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Jotaro Trolls

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Though trolls exist on many of the islands in one form or another, none are quite as intelligent or organized as are the Jotaro trolls of Komadas.

Historically, according to aoru records, the trolls were once respectable citizens of the third world. When the Holy Child was murdered by winged naga assassins in 80,000 PT, the trolls rose up against the first world, and a great slaughter of the air creatures ensued. The realm wars were engaged in earnest, with chaos raging from all corners. While the aoru fled into hiding during the dark times, to rekindle their spiritual connection with the Lai, the trolls ran amok across the land. They not only lost their civilization in these realm wars, but also lost their spiritual connection to the Lai, and their alliance with the aoru. The trolls grew fiercer and hungrier, evolving into deadly fighters of great strength and cunning.

Nowadays, the typical troll is far removed from its ancient, civilized ancestors. The troll race lives in small, nomadic tribal bands. Some of the larger groups occasionally settle into villages, but even these are often abandoned after a matter of seasons. The trolls are set up into loose castes, with the lowest caste being the least intelligent, and given the most basic tasks. Trolls are large, standing seven to nine feet tall depending on caste, with thick skin, wide skulls, stocky bodies, and flattened features. The lower the caste, the lighter the skin coloring, with the lowest caste of troll being beige or tan. The highest caste, and the most cunning and dangerous trolls are marked by very dark skins. Trolls are capable of some magical proficiencies and healing, and almost all of them are fierce fighters.

Troll young flee at the first sign of danger and are never taken on raiding parties with adults, being left behind in some secure place with a few females.

Trolls attack human and aoru outposts for food, resources, livestock, weapons, and armor. They plunder human and aoru armor and shields, and re-craft them to fit their massive sizes. Trolls prefer leather, scale, and chain armors, and shun helmets. They often steal finely made weapons off their victims and use them. Troll-made weapons are blunt and tend towards clubs, maces, polearms, and spears.

For reasons they cannot quite articulate, trolls despise the aoru. The aoru believe that there is ancestral memory in trolls, which blames the aoru for the fall of the realms all those millennia ago. Humans are equally hated, having moved in on troll territory when they crashed ashore on Komadas. Ever since humans came to the island, trolls have waged constant raiding campaigns against them. Trolls even successfully razed the original city of Saotan, soon after a devastating earthquake weakened the foundation of the human defenses.

Trolls speak a guttural, bastardized version of the aoru language.

Trolls are capable of manufacturing basic crafts and artifacts, and such items are often left behind in camps or villages, in the event that the trolls had to leave in a hurry.