Wood Trolls

Wood Trolls or Wood-trolls are a species of Troll-kind.

Description

As their name suggests, Wood-trolls have bark-like skin, root-like feet, and leafy growths protruding from their bodies. Much more lithe and agile than other types of Troll, they resemble distorted cousins of the Ents. They were presumably created by the Dark Lord by sending evil spirits to animate trees of the dark forest regions. While they are usually solitary roamers,^[1] lately Wood-trolls have been seen banding together under leaders, such as an elder Wood-troll or a powerful Huorn.

It is said that Trolls were originally bred by the Dark Lord Morgoth in mockery of Ents.^[2] If this is so, the Wood-trolls must be the cruelest joke against the gentle Tree-herders, a blasphemy of the natural order and a dark mirror of what the Ents could become if they fall to darkness.

Locations

Locations where Wood Trolls can be found include:

Enedwaith:

Mournshaws

Ettenmoors:

the Delving of Frór

Evendim:

Southern Emyn Uial

Eregion:

Glâd Ereg

Eryn Lasgalen and the Dale-lands:

Eryn Lasgalen

Far Anórien:

Taur Drúadan

Swanfleet:

Western Eregion

Trollshaws:

North Trollshaws

Tâl Bruinen

West Rohan:

Entwood

Wildermore:

Balewood

Tactics

Wood Trolls are always aggressive, and tend to be of Normal or Signature difficulty. They are weak to Fire damage and to a lesser extent Light and Beleriand damage, and are resistant to Common damage.

Wood Trolls often initiate combat by throwing a rock to knock down their target before charging in. Some are capable of binding their target in a crushing root. Elder Wood Trolls are capable of hardening their bark to strengthen their defences, and can sometimes heal themselves when near defeat.

Varieties

Fangorn-Trolls

Fangorn-Trolls are the Wood-trolls of the Entwood, in West Rohan. They seem to have awoken as a side effect of the Ents rousing the forest. However, they are still enemies to the rest of the forest.^[3]^[4] Wood-trolls can also be found in the Balewood, the unruly northern expanse of Fangorn, in Wildermore. These are active before the awakening of the forest, having been driven mad by the passage of Núrzum.^[5]

Ghûrdhos

The Ghûrdhos are the Wood-trolls of Taur Drúadan, in Far Anórien. According to Ghân-buri-Ghân, they are usually part of the natural balance of the forest.^[6] However, the coming of the Dheghûn has angered and corrupted them.^[7]

Holly-trolls

Holly-trolls are the Wood-trolls of Glâd Ereg, in Eregion. Their presence is corrupting the forest, turning the trees and holly-tenders hostile.^[8] They dwell mainly in Sâd Thareg and are led by Zagâfum.^[9] These Trolls have dealings with the White Hand, and may have even been created by Saruman.^[10]

Moss-patch

The Moss-patch are a tribe of Wood Trolls in the service of Gaergoth the Unbound, in the Ettenmoors. They are based out of the Delving of Frór, but their Elders command outposts claimed by Gaergoth's forces.

Taurogrim

The Taurogrim are the Wood-trolls of Eryn Lasgalen, formerly Northern Mirkwood, in Eryn Lasgalen and the Dale-lands. Long ago they troubled Thranduil's realm, and became a legend among the Beornings.^[11] Now they have returned, while the spiders of the forest disappear.^[12] They are known to use poisons which can be cured by Celeblam.^[13] These may be the Wood-trolls Legolas mentions as banding together under a king at Dol Guldur.^[1]

Background

Wood Trolls were created for The Lord of the Rings Online. J.R.R. Tolkien does not mention this breed of Troll in his stories of Middle-earth, though he does use the term in his translation of the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.