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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Eosin the Red" data-source="post: 1375668" data-attributes="member: 168">This story takes place earlier than the above....Merrik is still young with his twin sons.The Blood of Wynd Young Darien carefully peered into his fathers study. Waving his twin brother Donnel forward, the two of them timed thier attack on the figure sleeping in the chair. Merrik grunted as the 6 year olds landed on his chest. Giggles exploded as the big man began to wrestle with his children.Soon, the boys relented in their attack. Instead, they looked towards the books lying open on the table where Merrik had been writing. "Father" said Darien, "Why do you read and write so much? Taber's father says that reading is not for warriors and brave men, but for cowards and women."Merrik rubbed his stubbly face, a common habit when he wanted to watch his words. "Son, not everyone understands books and learning. Some believe that only a man's might matters in this world but that is not true. We know that the kings of old, and indeed even your uncle rules more with his mind than with his brain. Many of the beasts that we have fought during the last 20 years could not be defeated with simple might of arms, or at least not without killing dozens of the most skilled human soldiers." The boys stared at him with a puzzled look on their collective faces. Sometimes he wondered if they did not share thoughts by some magical means? Frustrated in a way only father's can be he moved to the books. "Come over here where you can see." He lifted one of the books up; on the cover was a gilded illumination of the dragon of Anvers. "What good is might against this?" Still the boys looked at him and at each other in an odd silence. "What?" He asked sensing that the young minds were wrestling over something.Darien stumbled with the words, "I thought you and the Three Brothers killed the Dragon of Anvers? If it can't be hurt with might...." His voice trailed off as he searched for the words.Merril smiled. "Exactly son! We did kill the beast, but we won because of our minds and our hearts, not because we practice with the guard all day." The Bard picked up another book from the table. "Do you remember the stories of the Black Troll of Draysen?" Both boys nodded. "I killed the beast in combat but not because I was better or stronger or because I had a magic sword. I knew the beast and how he would react. I planned to fight him and used my brain to overcome the shortfalls of my body."Merrik sat on his chair and pulled the boys close. "Why don't we get lunch and talk about Trolls and I will show you what I mean?" Both boys nodded vigorously, they enjoyed afternoons of study with their father. Soon they found themselves engrossed in a book written by the Bard Donnel, the same Donnel who gave his name to the young boy of his favored pupil. "What do we know about Trolls?"The boys glanced at each other, and then back to their father, "They are ugly and mean." They said in unison with a giggle."Ok. How many types of Trolls are there?" Asked Merrik around a rather large piece of lamb.The answers 4 and 5 came simultaneously. He looked at the boys, "Why don't we list them? Donnel, you first." "Trollkin""Darien, your turn.""Black Trolls." Immediately Donnel blurted out, "Those are true trolls dummy. Those are perverted Trolls who serve the Necromancers in the East." Undefeated Darien looked at his father, "They are still a type of Troll. Aren't they father?"Merrik's answer pleased neither "Some will say that Black Trolls are a breed of Troll but others will say they are not. So, you are both correct. Now, back to the types of trolls."Donnel finished the list adding Grey, Stone, and Forest Trolls to the Black and Greater types. Merrik repeated the names in his native tongue of Shadda "Anga mân, Anga mâr, Anga Trogue, Anga Mog, and Druanga. Some who follow the Old Ways still refer to Trolls as the Bludwyn or even just as the Wynd. It would do you well to remember the names used by others." Merrik paused; it had always disturbed him that Trolls were everywhere. Each culture had their own name for them and their own legends, none of them quite the same. "Tell me about the most dangerous Trolls." Merrik asked, waiting for the fight that was sure to ensue. He loved shaping the minds of his children with these intellectual games.Donnel started in with his favored, the Black Trolls. "Black Trolls are not as big as the Greater trolls but they are meaner and smarter. The necromantic magic's worked on them give each Black Troll different power and that makes them more unpredictable in battle. They also carry a taint of the Ennwrathi. Black trolls are more dangerous than Greater Trolls." He finished looking defiantly toward Darien who was anxiously awaiting the chance to prove his brother wrong."Greater trolls are the largest and most dangerous variety. They are not as smart as the Black Trolls but they are cunning and more familiar with their raiding lands. The Greater trolls have bony ridges along their arms and hands that make excellent weapons so that they do not even need swords. They are resistant to magic and there are a lot more of them than the Black Trolls."Merrik marveled at his children. They had been reading it seemed. "Excellent points both of you. Stone Trolls are a little smaller than the Greater Trolls but remember that they are brutal killers as well. The Stone Trolls also have a thicker hide that protects them better than other types. I have seen a mounted knight fail to kill a Stone Troll during a mounted lance charge. Forest Trolls are cunning and more powerful than any man I have met, even the 3 Brothers but they are much smaller than their kin. Least of all of the Trolls are the Grey Trolls or Trollkin, even they are stronger than most men and fierce in battle. What makes Grey Trolls so dangerous is their numbers."Merrik had finished his meal. Summoning a page he sent the boys to the kitchen for a fruit tart while he went back to writing. Before he had left Donnel had asked a question that had plagued Merrik for years, "Why are there no female trolls and where do they come from if not from a mama?"The Bard paged through the book and looked at his notes scrawled in the margins; "Some connection between trolls and hags. Need to see what Dagadda knows about Hags." Soon he found connections in the Glacian language of Icelandic . Wynd was the name of that the barbarians used for Hags . Bludwyn ... Blood of the Wynd.</blockquote>

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