Lotharingia

> *"From nine comes one, as one serve nine. A new order born of frustration, our kingdom is the realization of millennia of squandered potential. We have awakened a great national spirit under this banner, and it will carry us to the peak of civilization." - King Lothar, Founder and King of the Placid Kingdom of Lotharingia, Freiherr of the House of Strauss*
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**The Placid Kingdom of Lotharingia** is a recently formed nation of mankind found in eastern Ocedon. A union of the Placid Realms, Lotharingia has seen a meteoric rise since inception, establishing itself as a strong regional power and serious new player on the world stage.

## History

### Born of War

The seeds of the Placid Kingdom of Lotharingia were sown during the Great River War between the Placid Realms and the Kingdom of Fife, 2489-2492 A.R. This dispute, initially over import duties on commerce passing through the River Bolu as it became the River Cyb, became an unexpectedly destructive conflict between the two sides. On the side of the Placid Realms, a leader and hero emerged in the form of *Freiherr* Wilhelm Augustus von Strauss, a battle wizard from Mamaros. During the initial stages of the war, when the forces of the Placid Realms were repelled during the disastrous Siege of Fort Stratford, it appeared as though the entire Second Army of the Placid Realms would be annihilated, as a forest fire caused by the Fifian destruction of their siege weapons had routed them, pinning them in a poorly defensible position. However, Strauss asserted tactical command and rallied the troops, shielding his men from the brunt of the assault through clever magics and forcing a Fifian withdrawal.

In the aftermath of this stunning reversal, which would later be known as the Battle of the Blasted Plain, Strauss would be vested with increasing authority. Initially gifted the ruins of Castle Totenkopf as a makeshift mustering ground and training camp, Strauss began drilling units and instilling a level of professionalism, cross-training talented arcanists to ensure a level of utility across engagements and reduce reliance on the necromancer mercenaries of Alagash. Over time, as his own aptitude for the art of war became apparent, Strauss was also promoted up the command chain, eventually becoming Lord Commander of the Second Army of the Placid Realms. Along the way, he led from the front, fighting in the thick of battle with his men, and devising new experimental methods of war in the latter stages, though many would never see action. He also regularly cycled units between his army and the other two fighting alongside him, to spread useful officer experience across multiple fronts. While highly successful in conventional engagements, he grew increasingly frustrated with the mobile Fifian special forces unit known as the Hellfire Company, who regularly stymied strategic goals. In fact, the end of the war saw Strauss and his army painfully absent from the cataclysmic Siege of Cybel, as they were chasing false intelligence placing Hellfire Company to the far south in Debrecin.

By the time Strauss and the Second Army returned, peace had already been signed, to their great consternation. While it had been a white peace, Strauss considered this an egregious waste of life and effort, an outrage and a humiliation. In a now famous scene of royal history, Strauss delivered what would later be known as his Crucible Speech to the assembled armies, named for the final sentence, where he invited those who wished for a united Placid Realms to join him at Castle Totenkopf "to stand in the crucible by which we forge a new age". Over half of the assembled troops, ranging from hardened veterans to disaffected Realm Guards to clever officers, made the march. From here, Strauss issued his great ultimatum: submit to a united monarchy under him as king, or be brought into the fold by force. The Placid Lords chose the latter, leading to the Siege of Castle Totenkopf.

While the armies of the Placid Lords were already at an apparent numerical disadvantage and sieging a well defended structure, it was treachery that brought a swift end to the old order. Troops loyal to Strauss had been seeded throughout the opposition, estimates placing the figure at roughly one in four being a covert asset of the future king. The lords brought to heel, Strauss declared himself king, taking the name Lothar, the Teutobren word for "wise man", and proclaimed the unification of the realms into the Placid Kingdom of Lotharingia.

### A Reign of Blood and Iron

The years following the establishment of the united kingdom saw a burst of progress in all quarters. Emboldened by new leadership and with the strength of fresh hardship carrying them forth, the newly formed Royal Guard began campaigns of national improvement across the realms. More often than not, this was the pacification of troublesome savage tribes that had been bedevilling the region for generations. These were brutal affairs, unmatched in their totality, as rather than simply crush and rout the savages, the new order purged them entirely. Tribes were fought to surrender and summarily enslaved, put to work as manual labor for the new regime. Irons brands of the national cross burned the mark of their new master forever upon them. The fortunate ones would find themselves worked to death, while those less lucky would be reanimated, cannibalized as experimental materials, or paraded before other tribes of their kind as a cautionary tale to provoke mass surrenders. While the number climbs every month, by the time of the Fourth Annual Royal Lotharingian Unity Parade, 87 tribes of goblins, kobolds, orcs, ogres, gnolls, and giants had been entered into the Hall of Extinction, their banners hung as grim trophies in the Museum of National Glory. Sometimes indignant tribes, too brutish, bellicose, or prideful to submit, were exterminated publicly, put in pikes outside settlements as warning to those who might still try to attack civilization.

