Field Guide to River Trolls Content . The origin of the race of trolls is somewhat obscure — which is another way of saying we know absolutely nothing about where they come from , how they got here , or why they exist at all . The troll has certainly haunted Tamriel ic folklore from time immemorial , known to nearly every culture and appearing in tales of all sorts , from children ' s fables to the histories of the ancients . Indeed , they are mentioned in Khosey ' s venerable " Tamrilean Tractates , " which speak of " ye Trohl of Rapace , thrice - orbed Enormity [ that ] Eateth ye Fleshe of [ both ] Commons and Kyngs . " After our long history on Tamriel with them , we men and mer should really know quite a bit about trolls , should we not ? Perhaps so — but we don ' t . The few facts at our disposal are as follows : - Trolls are fierce and formidable carnivores , devouring anything they can catch down to fingernails and marrow . - A troll injured by any means but fire heals with preternatural speed , a regeneration almost certainly magical in nature . - Troll fat is a reagent prized by alchemists , though its virtues seem to vary depending on different recipes and rendering techniques . - Despite their physical prowess , trolls are reclusive creatures , and their lairs are usually found well off the beaten track . We can say little else with certainty , save that trolls live in a range of habitats and seem to exist in variations appropriate to their environment of origin . The most common , and therefore best - known types of trolls , include the Forest Trolls of central Tamriel , and the Frost Trolls of the far north . But history and legend tell us of other types of trolls , more obscure perhaps , but no less fascinating . Some , like the Lava Trolls of Vvardenfell , are almost certainly extinct ( if , indeed , they ever existed outside the fevered imaginations of Dark Elf corner club raconteurs ) . But today we shall speak of a rare breed of " Trohl of Rapace " that you can definitely still encounter — and not in far - off regions like Middle Argonia or Topal Island . They live in Cyrodiil itself … if one knows where to look for them . I ' m speaking of the elusive River Troll . You won ' t find it listed on the Imperial Register of Beasts and Lower Beings , but it ' s real nonetheless , as I can readily attest . I myself have personally seen , in the marketplace of Sutch , the carcass of a River Troll that was brought in by an intrepid hunter who traps the tributaries of the Brena . She told me they lair out of sight in riverside caves or burrows , subsisting on mudcrabs , large fish , and crocodile s — as well as upon unwary people , when they can get them . This might be why they ' re so rarely reported , as few survive such an encounter . The appearance of the corpse , fire - scarred though it was , bore out the brave hunter ' s account . Unlike the familiar forest variety , this River Troll ' s hide was clad in shiny water - shedding scales , silver - blue in color and as durable as they were flexible . The long scaly hands had webbing between the clawed fingers , and the fangs were the sharp , spiky teeth of fish - eaters . The hunter said they can hold their breath for long periods , lurking unseen in the shallows until they erupt from ambush to overwhelm their prey . Since that encounter I ' ve questioned others who range the wild places of Cyrodiil and learned that the experience of the hunter of Sutch was not unique . River Trolls , though rarely seen , can be found lurking in the watersheds of the Brena , Strid , and central Niben river systems , and doubtless account for a fair percentage of the livestock — and people — who go missing in these regions . Knowing what I do now has certainly persuaded me to confine my nature walks to paths on the drier uplands , lest I end my scholarly career as fodder for trollkins in some muddy riverside burrow !