 HeroQuest
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The Trolls of the Yolp Mountains: A Lunar OverviewSpecial Compartmented Information – Circulate on Need to Know Basis Only An
briefing document created by Ray
Turney
Context
|
| Common
Names |
Yolp Trolls |
| Form: | Federation of
Troll Tribes |
| Typical Homeland: | Yolp Mountains |
| History |
Around
since the God time. Participated in creation of Nysalor and
foundation of Bright Empire. Withdrew for reasons currently
unknown, but probably connected to a belief that the Bright Empire did
not understand the positive role of darkness. Mostly stayed out
of the Gbaji-Nysalor war, but supported Gbaji toward the end when it
looked like he was the likely winner. Suffered the trollkin curse
thereafter. They have been mostly isolationist since, supporting
occasional expeditions to do things related to undoing the trollkin
curse, fighting the Anadikki {remnants of the Orlanthi who supported
the Bright Empire} and resisting what they see as incursions by humans
into their territory. They ignored the various solar empires,
fighting only if attacked; traded with the Carmanian and Lunar
Empires. Currently afraid of Lunar expansion. |
| Ideology: | "Trolls rule, at least in Yolp, and we don’t much care about anywhere else." |
| Look and Feel: | Federation of troll tribes and clans, living in caves, who respect force and only force. If barbarism were to be introduced, it would be an advance. But in the right circumstances, you can do business with them. |
| Purpose: | Defend themselves,
remain independent in their mountain stronghold, and support hero bands
trying to figure out how to undo the trollkin curse. |
| Headquarters: | Hall of the Mothers under the tall mountain near Xarkash |
| Internal Conflicts: | There are two
major axes of internal conflict. The first is how to respond to the advance of the Empire. The second is on the wisdom of following Cragspider in her attempts to undo the trollkin curse. Positions on the two issues seem to be related. Most of the Mothers reportedly belong to the “Old Way” faction. It thinks the interests of the Yolp troll community are best served by hiding in their mountain cave strongholds, extending and deepening them, sending out parties of questers to grab anything that might be traded for something that might help undo the trollkin curse, and to support Cragspider’s efforts chiefly through prayer. The “Old Way” draws most of its support from the underground gardeners and cave workers in the troll community, and also includes a lot of warriors who think the trolls just aren’t ready for a confrontation with the Empire. The “New Way” faction thinks that control of the surface is important to the future of the trolls, and should not be lightly conceded to humans. It also believes that, due to its location near the site of the curse, the Yolp Mountains and thus the Yolp mountain trolls have a key role to play in undoing the curse. They favor an open alliance with Cragspider and intensified efforts to undo the curse. The “New Way” has a lot of Zong worshiping hunters, and some Argan Argar types, but also includes some warriors and some Mothers who think the Yolp trolls have a moral obligation to do everything possible that might help to lift the trollkin curse. There is a third, much smaller faction that thinks withdrawing from the effort that created Nysalor was a mistake, and throwing in with the Empire is their best move. It is built around one Mistress Race troll, Uz-urda, who objected to the withdrawal from what became the Bright Empire, her personal following, and a fair number of Argan Argar traders who hope to profit from dealing with the Empire. They are referred to as the “Blue Moon Way” group, because they look to the Blue Moon Plateau for leadership. |
| Reactions: | Most humans do not
think about the Yolp trolls much. After all, they occupy land
that most humans don’t want. The Anti-Troll League wants the Empire to conquer the Yolp trolls. In their view the only good troll is a dead troll, and the Yolp trolls are very much alive. The Dara Happans in particular tend to think the Mothers are a cabal of sinister women plotting to bring back the Great Darkness, to be destroyed before the trolls get a chance to destroy us. The people of the immediately surrounding areas tend to have tense relations with these trolls, marked by low level border skirmishing, trolls hunting human livestock, etc. Some traders do some business with the trolls. The Anadikki, in particular have a long history of fighting the trolls. Higher ups in the Empire are generally satisfied with the current state of relations with the Yolp trolls. They’re not a major source of problems for the Empire as a whole,; and except for some potential iron and silver mines in the mountains, they don’t really have anything the Empire much wants. Missionary groups are aware that these trolls have not accepted the path of the Goddess; they think someone should convert the trolls, but somehow seem to focus on humans first. It is thought that reports of troll cannibalism, as a solution to the problem of unwanted missionary activity, may have negatively affected the enthusiasm of our missionaries for converting the trolls. |
| Relations with other Trolls: | The Yolp trolls
reportedly get along fairly well with the trolls of both Dagori Inkarth
and the Blue Moon Plateau. There are trading caravans with
both of these other sends of troll power, that are licensed to run