With the return of long-lost natural resources and an influx of slave labor, Lothar has also taken to modernizing the nation and attempting to forge it into an emerging regional, or potentially global, power. An efficient road system, the Viae Magna project of old Suel, was revived and implemented across the nation by thousands of shackled hands. All major settlements are connected, and every day more and more minor ones receive the same luxury. Reclaimed masonry also allowed for the establishment of Lotharzheim, the great capital city built around what had been the ruins of Castle Totenkopf, themselves renovated and expanded into a royal palace complex. Laboratories, barracks, academies, warehouses, and forges abound, the great drivers of progress all brought together in one place. The Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences trains hundreds of people annually, all earning a free education after a year of guard duty, then returning the favor by bringing their skills back to their towns and villages to produce more for tax season. Smiths, magi, artisans, and other craftsmen pay taxes not ways in gold, but goods and services, filling the national armories are readily as the treasury.

While most people are happy under the new regime, this has not meant every act of government has been popular. In addition to those aggressively opposed to unity and those willing to die for it, there are moderates of several stripes concerned about national issues. Some believe that only Lothar has the wisdom to run the nation, and that the kingdom ought to die with him, lest it lose its way. While his son, Prince Leopold, is a popular soldier and statesman, some see the shoes as too great to fill. Others swing the opposite direction, enjoying the increased safety and standards of living the new regime has brought, but believing that Lothar himself must soon exit the throne. These types typically believe that Lothar has gone too far, and that while the benefits have been enormous, wholesale slavery and genocide are a bridge too far, not to mention the use of undead labor, and military experiments that, while highly secretive, have shocking products.

### To War Again

The Fourth Annual Royal Lotharingian Unity Parade, while a momentous occasion, was marred by the death of seven royal officials in a freak explosion two days prior. They were remembered in the parade, and King Lothar himself swore that the perpetrators would be made to answer for their atrocities. While he has not publicly announced who they are believed to be, the king issued a royal mobilization order, hoping go have the nation ready for war with the as-of-yet unnamed foe within six weeks. Even without a clearly stated enemy, many people are clamoring to fight and die with righteous purpose beside their king.

## Religion

The religious makeup of the Placid Realms has not changed since the proclamation of the Placid Kingdom. Kord still reigns supreme for most subjects, with regional variations, such as Pelor's popularity in Halynd, Fharlanghn holding sway over Hersek, and the Cuthbertine minority in Mamaros remaining stable. For his coronation, Lothar had the High Atlas of Kord, the Great Pathmaster of Fharlanghn, the Lector of Halynd, and the Theogonist of Mamaros all attend and bless his rule as he took up the crown. The extremely obscure Cultum Universalis, the last vestige of the old Suel rational polytheism, has enjoyed some degree of promotion, less in attempting to cultivate a national cult and more to systematize and organize the millennia worth of gathered information lying in the Templo Cultum Universalis.

## Culture

### Pride and Progress

While the prevailing culture of the Placid Realms has not been lost or diluted, the new nation has added an extra dimension of national consciousness to the masses. Especially in the aftermath of the Great River War, where all the realms licked their wounds, the nation-building schemes propagated by Lothar have been extremely warmly received. Now, four years hence, a great deal of pride exists for the new kingdom as a result. Extensive road networks, safer lands, more educated people, and a professional military all serve as potent reminders of the rapid progress made. Subjects happily buy in to the royal programs that have afforded them this new standard of living, only reinforcing their loyalty.

