Mythical wild man of the wood; printer's mark of Günther Zainer
From Medieval Woodcuts - see Picture Credits

I was initially puzzled by the apparent lack of very young Cave Trolls, however, it was later discovered that Trolls are in fact breeding like rabbits underground. Young Trolls are kept in safety, underground, to protect them from Scavengers and other minions while they are still small enough to become lunch. Because of these large numbers of very young it usually falls to the juvenile Trolls to take care of them in a full-time crèche system. This is essential, of course, as most of the adult Trolls, both male and female, are serving the Lord of Mordor and have little time to devote to their offspring. Sadly, the result of all this is that the majority of young Trolls fail to recognise their parents when they met them. This confusion is further exacerbated by the fact that the adult Cave Troll has a poor memory for faces and the occasional Parents Days held by the crèches are dreaded by everyone involved, as they usually lead to confusion and tears. When the juvenile Trolls are old enough to swing an adult- sized club without falling over, they then move onto to a brief period of training – which usually consists of them all being given their first clubs and told to try them out on their fellow trainees. Those juveniles who survive training must then pass their initiation into the Clan. This differs from Clan to Clan but often involves the stalking, catching and killing of one adult member of each of the other kingdoms. (Proof of his or her success is required –the left leg of each victim is considered sufficient).

Written by Pushgork