01-05-2009, 07:21 PM
Trolls in general:
Trolls average seven feet in height and two hundred pounds in weight, save for two tribes, the Drakkari and the Zandalari, who tend to be somewhat larger than their kindred. Trolls are tall, lanky, and muscular. They have both elven and orcish characteristics with their fierce fangs and long ears. Their long arms, strong legs and quick reflexes are perfectly made for hunting. Like those of the tauren, troll hands have only two fingers and a thumb, and they have only two toes on each foot. Also like the tauren, trolls do not wear standard shoes or boots, although while tauren are unable to do so because of the shape of their hooves, it seems trolls are simply more comfortable barefoot. The forest trolls' bodies can support plant life to a limited extent due to a mutation that took place many millennia ago. A thin layer of moss will inevitably grow on the skin of a forest troll shortly after they are born, giving them their characteristic green coloring. Their moss-like skin color ranges from light green to blue and purple. However, the jungle trolls' bodies are covered in a short, soft fur which cause the trolls to appear purple or gray. Although enough physical damage will kill them, trolls can regenerate lost limbs and heal grievous physical injuries at an accelerated rate making them formidable adversaries on the field of battle: anything that does not outright kill them, they can recover from, in time of course. Jungle trolls vary in skin tones that actually make them look alike to many ice and forest trolls.
Ice trolls are a subspecies of troll that lives in cold climates. They have angular features, bright blue eyes, and mottled blue-white skin covered in hides and pelts. Ice trolls are generally evil and like most trolls, they are fierce protectors of their homes and may attack travelers to gain weapons, materials, clothing and food. They openly (unlike many Darkspear trolls) practice cannibalism and sometimes eat their slain enemies raw. Like their evil forest troll cousins, ice trolls revel in carnage and wickedness. Driven into the desolate wastes of Northrend in ancient times, the ice trolls carved out a meager society for themselves amongst the cold stone and lifeless plains. There are many Ice troll mercenaries in the world, most employed by Goblins, other neutral parties and the Horde.
Forest trolls. As their name suggests, these trolls are found in forests - at least, forests not dominated by elves or other humanoid species. Some forest trolls are jealous of their jungle and ice kin, as these forest trolls have never known the glories of their own kingdom. Forest trolls hold all other races in contempt-especially high elves, whom they consider the despoilers of their ancient homeland. (The civilization of the forest trolls of Lordaeron predates that of the high elves by several thousand years.) They will only work with others if it means the elimination of an even more hated enemy. They allied with the Horde during the Second War in this manner, abandoning the orcs after their defeat. Forest trolls have an actually large number of merceneries in thier ranks, most only do business with the Horde, Goblins and other neutral parties.
Sand Trolls. Today, they bear little resemblance to the jungle trolls of their lineage. As an example, they have coarse, cracked, tough, gold or brown skin. The brown-skinned trolls have tough hides, able to withstand the driving sands of the desert winds Much else about the Sand trolls is a mystery, but all of thier race come from Southern Kalimdor in the desert lands of, Tanaris, Sithilus, Thousand Needles and occasionally Desolace. Sand trolls by far are almost never seen outside of the ranks of thier people and very few would leave thier lands, this is because they are very xenophobic, moreso than other trolls.
Dark Trolls. Dark trolls (aka dark forest trolls) are the largest and rarest known species of trollkind. Though they can be found nearly anywhere, they prefer darkness to daylight. Their tribes dwell mostly underground, emerging at night to hunt. Dark trolls have a tribal structure, in which physical power and cunning are held in great esteem. Tribal shamans offer spiritual guidance and divine magic when necessary. This is similar - but far more primitive - in social structure to Jungle trolls, the most civilized of troll kind. They practice voodoo, ritual sacrifices and even occasional cannibalism. Dark trolls are possibly the most violent of all troll species and are feared even among their own kind. According to scattered reports, dark trolls have gray to black skin and lead a mostly subterranean existence. Alleged sightings of dark trolls usually involve hulking and brutish creatures who attack with little tactical planning or coordinated effort. Thus, it has been theorized that dark trolls are much less intelligent than other trolls. Very little overall though is known about the Dark Trolls. Almost no Dark Trolls are even seen, so it is easy to assume they are not affiliated with anyone but themselves at the moment.
Vodoo
Some scholars view voodoo as a type of animism, and to an extent that theory is true. The trolls' religion takes a decidedly different dark bent than the shamanistic beliefs of the orcs and tauren, though. Trolls have a complex belief system involving malign spirits and their effect on the world, but no scholar has established what is truth and what is simply long-held belief. The Darkspear trolls come from a dark and bloodthirsty history of sacrifice, cannibalism and black magic. They consider spirits to be individuals much like living creatures. Spirits are greedy, hostile and dangerous. Trolls also believe their ancestors linger on as jealous spirits who miss the land of the living and require blood sacrifices to appease them. Trolls sacrifice and eat their enemies.
