Troll
Known for: Being so big, you guys. Just huge. And horns.
by Daniel, Bear shaman "You may have wondered how this essay would read. Maybe you expected something like, “PLEEZ LIKE US TROLLS. US R GOOD.” Sorry, folks. Being a troll doesn’t make me brain-dead, no matter what lots of other people think. If trolls were really as dumb as we’re made out to be, there wouldn’t be too many troll runners. We’d all be dead of our own idiocy by now. Most people equate size with stupidity, and assume trolls are dumb because we’re big. Centuries of comedy in which the clever little weakling outwitted the big, strong guy have primed people to have low expectations of trolls. Another factor in the dumb-as-a-plascrete-wall image is probably our teeth. Trolls have tusks, like orks, and our other teeth are shaped differently. This leads to speech that sounds flat, uninflected, and therefore “stupid” to the ears of humans and others. Most trolls who speak in a way humans find pleasing have bought their acceptance with extensive dental work. Our size poses other problems as well. Trolls often find everyday life uncomfortable, physically and socially. Everything is built for much smaller people; we don’t fit in spaces like small automobiles or compartments in coffin hotels. We can’t squeeze into most standard chairs and Shadowrun, Third Edition 51 desks, which is why so few of us take office jobs. In many areas, troll children can’t even go to the local school. Socially speaking, most people’s reaction on first meeting a troll is, “Please don’t beat me up!” Actually, we’re less likely to be violent than most other races; our size is enough to make people leave us alone rather than fight. We’ve been lucky enough to escape the worst of the scapegoating, however, most likely because we’re still pretty rare. There are a lot more orks to hate than there are trolls. Not that trolls don’t face bigotry. More of us live in the wilderness than in cities, partly because the wide-open spaces give us breathing room, but also because of prejudice and suspicion. Finding a landlord who’ll rent to us is quite an accomplishment, let alone one who won’t insist on twice the usual security deposit because he’s sure our weight will damage the floors. And even if we do find such a person, many residences are just too small to accommodate a troll family. Wilderness trolls have developed a cultural identity—a rough, primitive way of life vaguely analogous to the back-to-the-land tribal lifestyle popular with some elves. Some urban humans romanticize this vision of trolls, which hasn’t helped the average city troll with dreams of simple acceptance into general society. Your average urban troll makes his living at a job that requires heavy lifting or muscle—for example, bouncer at your local bar. Plenty of others have been lured into organized crime, where they can finally get some respect as the toughest enforcers in the business. Trolls who turn the “big, dumb trog” stereotype on its ear often overcompensate, becoming over-refined in an effort to avoid seeming troll-like. Comedians nowadays get a lot of mileage out of a troll handling a delicate teacup or arrayed in fine evening wear. But I guess I’d rather see that than yet another variation on the big dimwit being hornswoggled by the skinny guy."
Troll Culture
When I hear people say trolls are uncultured, I don’t hear it as the derogatory slight they are often intending. Instead, I hear that trolls, as a metatype, lack a culture. That truth is hard to deny. As the least numerous of the metatypes and the most disproportionate from the original model, they struggle to find a place just to fit in, let alone develop a culture. If anything, segregation, struggle, strife, and separation are the foundations of the culture they have managed to develop in most areas. Trolls have, in some ways, been pushed to the edges of society, but they’ve also done some walking there all on their own. When the world does not fit you, literally and figuratively, and you do not have the means to change the world, you move on and keep looking for a place that works.HOW TROLLS FIT INTO SOCIETY
They don’t. It is that simple. Society may tolerate them, and you’ll see some working as janitors, dock workers, or security goons, but for the most part trolls exist on the edge, or even completely outside, of the world’s societies. A few exceptional individuals have made it up the social ladder, but that is definitely the exception rather than the rule. Fitting in anywhere is a daily struggle that constantly reminds trolls of their outsider status. When they have a chance to set up their own society, it is usually chaotic and the principle of might makes right tends to play a large role in how their society functions. This is not to say that their society is more violent than other societies, as most encounters are more about the various parties involved sizing each other up rather than engaging in actual combat.Basic Information
Biological Traits
Some trolls have skin tones reminiscent of stone; most often gray but sometimes more exotic geological colors. Their skin may sometimes have a craggy texture to match.
Genetics and Reproduction
Trolls arrive at puberty between 8.5 and 10 years old and grow to maturity by 11-15.
CHARACTERS AND TROLL CULTURE
Playing the big dumb troll is typical, but so is playing the smart troll. Being a troll isn’t really about intelligence—it’s about isolation. Try to play up the fact that you really don’t fit into other people’s vehicles and that the world just isn’t built for you. Depression would be common, along with anger at the world for not fitting and being too small or delicate for you. One thing you can do when playing a troll is ask the gamemaster not to give you the oversized glass of soybeer; instead tell him you’d rather it was made a point that you’re forced to drink regular-size glasses, which look like kids’ cups in your hands, and cost you a fortune to drink enough. Gamemasters, remember the world doesn’t adjust for the large-and-ungainly five percent, unless they have money. Which is not the case for most trolls.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments