Forest trolls
Forest trolls makes their homes within the forests of Ereb Altor, usually in a small cave which they use their brute strength to excavate. A Forest troll settlemen usually consist of a handful of trolls which makes up a family, ruled by the mature female. Trolls are generally stupid and simple and do not plan far ahead.
They are hunterer and to some extent gatherers. They do not construct weapons of their own, but uses large tree bransches as clubs or gathered rocks as throwing weapons. A few of the more intellegent examples of the species have been known to use weapons and armour constructed by other races. But they do not use complex weapons such as crossbows or bows.
Forest trolls are generally vicious, petty and cruel and prefer meat as a staple diet. Their prefered meat is human and dwarf. But they also gatherer muschrooms and berries. As they are mostly immune to poisons or regenerate fast enough to heal the damages, they prefer poisous versions, as it adds to the taste according to them.
Forest trolls can survive the sunlight but it hurts their eyes to the point where they can´t see. If their skins is uncovered it also burns them which causes pain. But the damage is light enough to be handled by their regeneration. Forest trolls prefer to be active from dusk to dawn, and sleep in their lair during the day.
Regeneration 3Kp/ SR, but not injuries made by magic, fire or magic weapons.
Perfect night vision
Basic Information
Anatomy
Trolls are large and bulky with arms that are unpropotanally long compared to humans. The hands ends in small but hard claws, which are strong enough to carve through the fur and skin of bears. The troll body is covered by hair almost like a fur, but not really thick enough. Trolls have a long tail that ends in a pointy piece of hair.
Genetics and Reproduction
Forest trolls generally have two or three kids in the family. They usually get a kid every decade.
Growth Rate & Stages
- Child: A troll is as helpless as a human infant when they are born and are fed pasted food by the matriarch. Within a couple of days they can climb, run and hund frogs and toads by themselves. Within five years they reach the youth state of their life.
- Youth: This state of a forest trolls life usually last approximatly thirty years. They are fully developed but are not as large as Patriarch or Matriarch of the family. A Troll youth are about 180 to 200 cm and have a body weight of around 250 kg. In the youth state a forest troll is very curious and agressive, but controlled by the matriarch when home, and the patriarch when on a hunt/ raid. This usually frustrate them, and if they can´t take out their anger on some one outside the family, they´ll take it out on one of their siblings.
- Matriarch/ Patriarch: When a forest troll reaches this state of his life they leave their family to found a new. The matriarch/ Patriarch part of their life could potentially reach a couple of hundred years, but the truth is that they seldom become older than 100 due to their lifestyle.
- High Troll: A few scholars theorises that very old Matriarch/ Patriarchs could evolve into the troll kin whom is called High Troll. But this is unconfirmed and only known through folktales.
Ecology and Habitats
Forest trolls make their lair in caves deep within dense forest. The trolls usually excavates the cave to make it more suitable for the family. The lair is dark, as the trolls make sure the despicable sun light don´t find its way it. Usually a part of the cave is transformed into a kitchen, which is a kettle on an open fire. Trolls do not like fire, but acknowledge its use any ways. There arre usually also pieces of meat laying around gathering taste.
Forest trolls tries to have water close by to their lair, as they dont want to have to walk far to get it when needed.
The areas close to a troll lair are usually worn down, and trees broken from the youths constant infighting. There are also large smelly lumps of troll feces, spreading its smell in the wind. When you get close to a troll lair you usually smell it way before you see it.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Forest trolls are primarily meat eaters and hunt everything as their stomachs can take it. They are not above eating carcasses found in the forest. They also gather berries and mushrooms. In case of emergencies they could eat a tree and digest it for survival.
Forest trolls usually hunt in groups, and when they have chosen a quarry they shower it with stones. The tactic is to eather hurt it to slow it down or stun it. Then they rush in to kill it with their brute strength. Forest trolls aren´t subject to berserk as other trolls, and usually they stop when the prey is dead. They seldom skin or gut their prey as they can eat everything. They usually just rips it apart and put it in a cauldron with some mushrooms and berries.
Biological Cycle
Forest trolls are active from dusk to dawn and spend the day in their lair, away from the sun.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Forest trolls live in small families that consist of a handful individuals. Usually a matriarch and a patriach with three youths, and perhaps a child.
Facial characteristics
The head is the same form as an onion. The nose is large and usually have at least one wart on it. The ears are long and pointy with a large hairy bush on the top. Most of the face is covered in facial hair. The patriarch of the family usually grows a large beard and mustasch.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Forest trolls are known to inhabit all dense forests of Ereb Altor.
Average Intelligence
Compared to humans forest trolls are stupid, blunt and direct. They do not possess the capacity to solve complex problems. Their solution most often is brute strength. Why open a door, when you can just walk through it.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Trolls dont like the sunlight as it way to bright and hurts their eyes. Forest trolls eyesight and hearing are subpar to humans, on the other hand they have perfect night vision. They also have a better sense of smell than humans, and it is almost on the level of a dog.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Short names that are easy to pronounce, and that easily identifies them as a part o the family. If there are three children in the family they might be named Iggra, Iggry and Igrro. All names are gender neutral.
Major Organizations
There is some kind of exchange between the troll families of the region, which makes the scholars of more civilised species to speculate that there might be some kind of clan system. But that is unconfirmed.
Gender Ideals
All families are led by a Matriarch whom makes all the decisions. The rest of the family follow her lead. The patriarch of the family usually leads raids and hunting parties. All children are more or less gender neutral until they reach the age where they can be a patriarch or matriarch and leave the family to make their own.
Courtship Ideals
When a troll reach the age when it is time to start their own family, they leave their own and start to roam the region to find a partner. When they do the courting usually goes quickly, while they try to find a home to settle. The courting is mostly made by the male whom bring gifts to the female. Gift such as meat, poisionous mushrooms et cetera.
Relationship Ideals
A matriach and a patrach. Youths frequently have sex with their siblings, but they can not procure children with close relatives. Making it necessary to find a troll whom is not a sibling or parent to start their own family.
When a matriarch or patriarch dies the family stays together until all youth have left. The surviving matriarch or patriarch spend the rest of their life searching for the fight that will kill them. They never find a new mate or start a new family.
History
Forest trolls are mentions in books as far back as the Jorpagnan empire, which is the oldest records known to man. But elves sagas tell of forest trolls even further back.
Common Myths and Legends
In Zorakin and Kardien there is a popular set of childrens tales of a forest troll family whom had a long dispute with a family of gnomes. One of the most popular tale surround the events of the marriage of the eldest of the gnome children, and how the trolls tried to capture the bride. The tales portrait the trolls as stupid, unlucky and clumsy which always leads to funny defeats for the trolls.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Forest trolls whom are looking for a mate sometimes join a Orc or goblin tribe for a while to have fun. Forest trolls families whom have blackblood tribes in their proximities makes small treatis with them. Such as give us some tasty goblins to put in a stew and we will fight for you.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
Trolls have been reported to live for several hundreds of years, but most dies within their first century due to a violent lifestyle
Average Height
Few adult forest trolls are less than 2 meters, but seldom do they reach 3 meters.
Average Weight
Few adult trolls weight less than 250 kg.
Average Physique
Forest trolls are tall and muscular. A common trait is a pot belly and the size of it shows the rank in the family. The matriarch is usually the fattest of the family.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Brown is the main colour of Forest trolls.