They conduct these practices for two reasons. First, they believe the sacrifice of sentient creatures appeases malicious spirits. Second, they believe that after death, an enemy's spirit can visit misfortune on its killer. By consuming the flesh of their enemies, trolls believe they can also consume their enemy's spirit, or at least damage it enough to render it impotent. Witch doctors hold an important position in troll society. Trolls respect their witch doctors as the wisest and most powerful tribe members, and show them courtesy and deference. Trolls are superstitious. They see bad omens everywhere and rely on witch doctors to interpret and excorise these omens. Witch doctors govern success or failure in battle almost more than the warriors do; trolls believe that a witch doctor who reads the portents correctly and conducts the proper rituals can guarantee success in any endeavor.
Until Thrall's involvement with the Darkspear trolls, only male trolls became witch doctors. Female trolls have since seen the equality other Horde women possess and crave their own emancipation. Despite their efforts, few female witch doctors exist, and those who attempt to take on the role of tribal witch doctor meet with much derision and resistance. Trolls call female witch doctors “zufli,†a corruption of the voodoo master prefix “zul.†“Zufli†is a derogatory term and literally means “baby witch,†but some females have taken on the title as a mark of pride.
Supposedly, upon his death, an enemy's spirit lingers in his body for a short time. Then the spirit flees the corpse and is free to wreak havoc and revenge on its killer. Troll witch doctors believe that a fallen enemy's spirit lairs in the corpse's head before fleeing the body. Trolls who wish to trap enemy spirits often turn to head-shrinking. To shrink a head, a troll first decapitates his fallen enemy. Then he makes a slit up the back of the head and carefully removes the skull (which he saves or discards). The troll then sews up the incision and boils the head for two hours to shrink. The troll uses scalding hot rocks and sand to fill the head cavity and shrink the head further. When the head is fistsized and rubbery, the troll sews up the eyes, mouth, and neck with elaborate stitching. The enemy spirit now remains trapped inside the head forever.
A note on Cannibalism.
Most trolls seem to practice cannibalism. Several specific troll tribes have been confirmed as cannibalistic, including the Mossflayer and Vilebranch tribes. Furthermore, all of the currently known tribes of ice trolls practice cannibalism. Sand trolls, forest trolls, and jungle trolls are also frequently cannibalistic, though not always. Even the mysterious dark trolls are believed to be cannibals for the most part. Yet there are several notable exceptions. For example, the Zandalar and Revantusk tribes do not consume troll flesh. The Darkspear tribe, too, was cannibalistic until it joined the Horde, at which point the Darkspears officially gave up cannibalism. :": Note that, some Darkspears still practice Cannibilism as it is a mark of thier past.
When Roleplaying troll, some things are good to take into consideration.
The big one though... Even though Blood Elves joined the Horde, many Darkspears still loathe for the elven people, and would much rather kill them than befriend them. All trolls have a deep blood fueled hatred for all Elven kind, as they and the elves are two of the most ancient races on Azeroth, they fought massive wars against the elven peoples.
Most trolls still show respect for other trolls, believing still that the troll grand empire was great when unified, they still attempt peacful ties (At least less internal fighting) in order to keep themselves unified. Tribes such as the Vilebranch, Mossflayer, Bloodscalp and Skullsplitter are major exceptions to this and strive for inter tribal war at all times.
It isnt shown in WoW openly, but Forest Troll, Sand Troll, Ice Troll and Jungle Troll languages vary by small amounts, accents in Ice Trolls for instance have a slight tone of germanic tied in, this changes the exact placement of some words. Other differences are in say, the Forest Troll language, even though very primitive, Forest Trolls actually have two more vowls in thier variation which opens the language to be more open to different tongues, they add in "ae"(a-eh) and "oe"(oh-e) as primary additions to much of thier language.
I do not know which guild on this server as of yet practicies a lot of necromancy, and I heard it is mainly troll, that is actually very accurate as of now. Vodoo magic has given a new twist on undeath that isnt controlled by the Forsaken or Scourge, the "Bad Juju" as many trolls refer to it as, is actually advanced forms of mummification that given sentience back to the body through spirit binding.
I hope you guys like this, I love trolls so I thought it would be a good idea to help out with questions about troll cultural aspects and even speech patterns if anyone has questions.
