Skullgnasher

The Skullgnasher tribe was a federation of three smaller hill giant tribes that roamed about the Small Teeth and Tejarn Hills of Amn in the late 14 century DR.

Organization
The tribe was led by Chief Fedduk, a reasonably clever hill giant who managed to form the Skullgnashers as a federation of three different Small Teeth tribes. Another feat of his was keeping his giants reasonably restrained, as they wished to simply attack and smash the Hillforts instead of playing games of cat-and-mouse for over a decade.

Fedduk was closely allied with Sothillis and his Sythillisian Empire, and worked to distract and weaken Amn prior to and during the Sothillisian War.

Activities
During the 1360s DR, the Skullgnashers waged a low-level war against the Council Army forces of Hillfort Torbold, avoiding taking or inflicting large casualties. Their children were kept safe in the Small Teeth, and it was also where they recruited more giants from to replenish their numbers.

The Skullgnashers managed their success in part because the Council of Six refused to send more aid to Hillfort Torbold than absolutely necessary, forcing the Council Army under Major Tharundar Olehm to struggle along in a stalemate against the giants.

Tactics
Under the direction of Chief Fedduk, the giants avoided any major battles or direct attacks on the Hillforts, instead skirmishing and hiding. They would hide in underground tunnels around the area, or simply roam further away in the hills or into the Small Teeth. Their goal was to be a highly visible and tenacious threat in the Tejarn Hills that distracted Amnian attention away from Sothillis' forces building in the Small Teeth.

History
The Skullgnashers came to attention shortly before 1358 DR when they started raiding and skirmishing in the central Tejarn Hills. Although they initially had the advantage of knowing the Hills exceptionally well, Major Olehm—already an experienced adventurer—arrived on the scene shortly after and set about countering the giant's tactics. By instilling excellence in his limited troops and mastering the guerilla hill warfare, the Major was able to first match and then push back the Skullgnashers, almost managing to trap them in the Small Teeth far away from his post.

Major Olehm's victories in the Tejarn Hills proved to be for naught, as the Skullgnashers and Spearbiter goblins were the vanguard that quickly overwhelmed Hillfort Ishla on Eleasis 7 in 1370 DR, the opening of the Sothillisian War. Having destroyed the fort and recruited Captain Amlos Xomnag, they proceeded north, destroyed Gambiton and the King's Arch on Eleasis 8, and quickly captured Esmeltaran on Eleasis 9 as part of the search for the Armory of Nedeheim. The Amnian counterattack on Esmeltaran Eleasis 21 was utterly ravaged by the now-defending giants and goblins, and General Labak Craumerdaun was forced to enter into a long siege against his own fortifications. The Skullgnashers and Spearbiters outside of the city ranged much more widely thanks to the Amnian army being overwhelmed, and ended up effectively controlling much of southeast Amn for a time.

Esmeltaran and the Skullgnashers remained besieged for the next two years, supplied from Murann until a Selûnite crusade cut off their supplies and allowed the Council Army to take the city just before the winter of 1372 DR.