Trolls

Trolls are race of semi-sentient bipedal mammalian creatures indigenous to to the continent of Artograch.

Trolls usually live in swamplands, surviving on a diet that consists of a mixture of meat, insects, and plants, are auto-coprophagic. Trolls are considered semi-sentient, as they have a very limited amount of intelligence, acting halfway between man and animal. Amongst each other, trolls primarily communicate via a mixture of hand-signals, clapping, clicking, grunts and moans - however, they are capable of learning the verbal languages of sentient races to a limited extent: they can only learn words, but not syntax or grammar. Because of this, many assume that rather than really being able to speak, trolls can only imitate sentient races, like parrots imitate humans. Trolls are also well-known for their legendary ability to both tolerate pain and regenerate from wounds almost similarly to lizards re-growing limbs, giving rise to myths and legends about their resilience. Myths and legends say that the only way to kill a troll is via decapitation or the burning of the troll's body to ashes - obviously untrue, as trolls too can die from literally all the causes a human can.

Contrary to popular stories about trolls being either ferocious beasts, or sneaky creatures that kidnap children during the night, trolls aren't particularly aggressive, and generally won't attack humans unless provoked - however, they are known for being a major annoyance to those who live near the swamps, as trolls frequently pull pranks on people, almost as if they knew what riles up people - trolls feel pleasure when they witness people (or other trolls) being angry or frustrated, as they can easily read emotions despite their limited intelligence. Because they have a tendency to attempt to ruin crops, steal goats, sheep, pigs and cattle, they are considered a pest and often hunted down. Trolls are also often blamed for plagues, due to their dirtiness - many consider them basically humanoid rats, having the same association with dirtiness, diseases and doom.

Because of their strength and lack of intelligence, trolls are frequently enslaved by both the Orcs of Brutang and the Humans of Etrand, as well as by traveling Goblin bands, who use them as haulers, litter-carriers, rickshaw or carriage-pullers and even miners. In Orcish, Goblin and Southern Etrandish cultures, even hunting trolls and eating troll-meat is considered acceptable, since they're considered more animal than man.