RE: Uz Weapon Choice...

From: Dan McCluskey <daniem_at_microsoft.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 10:46:01 -0800


Yeah Trolls!

> From: Brad Furst <brad.furst_at_criticalpath.com>
> Subject: Trolls & Iron
>
> Are trolls hurt whenever they touch iron or just when the iron
> penetrates their skin? Would a troll ever choose to use an iron
> weapon to combat an opponent which was a troll or an elf?

I would play that Iron is "uncomfortable" for trolls to touch/use but doesn't actually cause damage unless it breaks the skin. I could easily see ZZi using Iron to prove how tough they are, assuming (and it's a big assumtion) that they could find a suitably sized/formed piece. "Orthodox" trolls would not use it, because it is bad juju. It is probably quite safe to assume that there are no trolls capable/willing to form Iron armor/weapons.

So, an iron dagger blade hammered through a maul head, or a rudimentary axe formed from some found and shrpened iron plate might be not entirely uncommon, but a suit of iron plate would be something worthy of a demigod at least... (I bet Arkat wore Full Iron though -- just more proof of why he was such a badass)

> Subject: troll & crossbows
> [...] But does this also rule out
> crossbows? I see no record of Yelm/Sky cultists using crossbows (Am
> I ignorant?).

Crossbows are not QUITE as mythically bad as "normal" bows, but as far as I know, you have to trade with Dwarves to get them, which isn't exactly normal troll behavior. Aditionally, their use and maintainenece is entirely alien to trolls, who would almost certainly rather eat than use such a needlessly complicated device. Who wants to waste time with machinery when a simple strap of leather is so much more effective (from a trollish point of view). A sling with all of the normal troll enhancement magics will be at least as effective as a crossbow in Uz hands, and is MUCH easier to replace when you "have" to eat your old one ;-)

> I am unsure why there is no record of *any* maverick troll
> (or an Illuminated troll) *ever* using a bow.

I'm sure it's happened... but I imagine that they were soooo incompetent with the weapon that it is used as a cautionary tale, rather than a hero's epic. Eristi the Doubter probably took up the bow at some point, to his grave personal discomfort and embarrasment...

> I am unsure why slings have less need of eyesight than bows.

Slings have a shorter range, and greater (for trolls) availability of enhancing magic. Stones, having more mass, are easier to "see" with darksense than arrows, and bows are mythically attached to light and vision, while slings almost certainly were available long before Light (ant thus vision)came into the world...

> While I appreciate the technogical reasons why slings are so much
> more abundant, I am unsure of the technological reasons why sometimes
> trolls (Zorak Zorani only?) *do* use swords but not bows.

I honestly think that this is simple pragmatism... Most of the "documented" trolls in glorantha are in/near Orlanthi lands and will tend to kill the occasional sword-armed orlanthi. Swords are difficult to eat, and heavy to carry around if you arn't going to use them. It's "cool" to have trophies of kills, and what better trophy than the foes weapon... therefore the occasional troll will learn to use the sword with some degree of effectiveness simply because he has one laying about.

Additionally, using a sword is at least superficially similar to using a mace ("yuz swing it at de bad guy, an maked 'im hurtz!") as opposed to the entirely alien motion needed for bow use. I don't think sword use is limited to ZZi, though almost certainly more popular due to their obsession with fear and conquest, as opposed to the much more conservative KL worshippers who would have to explain why "the Great Mother's beloved Club" isn't "good enough" for them to their mom and/or wife...

++++++++++++++++

the important thing to remember is that trolls are LAZY and HUNGRY. Anything edible will have to be replaced eventually, and ideally with the least amount of effort possible. Most trolls would consider any sort of archery to be in essence some sort of bizzarre food fight -- mildly entertaining, but definitely not worth taking up as a true martial skill.

danm.
(sorry for the lenght of my post, but I missed the last go-round on this and was jonesing ;-)


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