Trolls

Trolls are wise and thoughtful, forever wandering the land and letting fate lead them where it will. They are one of the Old Races which traveled to The Highlands after The Continental War, and the population of Trolls here have since developed their own cultural identity from past Trolls.

Physical Traits
Trolls tend to be stocky and muscular, and often plump as well. All Trolls have a large pair of horns or antlers on their heads, which are usually decorated according to traditional Troll hair styling. Trolls from northern regions often have large, moose-like antlers or curled horns, while southern Troll’s antlers come in a wide variety of shapes, long and twisted, or slender, curled antlers, and many more. Trolls have digitigrade legs with hooved feet, and long, tufted tails. Their fur varies in length depending on climate and placement on the body, and covers the whole body save the lips and nose. Fur ranges in color from dark brown to cream, with black, gray, and especially white Trolls being a rare sight. Pure white Trolls are considered extremely unlucky, omens of death, and parents often abandon their white offspring soon after birth.

Troll’s fur is often patterned with spots, patches, or stripes, or solid colored. Young Trolls are born with many white spots all over their body, which fade once their soft baby fur is shed. Occasionally, these spots will remain into adulthood as the Troll’s adult pattern. These Trolls are revered, as they are said to live long and youthful lives. They are, however, also teased for being childish and immature well into adulthood.

A Troll’s eyes can be nearly any color of the rainbow, including pure black to pale silver. A Troll’s eyes are never pure white (unless they have cataracts). They shimmer and shift in the light, almost appearing to glow.

Abilities
Average timeline of a Troll's life:

1 - 50 childhood and adolescence, 50 - 500 adulthood, 500 - 650 old age.

Trolls have decent monochrome night vision, and acute senses of smell and hearing. Due to their large size, they are very physically strong, especially their legs. They can walk seemingly forever without tiring, and can comfortably go a few days without food or drink, through they prefer to eat large quantities to sustain their large size and near constant walking. All Trolls are generally adept at some form of combat, and are quite formidable in battle due to their size and strength.

Trolls have exceptional memories, though may seem forgetful to other races, as it may take a moment for them to remember something in particular, having so many thoughts to sort through.

Troll Hairstyles
All Trolls are exceptionally hairy, regardless of gender. Beards and sideburns are a common sight for even female Trolls, as well as bushy eyebrows and long lashes. Most Trolls grow out the hair on their heads (which can be straight, curly, or coiled) into long manes, braiding and weaving in objects such as beads, bangles, flowers, feathers, and shells. Trolls will also pierce and adorn their faces with these ornaments as well. A Troll's hairstyle is unique to the individual, and while a Troll may make slight variations occasionally, they will not drastically change their hairstyle unless to accommodate a new treasure. A lineage of Trolls will also often include a certain feature, like a specially placed braid or weaving pattern into their hairstyle that the family will share, and pass down this feature to their children.

These hairstyles are not without meaning, as Trolls are a wandering race, and the objects in a Troll’s hair signify the journey they’ve been on. Rarer or more exotic objects show a Troll’s great travels, and these Trolls are considered very wise and respected. An adult Troll without ornate hair is likely to be quietly judged among a community of Trolls. In Troll culture, a Troll will only ever cut or shave their hair when they are grieving or starting anew, these Trolls are given distance and curt respect, and never asked the reason.

Of course there is a movement of young Trolls who do not subscribe to the traditional hair customs, and cut, style, and dye their hair as they please. But even they still hesitate to cut their hair short as not to appropriate the meaning of short hair.

Culture
Trolls value knowledge and learning above all else, and in general hold little value for physical belongings save the ornaments in their hair. They trade interesting information as if it were currency, and only use other race's coin for their travels or to buy ornaments for their hair. They are an agreeable and friendly race, and despise all kinds of conflict unless absolutely necessary.

