The Trolls

The Trolls (or the "Jatte") are a race of larger, stronger people who prefer a nomadic existence, roaming the plains and marches that make up the majority of central Southern Valoris. Unlike the Empire and the Shifters, the Troll tribe was not forged after a particular conflict, which is curious, given how much the Trolls enjoy a good fight.

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Fighting is a key part of the Troll culture, though rarely is it out of anger. Trolls will often refer to past conflicts the way some might recall a sporting match, and it is not uncommon to see two Trolls punching each other suddenly stop, shake hands, and go to find refreshments.

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Despite their penchant for violence, the Trolls are incredibly laid-back and difficult to provoke. Their laid-back nature is part of what led other cultures to refer to them as ‘trolls’ as it is commonly mistaken for a lack of intellectual acumen. However, Trolls are intensely curious about the world and are the most likely tribe to be spotted visiting other tribes’ settlements.

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If one were to make the mistake of successfully upsetting the Trolls, they would find themselves on the wrong end of a group of particularly voracious fighters. However, while the Trolls are fearsome warriors, they are not barbarians, and remain at all times willing to discuss an opponent’s surrender.

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Many in Valoris believe the Trolls to be a godless tribe. Nomadic as they are, there are no alters or shrines that one might find to understand their beliefs. The Trolls do believe in a higher power, however they are comfortable that there is little accessible evidence of who or what this power might be. Rather than obsessively try to understand what they consider to be incomprehensible in this life, they are comfortable that they may find out after they die, and that therefore their focus should be on living this life as well as they can.

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An overriding belief for the Trolls is that whatever or whoever created the world did so with the intent that the creatures within it should enjoy it, and so to not be present and appreciate what has been given is an insult to the powers that be—their term for whatever ‘god’ is. The Trolls do have myths and parables that are told to around the fire and passed down through the generations. They do not necessarily believe them to be fact, and understand that time and interpretations will alter them along the way, but they are comfortable with that. 

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The Trolls are not as numerous as the Empire, nor do they have a seemingly impenetrable city ringed with stone walls, however when attacked by the Mind Controllers, they held their own. The Trolls are proud of their performance against a numerically superior foe, and when the topic is raised will remind anyone listening that they forced the Controllers to withdraw relatively swiftly.

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Unflappable as the Trolls seem to be, they appear to be tolerating the Empire’s annexations the best. The First Annexation barely registered but for the visiting Empire soldiers who followed them around the plains. The Trolls welcomed and befriended the soldiers to the point that most disobeyed orders and remained to fight the Controllers with the Trolls. 

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The Second Annexation has been more difficult for the Trolls as the Empire constructed a permanent settlement and has forced them to remain there, abandoning their nomadic ways. Though bothersome, the Trolls are not challenging the imposition, and are therefore faring better than the Shifters of Ravenswood Forest.

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The Empire has collared some of the more powerful Trolls, whose magic increases their strength, but Trolls’ baseline strength exceeds the strongest of most other tribes. If the Trolls chose to oppose the annexation, they would likely succeed. It is unclear why they are not fighting back, other than their extreme levels of tolerance.