twice a year through the Empire. It is thought that Cragspider is trying to increase the size and influence of the New Way faction, and is considering using Yolp as a best for small bands of questers searching for evidence of weak points in the trollkin curse. A problem for her is that no troll has actually heard the original words of the trollkin curse, and lived. The cults of Zorak Zoran and Annilla are both banned in the Yolp mountains. Unusually, these trolls do have worshipers of Valind in their ranks. They also include some Arkati/Gbajiite sorcerers. Ice trolls have been reported in the past in the Rockwood Mountains. It is unclear whether these ice trolls exist; it is also unclear whether or not there is any communication between the Ice Trolls and the Yolp trolls. |
Resources
| Leadership: | Most decisions are taken by the Council of Mothers, described above. In religious matters, the High priestess of Kyger Litor, and the High priestess of Subere are probably most influential, though the yearly Argar (a priest of Argan Argar), and the senior Karrg’s Son, Kurzulus, are also very important. The male Mistress Race troll, |
| Renowned Members: | Karnam of the Mistress Race
was alive in the God Time and is honored as the Eldest Mother. No
one outside of her immediate entourage knows her full magical
capabilities, but they are known to be great enough to impress other
Mistress Race trolls. The last human to see her saw her at the
time of the founding of the Reaching Moon temple in Doblian. He
reported that she is incredibly ugly, even for a troll. She is
widely known for her conservatism, and support for the Old Way
faction. She is probably the most influential troll in all of
Yolp. If the Council leads Yolp, she leads the Council. Uz-Urda of the Mistress Race is unusual in having been reported both in the Blue Moon Plateau and in Yolp. She does not have the magical reputation of Karnam, and apparently holds no formal position in Yolp other than the seat on the Council of Mothers that her status as a Mistress Race troll entitles her to. Uz-Urda has occasionally played a role in Imperial politics, but her objectives are mysterious even to us. She has visited the Moon. In the course of this visit she at one point reportedly tried to get Deezola interested in helping her heal the trollkin curse. Ulkar of the Mistress Race is a male mistress race troll. By reports he is an immortal minor hero, with an obsidian shield that reflects all magic cast at it or him, the ability to extinguish Yelmi light magic just by being in the next cave; some kind of immunity to spears; and has the ability to fight multiple enemies at much like a Yanafali. He has been on a number of HeroQuests. In short, bad news, not that fighting a Mistress Race troll is ever good news. He is the real, though not titular, head of both the Karrg and Argan Argar cults, . He favors the New Way faction; he is interested in training heroquesters to see if it is possible to reverse the curse in the upcoming hero wars. Kurnamur is Karnam’s daughter. She usually supports her mother, so it is hard to tell how much influence she has in her own right. But she, and her daughters, won the right to use Chalanna Arroy magic on a HeroQuest, and she has met Aranea. It is known that Kurnamur has raised a dead Kyger Litor rune lord. Kurzulus the Reborn is the senior Karrg’s son, and leader of both the Kyger Litor temple forces and the Xudkam tribal war band. He is personally loyal to his mentor, Ulkar, but politically tends to support the Old Way faction; he is Kurnamur’s grandson. He is well stocked with magic items, knows New Pelorian, and has adventured with humans. He was last seen visiting Seksos a couple of years back, ostensibly to test his skills in a prearranged duel with a champion selected by the Humakht cult, but in reality probably to communicate with various spies and smuggler types. He likes human music. Ujainu holds the seat on the Council of Mothers for the Xulanoth tribe; she is a noted supporter of the New Way; she is also a priestess of Argan Argar; she and her son Uldin have licenses to trade in Seksos and Oarz as members of the Merchant’s guild; they also seem to be the troll representatives in dealing with humans. Ureeza is the senior priestess of Subere; she is several hundred years old, is a master of summoning, and has descended into the Underworld in search of spirit. Jakaleel ran up against her, back when Jakaleel was among us rather than on the Blessed Moon; she impressed Jakaleel. Darkon is a troll sorcerer from the far West, reported to be a worshipper of Arkat/Gbaji. He is training a number of apprentices, and organizing a group of trolls that combines the skills of priestesses and sorcerers. He seems to age very slowly. |
| Membership: | In terms of population, they probably have about ten
thousand trolls, another ten thousand value trollkin, and maybe a
couple hundred assorted "monsters" {giant insects, etc}. Great
trolls are a creation of Cragspider, and unknown here. They
