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Trolls
(Pronounced: Trōls)
Trolls, the “children of chaos”, or Ta’ngkua in their native tongue (people of the land) are among the oldest of “civilized” species on Kralis, coming to age during the time of the giastori at the dawn of mortal kind. Believed to be descendants of ogres whose chaotic nature runs deep in the tangkua blood, the tangkua have a long and brutal history of war and struggle both for the ancient forces of chaos and more recently against those same forces. They are a species of warriors, fighters and soldiers.
During the reign of the giastori, ta’ngkua along with giants, ogres, formorians and others worked to gain dominion over the western half of Ta Los. When the human slaves rebelled against their giastori masters, the lesser species of the alliance including the Trolls took to waging war against each other for domination of the crumbling Kingdom of the giastori. Besieged by humans, Bhahuul and others, most of these allies of chaos were broken and chased into the dark and wild parts of the world, driven into hidden valleys, swamps, remote mountains, and lost places of the world.
Given their ancient connection to the forces of chaos, ta’ngkua were feared by most common mortals, distrusted by those that know their heritage. As a result of this fear and distrust the ta’ngkua people were savagely hunted down or driven into seclusion. The genocidal efforts of others along with naturally low birth rates, sickness and disease drove the numbers of Trolls downward to near nothing in their early history.
Surviving for a millennia in the dark, hidden parts of the world, the Troll people were nearly lost, on the edge of falling into nothing more than ravaging beasts of chaos. It was only through the direction and wisdom of Koakai, the Great Father, that the Trolls would emerge from this darkness as a force against Chaos and its ilk. Despite this, they continue to be feared and distrusted by others.
Most Trolls have gathered into a single nation called Tallak, but many others continue to hide through out the wilder regions of the world and look upon the world with jealous eyes of the great civilizations of other species. Indeed, Troll adventurers often set off with the motive of seeing other civilizations and learning their “secrets”.
Troll settlements spring up wherever the Trolls can seed themselves, and are made up of traditional huge halls or longhouses. Here the loot the clan has won in battle is displayed communally.
Psychology
It is said that Trolls are born ready to fight. At their core Trolls are a warrior species, filled with a “blood rage” or karu terae, this does not mean that they are an angry hate filled species, but it is said that they eat, sleep and drink the warrior way (mataka raka). They have little fear of most things in the Omniverse, which is result of their natural tendency to be able to regenerate wounds relatively easy and are known for their long lives.
Tangkua are extremely proud, stubborn people. It is stated by many that only a dragon or a drunk Fhen Khanur that are more obstinate. This trait has helped the Trolls immeasurably during the past terrible millennia of their history, being hunted and forced into harsh regions in an effort to wipe out their culture and society out of existence. On the flip side of this coin, individual Trolls have often found themselves in over their heads.
They are clan-oriented people forming tight Ta’chanu’s (family-clans), many of which have inhabited a specific region for thousands of years avoiding the greater world. They have strong ties to several generations within their own ta’chanu’s.
From most other species perspectives, Trolls are large, regenerating beings that do not fear death, prefer to fight hand to hand than with missile like weapons, though if they do they are going to wield the biggest missile weapon they can.
For better or worse, nearly all Trolls rush through life with a strong sense of being. They are a devout people, considering themselves to be the chosen of their gods, created to bring a new age to Kralis.
While many have a misguided view of Trolls as being cruel, uncaring an highly aggressive, behaviors that they exhibit predominately during combat; Trolls are quick to laugh. To adventuring Trolls the world is a playground. This is does not mean that Trolls are frivolous or childlike, they are well aware of their reputations and do not necessarily charge into a new setting as they know their history proceeds them.
Trolls are by their very nature chaotic, most strive towards goodness and heroism, while others allow their darksides to search for glory and fame.
Despite a tendency to a violent mind set, Trolls are very practical. Having a disdain for far off dreams and complex philosophies, they focus on the here and now, on the simplest solution or explanation. While they exercise a raider mentality, they don’t hold grudges against their targets, even the ones that rout them; they just try harder next time.
