sorry to be that guy, and rather off the point of the OP, but its a murmuration of starlings, but a flight or a gulp of swallows.
Back to the point:
an irritation of kender
a rumble of giants
an argument of rules lawyers?
Well done for getting the PCs right down to the wire.
I got one of my (12th level) party members down to single figures last session, but it's the closest I've been for a while. I clearly need to up my game.
I had fun playing white box D&D back in 1977 so - provided it's with right DM and players - I don't see why playing with just the SRD should be any less fun.
Being at bit dense this morning (as most mornings) it took me a couple of seconds to realise what you (very obviously really) meant by this. For a second I thought you'd decided to name the troll "Geography" ... which I now think you should.
I'm all caught up again after a rather long hiatus - and in truth it was great fun to have multiple sessions to read through all at once(ish). Loving Were-Ram; the party definitely needed another creepy psychopath o_O.
I still have no idea where the story is going, but I can't wait to find out.
Well, I'm glad everything is crystal clear now ....
Seriously, I agree with Carborundum - a very enjoyable backstory with the same patterns being played out every few hundred years, since .... when?