Trolls are humanoid creatures, normally standing between 9 and 11 feet tall, slightly hunched over. They have voracious appetites and the desire to destroy much around them. They are not particularly malicious towards other races, they just don't understand why they can't regenerate in the same way as trolls.

They will eat nearly anything and can survive on a surprising number of materials, including a variety of rocks.

The trolls respect six gods, which they see as manifestations of life.

Ey’as is the most feared of the troll gods, the manifestation of Fire. Slayer of the Gor’kul, formerly the most powerful of the troll powers, lord of destruction and fire. Few worship this power, except for a few among the desert trolls. But nearly all fear him.

N’kul is the manifestation of Destruction and Mad, spawn of the dead power Gor’kul. The youngest among the troll powers, driven insane by the destruction of Gor’kul. Respected for the state of a troll which is entering a state of enlightenment known as Mad. There is a rivalry among those who revere N’kul and Mo’ah, over who is the more touched by Mad.

Mo'ah is the manifestation of Acid, Water and Mad. Respected for mastery over one of the things which can harm trolls and. Trolls blessed by Mo'ah are immersed in Mad, protected by their understanding, while those cursed by the god suffer constant ill-fate. Mo'ah is especially feared among the desert trolls, but revered among the swamp trolls as the greatest of their gods.

Muh'vuk is the manifestation of Strength and Meat. The god is the strongest thing the trolls know and cannot be defeated. Muh'vuk also supplies the delicacies of Meat. Trolls blessed by Muh'vuk are exceptionally tough while those cursed by the god are particularly small. Muh'vuk is especially revered among the mountain trolls.

Res'ker is the manifestation of Names. Responsible for the production of new trolls and the identity of existing ones, trolls are careful not to incur the wrath of this god. Trolls blessed by Res'ker are knowledgeable of Names and are respected by other trolls for this. Those cursed by this god have pink skin and have been specially marked, avoided and feared by others of their kind.

Ug'ku is the manifestation of Greed and Smash. The least respected of the troll gods, as the god hoards things away instead of breaking them. The redeeming feature of Ug'ku is the knowledge of Smash, nearly irresistible to most trolls. Trolls blessed by Ug'ku gain additional benefits from Smash, while those cursed by this god are especially greedy, building small hoards and stealing from other trolls, losing much respect.

Smash is a root-based food which trolls love to eat. It is the ultimate delicacy for them. They combine the smash used by other races with special ingredients known to only some trolls to make proper Smash. Other varieties of Smash are occasionally encountered, including Sweet Smash, Dwarf Smash and Battle Smash. The smash used by humans is known as Weak Smash.

A troll who consumes enough of Smash of any type except Weak Smash gains a +1 bonus to all attack rolls, skill checks, damage rolls and saving throws for 4 hours.

Names are very important to trolls. A troll's name is given to them when they are created and is known to all of the gods. Legend has it that if enough trolls know another trolls name, that will give that troll more power. A troll with a Big Name is more likely to be chosen for spawn by a shaman of Res'ker. Sometimes a troll may lose their name somehow, resulting in banishment from troll society and a great reduction in their power. Some trolls wih Big Names can be found here.

Trolls are asexual and cannot create spawn without the intervention of Res'ker. Trolls chosen to create spawn have their Name carried to new trolls in a secret ritual involving the troll and a shaman of Res'ker. Spawn grow from the original troll in under a day and take another day to form. Sometimes these spawn are eaten by the original troll. New trolls are granted a Name by Res'ker and share some traits of their originator.

Because trolls can tear each other apart all day and never resolve anything due to their regeneration, the art of the Challenge has evolved. When two trolls conflict and resolve who is the better troll they hold a challenge, with one as the challenger and one and the challenged. This involves an opposed Intimidation check, with the higher result being the winner. The result of a Challenge normally stands for about a day.

Some trolls, knowledgeable about Names, can use History instead of Intimidate for challenges, as their knowledge of things in the past holds a special sway among the trolls.

Trolls normally destroy anything they possess within a short space of time. The following items are the exceptions.

Clubs, Rocks, Rags, Cauldrons, Sacks

Trolls have a strange urge to hide under bridges, waiting for passer-by's to ambush. This is especially true of swamp trolls. Rope bridges, wooden bridges, stone bridges, bridges over chasms or rivers, most trolls seem to have no preference.

One of the more complex troll activities is cliff-jumping. Trolls will find the largest drop them can and jump off of it in unison. The first one to stand is the victor. Not especially complex, but popular among the mountain trolls and not so popular among the swamp trolls.

The trolls have a legend of a place known as Smash Mountain. A mountain hollowed up and filled with the best smash by a dwarf sorcerer. Many trolls search for this place, entering nearly any cave they pass and scouring mountain ranges across the world.

The famed mountain troll shaman-chieftain Ragryr rules from this place. Trolls of all types bring tribute here, joining in massive smash parties. Most trolls agree that Ragryr is the most skilled smash chef there is.

Troll Games

These games are held to determine the most worthy trolls to produce more spawn. Past events include Cliff-Jumping, Splat the Dwarf, Hide and Seek, Lord of the Bridge, Goat Hunt and the Gauntlet, a race across ice and rock terrain, made more difficult by a shaman of Ey'as throwing fire at the competing trolls.