Society and Culture
Ta’ngkau society and culture is centered around three core concepts, referred to as The Way or Maah’alea: Faith (nakau), Family (anau) and the Sacred (ahitapo). The Maah’alea is built upon four categories that support the ta’ngkau way of life: Ta’chanu (Family/Clan); the Ta’chapu (villages or hommlets); the Ta’chiwa (territorial areas and boundaries) and finally the Ta’chaka (the realm of a group of Trolls). Each of these categories are supported by four castes: Kahuka (Masters/Elders), the Kuapali (Warrior Class), and the Jahunak (Priest(ess)/Monk) and the Ta’ chanau (Merchant/Explorers). Membership into these castes and the right to participate is principally based on the Trolls Chakapa (lineage or descent).
Like many warrior species, Troll society functions through a system of honor, both personal and for the Ta’chanu. They are a highly traditional species and it is an integral part of their lives and breaking from specific observances is taboo, and not easily forgotten by the Ta’chanu.
Ta’ngkua social structure is based fundamentally based on descent, seniority and the kinship groups.
Each village or community is centered around the elders of each of the clans within a specific area. Many communities are communal and based on extended family relationships and obligations, so that kinship and genealogies are important.
Troll villages are built on land collectively conquered by clans, where each village can be easily divided by which clan owns what part of the village. These villages can have a number of chiefs that are responsible for each of their family clans. These chiefs are called muatai and can be either male or female.
Within the Maah’alea it is written that the most important aspect of Troll society is its elders, the Kahuka. It is believed that they are the physical representation of the kahio, a living memory of the people. The kahuka are the core power of the tachanu and their word is law.
Male and female roles are defined by labours and tasks, chiefly status and age. Female play an important role contributing to family decisions as well as village governance. Much of their society is traditionally dominated by the rule of males, who tend to assume the leading roles in politics, however, this is not a hard fast rule and many clans are led by powerful females who have also dominated the Kahuka for their clan.
Family And Structure
The concept of ta’chanu (family/clan) is central to the Troll social culture. Ta’chanu refers to the family and extended family. Each tachanu is a member of a ta’chapu and ultimately the larger ta’chaka.
The tachanu is unusually, a bilateral linage in which both sides of the mated pair are equally important for the emotional ties,property rights, names and titles. This type of linage has served the Troll people for countless generations as it has allowed them to live in extreme environments among the wild lands because it has allowed individuals to rely on two sets of families.
All tachanu live in large complexes of carved buildings and an area of land called the Ta’chamaru. These complexes are generally fenced in or surrounded by large walls of stone.
These locations are thought to be sacred and serve as the heart of the tachanu where they are truly home and can let go of the harshness of the world beyond its fences.
Each Troll plays an important part in the existence of the ta’chamaru in whatever capacity they can from cooking, to raising children to passing on the knowledge of the clan and family.
Roles within ta’chapu are related to age – whether a Troll is a kahuka, a wife, mother, father, husband, grandparent, child or other descendants. A grandparent might help raise younger Trolls, provide leadership for the ta’chanu, teach skills such as weaving, and pass on tribal knowledge to the younger generation. One of the most important roles was to create unity in the ta’chanu so they would not split and go in different directions. Older people kept the ta’chanu together, making sure cousins knew one another.
Trolls celebrate the birth of children with great parties,as each birth is unique and occur very rarely. Just as they celebrate the natural death of a Troll, as it occurs very infrequently as most Trolls are able to regenerate most of their self, but with age this ability takes longer and is not as effective.
Community
The communities that the ta’chanu make up form three concepts: The Ta’chapu (villages or hommlets); the Ta’chiwa (territorial areas and boundaries) and finally the Ta’chaka (the realm of a group of Trolls).
The ta’chapu are made up of 50 to 100 ta’chanu (families) and are led by a muatai. A job that one is voted into by the ta’chapu and can be removed if they do not get the job done or follow the Maah’alea.
