Tordresh

The Tordresh ("Tall People") are commonly known as Trolls in Omlandish. They mainly live in remote wilderness areas, such as the Western Mountains, the Northern and Southern Plains, and the Redstone Hills. Western Trolls are wild and hate the Hudresh bitterly. In the East, Trolls have a more ambivalent relationship with the Hudresh. They are generally suspicious of and hostile towards Hudresh, but some Trolls earn wages working for Hudresh employers and may even live near them. The city of Gyr, for example, has a substantial Trolltown on its outskirts.

Trolls are much taller than Hudresh; adults may reach nine to twelve feet tall. They are most active at night, and have excellent night vision, hearing, and a keen sense of smell. Their eyes are large and pale and reflect light as a greenish glow in the dark. Their ears are large, pointed and mobile. Their noses are long and fleshy. They have powerful jaws. They eat great quantities of meat, and consume every part of their prey, including bones, which they crush with their strong teeth and jaws. As a result, Troll scat is usually white. Trolls have tough, leathery hide, and can withstand direct blows by swords and spears, resulting in legends that Trolls are made of stone.

They live mainly in isolated families, usually of one male, one female, and their offspring. Trolls commonly follow herds of elephants or other large animals. Trolls tend to be extremely suspicious of Hudresh and jealously protect their herds from Hudresh hunters.

Trolls generally speak their own language (Tordreshrok), though Trolls living among the Hudresh may learn at least the basics of local languages. While some trolls of Omland speak at least basic Omlandish, many have them have spent at least a few years working in Ishmodia and have learned rudimentary Gyrish.

The Tordresh first appear in history during the War Against Men, when great armies of Tordresh and Gobdresh swept across the Northern Plains from the Western Mountains, laying waste to all Hudresh settlements in their path. Some survivors of this war settled in the East, where their descendents maintain relatively tolerant relations with Men.

In the East, young male trolls often spend some years working for pay among the Hudresh, in order to earn money to buy enough land to marry and raise a family. Such young trolls may find employment working as toll collectors, or as soldiers in the elephant cavalry of Ishmodia, or working with elephants on logging operations and loading and unloading ships at ports such as Gyr.

Although trolls spend much of their time alone or in small family groups, when they come together for a Wild Ruckus, or if they live in settlements with other trolls, they enjoy games such as club and spear.