Troll (Mallikai III)

Trolls of Mallikai III are a reclusive and highly aggressive humanoid species found deep within the subterranean labyrinth known as The Depths of Mallikai III. Their exact evolutionary origins remain unknown, though many xenobiologists believe they descended from an early Near-Human lineage that adapted to extreme underground conditions over tens of thousands of years.

Trolls are incredibly muscular, heavily built, and capable of fighting the monstrous Kantikor with their bare hands—often emerging with deep scars that indicate their resilience. Despite their ferocity, Trolls show signs of complex intelligence, tool use, and communal living, though their aggressive avoidance of light makes direct study nearly impossible.

Biology

The biology of Mallikai Trolls reflects extreme subterranean adaptation.

Physical Characteristics

• Height: 5 to 7 feet
• Build: Extremely muscular; dense bone structure; high endurance
• Skin: White or ashen, adapted to lightless environments
• Eyes: Solid black, optimized for total darkness
• Head: Enlarged cranium suggesting either a large brain or reinforced skull
• Genitals: Fully visible; Trolls do not wear clothing

Trolls possess exceptional darkvision, perceiving their environment in absolute blackness with no known light threshold.

Strength and Durability

Trolls can:

• overpower, kill, or dismember Kantikor
• tear apart rusted machinery
• break reinforced piping
• withstand blunt trauma that would kill most humanoids

Their bodies heal rapidly, leaving dense scar tissue as evidence of constant conflict.

Reproduction and Mortality

No dead Troll has ever been recovered. Two theories dominate:

• Trolls consume their dead
• Trolls dispose of corpses in Mallikai’s reactor furnaces

The latter is widely accepted due to sudden spikes of organic readings during furnace cycles.

Behavior

Trolls exhibit:

• aggressive territorial instincts
• immediate flight response when exposed to light
• coordinated group living
• methodical butchering of prey
• consistent avoidance of surface dwellers unless unlit

They appear to stalk unlit individuals but flee instantly from any artificial illumination.

Aversion to Light

Light exposure causes:

• panic
• immediate retreat
• erratic movements

This aversion explains their secrecy and lack of direct scientific study.

Culture and Society

Although few direct observations exist, Troll behavior suggests a **communal society**.

Troll Camps

Explorers have discovered:

• communal sleeping pits
• fireless cooking areas
• crude shelters made from pipes and grates
• large drums filled with fermented alcohol
• butchered Kantikor remains with clean cuts and tool marks

Their camps show organized living patterns and long-term occupation.

Alcohol Consumption

Large caches of fermented alcohol indicate:

• intentional brewing or scavenging
• ritual or recreational consumption
• a cultural preference or physiological response

How they ferment drinkable alcohol in pure darkness remains unknown.

Clothing and Tools

Trolls do not wear clothing. All observed individuals display:

• bare skin
• visible genitalia
• no ornamentation

However, they regularly use tools crafted from scavenged equipment:

• blunt hammers
• wrenches
• weighted pipes
• sharpened metal scraps
• stripped wiring

Tool marks on dead Kantikors show skill and precision.

Interactions with Other Species

Trolls rarely interact with surface dwellers. When they do:

• unlit individuals may be attacked
• illuminated individuals are ignored
• Trolls flee from flashlights, glowrods, lanterns, and headlamps

Attempts at capture or communication have failed entirely.

Origins

Though definitive origins are unknown, leading theories include:

• prehistoric Near-Human settlers who adapted to the dark
• early Mallikai inhabitants who retreated underground
• mutated offshoots created by reactor leakage or biochemical drift
• a lost branch of a larger humanoid family

Genetic samples have never been retrieved.

See Also

• Mallikai III
• Kantikor
• Near-Human
• Galaxa Species Index