Trolls of Mystara

[Havard]

An earlier draft of this article has been posted at The Piazza and the Vaults of Pandius.

Trolls are a unique race in Mystara. While some believe they are related to the Beastman descended races, the Northern Reaches Gazetteer suggests that this is a much older race. They may likely be related to Giants (see below). The main stronghold of the Known World Trolls is Trollhattan in the Brokenlands. It was founded by Vestland Trolls (mainly Root Trolls) in 1299 BC. The current ruler of Trollhattan is Mistress Haa'k Hordar. The following Troll races are found in Mystara:

Troll Races

• Root Troll (Monstrum Carnivorus Maximum). This is the most common troll race, known for its ability to regenerate. It is possible that this gift was gained through interbreeding with Beastmen (or eating them). They are common all over the Known World, especially in the Trollhattan region of the Brokenlands. They are often found in swamps and marshlands. Sources: Gaz 10, Gaz 7.
  
• Giant Troll (Mountain Troll, Fjelltroll, Fjalltrolde). These gigantic trolls are rarely seen these days. It is possible that these were the the original troll race, perhaps descended themselves from the Jotuns or Great Giants, a near Immortal race. Source: Gaz 7 The Northern Reaches
  
• Rock Troll (Bergtroll, Bjergtrolde). Found in the Northern Reaches and Norwold. These trolls sometimes go into a state of long sleep where their bodies become rocklike and indistinguishable from nature. Source: Gaz 7 The Northern Reaches
  
• Earth Troll (Jordtroll, Jordtrolde). Found in the Northern Reaches and Norwold. These trolls sometimes go into a state of long sleep where their bodies become rocklike and indistinguishable from nature. Source: Gaz 7 The Northern Reaches
  
• Forest Troll (Skogtroll, Skovtrolde, Monstrum Imbecilus Rex). These Trolls are fairly common, found in the woodlands and hills all over the Known World. Source: Gaz 10 - The Orcs of Thar. A variant of these were also described in Dragon #158's article An Orc is a Norke by Ethan Ham, where they were given longbows.
  
• Arctic Troll (Monstrum Eroneus Hyberianus). Found in Hyboria, Arctic regions, glaciers and high mountains. Source: Gaz 10 - The Orcs of Thar
  
• True Troll. These trolls were common at the time of Blackmoor. Source: Dave Arneson: The First Fantasy Campaign.
  
• Gargantua Troll Sometimes mistaken for the Giant Trolls (see above), these rare beings are the creations of the wizard Gargantua. Several of these are found in Norwold. Source: D&D Companion Set (BECMI)
  
• Legacy Troll. These trolls are unique to the Savage Coast. They have been altered through generations of exposure to Vermeil.

Notes:

• On the humorous latin names: These are names given to his subject races by King Thar. I have not created latin names for trolls
  
• On other naming issues: I have added Scandinavian names where appropriate. I also added the names Mountain Troll, Forest Troll and Arctic Troll to those races to create a more unified convention of naming.

Related Creatures:

• Thoul. Different theories exist on the origins of this race, but Troll Blood is most likely involved. Source: D&D Basic Set.
  
• Gnoll. Created by the Nithians, Troll blood was most likely used in the their creation. Sources: D&D Basic Set, Gaz2 Emirates of Ylaruam,
  
• Jotun (Great Giant). These near Immortal Giants may be the true ancestors of all trolls. Source: Gaz 7 The Northern Reaches

Troll Immortals
Most trolls have little interest in Immortals. The only known troll to ever reach Immortality is Bagni Gullymaw, a patron of gluttony. The few Troll Shamans in existence tend to follow Jammudaru instead.


Have I missed any Troll varieties from official sources? Have you added any other Trolls to your campaigns? Are Trow (Sea Trolls) mentioned anywhere wrt Mystara? What are your thoughts on the origins of the Trolls as implied from Gaz7?


-Havard

[RobJN]

Trolls are very different creatures on Thorn's Mystara.

True Trolls were said to be fey, either cursed by the Immortals or perhaps experimented on by the Egg of Coot. As beautiful as common modern trolls are ugly, their appetite -- while just as ravenous -- was *ahem* not for food. :oops:

The Queen of the Twilight Empire used True Troll females as spies, and the males as shock troops during the First Afridhi War. Some time during or shortly after the Great Rain of Fire, one of the last True Trolls staged a coup, usurping the Twilight throne and relocating the capital to the wilds of Grodheim, where she bent the Brunian fey to her will, and then annexed the giant fiefdoms to the north.

Somewhere along the line, the male half of the line began degenerating, and is thought to be the source for all remaining common trolls inhabiting Brun. Some speculate that the Lesser Rain of Fire was the cause for the degeneration, but some legends tell that the process began well before the disaster that formed the Broken Lands.

[Havard]

Nice Rob!

Creative as always!

About True Trolls, Dave Arneson's references to True Trolls seem to come from Chainmail where Trolls were later renamed Ogres, while True Trolls were the regenerating kind from Paul Anderson's novels. Since these Trolls later became the default trolls of D&D, I figured we could keep the True Troll label, but reverse it making True Trolls more similar to Trolls of Norse legends. I could see these being more common in the Blackmoor era.

I added the Legacy Troll which appears in the Savage Coast MCA.

-Havard