probably have a few hundred dark elf gardeners, etc. Membership in each tribe is hereditary, clans are matrilineal. There are several grades of member: Elder: The elite who run the tribal federation, to become an elder a troll has to live for a couple of hundred years and distinguish him or herself in some way. Elders are the political and religious elite; all others have to at least pretend to listen to an elder; they don’t have to pretend to listen to anyone who is not an elder. Also, elders are fed first at tribal feasts. Mother: Any female troll who has given birth to another full troll (not trollkin) qualifies as a mother. They are served second at tribal feasts, must be deferred to by male trolls, and are exempt from combat service or taxation until their troll children are fully grown themselves. Mothers are seen as the most important group, because they insure the survival and prosperity of the tribe. Some priestesses of Aranea, Kyger Litor and Subere are ranked as Mothers, even if they have not given birth to any trolls. Warrior: Trolls, mostly male but also including many females who have not given birth to a full troll; free members of the tribe but not really as important as the mothers. As could be guessed from their name, most of them are expected to fight, but some are Aranea insect tenders, Argan Argar traders, Zong hunters, etc. Most warriors are members of Kyger Litor and fight with maul or mace and shield; but they also include some Argan Argar spear users, and even some priestess/mage types. Dark Elves: they have a small number of dark elves, who raise plants and live as a separate community. The elves are not armed, and they pay a tax in kind in the form of the plants they grow to the trolls for protection. Virtually nothing is known about the dark elves. Values: These are mostly trollkin who are good fighters in most cases; but also including crafters, insect tenders and hunters. They eat by themselves, and are typically attached to a temple or mother who looks after them. Slave trollkin: unskilled worker trollkin who do not bear arms; the only upside to being a slave trollkin is that you’re not a food trollkin. Food trollkin: Regarded as useless except for eating, the only upside to being a food trollkin is that at least your misery will end soon, when you have been eaten. |
| Other Contacts: | Heroically,
Yolp is
known to have at least one tunnel down to the underworld; it is also
reported
that there are cave complexes which have entrances into both the Lesser
Darkness and the Great Darkness. Some believe that these troll also have an entrance to Castle Blue; this is unclear. It is known that trolls have reported emerging from unexplored caves into a blinding light and screaming pain; this is thought to have been the moment the trollkin curse was first applied. We think it is possible to travel from Yolp to Dagori Inkarth by going deep enough into the tunnels to reach the underworld, traversing the underworld tunnels to the tunnels beneath Dagori Inkarth, and emerging. Doing so is uncommon; of course. |
| Military Power: | Militarily,
each tribe has a war gang, varying between three hundred and eight
hundred trolls. There is also a permanent war gang of two
hundred, which reports directly to the one male mistress race troll in
Yolp, Ulkar. It is usually deployed facing the Anadikki, but has
been known to appear elsewhere. There are two or three
smaller war gangs, which belong to the Karrg and Argan Argar temples;
which combined amount to another two hundred warriors; a couple of
small hero bands, and a Grouping of Priestesses. The
grouping of Priestesses is the closest thing they have to a magical
unit. They have about a hundred or so giant insects, such as the
giant centipedes; by all reports these are real monsters and can be
hard to take out. They probably have one armed value trollkin for
each fighting troll; giving them a total army of six thousand or so. |
| Magical Resources: |
They are reported to have two unique magical items of possible military significance: <>Kabak’s Drums belonged to a drummer in the God Time. When played at during a ceremony by a troll of mistress race power, they supposedly Demoralize any human who hears them, unless that human is a hero comparable to Beat-Pot or higher, and can bring Darkness to an area comparable to an entire battlefield. These have only be reportedly used three times, not since the foundation of the Carmanian Empire. <> |
| Other Resources: |
These
trolls are self sufficient in food and water, thanks to vast
underground caverns where they grow mosses and fungi; they also have a
large number of food trollkin, who can be forced to eat almost anything
and then eaten themselves. So they cannot be starved out. They have their own sources of bronze, though in small quantities; and have stockpiled enough bronze weapons, cookware, etc, so that they would not run out in an extended fight. Their principal exports are the furs of mountain animals; black marble; honey; a special form of honey called kuriya that gives the user a very pleasant high; spider silk; silver in small quantities; and pure water made from melted ice. In exchange, they mostly import pottery and bronze. Explorers hired by Crassus have reported the presence of iron in two places, one near Xarkash and another just south of Mt. Gestinus. They do not mine this iron, nor do they allow anyone else to do so. |
Organization
They are a federation composed of the five tribes above, ruled by a Council of Mothers. Each tribe has a head woman, who can be treated as the equivalent of a tribal chief; in normal times these form the inner council, which in turn follows the lead of the Mistress Race trolls on the Council.Legal disputes within a tribe are resolved by the head woman, who has absolute discretion. Legal disputes between tribes are resolved by Karnam, who may delegate her authority to Uz-urda or Kurnamur if she sees fit. In many cases, the litigants do not want to bother Karnam, who can be a severe judge; and take their case directly to Uz-urda or Kurnamur, this has always been acceptable to Karnam in the past.
