Simon is correct here, except that to some extent he (ever so slightly) misses the point of troll power. Troll power isn't just based on the principle of "who's the toughest" -- it's on the basis of "my dad can whup your dad". The concept of a "fair fight" as is common amongst humans is alien to trolls. Thus, you wouldn't normally see two trolls square off and have a go. They tend to gang up on their enemies. This is one reason that the Sazdorf troll challenging the human Humakti to a proper duel was such a surprise.
Example. A mighty great troll warrior jingling in chainmail no doubt appears much more grievous to be borne than a little troll female SIZ 14 with no combat skills and little magic. BUT, if the little troll female has three strapping sons, two brothers, a mother who is a KL priestess, and several dozen trollkin children and grandchildren, it's clear who would win in a fight. No one messes with the little troll female, because her loved ones will come to call.
Remember that trolls do not care about fatherhood. Thus, all the familial love trolls possess is focused upon their mother and siblings. A male might know that the children born to a particular female troll are, in some sense, "his", but this doesn't give him any power to exact affection from them. Of course, if they're raised in the same house with him, they can learn to like him, just as when I was raised I learned to love Mr. Briggs the neighbor man.
Trolls, being more honest with themselves than humans are (or can be), are perfectly willing to use the affections of their loved ones as tools to ensure their own power and success. All humans know the stereotype of the controlling harpy-mother, who forces her kids do what she says through the use of guilt, pleading, bargaining, etc. (From "Mommy Dearest" to "Dead Alive", she's a common stereotype.) She's got nothing on a troll mamma. Of course, trolls don't bother to mask their intentions behind a wall of guilt, they simply expect their family to do as ordered. And they do, pretty much.
What I'm digging at here is that females wield vastly more power than males not because they're revered culturally, but because they are tied into a family network of males and females who will take action on their behalf, thus rendering them much more dangerous. Of course, _because_ of this network, they _are_ revered culturally, so it's kind of a vicious circle, but it's easy for humans to see the way trolls treat females and (falsely) equate it to the honor and respect that some human cultures hold for their women. A troll female isn't placed on a pedestal -- she's crouching on top of the bent backs of her lovers and sons.
This is why unconnected male trolls live on the outskirts of troll communities, join Zorak Zoran, etc. Of course, a disconnected female troll is even weaker, proportionally, than such a male, because she also doesn't have combat skills on her side.
Andrew Joelson
>If the trolls are linked to the Man & Darkness Runes, the elves
>the Man & Plant Runes, the dwarves to the Man & Earth Runes, what
>rune are humans linked to besides the Man Rune?
We're the originals. The Kralori say that almost every other Rune was used in our creation, giving us all possibility for both good and evil.
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