Troll
| Troll | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creator | Xero |
| Information | |
| Average Height | 180cm-225cm |
| Average Lifespan | 240 years |
| Hair Colours | White, Black, Brown, Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple |
| Eye Colours | Yellow, Red, Blue, Green (Glowing) |
| Skin Colours | Green, Blue, Red |
| Current Leader | Zanchul Apox Kaw'iil |
| Capital | Maximon |
| Continent | Gwynbrenon |
Trolls are jungle-dwelling people who worship the wilds much like their neighbours, the Elves, do. Unfortunately, the two races are often at odds with one another as their methods of worship differ greatly.
In an unchronicled past, the Trolls lived beneath the earth's crust of Gwynbrenon in an ancient city known as Trolkarachan'Khul, a great stone settlement said to span miles across the underground world. Believing themselves as enlightened and absolute, the Trolls walled the city off from outside forces to remain pure and uncorrupt, abandoning even their faith in Gods as for a time they believed themselves higher without a need for worship. Trolkarachan'Khul was perfect, at least in the eyes of its people, as it had everything needed for a society to not only survive but flourish.
For many generations, the Trolls lived in this self-made paradise with later generations growing ignorant of a world existing beyond the walls of their city, some going as far as believing that they floated in empty space. Yet as all good things must come to an end, so did Trolkarachan'Khul face a bitter end. An event chronicled as the Black Cataclysm would occur that would shatter the city into pieces and sink it further underground into the depths all while the ground above heaved and started to collapse, a rain of stone besieging their home. Amidst the chaos, two opposing forces arose in their leadership - Zanchul T'izoc, who's stubborn beliefs led his followers to stay in Trolkarachan'Khul even as it started to disappear into the void of the underdeep; and A'cama, titled "The Lightbringer", who went against T'izoc's word and led those who believed in him out of the city as it grumbled, bringing them above ground.
Following the end to their underground lives, the Troll race spread across Gwynbrenon to begin living in separate but cultured communities led by chieftains, developing mixed and often hostile relations with the Elves who they saw as weak because of their druidic worship. It'll be the year 412, in the wake of tensions with an already united Elven force, that the chieftain of the M'jah tribe, Chan'saw Jah, would gather together the other Troll chieftains and propose the idea of a united Troll empire where they may stand, kin to kin, as one. The proposition would not be well received by the other chieftains, who called Chan'saw a scheming scoundrel who only sought to conquer their tribes in a wicked and secretly manner. Instead of uniting the Trolls, the meeting between chieftains lead to an all-out war between each tribe that would leave them even more decimated than before. Survivors of the tribes present there looked on in horror at the fields of blood and were left with a dilemma - to slay the remainder of their rival tribes; or turn their backs and go their separate ways now. It would be then that a wise Troll hermit by the name of I'tzomon came between the conflicted tribes to speak to them about the greater good, of a time when their race flourished and how only through unity they reach such a pinnacle once more. Those who were willing to listen to I'tzomon would follow him south to a mountain where the soil was fertile.
Through I'tzomon's guidance and the willingness to improve, the town of Maximon was raised and the beginnings of the Xib'alba Empire was formed with a large majority of Trolls going under it's influence, though there existed secluded tribes that continued to live in chiefdoms afterwards. Many of the old kingdom's traditions were recovered through the help of I'tzomon the Historic, who had a fascination for the restoration of ancient Trolkarachan'Khul.
Religion and Culture
The culture of the Trolls is rich with tradition, but what sets them apart is the introduction of a reform to their culture that has taken effect only recently. Known as the Kultura Ri'ki, this movement seeks to forgo the last of the ancient Xib'alban shamanistic traditions that have still remained to this day, including the act of ritual sacrifices, speaking with the dead and even looking into the future through the use of advanced magical techniques. In response to the Kultura Ri'ki, the K’aaba Tux were founded in a direct counter to the abolishment of their peoples' ancient ways. This highly zealous group of Shamans continue to practice the ways of their old, dying culture and seek to convert others into their ways.
