#tisrah

Maybe if were a little nicer you’d still have the rest of your body but you had to go and be a jerk about it!!

Hyænuic tradition defines a third gender, ihru, being between that of male and female. They are named after Hyænu’s fourth concubine, Ihr, who was said to have possessed both traditional sets of genitals and impregnated Hyaenu with the seed through which the Gnoll race was conceived. (Her first three concubines impregnated her with the seeds of stars, land, and animals/plants, respectively.)

Ihru individuals may be assigned male or female at birth but come to assume non-traditional gender roles, often serving as mediators for internal clan disputes and emissaries during times of warfare. The term may also be applied to individuals born with intersex conditions.

During the height of Gnoll society, ihru were fairly common, constituting as many as one in five of all Gnolls. However, with the rise of Yeenoghu and the destruction of Hyaenuic belief, the ihru were widely persecuted, and those that were not executed, like other Hyænu believers, were forced to flee.

Tisrah Mukhan identified as neither male for female from young age. Even other members of the Mukhan clan, who primarily identify each other by their unique smell, admitted that Tisrah gave off neither a predominant “male” nor “female” scent. Tisrah later learned that they are ihru, a third gender in the nearly-forgotten ancient Gnoll tradition. Tisrah’s human-raised father, Kabli, often criticized them for their non-traditional gender indentity. Despite having a flirtatious personality, Tisrah’s rocky upbringing led to them becoming avoidant of adult relationships, romantic or friendly, largely due to fear of rejection.

Because they were the runt of their litter, Tisrah was deemed unfit for hunting and combat (which is still not as favored with Mukhan as with other gnoll clans). Tisrah saw this as a secret blessing, as it allowed them to explore other interests. They accompanied their mother, Yengra, on many trading ventures and, over several years, developed a disarming personality and a keen business acumen. More importantly, they soon discovered (though messing around with their family’s stock of bartered items) that their true passion lay in music. Their favored instrument is the lyre, as they find it helps put common-race customers at ease - a critical obstacle to overcome for any Gnoll seeking contact beyond violence.

Following Mukhan’s diaspora, Tisrah went into business for themself as an adventurer while covertly gathering information on their missing siblings and relatives. Through trading and performing, Tisrah has set up an information network with a few trusted informants, hideouts, and equipment caches. It is their hope that they can reunite the surviving Mukhan and, one day, fulfill the promise of their founder by restoring the old goddess and liberating the Gnoll race from Yeenoghu’s demonic thrall.

Physical Description

Though they stand at six and a half feet, Tisrah is a full head shorter than most gnolls. Like every gnoll in the Mukhan clan, they are covered in a long, sandy brown coat similar to brown hyenas. Atypical of other gnolls, Tisrah takes great pride in a visual expression of their individuality - even if it is often met with confusion and hostility.

Tisrah possesses a long mane treated with a variety of dyes (presently two-tone blue and red) that is parted to the right side. Additionally, their right ear has four piercings, one of them being a ruby stud. They are often seen with makeup, favoring dark blue eyeshadow with black eyeliner and mascara. Due to the inhospitable treatment they receive from most humanoid races, Tisrah wears a bemused (but not resentful) neutral expression on their face. They are also of a fairly slim build, though this difference is unnoticeable to those who lack frequent contact with gnolls.

Tisrah was the first D&D character I ever made/roleplayed as. They’re a genderqueer gnoll. they love trashy makeup and chintzy earrings. Even though they love to dress up, they rarely ever find cute or fun clothing in their size, so they usually end up wearing male armor instead. And they love baffling the hell out of poor, confused human townsfolk who are too confused to scream.

Tisrah is a fairly obvious attempt on my part to explore questions about my own gender identity (kind of like my first old, old fursona in high school was me trying to grapple with my newfound gayness). I always considered myself on the fringes of furry fandom - enjoying a lot of the art and characters, but never really taking the full plunge into the lifestyle, because I was scared of... something? It’s something I’ve always known about myself, but never had the stones to act on.