This post is inspired by a prompt in the Worldbuilding Community - Worldbuilding Prompt #483 - Disperse
I'm also using it as an opportunity to add to the gradually growing body of lore and stories around my newest setting, Confluence.
The water receded, waves lapping further and further down the sandy beach. It wasn't a tide, because tides are predictable. With no sun or stars in the sky of Confluence, time had to be measured by clockwork device or water clock. The pulses of smoke from the Everburning Fire to Fireward were often regular enough to give a rough guide to the passage of time, but would periodically shift and become unreliable.
But here on the extreme edge of Seaward, the fire was a long way away. The battle for dominance here was between the elemental plane of Water and that of Earth. The water might creep forward or lash out in a tsunami. The earth might gently rise to drive the water back, or create an instant archipelago of islands with a devastating earthquake.
This dynamic environment can both create and destroy life. Today, it creates it. As the water gently recedes, it leaves wet, furry bodies scattered across the beach. Probably a couple of hundred of them, in total.
Image generated by AI in Wombo.art
He woke. Coughing and spluttering, he rolled onto his side, retching up salty water as his lungs cleared. After a while, he felt a little better and, being able to breathe properly, started to think. The first thought was one of panic. He didn't know his own name ! He had no memories before his eyes had opened a mere few minutes ago. He didn't know who he was, where he was, or even what he was. Only the physical feeling of his own body told him that he was a he, not a she.
Over there was a she. One like him, but different. He stood up and made his way over to her on unsteady legs. All around them, others of their kind were starting to stir, but they were the first.
"Who... who are you ? Who are... we ?" he asked, in a voice that was unfamiliar to him. He didn't know how he knew language, but somehow he did.
In a soft voice, she replied to he, "I think we are... yes, we are gnolls. We have fur, and snouts, and sharp teeth and claws. We are gnolls. You were the first to wake, you must be our leader. Please, give me a name."
Her last request was in a plaintive voice, as if only he could fill a missing space in her persona. He thought. It wasn't easy. He knew gnolls were not the most intelligent creatures, and with only five minutes of life behind him he hadn't had time to develop much of an imagination.
Finally, he answered her. "You shall be called Distant Wave. You will be my mate, and I will be yours. Now, you must name me."
She answered without hesitation, and he realised that she had probably found his name as soon as she saw him. "You are First Voice, and I am glad that we are to be mates."
By now, the beach was dotted with awakened gnolls, some sitting silently trying to work out who they were, others chattering and yapping excitedly.
First Voice knew what needed to be done. Clapping his hands loudly, he gave the chatter time to die down. A few stern glares and a bit of teeth-baring quieted down those who were slower to catch on.
"Gnolls ! We have been left behind by the sea, like so much driftwood. We cannot stay here, or the sea will reclaim us and we will dissolve back into nothingness. I will lead you inland, to safety. But we must disperse to find enough food. Pick up sticks and stones, we will need to be able to hunt anything which gives us meat. Pick any fruit you find."
He stared inland for a while, and then continued. "Over there in the far distance is a hill with trees on. We will meet again there in three sleeps. There, we can eat, breed and then disperse across this land to take it and make it ours."
Map of Confluence, created in Wonderdraft. The gnolls came ashore just to Seaward of the Sariban Woods, where they will find elves and trouble.