Whether Kultura Ri'ki or K'aaba Tux, Trolls are an enlightened people who have always seen research go hand-in-hand with their ways of spiritualism. Since the birth of their race, the Trolls have lived to learn and in doing so learned to live - They are credited for many inventions throughout history some of which are used to this day. They are also highly keen on chronicling everything so that they may fill their ancient libraries with a bounty of knowledge to rival the likes of Dragonhearth.
The Xib'alban Trolls generally do not worship one single deity but rather see the combined force of all gods as a united force of nature as well as the "spirit of everything", known in their tongue as "Tzukut ka'wal".
To the Kultura Ri'ki, knowledge is power and preserving it is vital for the health of a nation. To learn is to live and to live is to learn - that is the mantra that the Kultura Ri'ki go by. They seek to progress Trollkind toward an age of science and prosperity while dismissing those that believe in the fictional and the divine. "To the gods we are nothing, they want us to be something!" Is a justification used by them to abandon useless praying and focus on improving one self. They seek to also distance themselves from the use of magic, believing that they could evolve only when they do not use external powers never meant for them to begin with. They are against the preservation of nature and take on a more active role in hunting previously sacred animals as well as creating hostilities with the Drakes of Gwynbrenon, driving a stake between them and Dragonkind as a whole.
To the K'aaba Tux, the divine is absolute and to revere the force of nature is survival. Seek the knowledge of the past to know the future - while similar to the ideals of Kultura Ri'ki, it is done differently by the K'aaba Tux as they rely entirely on Shamanism and magic to preserve their info and live on. They surrender themselves to the will of the divine and use magic to commune with the dead to gain information out of them as well as study the primordial spirits of nature to feel what is transpiring. They employ beliefs very similar to that of Druidism including finding harmony with the wilds and learning how to live as one with the untamed beast.
Society and its Structure
The empire of the Trolls is known as Xib'alba and they are led by a figure known as a Zanchul, a title much like King or Emperor. Underneath the Zanchul are the Kamankil, a sort of council of spiritualists and researchers that advise the Zanchul in the continued development of the nation. Up until the Kultura Ri'ki movement, a Zanchul was chosen whenever the previous Zanchul would die in a challenge for the crown. This would lead to countless eager contenders raising their sword up at the Zanchul in order to challenge him or her to a duel to the death, leading to many unnecessary deaths and constant changes to power.
The Kultura Ri'ki would do away with this and instead introduce a peaceful means of choosing a Zanchul through a process known as "Tuukultal", where individual Trolls can make attempts to sway the people to their side and become more influential than the current Zanchul. This process is tracked by settlement and even by districts within those settlements, counting the majority of a people's choice continuously until a rightful ruler is chosen at the peek of autumn: the end of the second month in that season.
As was mentioned previously, the Xib'alban empire is currently going through a process of reform which has split the kingdom to two sides: Kultura Ri'ki and K'aaba Tux. The majority side with Kultura Ri'ki and less and less have started to see themselves with K'aaba Tux, resulting in the kingdom becoming less spiritual and more academic. Some see it as development, others see it as going out of balance, a third see it as abandoning faith.
Racial Traits
Enriched Education - The Trolls have a rich culture in immortalising their knowledge into parchment, which is then taught to their young. All Trolls have access to greater education in their lives and have a natural affinity towards the study of History.
Legacy of the Ancestors - With a connection to the cycle of life and death, Trolls can more easily commune with spirits for information.
Marshwalker - Troll feet are built for treading harsh environments, allowing them to move through more difficult terrain with ease.
Jungle Affinity - Trolls are skilled hunters and have a natural talent for camouflage and tracking.
Rapid Regeneration - Trollkind is blessed with intensified natural healing over time. They may also enjoy a greater boost in energy and healing when consuming fruit.
Physical Appearance and Behavior
Trolls are large humanoid figures with notably long, curved tusks and ears. Their hands have three fingers and their feet have two toes. Their skin colours range between blue and green and their hair takes on flashy and vivid hues that make them stand out.
