Troll Culture
The trolls of the world of Two Moons to date have been the only race
to develop the ability to forge iron and other hard metals. Steel (a.k.a.
'brightmetal') is still a rarity, however, as that is the invention of the
cunning master-smith Two-Edge. Because of their forging capabilities, however,
trolls are solidly into the Iron Age. They have invented the wheel and use
it in small capacities, such as for wagons to haul mined ores or gears to
raise and lower their elaborately constructed gates; since they do not
generally go aboveground, however, and since tunnels belowground can often
be complicated to traverse, they do not use the wheel for transportation.
Trolls are also the makers of the most advanced weaponry in the world.
They have made metal swords and knives, as well as metal tips for arrows,
spears, and crossbows. The only full-body forms of armor have been forged by
Two-Edge, and all of those artifacts are in the hands of the Go-Backs; however, the trolls can and do produce and wear heavy metal helmets, bracers, and
breastplates to protect themselves.
The Northern trolls are quite hostile towards elves, and regularly
make war upon the Go-Backs; Southern trolls have traditionally had a wary
neutrality towards elves, sometimes bartering with them to exchange forged
goods for furs or other materials trolls can not easily acquire from the
surface. .
As in many traditional and mythological sources in real life, trolls
in Elfquest are sensitive to sunlight. Their millenia spent belowground
have adapted them to darkness and torchlight, and to be out in the daylight
causes pain to their eyes. A troll who garbs himself or herself heavily
enough may go aboveground in the daylight, but generally only extreme circumstances will persuade that troll to do so.
Because of their aversion to sunlight, trolls are unlikely to interact
much if at all with elf tribes whose customs are centered around the daytime.
They are even less likely to interact with humans.
Trolls speak the same language elves do, and due to their long lives
they have not experienced much lingual drift. An elf and a troll who have
reason to converse should not have difficulty understanding one another.
A notable exception to this is that unlike elves, trolls use the words "King"
and "Queen" and related words for their leaders.
Trolls do not appear to have developed any particular forms of art
or the "symbol-making" exhibited by elves and humans. However, trolls do
decorate their caverns with fine metals and gems.
