"Perhaps strong arms and sharp blades will not hold back the coming Winter, but all honourable fae must try." - Sir Athelred, Mendicant Knight, Troll. Dana, mother of Dagda, ruler of all the Gods, peered into the Well of Eternity and beheld her dream works. The world stretched out, silent and still, waiting for the breath of life. There were her blessed children, the Tuatha de Danaan. And beyond them, through the veils of time, were the eight peoples of the fae, the children of her children. And even further through the mists did she peer, witnessing the turnings of the celestial seasons. A time of tribulation would arrive, and with it, perhaps, a time of final Winter when World and Dreaming would wither under an eternal blanket of frozen Banality. And she was troubled, saying: "Who will stand guard and protect these, my beloved children?" She gazed again through the well, and saw that though each of the eight were vouchsafed great and wonderous gifts, they were small and their strength would break like fragile twigs beneath the weight of the great snow. "A protector I shall build for them. I shall hew him from the very mountains, and their strength shall be his strength. The surging rivers shall be his life's blood, and his wisdom shall be that of the good earth." And so saying did she forge a champion from the mightiest mountain. Lightning was her hammer, and thunder rang across the still and silent world. And when her work was done she did breathe life into this, her creation, and his eyes did open. His long hair and beard were mighty forests, and his brow was wreathed in clouds. And seeing him she did say: "Behold the world. Before even my first-born do I wake thee, that I may charge thee with thy sacred task. Thou art the protector of all my children, and in so doing, thou shalt be always first in my heart." So saying did she enshroud him once more in the mist of dreams, that he might wake again amongst the other kithain. - from the Tapestry of Slumber, an ancient Trollish legend. Within Fae Society Bee they Seelie or Unseelie, more trolls are knights than any other kith save the sidhe. Unlike the sidhe, however, thsi is a title many trolls hold for life. This is neither a lack of ambition, nor a servant mentality, but simple practicality. From the troll perspective, oaths are taken very seriously. Not only will a dishonourable troll lose his might should he renege on an oath, but duty is ingrained in him from the first moment of his Saining. It is a mark of honour among Seelie and Unseelie alike. A troll who refuses to enter into any oaths is quickly disabused of such a notion by his fellow kith. As the oaths one must take increase with each rank of promotion, honouring each one diligently would become a full-time job, leading perhaps to the inability t fulfill the responsibilities of the post. From the perspective of the sidhe, trolls are both the largest asset and the largest potential bane to their rule. They carry a great deal of weight with both the commoners and the nobles, often acting as a pressure valve between the two. Commoners can complain to trolls and rest assured that they will look into any abuses when they say they will. Similarly, nobles can act as they must, even harshly, and trust that the trolls will understand their justice. With the support of trolls, most nobles can count on stability. However, trolls take their role, as well as the roles of others, quite seriously. Should, for even a moment, a troll offer criticism to a noble, she would be well-advised to listen and listen well. The odds are great that by the time one troll has taken it upon herself to speak up, many others already share her sentiment. A noble ignores the advice of trolls at her own peril. The history of the fae offers clear examples of the results of such ill-considered acts, and kingdoms have been split asunder with the repercussions. When the nobles are acting according to the standards trolls hold for them, none are more pleasant and loyal than these giants. In peacetime and at court, they are indeed the gentle, if distant, giants. The great care with which they move through a too-small and too-fragile world carries over into their speech and manners. More often than not, words are carefully chosen (even in the heat of passion). Painstakingly formal, they address all by title, and insist on similar consideration for themselves. They extend every courtesy as a matter of course; it is not a game, but a daily reality. Despite their etiquette, however, most trolls do not excel at court games. They find multiplicitous speech uncomfortable to their trusting and open natures. Likewise, they do not engage in the great maneuverings of courtly love, for love is a serious matter to trolls, and not to be trifled with. [...]  Trolls on the Battlefield
In simplest terms, trolls are valuable because they are the migtiest warriors. More often than not they serve as a deterrent, for only fools risk meeting even one in single combat unless the odds are stacked heavily in their favour. Because of their prowess in battle, trolls act as a check both on the power of the nobility and on the amounted mass of the commoners. Nobles will go to great lengths to see that trolls support them and their actions, for an army of dissatisfied giants is tantamount to insurrection. Similarly, the commoners will do little more than grumble about the nobles should they have the support of the trolls, for no motley is a match for sidhe and troll working in concert. Should the presence of trolls fail as a deterrent to violence, there are protocols that they insist upon on the battlefield. Once all chance at parley is lost, trolls demand the opportunity to challenge any and all trolls on the opposing side to single combat. Over the centuries, this has come to be accepted as one of the realities of fae warfare; no troll who wishes to retain that name will refuse such a challenge. From their perspective, this is the only fair and just thing to do; using their might against other kith while there are trolls still standing is more than unjust, it is unthinkable. This is a direct result of the Code of Dagda. Unseelie trolls, too, hold one another to this rule, although they disguise the concept of fairness in terms of courage and strength. How can one be proud of victory over a weaker foe? It is a sad testament to the loyalty of trolls that, should friends or family members find themselves on opposing sides of the field, they will invariably challenge one another first [...]. Only after all troll challenges have been dealt with will the grand melee commence. Should one side's trolls achieve an overwhelming victory over the other, it is not uncommon for the losing army to remove itself from the battlefield altogether. On the other extreme, great victories have been won in the name of fallen trolls, for the invocation of their names on the part of sidhe generals inspires a ferocity in the rank and file difficult to come by otherwise. |
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