Tokhan, up until very recently, was a member of a large and proud Gnoll tribe known for their strength of numbers. Although many humanoids look down on it, Gnolls take slaves to do much of their labor. It was Tokhan's job to scout ahead of the pack and find groups of adventurers they could capture, helping them also to avoid the groups that seemed too dangerous. His other job was to speak with other tribes of humanoids in the area, such as the orcs and goblinoids, to set up trades for such slaves.
It was during one of his scouting missions that he met a party of good adventurers who invited him to share a meal with them. It was a very strange thing, and had an effect on how Tokhan viewed outsiders. He began to forge a friendship with a dwarven warrior and a gnomish sorcerer. The leader of their group, a female elf, was especially kind. He felt bad that he had to bring his tribe upon them.
After the party became slaves to the gnolls, Tokhan still visited them to learn more about the world beyond the savanna which he roamed. After a while, he learned the fate of his friends. The two men would do battle to their deaths in the pit, while the elf would be sold to the orcs. She would not live long. Feeling as though he owed the group, he set up a chance for their escape, helping them to avoid capture as they made for the edge of the tribe's lands.
Tokhan had been betrayed. The gnome had agreed to sell the others for his freedom and an ambush had been set up for them. The gnolls did not follow such deals with lesser creatures, however, and killed the gnome and the others as Tokhan watched. Disgraced before his people, he was banished - the worst possible fate for the pack-oriented gnolls.
In those few places where he could etch a living, he found that as a scavenger, he had a knack of sorts of finding things, sometimes people, and making them disappear. Some people found this useful, so he continued to do this until he could find something better to do.
