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The Troll, a smaller and more reclusive cousin of the Ogre, is a monstrous beast found in southern Ellador and eastern Jorrhildr. Trolls are well known for their fierce attitudes and cannibalism among their own species. The finer details concerning Trolls are unknown due to this aggression and their pension to live underground. They are marked as a danger by both Ogres and Alorian Races alike but as they breed and live underground, it is unlikely their numbers will sufficiently dwindle.
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| Fauna | |
| Official Name | Troll |
| Common Nicknames | Hunchback, Mountain Monster |
| Classification | Mammal |
| Habitat | Northbelt |
| Domesticated | No |
| Current Status | Uncommon |
History
Trolls have a less-known history than their cousins, the Ogres. While they operated in similar territory, they were not well-known creatures, as many confused Ogres and Trolls to be the same, just at different ages or stages of development. It also did not help that Trolls often lived underground, or in hard-to-reach areas, leaving them largely unobserved for many years. It is suspected that the Void affected the entire species adversely in the Fifth Void Invasion. While Trolls and Ogres were known for being low-intellect beings, the Void removed even this basic self-awareness in favor of brute physical force and horned heads in those it took into its thrall. In the ensuing conflict against the Allorn Empire after the fall of the Drovv, the Troll became known as a dangerous and vicious predator. After the Cataclysm, thousands of Trolls were dead, either in the continental shifts caused by the event or to hostile forces that sought to kill the beast. The Troll receded from view, but its reputation as a hostile foe to civilized society remained. This isolation changed, however, in 30 AC.
The Velheim Ailor of Tryllelande pushed into the midlands of their island and came upon what they thought was an Ogre den. Instead, out snarled a Troll and the ensuing battle left several of the men dead or harshly wounded. In the ensuing years, Trolls were discovered to be populous on the island and as the wider North Belt recovered from the Cataclysm, Trolls came more into the open. The idea that they were adolescent Ogres was dismissed by seasoned warriors and hunters, and eventually scholars, alongside Ogres communicating the same to regional locals. In fact, they were targets of Ogres as well, mainly due to a belief by Ogres that Trolls are their own dark reflections and somehow demons from another world. While that is not true, the combined efforts of Ogres and Ailor working independently have largely been enough to turn the tide against rampant Troll populations across the north. They are assumed to be rare, but this is because they hide underground and are suspected to have very healthy numbers despite the target put on their backs.
Physical Appearance
Trolls appear as hunched, more animalistic versions of Ogres that stand anywhere from six to eight feet in height with a weight range of 200 to 350 pounds. Their heads are bulky and thick with flat noses, sunken yellow eyes, and mouths with a prominent jutting jaw, inside of which sit teeth sharp enough to cut any flesh. Troll ears have a notable difference between them and Ogres as theirs are much flatter and pressed tight against the head. Their bodies are hunched, supporting their weight with large arms often the length of their whole body while their legs are much shorter. Their weight is different from Ogres in that they are more muscular and physically defined, though in the wintertime, they put on fat to help themselves survive. Trolls have grey skin that comes in a wide variety of shades. They also possess thick black fur along their bodies at various joints and common-sense areas.
Diversity
Troll skin tones are not indicative of gender or of parentage. The species does however possess mammalian indicators between the sexes, and females are also often larger than males.
Life Span and Development
Trolls are not creatures of longevity despite their mammalian traits and closeness in some ways to Ogres. They are liveborn in groups of two to five underground in darkness. Within the first few weeks, any sickly or stillborn child will be eaten by the wider group of Trolls living in the same cave or tunnel system. Over the next three months, the Troll grows up fast and by the age of six months, reaches physical maturity. Mental maturity, however, takes an extra three years. For the rest of their lives, Trolls will continue to dig out their dens to make them larger, kill prey to eat or feed to pups and their mothers and help defend the group from hostile forces. They can live for up to ten years, but most die earlier than that.
Mental Overview
Trolls are wild, uncivilized beasts who dislike contact with others and have a naturally aggressive demeanor. Any effort to come close to one has resulted in the Troll lashing out and attacking fervently without care for its own safety. They seem to be incredibly antisocial creatures who only convene with other Trolls. It is unknown why Trolls are so pugnacious, as their closely related Ogre counterparts tend to be cordial towards the sentient Races of Aloria but most blame the Void for permanently affecting them. They are known for being cannibalistic as they eat their own kind and their own children if they have died, or if they show a debilitating weakness. Some males do, however, give meals to pregnant Trolls or young Trolls mainly to help them start growing up and contributing to their underground societies. They also demonstrate an unwillingness to initiate conflict with Ogres, shying away from them should they reach a standoff. They will still defend themselves against attack from Ogres should the need arise.
Territory and Groupings
Trolls are isolated from the outside world in caves and underground chambers made into those caves. Some have even taken up residence in Dwarven ruins, causing a problem for that Race as well as Velheim Ailor searching for veins of valuable ore. These groups are generally anywhere from a dozen to a few dozen. The entrances to their caves are commonly recognized by the gnawed bones by the entrance the creatures throw outside in the evening and a scent of rotting flesh that radiates off the creature due to their fur catching flesh and juices and then rotting and stagnating.
Trivia
- Eronidas mercenaries once tried to tame Trolls as mounts for combat though this saw very limited success.
- Dwarves considers Trolls the newest blight on their existence ever since the Dakkar receded back deep underground in 305 AC.
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