There are typically 5 to 6 ta’chapu that make up the second largest gathering of Trolls called the ta’chiwa. These ta’chiwa are generally located in the more harsh and remote locations of the world, hidden away from most other species that still hold onto the fear and distrust that the Trolls sowed thousands of centuries ago. Though this is not the case everywhere, the further south on travels in Ta Los the more forgiving and less issue there is with Trolls in general.
Only one known ta’chaka exists in any real fashion: Tallak hidden within the rugged foothills and thick forests of the mountains of Prax Dun.
Trolls are a warrior species. Born with great strength able to withstand the greatest hardships, and with their natural ability to regenerate even the most horrendous of wounds. From birth they are encouraged to explore their world around them which often leads them into some very dangerous and interesting situations. They have a kindred spirit of adventure and fearlessness in the Aelwyn.
When a Troll child turns 4 they are given over to the great Kuapali masters and are put through the Tuhinmau, a school of fighting and war that combined both the education and military/combat training into one package.
Like most other warrior species they tend to focus on the training of their people in the ways of death and war. Though they are not so uncultivated to not train them in the ways of the world beyond. In the Tuhinmau everyone are instructed on subjects such as a music, poetry, dance. They are encouraged to be strong and healthy, both sexes go through the same training.
While much of their training is done with weapons and styles, one of the greatest training periods that they go through is hand to hand combat at type of martial art style.
Art
Traditional tangkua art is characterized by an integration of form and function. It has been an integral component of their culture. It is often created using the materials available at the time, predominately stone, wood, bone, jade and feathers.
The colors of black, red, and white feature strongly in Troll art. The color red is a symbol of power and status the ahitapo; the color white is a symbol of loyalty, generosity and caring the anau; the color black is a symbol of hope, love and faith nakau.
Located through out the villages and regions of the Troll, are the masterful stone and wood carved statues.
These statues are intricately created and are often filled with images ghosts, demons and other supernatural beings. There is a long tradition in the belief of the supernatural called the: Terengoke a kind of supernatural set of creatures from the malign to monstrous; the demonic to the divine and everything in between.
It is believe that these statues protect the various ta’chiwas (territories) from the dark and chaotic powers of the Omniverse. Many times Trolls will carry necklaces filled with these protective charms.
Music is an integral part of Troll culture. Traditional Troll instruments include string and wind instruments, drums and gongs. Odes to nature, battle and the rugged mountains are popular themes of traditional Troll music. The most popular instrument of Trolls is a long-necked fiddle known as the Mhala Uur. It is often decorated with Troll symbols that represent the 13 years cycle of the Troll lunar calendar. Trolls also add their voices to this music through poetic praise, an epic-like hymn with its origins in shamastic poetry and sounded through overtone throat singing. All of which is generally made up of deep chested sounds that reverberate in the Trolls heavy chests. Combined with the use of hide covered deep base drums, there is no music that can reckon with these sounds.
Customs, Traditions and Beliefs
Trolls have hundreds of different traditions. The most famous and most oft followed tradition is that both males and females are tattooed or tapeta (tattoos). These tattoos are an important rite of passage for both males and females. The designs honor the journey of a Trolls life as well as a personal meanings and symbols of tribal status. These are called tamokal Troll for soulmaps.
KulItalic textipa is practiced often amongst Trolls. Known as “payback or retribution”, when someone wrongs a Troll it is not traditional to just let it go. Trolls feel that they must settle score with the party that wronged them. Then there is the polar opposite of being wronged, payback can also include giving back to someone that has done a great deed for them. Trolls do not like to owe anyone.
Trolls are very nationalistic in their views and are very suspicious to changes that might threaten their traditional structure. A primary focus of Troll society is a claim concerning the origins of the Troll species. Trolls have a blood declaration of lineage that they must adhere to and insuring that they must never allow their bloodlines to be corrupted by either poor breeding or through the mixing of species. Maintaining both cultural bloodlines and genealogy is of high importance to Trolls.
All Trolls perform a gesture of respect to those that they are close to, called the ta’nuri, it is done by pressing the forehead together allowing noses to touch. This is equivalent to a thoughtful, caring hug or handshake.
