Canopy troll

Canopy troll

(Creature)

Type

Humanoid
(giant)

CR

3

Environment

Temperate or warm forests

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Source: Fangs of War, pg(s). 90

Canopy trolls are a race of small arboreal trolls.

Appearance

Canopy trolls' prominent tusks, massive jaws, and unruly green fur show their true nature as a troll offshoot, despite their small size: they stand three and a half feet tall and weigh 150 pounds. Their hands are as large as a common troll's, and their prehensile tails, nearly twice their height, allow them to hang from a branch and sport a sharp venomous stinger.

Ecology

Canopy trolls are ferocious, ravenous, and can regenerate all damage not inflicted through fire or acid like all other trolls. They are omnivorous and prefer fresh meat to fuel their regeneration. An unchecked troop of canopy trolls can exterminate a forest valley or small town within a few months.

Female canopy trolls give birth to twins after a three-month pregnancy and eat the weaker twin after a few days to nurse the stronger one better. Young cling to their mother's back for six months before they become fast enough to swing with the rest of the troop. Old or sickly canopy trolls are torn apart and eaten by the other members of the troop.

Canopy trolls are arboreal and rarely set foot on the ground, which many seem to fear. They are highly specialised for their environment and quickly fall ill in hotter, colder, or drier climes.

Society

Canopy trolls are unintelligent even by troll standards. A troop builds a nest from leaves, grasses, and bones on the largest tree in its territory. Canopy trolls flock into troops simply because their preferred hunting tactic is swarming. Individuals care little about others, have no concept of compassion and are constantly trying to spot weaknesses to exploit others. They hash out a rough pecking order through constant bullying, and after large meals the troop generally falls to infighting to more formally determine the leader for the next few days. Canopy trolls sometimes gather around a bigger troll or predator, treating that individual as a leader until they grow restless, hungry, or bored and turn on the 'leader'.

Canopy trolls are unusually curious and love to pull things apart to see what may be inside. They are particularly fascinated by, and sometimes fight over, musical instruments. They also like to adorn themselves with finery, but do not know how to keep these treasures from damage. Once they take hold of a valuable, they rarely willingly let go; clever hunters can snare canopy trolls simply by dropping shiny coins into a hole just large enough to slide a hand into and a little too small to pull the fist back out. They speak a Giant dialect, composed largely of vulgar insults and a number of words for food.

On Golarion

Canopy trolls are commonly found in the Fangwood in Lastwall and Nirmathas and are rare beyond the nearby small woods. A similar breed of small trolls, the chimney trolls, are found in Ustalav, while the Vudrani jungles are home to the vavanis, a more robust cousin of canopy trolls.