17. Gnoll Stronghold

• Two burley bridge guards, Gnarl (19 hp) and Hairtooth (20 hp), will demand 200 gold from you to cross the bridge. If you pay 200 gold they'll attack anyway, but if you plead poverty they'll only charge you 100 gold and you'll get 250 experience points. Taking them out will net you more experience points, and some magic gauntlets (gauntlets of dexterity), a potion of hill giant strength, and a potion of cold resistance.
  

  Map of the Gnoll Stronghold. Dynaheir is waiting to be rescued from one of the pits.

• By going south immediately after crossing the bridge, you can find a few caves guarded by xvarts in the southwest corner of the sector. In one of the caves there is a tome of leadership and influence and scrolls of Larloch's minor drain and magic missile, and in another there is a carrion crawler.
  

• The bulk of the gnoll forces are through the main entrance, up a couple of flights of stairs. Dynaheir is in a pit, guarded by the main forces. She'll join your party if you'd like, but if you refuse and have Minsc in your party, he'll stay with Dynaheir.
  

• The gnolls attack in large numbers, so use spells such as sleep, hold person, stinking cloud, web, and color spray to keep the odds manageable.