Trolls average seven feet in height and two hundred pounds in weight, save for two tribes, the Drakkari and the Zandalari, who tend to be somewhat larger than their kindred. Trolls are tall, lanky, and muscular. They have both elven and orcish characteristics with their fierce fangs and long ears. Their long arms, strong legs and quick reflexes are perfectly made for hunting. Like those of the tauren, troll hands have only two fingers and a thumb, and they have only two toes on each foot. Also like the tauren, trolls do not wear standard shoes or boots, although while tauren are unable to do so because of the shape of their hooves, it seems trolls are simply more comfortable barefoot. The forest trolls' bodies can support plant life to a limited extent due to a mutation that took place many millennia ago. A thin layer of moss will inevitably grow on the skin of a forest troll shortly after they are born, giving them their characteristic green coloring. Their moss-like skin color ranges from light green to blue and purple. However, the jungle trolls' bodies are covered in a short, soft fur which cause the trolls to appear purple or gray. Although enough physical damage will kill them, trolls can regenerate lost limbs and heal grievous physical injuries at an accelerated rate making them formidable adversaries on the field of battle: anything that does not outright kill them, they can recover from, in time of course. Jungle trolls vary in skin tones that actually make them look alike to many ice and forest trolls.
Ice trolls are a subspecies of troll that lives in cold climates. They have angular features, bright blue eyes, and mottled blue-white skin covered in hides and pelts. Ice trolls are generally evil and like most trolls, they are fierce protectors of their homes and may attack travelers to gain weapons, materials, clothing and food. They openly (unlike many Darkspear trolls) practice cannibalism and sometimes eat their slain enemies raw. Like their evil forest troll cousins, ice trolls revel in carnage and wickedness. Driven into the desolate wastes of Northrend in ancient times, the ice trolls carved out a meager society for themselves amongst the cold stone and lifeless plains. There are many Ice troll mercenaries in the world, most employed by Goblins, other neutral parties and the Horde.
Forest trolls. As their name suggests, these trolls are found in forests - at least, forests not dominated by elves or other humanoid species. Some forest trolls are jealous of their jungle and ice kin, as these forest trolls have never known the glories of their own kingdom. Forest trolls hold all other races in contempt-especially high elves, whom they consider the despoilers of their ancient homeland. (The civilization of the forest trolls of Lordaeron predates that of the high elves by several thousand years.) They will only work with others if it means the elimination of an even more hated enemy. They allied with the Horde during the Second War in this manner, abandoning the orcs after their defeat. Forest trolls have an actually large number of merceneries in thier ranks, most only do business with the Horde, Goblins and other neutral parties.
Sand Trolls. Today, they bear little resemblance to the jungle trolls of their lineage. As an example, they have coarse, cracked, tough, gold or brown skin. The brown-skinned trolls have tough hides, able to withstand the driving sands of the desert winds Much else about the Sand trolls is a mystery, but all of thier race come from Southern Kalimdor in the desert lands of, Tanaris, Sithilus, Thousand Needles and occasionally Desolace. Sand trolls by far are almost never seen outside of the ranks of thier people and very few would leave thier lands, this is because they are very xenophobic, moreso than other trolls.
Dark Trolls. Dark trolls (aka dark forest trolls) are the largest and rarest known species of trollkind. Though they can be found nearly anywhere, they prefer darkness to daylight. Their tribes dwell mostly underground, emerging at night to hunt. Dark trolls have a tribal structure, in which physical power and cunning are held in great esteem. Tribal shamans offer spiritual guidance and divine magic when necessary. This is similar - but far more primitive - in social structure to Jungle trolls, the most civilized of troll kind. They practice voodoo, ritual sacrifices and even occasional cannibalism. Dark trolls are possibly the most violent of all troll species and are feared even among their own kind. According to scattered reports, dark trolls have gray to black skin and lead a mostly subterranean existence. Alleged sightings of dark trolls usually involve hulking and brutish creatures who attack with little tactical planning or coordinated effort. Thus, it has been theorized that dark trolls are much less intelligent than other trolls. Very little overall though is known about the Dark Trolls. Almost no Dark Trolls are even seen, so it is easy to assume they are not affiliated with anyone but themselves at the moment.
Vodoo
Some scholars view voodoo as a type of animism, and to an extent that theory is true. The trolls' religion takes a decidedly different dark bent than the shamanistic beliefs of the orcs and tauren, though. Trolls have a complex belief system involving malign spirits and their effect on the world, but no scholar has established what is truth and what is simply long-held belief. The Darkspear trolls come from a dark and bloodthirsty history of sacrifice, cannibalism and black magic. They consider spirits to be individuals much like living creatures. Spirits are greedy, hostile and dangerous. Trolls also believe their ancestors linger on as jealous spirits who miss the land of the living and require blood sacrifices to appease them. Trolls sacrifice and eat their enemies.