### Lesser Evils

While the majority of policies are welcomed by the majority of people, there are more radical elements of royal policy that cause some level of cultural strife. The counting of Teutobrens as taxable subjects was somewhat controversial, and while they do contribute, there are murmurings of unrest atop the Himmelsstürmer Mountains, as well as debate in the drinking halls of Mamaros. The enslavement of the savage races is another point of unease for some, as some find such treatment an uncomfortable reality. However, given that the alternative is wholesale extermination, there is no great organized opposition to the practice, but rather some discomfort over the sight of shackled laborers being marched through the realms. Especially in regions where full exterminations and impalements have been carried out, the brutality of the punishment makes stomachs turn and hearts quiver, even among some loyal subjects. The use of the living dead is another subject of great debate, as many are uncomfortable with the scale on which it occurs, with undead laborers and guards being rather common in some regions. The harvesting of the dead for experimentation is very public knowledge, with corpse wranglers gathering bodies of executed criminals, slain savages, and the occasional donor being a royally sanctioned profession. Finally, military experimentation, most famously the creation of war trolls, is unsettling to many. While many take umbrage with these more controversial national policies, the strong nation-building campaign has brought many people to accept these as necessary evils, rather than abhorrent practices.

## Politics

### National Structure

The Kingdom of Lotharingia is a federated absolute monarchy. While the king wields absolute power over national policy, royal institutions, and international relations, the preexisting nobility of the Placid Realms maintain sovereignty over their domains with a few restrictions. The king maintains the right to levy taxes and draft subjects from across all nine Realms at his leisure. The rulers of the nine Placid Realms, a group collectively termed the Placid Lords, are regularly assembled in Lotharzheim to air grievances or iron out the minutiae of certain national policies, acting as an advisory body. Several powers and relationships previously held by the Placid Lords are now entirely royal prerogative, which causes some degree of chafing. The king personally owns Lotharzheim and the surrounding area as a personal fiefdom separate from the portions of Cybel, Mamaros, and Hunyad that used to contain it, as well as a number of scattered domains across the realms that were reclaimed under the auspices of the Royal Guard. While most of the gains under the Royal Guard were handed over to the appropriate Placid Lords, several areas of key value, such as the Royal Mithral Mine in the County of Brighton, were seized as royal property. While the Placid Lords chafe at no longer being the highest sovereigns in their own lands, they appreciate the enrichments brought to their domains by national programs, and realize they are hardly in a position to openly rebel.

### Church and State

The religious traditions of the Placid Realms are diverse and offer a variety of organizations for people to find spiritual fulfillment. The king allows them all to exist, as long as they are loyal and subservient to him. The Church of Kord and Church of Fharlanghan are both centered in the Placid Realms, and their religious heads both quietly support the Royal Guard by ensuring at least a few lowly clerics find their way into the ranks. The Church of Pelor and the Church of Saint Cuthbert are much less influential, but still tow the line. All four churches have sent their highest ranking priests for national functions, most notably the coronation of Lothar.

The Cultum Universalis receives royal patronage from the personal finances of the king. The reasons for this are somewhat unclear, but most believe it to be a bit intellectual curiosity on Lothar's part. In any event, the polytheistic cult of true names and hidden knowledge has benefitted greatly. The purposeful funneling of disaffected minor nobles and curious students has swelled the number of acolytes to the highest in centuries, who are hard at work organizing the many volumes of parchments, scrolls, tomes, and grimoires in the Templo Cultum Universalis of Phraxos into something approaching a navigable system. With candles lit and idols dusted, rumors say that new, small temples may finally be established for the first time since the days of Suel.

The druids of the Placid Realms are united under the auspices of the Circle of Laurels. Typically, they have acted as a very independent body, acting across all nine Realms, and apolitically. While this is still largely true, the personal friendship between Lothar and the reigning Hierodruid of the Circle, Luti Jaeger, has led to greater druidic involvement than most would expect. Druids cooperating with the royal government for projects, including land development and animal husbandry, have become common enough, though their organization remains wholly independent.

### International Relations

The Verdant Realms to the west maintain amicable relations with the Kingdom of Lotharingia, seeing the resurgent nation as a more valuable trading partner than ever. Further west, the men of the Zigismünderreich are friendly, though curious to see how a rising kingdom in the east might change the political landscape of the world. To the south, the Mercurial Realms still hire out Realm Guard for their small wars, though there is a growing awareness that this dynamic is changing. Twice now, Royal Guard units have escorted delegations to negotiate peace between some of these small states, ostensibly to restabilize the region and allow for the continued flow of trade with the wealthy south. Across the seas to the east, the Basileus of Carthage has opened diplomatic relations with King Lothar. Besides regular trade, a diplomatic agreement prohibiting the hiring of the Hesperian Orders by the Kingdom of Lotharingia was penned. This agreement added diplomatic weight to the efforts of Carthage to reincorporate the Hesperides, reestablishing the Hesperian Orders as imperial servants, fostering a budding friendship between the two nations, one ancient and one nascent.

