Forest Troll

Forest trolls are gangly giants who stalk the fringes of civilization. They rely on their incredible strength to overpower foes with their vicious claws and toothy maws. These trolls stand anywhere from 12 to 16 feet tall, though they prefer to hunch for comfort and to lull foes into a false sense of security. Trolls are truly creatures of the forest, deeply linked in flesh and blood to the verdant habitats they consider their territory. In fact, when a forest troll is killed, their flesh turns into blackened lumps of charcoal, often still glowing with coals. Despite that, these creatures roam farther and wider than most of their kin, to the extent that they're the first creatures a common person thinks of when they hear the word "troll."

Slavering, cruel, invincible brutes: this is the villager's stock description for the dread monsters known as trolls. The roots of these stories are undoubtedly true. Trolls' flesh endlessly regrows, going so far as to sprout aberrant limbs or additional heads if not pruned, and a bottomless hunger is required to feed such unfettered growth. Even in the process of glutting themselves, however, trolls find opportunities to taunt their prey and inflict petty cruelties.

A troll's ability to survive is so strong that they believe even the smallest scrap of flesh will slowly regenerate into a new form, suffering as all the powers of the land are gathered to revive them. Despite the pain, trolls speak of this unassailable vitality as a blessing from their creator. Few trolls have heard the laughter of demons who claim that creator cursed the trolls and cast them down from lofty heights, binding them so they could never rise again.

Trolls prefer to remain solitary, keeping every scrap of food for themselves. In rare instances, an old and powerful troll comes to lead groups of trolls. Such warleaders possess enough cunning to lead their hordes in devastating raids and massacres, and their presence permanently alters the surrounding ecosystem. This link to their environment is an often misunderstood aspect of trollkind, and grows more acute with a troll's age and power. That's not to say trolls are valorous protectors of nature. They're vicious and territorial, and will blight their own territory forever if it means more to eat for a day.