Troll Wandering
Trolls travel with their parents until they are 20-30 years old, and then may leave their parent's side to begin their wandering. A Troll's wandering is crucial to their life and culture, a Troll who never wandered is simply unheard of. In their wandering, Trolls are encouraged to travel the world independently, experiencing as much as possible, meeting new and different people, seeing many things, and acquiring a vast knowledge of the world. They learn the many languages, cultures, and customs of all the other races, as well as the geography and ecology of the lands they travel to. Most of what they learn they simply remember, but a forgetful Troll may carry a journal to log their travels. It is not uncommon for a Troll to have explored every continent, although many Trolls are hesitant to cross large oceans.

Trolls are revered by other races for their knowledge, and often make a living on their travels by giving information, telling stories, selling wares, or acting as a guide. If an older Troll becomes attached to a particular place (which only ever happens due to external influences), they may settle in one spot or travel in a smaller area, but will always live with that instinctual wanderlust. It is quite normal for a settled Troll to leave their home to journey again, leaving for months, sometimes years, before coming back. But many Trolls wander for their entire lives, always remembering their homeland, but may only return to it once or twice in their lifetime.

Family and Relations
Trolls are a very solitary race, preferring the company of other races to their own. If two or more Trolls meet while wandering, they may wander together for some time, but usually only long enough to raise a child or two before parents separate to wander on their own again. Trolls always raise their children while wandering, and a parent may wander with their child even after they have separated from their partner(s). While Trolls parents may separate from each other and their children, siblings often remain very close, and are usually the only other of their race a Troll may be close to. It is common for Trolls to have a family gathering every 50 years or so, so new family members may meet others and learn their family history. Many Trolls, however, never meet their extended family, or only once or twice in their lifetime.

While Trolls do maintain some connection to their blood relatives, they usually prefer a found family of other races, and are often far closer to these family members than they are to their relatives. While Trolls primarily befriend other races, they will occasionally befriend another Troll, and even more rarely include them in their found family.

Naming Conventions
Troll's names are derived from Latin, particularly Latin words describing nature. Trolls are usually named after the genus or species names of members of Kingdoms Plantae and Fungi, meaning plants, fungi, and rarely alga. Trolls who are close to family or from noble lines use surnames, but it is common for Trolls to have only a first name.
 * A Troll could be named after the genus of fungi Amanita
 * Named after Lavender, Lavandula
 * Named after Coastal Redwoods, Sequoia
 * Named after Maidenhair ferns, Adiantum, shortened to Adia or Adian
 * Named after Willow trees, Salix
 * Named after Prayer plants, Maranta

Religion
Trolls practice a polytheistic religion, worshiping deities from other race's religions, but primarily worship the deity Vitamorae. Because Vitamorae is a deity of both life and death, Trolls view life and death as connected in a cyclic way, and do not believe they, the world, or anything, was suddenly created, but rather has existed for all eternity, and slowly evolved to become how they appear today. Trolls believe after their current life is over, they will be reincarnated as another organism, be it a plant or animal.

Besides Vitamorae, Trolls are encouraged adopt the religions of other races as they travel. Whether they fully adopt another religion, worship a few other deities, or only adopt a few practices, a Troll will always acknowledge Vitamorae and honor them alongside other deities.

Culinary Traditions
Trolls are omnivorous, and have very few culinary traditions. Most of their food is kept dried and preserved for traveling, or adopted from other cultures, but Trolls do have one specialty. Nux Bread, a fluffy flatbread baked on a campfire stone, usually containing nuts. Sweet or savory, spicy or plain, it serves as a vessel for many preserved foods a Troll may eat on their travels.

Presentation
Trolls don't personally see the need to wear any clothing, unless they are a short-haired Troll travelling in a cold environment. But Trolls often put on a skirt or loincloth at least for the comfort of other races. They may sometimes also wear a scarf or shawl by choice.

Hygiene? What’s that? The extent of an average Troll's monthly cleaning routine is combing and restyling their hair, while an especially clean Troll’s routine is washing their hair, and maybe changing whatever clothes they might be wearing, but not much else. Trolls typically smell like fur, dirt, and sweat, usually ranging between bearable to hard to be around.

History
No one really knows where Trolls originated, as they have been wandering the world for as long as anyone can remember.

Troll Reference Sheet
Examples of average hairstyles on Trolls