They conduct these practices for two reasons. First, they believe the sacrifice of sentient creatures appeases malicious spirits. Second, they believe that after death, an enemy's spirit can visit misfortune on its killer. By consuming the flesh of their enemies, trolls believe they can also consume their enemy's spirit, or at least damage it enough to render it impotent. Witch doctors hold an important position in troll society. Trolls respect their witch doctors as the wisest and most powerful tribe members, and show them courtesy and deference. Trolls are superstitious. They see bad omens everywhere and rely on witch doctors to interpret and excorise these omens. Witch doctors govern success or failure in battle almost more than the warriors do; trolls believe that a witch doctor who reads the portents correctly and conducts the proper rituals can guarantee success in any endeavor.
Until Thrall's involvement with the Darkspear trolls, only male trolls became witch doctors. Female trolls have since seen the equality other Horde women possess and crave their own emancipation. Despite their efforts, few female witch doctors exist, and those who attempt to take on the role of tribal witch doctor meet with much derision and resistance. Trolls call female witch doctors “zufli,†a corruption of the voodoo master prefix “zul.†“Zufli†is a derogatory term and literally means “baby witch,†but some females have taken on the title as a mark of pride.
Supposedly, upon his death, an enemy's spirit lingers in his body for a short time. Then the spirit flees the corpse and is free to wreak havoc and revenge on its killer. Troll witch doctors believe that a fallen enemy's spirit lairs in the corpse's head before fleeing the body. Trolls who wish to trap enemy spirits often turn to head-shrinking. To shrink a head, a troll first decapitates his fallen enemy. Then he makes a slit up the back of the head and carefully removes the skull (which he saves or discards). The troll then sews up the incision and boils the head for two hours to shrink. The troll uses scalding hot rocks and sand to fill the head cavity and shrink the head further. When the head is fistsized and rubbery, the troll sews up the eyes, mouth, and neck with elaborate stitching. The enemy spirit now remains trapped inside the head forever.
A note on Cannibalism.
Most trolls seem to practice cannibalism. Several specific troll tribes have been confirmed as cannibalistic, including the Mossflayer and Vilebranch tribes. Furthermore, all of the currently known tribes of ice trolls practice cannibalism. Sand trolls, forest trolls, and jungle trolls are also frequently cannibalistic, though not always. Even the mysterious dark trolls are believed to be cannibals for the most part. Yet there are several notable exceptions. For example, the Zandalar and Revantusk tribes do not consume troll flesh. The Darkspear tribe, too, was cannibalistic until it joined the Horde, at which point the Darkspears officially gave up cannibalism. :": Note that, some Darkspears still practice Cannibilism as it is a mark of thier past.
When Roleplaying troll, some things are good to take into consideration.
The big one though... Even though Blood Elves joined the Horde, many Darkspears still loathe for the elven people, and would much rather kill them than befriend them. All trolls have a deep blood fueled hatred for all Elven kind, as they and the elves are two of the most ancient races on Azeroth, they fought massive wars against the elven peoples.
Most trolls still show respect for other trolls, believing still that the troll grand empire was great when unified, they still attempt peacful ties (At least less internal fighting) in order to keep themselves unified. Tribes such as the Vilebranch, Mossflayer, Bloodscalp and Skullsplitter are major exceptions to this and strive for inter tribal war at all times.
It isnt shown in WoW openly, but Forest Troll, Sand Troll, Ice Troll and Jungle Troll languages vary by small amounts, accents in Ice Trolls for instance have a slight tone of germanic tied in, this changes the exact placement of some words. Other differences are in say, the Forest Troll language, even though very primitive, Forest Trolls actually have two more vowls in thier variation which opens the language to be more open to different tongues, they add in "ae"(a-eh) and "oe"(oh-e) as primary additions to much of thier language.
I do not know which guild on this server as of yet practicies a lot of necromancy, and I heard it is mainly troll, that is actually very accurate as of now. Vodoo magic has given a new twist on undeath that isnt controlled by the Forsaken or Scourge, the "Bad Juju" as many trolls refer to it as, is actually advanced forms of mummification that given sentience back to the body through spirit binding.
I hope you guys like this, I love trolls so I thought it would be a good idea to help out with questions about troll cultural aspects and even speech patterns if anyone has questions.
![[Image: Q1-1.png]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v458/dillo2255/Q1-1.png)