Meeting Troll war party, is of itself an experience but when they gather together in a line to perform their war dance, known as the ohopaka. It is an action packed display of Troll strength and pride. The dance includes powerful stomping, twirling of weapons and banging on shields. This is often accompanied with rhythmic sounds made by the Trolls.
Marriage
Marriage within Troll society is shaped by the importance of family and clan links. Troll marriages are highly valued within the society, as they are viewed the only way that the species will continue to exist because of their low birth numbers.
Most of the time, partners are chosen from within the ta’ chapu and are often arranged, with children promised in marriage from a very young age. Occasionally, Trolls would find their own partners, most often within the ta’chapu though there are times that partners can come from other ta’chapu.
Much like births and deaths, the celebration of marriage is a grandiose affair. Both partners are dressed and covered in white, black and red paints of different designs, but when the partners stand together, a new design is made as each was already a part of the whole.
In all cases treasure and gifts are given to the new partnerships, as well as gifts exchanged between the families. Tak ana Rangikah recording the gifts given from one family to another notes: “Here then is a large tract of land, two dragonskin cloaks, two horns of red steel, two fine cloaks of fur, a group of steel spears, and two lagodines (a type of six-legged heavy draft horse).”
Holiday/Dates of Importance
Trolls love to celebrate in great ways. They are often filled with great meals and barrels of spratach (a hard berry cider mixed with dark ale). These festivals can last several days and are comprised of dancing, drumming and feasting. Yet, there are a number of holy, reserved days that the Trolls observe.
Tatiriku marks the start of the Troll new year, it is held mid-summer when a cluster of stars known as the Jewel Cluster (i.e. Tatiriku) comes into view. Traditionally, this is a time when families come together to remember their ancestors and their past but also celebrating the new lives of the present.
Pauliko takes place during the first week of Janak. Commonly known as Creators Day and is sacred among the various skilled crafters of items that create the unique items of the Trolls. Each year master (ahitaka) crafters and younger journeymen work to craft exquisite items in honor of this day. Some the greatest Troll items, including statues, weapons, armor, and shields have been crafted just for this day. The feasting through out the day is a dark heavy rye bread, roasted massive wild hogs, and many bowls of rhimurok (a type of mushroom pasta) along with a thick, black ales.
KariKari reflects the devotion that Trolls have towards their hard work for their ta’chapu along with their great love of celebrating. The holiday begins on the day of Dragons Heat and begins a 10 day long festival.
This celebration starts with each member of their ta’chapu nominating and using large red stones to vote for one of those nominations. The winner is declared the KariKari for the year, which comes with a small amount of treasure and the honor of tapping and sampling their first barrel of piataka (Troll blood ale). The 10 day long festival is filled with drinking great amounts of ale and wines, games, contests of strength, stamina and agility, and overall merriment.
Dress/Clothing
Unlike many other species, Trolls do not over value their overall appearance. Both males and females wear simple clothing which includes simple pants, shirts and tunics. Most of these are made from linen or wool, along with soft deerskin leather. Much of their fabric is produced from rectangular pieces of fabric. Many times a tubular piece of fabric bound together over the shoulder held together with a fastening pin or brooch and which reach down to just before the knees.
Depending on the need Troll warriors they either wore no armor relying on their tough natural skin as armor or they dressed in various mail armors or even plate armors. It also tends to include a tunic, a baldric and a leather girdle-belt.
Food
The tangkau people are predominately carnivores, they tend to cook most of their food, to at least heat it in the winter, but many times they will eat the raw flesh of a fresh kill just as easily. They prefer sheep, goat and cattle as their main source, but will not shy away from venison of various types of deer including moose, white-tail deer and reindeer. While they will not turn away from it, they prefer not to eat seafood or most fowl.
Traditionally, Trolls tend cook most of their food, in a buried pit oven known as rhakirika. These are easily set up by the Trolls and require little more than a good digging tool and many rocks that they can heat up and use to cook with. They have also been used by Trolls to keep warm in the coldest regions where they fled to.
