Half-Trolls

A hybrid ethnicity, usually of humans and Black Islander trolls (the BchBrche), half-trolls are hulking humanoids—not as massive as their trollish fathers—but more amenable to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and training—as with their human mothers.

Although there exist variations of this hybridization—dwarf-troll hybrids, naga-troll hybrids—but the generation of half-trolls has been, historically, troll-father, human (or other species) mother. Subsequent, iterations of half-trolls have bred true when humans (etc.) have mated with half-trolls, or half-trolls have paired off themselves. The half-troll features, tend to dominate in subsequent generations, making them a sort of species unique to themselves, albeit an exceedingly rare one.
The origin of the hybridization stems from factors related to the nature of surface-, mainland-dwelling trolls being drones exiled, escaped, or wandered from the Black Isles. As all such drones would be male, it is unclear if a female troll could produce viable offspring from a pairing with a nontroll, because, successful half-troll pregnancies are themselves rare. Furthermore, those that do go to full term, anywhere from 6 to 11 months, often kill the mother and/or the child during the birthing process.
In later eras, other tribes and bands of trolls (e.g. the Bsrĕni) have created hybrids, but these are rarer still.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

As with surnames, what a female half-troll is called tends to reinforce their lesser status, they are more designations or appellations, than proper given names. Descriptors of their great strength, their intended use, or merely reducing their existence to a number.
If, for some quirk, a half-troll female is given a proper actual name—or perhaps a freeborn or freed child selects a name for themselves—it would reflect the names of the human (or dwarf, or naga...) tribe wherein the reside.
Freed half-trolls—whether legally, or be freeing themselves—often create their own names in defiance of their previous designations or what their host nation might have forced on them.

Masculine names

Male half-trolls, which for reasons unclear to humans, are far more likely to survive birth, and thus more numerous among the tiny number. Unfortunately, their lives are often far more brutal and degrading than their sisters. Their names are almost exclusively derisive, degrading, and hateful. They are reductive at best.
A male given an actual name would bear one from tribe wherein the reside. The most common names would be Ptarshakkian. The half-troll mercenary warlord Zenneptapta took his name from his human parent—Apta—and the city where he was born, Zennept.
Freed half-trolls—whether legally, or be freeing themselves—often create their own names in defiance of their previous designations or what their host nation might have forced on them.

Unisex names

As noted above, most half-troll names tend more towards being degrading epithets or mere designation of occupation. As such, most "half-troll names" are unisex in that they are only gendered in languages that require all nouns be declined.

Family names

As male trolls—drones without legal status in troll society—are wanderers, it is unprecedented that such a troll would be in anyway involved with his offsrping. As such, if their ensuing children are given surnames at all, they would be of the clan or designations of the mother's people.
This, however, is uncommon. Half-trolls by the very nature of their existence are bastards without claim to name or inheritance. Many are born into slavery, conscripts into armies of nations that care little for them beyond their hefting weapons. Indeed, the Grand Army of the Ptarshakkian Empire actively attempts to create half-troll slaves to serve as shock troops. Half-troll slave-soldiers are sought after, prized acquisitions of noble houses and Ptarshakkian city-states. In some measure of cruel irony, the Tickler's Market in Zennept, is guarded by enslaved half-troll soldiers, where they themselves were likely sold, resold previously.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

The culture of most half-trolls stems from that of their nontroll parent. Of the few breakaway half-troll communities, there has developed an ersatz new culture which attempts to hybridize the parental traditions—real or imagined—which invariably creates a new and unique culture.
This is found most prominently in Suvata where the half-trolls are more isolated and freed largely from encroachment by their many enemies.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

As a largely subject people, the ideals of half-trolls reflect the culture in which they were raised. As such, half-trolls that are more human-looking, even those who might pass for human, are held up as being paragons of beauty; their more trollish cousins are reviled.
In the hidden secret places where communities of half-trolls have developed—such as the Ptsannae Desert, the highlands and mountains of Llaohh, and the wilds of Suvata—there are some half-troll leaders who reject this and extol the beauty of all troll variants, tending to eschew only those who look the most human.

Parent ethnicities

• H' BchBrche, the Black Isles trolls
• H' Bsrĕni, the trolls of the Southern Seas

Encompassed species

• Trolls

Languages spoken

• Troll Languages

Related Locations

• Gruthe
• The Suvata