Trolls

Written by The Mad Professor

Trolls are one of the largest races known, they are typically almost twice as tall as a human and normally have the strength to back their size up. Their skin is rougher than human skin, and have about the same toughness as leather. Their skins usually range from pale pink to darkish brown with the occasional grey. For the most part they appear to be cast in the image of humans, their bodies are very similar. However, trolls are usually hairier than humans, their noses, eyes and ears are larger in proportion to their heads and their mouth is often filled with terrible fangs. Some trolls have been known to let moss, and other small plants, grow in the crevasses of their leathery skins, typically it appears to be the equivalent of wearing jewellery in a human. Trolls are typically nocturnal creatures and rarely come out during the day, their eyes allowing them to see in all but total darkness. During the day, trolls typically sleep in a state where they barely seem to breathe at all. Which has lead to many myths that they turn to stone if they see the sun. The sun is likely to blind a troll though. While trolls are born much like humans, with two arms, two legs and one head with all the proper attachments, this form may change as they age. Unique among the creatures that inhabit Adylheim the trolls possess the ability to appropriate extremities and other body parts from each other, as long as these body parts are in a fairly usable condition. Trolls will therefore sometimes be seen as having three or more heads supported on their shoulders, or sharing an eye between themselves or with more arms than the normal complement. Such grafts are not always successful and these extra body parts may be as much of a nuisance as anything else, it is not unknown, for instance, for a two headed troll to be arguing with itself.

Environs
Trolls are typically found within the confines of the Ribs. They rarely live in the lowlands beneath the hills and prefer the plentiful caves found here for shelter. While trolls are occasionally found in the northern Ribs, typically they live in the eastern Ribs, east of the ogre lands. Their rampant territoriality often leads to them having altercations with the Dragonkin and Drakes who also inhabit these mountains, although the reason for this is not always as simple as other creatures infringing on their territory, sometimes it is to enrich themselves of the treasures which these other creatures hold. In the few cases that trolls have made it to the relative civilization of the fiefdoms they have been known to trade their caves for the shady comforts of bridges, where they can hide from the sun they so despise. They have shown little interest in using human buildings as shelter.

Organization
Trolls are not the brightest of creatures and do not really have much by way of organization. Typically they have simple families living together in caves, these families rarely numbering more than four or five individuals, once they are of age the children will move out and form families of their own. They may occasionally form larger bands to raid settlements, on these occasions the question of leadership will often come up and rarely be resolved. Unless there is someone who is clearly larger and stronger than the others, this position will often be shared between several who deem themselves the boss, this is rarely a position which goes by without violence.

Culture and Technology
Trolls do not have much by way of a culture. They are capable of rough buildings, primarily by piling rocks and logs on top of each other but advanced architecture escapes them. They have also been known to occasionally pursue agriculture and the raising of livestock with some success but they have shown little interest in these things beyond their ability to produce food for them. Trolls have not discovered the secrets of making alcoholic beverages, though they will gladly raid nearby tribes for such drinks. Despite their love for alcohol, trolls are notorious lightweights and are incapable of drinking anyone under the table. When they do have alcohol on their hands though, they will usually arrange great feasts wherein these liquors are consumed. Religious rites and similar are pretty much unheard of in troll culture, however they have been known to swear at the sun frequently and they consider it an enemy of their people. By the same token, they often greet the rising moon with enthusiasm, claiming it as their protector from the sun. Their language is said to be related to that of Ogran, but even less complex than this. Though the two languages are somewhat mutually intelligible, the two races rarely get on and frequent violent clashes between the two at the borders of their respective domains are a common occurrence. While trading with trolls appears to be all but impossible given that they have little interest in such things as maintaining relationships, why trade something next year when you can keep your wares and steal his now? Despite this, trolls seem to have an interest in procuring valuable gems and metals and adding them to their hoard. While they have no particular need for these beyond a magpiesque drawing to shiny items, they seem to put much stock by them and often gather as much of it to their caves and homes as they can get their hands on.