Religion and Spirituality
Trolls are a very superstitious lot with deep believes in the supernatural and the celestial. They are closely connected to their deities (Uraka Gnas)and they believe that all reality is a facade behind which the powers of the gods work. Trolls believe that all illness and death are always a sign of divine retribution. A strong believe amongst the Troll people is that they each can invoke the gods and spirits of the ancients. Trolls also have a strong spiritual belief that when a being dies their spirit is able to be reborn in a similar or different physical form in this world.
The jahunak play important roles within Troll culture, and along with the kahuka, make up the memory and laws. Trolls are a highly suspicious lot, and their religion is expressed by the fear of the atuha (gods and spirits), then end of the world and loss of their souls in the afterlife. Their spiritual life is very important to a Troll, in regulating the details of their daily life and is delivered in the religious texts, traditions and idioms through the “way of the gods” or atuthak. Central to the Troll spiritual life are the terengoke a kind of supernatural set of creatures from the malign to monstrous; the demonic to the divine and everything in between.
Troll lineage links every individual, animate and inanimate object back to the ancestors of the Trolls, and the believe that those ancestors (kahio) who have passed on continue to live with them, everyday which is reflected in the way the Trolls conduct their lives.
The Gods
Called the Uraka Gnas, the Troll pantheon of deities is made up of six entities. The most important deities of the Troll pantheon are Farik, goddess of longevity, supreme goddess and creator god, and Pallak, god of life, health and rebirth. The best known and most loved of the deities was not originally considered or thought of as a deity is Grum. The tales and adventures of Grum, the god of night and the trickster god, are well known even to the youngest of Trolls. He is described as being very rascally and while many of his deeds were to better the lives of this people, there are a great number of tales him getting into serious trouble with Farik and Pallak. He is revered as a hero deity famous for his cleverness, exploits and trickiness. He is also considered the god of luck.
Death and Funerals
Trolls have no real fear of death due to their natural ability to regenerate wounds, and limbs. But the do respect death, despite their ability to regenerate, which slows the older they get, they are not immune to diseases, sicknesses, drowning or suffocating or massive amounts of damage.
All Trolls believe that when they die, it should be a great day to do so. Which means that most adventuring (waekipu) Trolls tend to look to take on quests and adventures that are extremely dangerous to most others.
For those Trolls that pass on, either by natural causes or the end of a dragon’s claw, are given a burial. Tangkuaga or funeral rites tend to take two to three days. The deceased is laid in state on a large granite slab in the center of the ta’chapu and is flanked by female relatives dressed in white, their heads are wreathed in a crown of ivy.
These guardians take very few, short breaks. Every hour they wash the body in cold water and apply oil to the body to keep it looking alive and supple. During the day visitors arrive to address the deceased. They speak frankly about the deceased faults and virtues, there is singing and poetry written and read.
On the last night of the vigil, the various mourners hold a vigil through the night light large candles, as the guardians build a large pyre around the body and at sunrise they ignite the pyre. As the pyre burns the assembled will gather chanting prayers of warding to keep evil spirits from taking over the body and for the ascending spirit to return to them soon.
Trolls believe in reincarnation, as much as they believe that their ancestor souls live with them until the time that they are re-birthed as either new Trolls or another being altogether.
After Life
As a people the Trolls fully believe in the reincarnation of the dead, they believe in the power of the soul which they refer to as Tairua (spiritual power or essence). Death is seen as a pollution or rakina and stain that the tairua must clean off before able to return to the world of the living.
There are on occasions powerful, and especially heroic Trolls are allowed to move on into the Celestial Worlds of the Trolls and take their place along side the divine presence of the Uraka Gnas.
In order to return to the mortal world the tairua must cleanse themselves of rakina by going through a spiritual changing called muhrugha (retribution) which is believed that the tairua must pass through a series of trials, those that are successful are allowed to be reborn, those that do not must spend a “lifetime” living among the Troll people.
Language
All Trolls speak Nuckcha, an unsurprisingly guttural language that uses a lot of “pa” and “tha” sounds. It is thought that the language may be an ancestor to human Common, as many Nuckcha words overlap with that tongue.
