Becoming a troll, and the Poll from Nigel Phillips on 1997-07-31 (Glorantha Digest Vol 05)

From: Nigel Phillips <N.E.Phillips_at_bradford.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 16:23:20 +0000

One of the parts of Glorantha troll lore which has always stuck in my mind is the description of becoming a troll (substitute bones etc). I can't now recall where the fullest description of this is, (RQ2 trollpak I guess) but I was wondering whether it was limited to human to troll conversions, or whether other species could also become trolls. In particular, I think I remember that a very successful trollkin could theoretically be reborn as a full troll using this mechanism.

It would have to be unusual, and I would think that most trollkin avoid prestige for fear of being eaten, but if a trollkin did acquire prestige (say by spectacularly protecting the clan dark troll children during a human attack), could it be done? If it can, could it be an incentive in the control of trollkin, a rare carrot as against the many sticks?

Presumably a trollkin would be reborn as a dark troll, because I find the idea of a mistress race troll with a past as a trollkin difficult to believe ( and upsetting for dark troll social order).

Poll
How many members of the Digest ...
>(a) Came into Glorantha via gaming as opposed to fiction?
I started with ancient wargaming (mid 70's), moved into FRP with Tekumel, original D&D, AD&D, Traveller, the Fantasy Trip(!), etc before converting to RQ in about 1982. I started using RQ combat and trolls in a hybrid system and world, before shifting totally to Glorantha. I bought Dragon Pass, but I've never played it. Last time I ran it was mostly RQ2, with a little RQ3, but I never got the hang of sorcery so it remained for strange alien NPC's only.

(b)Still play Glorantha-based RPG's?
I've just started in Dave Black's PBEm (as a troll, by chance). I guess I may run a game again, as my kids are now nearly school age, if I can find players around Leeds, UK.