The Kindred of the Stone
Trolls are large lumbering creatures, covered in coarse, often mangy hair, have large protruding noses, and large rounded ears. Their mouth is proportionally larger than would seem normal, filled with both incisors and molars, and their eyes, though small, are solid black. Trolls range in size from 7 to 9 feet in height and are apparently quite varied within their own species. Trolls inhabit deep woods and forests, mountains, caverns, and the untamed wilderness, usually living in small groups of up to a dozen individuals or may remain solitary. They are frequently captured and enslaved by Ogrum or Scaithi to be made into war trolls or crossbreed with giants to create troll-giants.
War trolls are trolls that have been purposefully bred by Ogrum for the sole purpose of war. They may be taken from the wild, but most have been breed in captivity over hundreds of years to be larger, stronger, and more fearsome creatures. War trolls stand around 10 feet tall, and can weigh as much as 2000 pounds. Fully armed and armored, they may weigh 2 tons or more.
From the moment of birth, war trolls are treated as slaves and trained to be savage warriors. They wear giant-sized armor and wield giant-sized swords, axes, and pole-arms. Few humans (indeed, few Ogrum) can single-handedly fight a war troll and survive. In large groups, humans can over-power a war troll, but not without losses. The Grand Imperium pays handsomely for well-trained war trolls, and deploys them in their more elite irregular companies.
Troll-giants are horrific monstrosities born of a sorcerous crossing of a troll and a giant. The resulting hybrid is a troll-giant. Troll-giants stand around 12 feet tall, and can weigh as much as 4000 pounds. Fully armed and armored, they may weigh 5 tons or more.
Like war trolls, troll-giants are breed for war and treated as slaves by their ogre masters. Heavy plate armor is riveted into their bodies, and their massive arms are fitted with enormous spiked clubs or savage serrated blades, as well as spiked boots for crushing anything in their way. However, troll-giants suffer from horrible birth defects—mental and physical. Most have a monstrous, twisted appearance, and an intellect no better than an ape’s. But troll-giants are not breed for their brains.