Kroll

"The Kroll were a vile and vicious race. Their crimson skin stretched tautly over ropy muscles that wound around their bony frames. As menacing as their razor sharp fangs and claws were, Arama always felt that their most disturbing feature was their eyes. Black and soulless, filled with malevolence and hate..."

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Kroll are humanoid, with brick-red / maroon skin. Their skin has a rough texture and is somewhat translucent, revealing their veins and muscles slightly. They have bat-like wings, large canine fangs and razor sharp talons on both hands & feet.

Biological Traits

The life span of a Kroll is similar to humans at around 80 years, but male Kroll rarely live this long due to the hazards of their warring culture. It is more common for female Kroll to reach these ages as they live their lives inside the colony, tending to the queen and her offspring.

Genetics and Reproduction

Each Kroll colony has a single egg-laying queen. Most of the hatchlings are born male, making up the bulk of the colony's population.

Ecology and Habitats

The Kroll were once semi-nomadic surface dwellers and spread throughout Orballia. The majority of the male population were nomadic military units that roamed the lands in conquest. The fortresses were primarily for the queen and mining / production of goods to supply their armies. Having the advantage of flight, they built their cities and fortresses mostly in the mountains. This provided both a natural tactical advantage and proximity to mining resources.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Kroll have two primary food sources. The first is the wide variety of mushrooms and other fungi that they either forage for or cultivate in their underground kingdoms. They also maintain herds of Lemphids, which they use for both the milk and slaughter for meat.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The Kroll Nation is made up of colonies and sub-colonies, loosely governed by a council of elder representatives from each of those colonies. The colonies themselves are formed around a queen

Facial characteristics

The Kroll have gaunt faces with under-developed noses. Their eyes are solid black, with no discernible iris or pupil. They have pointed front teeth with large canine teeth.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Kroll colonies are in underground caverns, mostly in the mountains.

Average Intelligence

The Kroll have intelligence similar to humans, but are largely uneducated. They see no use in knowing about things that other intelligent species endeavor to learn. The Kroll have both a hieroglyphic writing system and a character-based writing system. The hieroglyphic writing system is mostly used for historical and religious writings and the character-based system is used for day to day written communication and record keeping.

Civilization and Culture

Average Technological Level

In general, the Kroll have attained a technological level equivalent to the Human Iron Age. There is however, a sect of Kroll that have studied Natuu technology for centuries in an effort to appropriate it for their own use. They do not fully understand how the Natuu technology works, but through centuries of experimentation, they have began to understand how to manipulate it to their own ends.

Common Dress Code

Male Kroll dress in loincloths hung from leather belts. Their arms & legs are generally wrapped in leather bands. Chain-mail tunics and crude pauldrons , along with helmets of steel or studded leather are common as well

History

Orballia was once dominated by two races, the Kroll and the Natuu. The Kroll were a nation of nomadic tribes, waging constant war on the Natuu. The Natuu – Kroll wars lasted for centuries, ultimately resulting in the near extinction of both races, eventually allowing humans to rise to become the dominant species on Orballia.
At the end of the war, the remaining Kroll were driven into underground fortresses or cities, where they have remained ever since, re-building their numbers & strength. The Kroll aspire to one day resume their rightful place as the rulers of the surface world.
In the ancient times, the Kroll kept humans as slaves. To control the human population & to prevent uprising, the males were killed or worked to death in the mines, and only the females were kept as slaves.

Scientific Name

Humanoid

Lifespan

Males: 20 - 40 years, Females 60 - 80 years

Average Height

5' - 10"

Average Weight

175 lbs

Average Physique

Lean-muscular and wiry

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Rough textured, crimson colored skin that is semi-translucent.