In war, each tribe and some temples maintain a war gang; and each war gang does what its leader, who is generally a very tough and respected troll, says. The leaders in turn, in major operations obey Ulkar, the only male mistress race roll in Yolp.
Aranea and Argan Argar worship cross tribal lines; each of these groups of worshipers has a priestly hierarchy; and what would be guild matters in the Empire are usually arbitrated by the high priest, rather than taken to the tribal leadership.
Membership Keyword
| Membership Requirements: | To be a troll, or in rare cases a dark elf, born into one of the tribes and clans of trolls in the Yolp mountains. In rare cases, to be or become a troll from elsewhere, and to be adopted into a tribe or clan permanently resident in the Yolp Mountains |
| Skills taught: | Mace and Shield, Maul, or Spear and Shield combat; sling; Darktongue, Yolp Area Lore, Kyger Litor Pantheon Lore |
| Typical Personality Traits: | Boisterous, Impulsive, Brutal |
| Magic: | May be any but usually Troll pantheon divine; Kyger Litor, Argan Argar, Aranea favored; Zorak Zoran and Annilla forbidden. Includes small number of Arkati sorcerers and Subere shamanic magic users as well. |
Guardian
Each tribe has a guardian spirit. The Yolp Federation also has a guardian spirit of a kind; the spirit of Zukuru. Zukuru was one of Karnam’s ancestors, who lived in the Great Darkness, and was slain fighting a chaotic giant, back in the Great Darkness. The ancestors of the Yolp trolls then raised an undead mammoth troll, called on Subere to bind Zukuru into the mammoth troll to give it dome intelligence. Giant and mammoth troll then killed each other.
The skull was then buried and covered with bronze, to become the meeting hall of the Council of Mothers. Zukuru is still inside, protecting the meetings from hostile magic, providing advice when asked, and serving as a wyter.
She provides the defensive magical equivalent of the wyter for a Reaching Moon temple, so neither our magic nor that of any other group of mages {with the possible exception of the Brithini} can overhear or influence what goes on inside; trolls in the meeting hall of the Council of Mothers are absolutely protected. Zukuru also acts as temple Wyter, making the meeting hall of the Council of Mothers into a Kyger Litor temple.
Zukuru provides advice when asked; if addressed in God time Dark tongue by one of the Mothers. She pretty much ignores all others.
In times when the Yolp trolls are fighting chaos, she can provide a Dispel Chaos, which she got in the God time from Zorak Zoran, to any Kyger Litor priestess, or Karrg’s Son wanting to learn it. To use it, evaluate how tough a chaotic feature would be if it were a regular divine spell, then determine how well the character does dispelling it by the normal rules for dispelling magic. If the dispel works, the chaotic feature or power goes away until either the caster uses Dispel Chaos on something else, or the chaos is no longer threatening to, or in the presence of, the dispeller.
Rumor has it that the inside of the Mammoth Troll’s head/meeting hall of the Council of Mothers can reported become a huge Shade under special circumstances, or should invaders get that far. So far, no invaders have.
