Mud Troll

Rising from bubbling muck and mire is the mammoth menace of the mud troll. A titan of the tar pits, it stands at a colossal seven feet and tips the scales at a stupendous 400 pounds. This formidable foe isn’t the average woodland beast like a talonbear, but a monstrous marauder, shaped from mud, slime, and churning tar. A leviathan of sludge and gravel that exudes an unsettling aura of danger.

Imposing limbs end in savage, stone-like claws. It’s body a daunting fortress of muddy resilience. On its square head likes a near-featureless face. But under its glowing, murderous red eyes sits a jaw of juggernaut proportions. One armed to the teeth with rocky fang-like fixtures eager to rend and tear.

This menace fears little, as most any attack from sword to bow might get wedged in the muck of the troll’s trudging torso. A perilous trap and sticky situation for even the most cunning adventurer.

But these beasts aren’t invulnerable, because they do have a weak spot. Their damp domain gives them quite the edge, allowing them some watery protection from fire. As for water, that element with earth fuels their murderous might. What can stop a mud troll in its tracks is cold.

Once this marauding monster is hit with an intense blast of cold, be it weapon or spell, the effect is instant. The troll freezes in place while its muddy body freezes to the very core. Turned into a solid frozen statue of mud and ice.

Mud Sweet Home

These grimy giants prefer to steer clear of civilization. Instead, they make their homes deep in the dank seclusion of swamps, damp ruins, and murky marshes. But, when hunger takes hold, these beasts will leave their soggy territories to seek a fresh feast. Once such as tender and juicy inhabitants of quaint little towns, nearby farms, and even cities.

Slipping between sewer and shadow, they pluck their next meal from unsuspecting locals. Even the occasional adventurer is not safe from the mud troll’s insatiable hunger. A fearsome reminder that death and danger are never more than the next corner, ruin, or mud puddle away.

Sludge and the Social Troll

Mighty mud trolls are solitary by nature and prefer their isolated marshlands and swamps to the dynamic bustle of the city. But these gruesome goliaths aren’t entirely antisocial. During times of plenty, mud trolls are known to form loose alliances, called ‘quagmires’. For them, this is a crude community where the stronger mud trolls dominate and rule over their weaker counterparts.

Hierarchy in these quagmires is based on brute strength and size. The more formidable the troll, the higher its standing in the community. The top troll, called a ‘Mud Monarch’, gets first pick of any hunting spoils and the choicest muddy mire to wallow in. They also have the privilege of challenging any other Mud Monarch to a duel. Winner gets the loser’s territory.

Mud Troll by Profesone

Type

Monstrous humanoid

Environment

Swamps and marshes

Lifespan

Unknown

Average Height

7 to 7.5 feet tall

Average Weight

average 400 lbs

Geographic Distribution

Any Voidrealm world such as:

Netherwarren

Earth

Sow Terra

A Way With Words

These brutes may not look it, but they are quite the talkative beast. Mud Trolls communicate through a series of grunts and growls, punctuated with the occasional mud-slinging. Which all together forms a rudimentary language that is as guttural and coarse as the trolls themselves.

But don’t be fooled by their lack of traditional or sophisticated interactions. There’s more to this murky monster than meets the eye. Mud trolls do follow a rough code of conduct for their community. Lawbreakers who steal food or territory are handed swift, muck-laden justice. In the worst case, those lawbreakers are tossed out of the quagmire. Left to slog out in the world on their own for their crimes.