds of Light to stop them from claiming Dragnipur. Gnaw stood growling at the Teblor girls' side as they joined in the attack. Once the Hounds were all dispatched or had fled, Karsa recognised Gnaw and the man and his dog were reunited. Karsa was nearly in tears.

"Karsa's attention...was drawn to...the dog that now advanced, its...tail wagging. Staring at the animal, watching its limping approach, Karsa Orlong struggled against a sob. He had sent this dog home. Half dead...so long ago now, so long ago."

―Gnaw and Karsa Orlong together again at long last

In The God is Not Willing

Gnaw sired a number of children, including Cromb, Muck, Nape, and Sculp. All of his pups had uncanny talents that set them apart from the other dogs, such as the ability to sense Karsa's children approaching from a day's travel away. None of the Teblor knew the fate of Gnaw himself. He had vanished one day and it was assumed he had limped off to die alone in the forest.

Notes and references

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