Trolls

Trolls

Subclass: Demihumanoids

''“Bridges? No, no, that market’s played out. Supernatural bodyguard. Well, it’s that or the army.”''

-       Efriek Coldhands, Troll

Throughout practically all human societies documented, there have been stories, myth and otherwise, of a race of almost-but-not-quite people dwelling in the woods, under the rocks or in hollowed out mountains. These myths and stories originate from a normal human fear of the unknown, as well as the well documented tendency to see something strange and attribute it to something intelligent.

It is from these beliefs we get trolls, called by many names depending on their subtype and home environment. They range from enormous forces of nature capable of terrible wrath and wild magic (the Nordic Stallo), to the mildly malicious and wildly curious (the classic Gremlin), to even the ones which pass as dwarves or humans, or even elves, in temperament as well as stature.

This, together with the fact that all trolls are capable of interbreeding and will inevitably produce fertile offspring, has led to an explosion of troll citizens in the past century. It should be noted that it is, in general, the more humanoid and less monstrous trolls which assimilate into society, and that there are still plenty of hunts where the tracks of a killer end up leading to a troll’s lair.

Generally, trolls are loosely divided into subcategories, especially by hunters, as knowing roughly what to expect from a given hunt is critical to said hunt going well. These are, in order of size:

Great Trolls, which are twice or more the size of a typical human, generally supernaturally durable and with endurance and strength which scales with size. They are generally dumber than their smaller relatives, but not always, and the rare intelligent ones usually have a penchant for riddles and illusionary magic. One trait unique to Great trolls are their enormous appetite: they are fully capable of devouring half their bodyweight should food be available, and can go into hibernation for months or years should food be scarce. Very large Great trolls can be mistaken for the true Giants, which are a species of their own.

Ogroids, which are generally humanoid and fully sapient, and able to fully integrate into humanoid society. Whilst they share their strength, durability and endurance with their Great relatives, they do so to a markedly lesser degree. All trolls have a small tendency towards magic, but generally their power only breaks through once they reach their elder years, though there are exceptions. Their powers of regeneration should be remarked upon; their ability to heal from all but the most grievous wounds and a stalwart resistance to disease make them excellent soldiers and frontiersmen who have served the Empire with distinction.

Goblins, the most diminutive of the subcategories, and also generally the most varied. Usually around the size of a twelve-year-old child, though usually lighter and more crooked due to malnutrition, these are the most adaptable of the sapient creatures. Based upon needs, resources and genetics, their intelligence ranges from that of a clever dog to that of a clever human, and their physical attributes are entirely up to change as well, with results ranging from four arms, a tail and gliding wings in cliffsides to webbed feet and hands, gills and fins in the ocean. These changes usually occur over a few generations, but since goblin life expectancy is around forty years, this can still occur very quickly. Goblins with magical talent tend to age significantly slower, as is usually the case.

All trolls, regardless of size and disposition, share certain traits. These are: a more or less severe weakness to fire, with the older and bigger trolls even fearing sunlight in many cases, a more or less extensive connection to their surroundings, being quick to adapt to changes and noticing details almost instantaneously, and the ability to regenerate from all but the gravest of wounds. In troll society, if a troll survives a wound for a full night, it is generally left alone to heal with the knowledge that it should be back to full functionality soon.