Trolls

[Wensleydale]

Trolls are the oldest sentient form of life in the Greenworld. Whilst their size and incomprehensibility to human minds has meant that human society leaves them mostly alone, their infrequent carnivorous attacks on humans throughout the ages have left them with an unpleasant reputation.

 Biology

Trolls are, effectively, walking plants. They are capable of rapid movement, unlike most plants. Their growth appears to be effectively unlimited given the right conditions, although in practice, it is restricted by habitat, population, and food available. The largest troll on human record (not that this is saying much, as human records of trolls are dubious at best) was twelve feet tall. Most grow no higher than 9-10 feet, and there are a large amount living in human cities that are between 5 and 6 foot. Whether this is imitation or simply natural population-based growth is as yet unknown.

Trolls appear to have a partial skin of thick bark, which begins to grow in troll 'childhood' and may, depending on the age of the troll, cover its entire body. Beneath the bark is a thick body, mostly made up of multiple stem-like tubes. These tend to sprout leaves, pushing through the bark covering from the inside if one is present. They are arranged in a complex fashion, and work similarly to human muscles, however, the entire body of the troll is a lot more flexible and bendy than the human equivalent. A troll has no bones, and is kept up merely by the strength of its 'muscles'. These stems are covered in a thick wax that stops water evaporating. They possess long arms and long legs, with prehensile hands and large, three-toed feet.

Trolls' 'heads' are on a level with their shoulders, and stick out on a short, squat neck. They have no eyes, only a wide mouth and hundreds of tendrils which serve different purposes - detecting scent, heat, and living organisms close to the mouth. The head is built around the mouth, which snaps shut around prey, and the mouth itself extends backwards and down into the body. Because trolls have no roots, they use animal life to get such vital things as potassium and nitrogen. The chemical reactions that occur inside this stomach are vastly complex, and very little is wasted. That which is waste is either pumped into the air as a gas (which smells strongly) or removed as a liquid through the troll equivalent of urination. The troll mouth possesses four tongues, all of which are prehensile, which are used to crush prey. One of these is used when communicating in human languages, whilst some troll languages use more than one at the same time. Troll reproduction is achieved using bees or other local insects which take pollen from plant to plant. Fertile trolls grow flowers atop their head and shoulders. There are also technological methods available to allow trolls to reproduce, but these are not practised by many doctors since the demand is rare.

 Sociology

Most trolls have traditionally grouped together in small family groups, somewhat alike to humans. These groups may grow to become large tribes, all interrelated, since inbreeding rarely affects trolls in any noticable way. They tend to move around, following food sources. Trolls have never been great tool-makers, but certainly javelins and other weapons, up to and including basic axes, have been common products of their societies in the past, along with armour and other products of smithcraft in some places. Their languages range from very analytical to extremely agglutinative, somewhat like those of humans.

 Relations with other species

Trolls often share the same habitat as goblins. This can cause a lot of problems, because goblins - like humans - are very productive food sources for trolls. Whilst human-eating incidents in the past have been relatively rare, the stuff more of legend and urban myth than actual truth, whole goblin clans have been destroyed by trolls. This means that amongst certain goblin peoples, trolls are despised - even to the point that the Goblin State of KaKSaHÉ has no rights for trolls written into its constitution. Humans also treat trolls with stigma, and have enslaved them in the past, but in more modern times many have risen to high positions inside traditionally-human societies.

[Drizztrocks]

This is really a cool idea for trolls, something extremely original and interesting.

[Llum]

I think this is one of the best takes on Trolls I've ever encountered, very refreshing.

Now trolls mostly form into small bands, being nomadic following food sources. Would a troll consider nearby humans a stable food source? Living close to a city and abducting travelers?

This could potentially cause problems if the city noticed, but a solitary troll could potentiallydo this, even growing to great size due to the abundance of food.

[Wensleydale]

I think this is one of the best takes on Trolls I've ever encountered, very refreshing.

Now trolls mostly form into small bands, being nomadic following food sources. Would a troll consider nearby humans a stable food source? Living close to a city and abducting travelers?

This could potentially cause problems if the city noticed, but a solitary troll could potentiallydo this, even growing to great size due to the abundance of food.

Definitely. Whilst trolls have had a lot less contact with humans than with goblins, both have been used on regular occasions as food sources. Whilst those in the cities tend to be more 'civilised' (depending on where they are), there is still a lot of stigma against them, and in some nations, trolls still do not possess the same rights as goblins and humans.