The diplomatic situation to the north is complicated. The Kingdom of Fife humiliated the Placid Realms during the Great River War, and this has led to lingering resentment and tension. The current King, Angus XIII McFife, was merely Prince of Fife during the war, so some animosity has passed since the abdication of his father Gordon III. Many still see Fife as a threat, as well as an aggressor lurking just across the border. The Archlectorate of Nöln helped negotiate the peace terms, but their involvement has largely been forgiven, as they were invited by the Placid Realms to mediate, and were simply attempting to shorten the war. Further north, the Second Kingdom of Varangia has been friendly, both for contributing to the cause during the Great River War, and for arguing on behalf of the Count of Cybel during the peace talks. King Jonne Jarvela, the great warrior king of the Varangians, has been a personal guest of King Lothar and vice versa, and several portraits have showed the two together. Most famously, King Jonne appears in the massive painting *Birth of a Kingdom*, depicting the coronation of King Lothar, towering over a number of guests.

The elves of the Claviculum Nigrum are, as ever, an enigmatic and independent force. They hardly notice the passing of events in the lands of their human neighbors, as they see such things as fleeting until proven otherwise. Still, even they recognize this new kingdom as a break from the status quo, and while many know very little about it, the elves are aware that there is now at least one more human styling himself a king. The dwarves of Vulkhund Ziflin Varr are quite similar, continuing on with commerce as usual, and barely registering that some political development may have occurred. Especially with the ongoing Age of Reckoning shaking up the dwarven race, the goings-on of mankind are a distant, secondary concern. Both elves and dwarves sent a few representatives to answer coronation invites, more out of a sense of curiosity or obligation than genuine interest in human affairs.

## Ecology

While the swampy environments of the Placid Realms haven't changed, national campaigns of extermination have changed some of the threats to be found. Orcs, goblinoids, giants, gnolls, and kobolds have become much less common threats to average people, but rural areas are still believed to have infestations. The living dead are a common sight in some areas, though most often on the arcane leash of a Royal Guard Battle Mage. However, there are a few reports, particularly in rural areas, of wandering undead, typically the creations of one such wizard killed in action during an extermination. Out of Halynd, and in a few scattered countryside extermination areas, reports have surfaced of hulking ursine beasts clad in armor with royal handlers. Perhaps most dreadful are the occasional tales of trolls in armor marching like men, typically along the roads near Hunyad.

The natural resources of the Placid Realms are more readily available for harvest than before. The clearing of threatening tribes has allowed for the reclamation of mines long thought lost since the time of Suel. Druidic cooperation has allowed for increased crop yields in many regions, as even villages that may have lacked a bog warden find themselves visited by someone who can enrich the soil and help the animals. While these visits are expressly organized to increase taxable yields, the local populace have benefitted greatly from having more abundant food and thriving fields.

## Economy

The royal government maintains the authority to collect taxes, but it is incumbent upon each Realm to actually see to the collection. Failure to do so could result in a withdrawal of royal programs and support, including less proactive Royal Guard patrols, refusal to enroll subjects in the Royal Academy free of charge, and other acts of censure and sanction. These measures have never been deployed, as all nine Placid Lords are eager to reap the benefits of the national government, and find that the improvements these bring more than pay for tax demands.

National industry has boomed since the inception of the kingdom. Between the clearing of savages, druidic land development, and the education offered by the Royal Academy, output of goods has increased in all quarters, and skilled labor has become more common. This has only added to the communal spirit of the realms, as now there are fewer and fewer tasks and trades that a village could need that are not within the purview of their tradesmen. Higher food, timber, and ore yields have allowed for a minor surplus to be built at all levels, from royal reserves to local granaries.

Commerce has similarly flourished, for several reasons. First, the expansion of the old Viae Magna project has dramatically reduced transit times across the Placid Realms, hastening the flow of trade. Second, increased road safety has only encouraged more travel into the region. Third, production improvements have allowed for a far greater ability to trade internationally, with both a higher volume of goods and gradual improvements in quality. Finally, the Royal Navy fulfills both a military and commercial role, opening new mercantile channels across the seas; while officially military vessels, the initial tour of the Royal Navy abroad was to demonstrate the existence of a new kingdom as a worthwhile trading partner, and in the years since more ships have come to visit Lotharingia, impressed by the display of naval force.

## Military

### Royal Guard

The Royal Guard of Lotharingia is the standard military body of the kingdom. Drawing on subjects from all nine Placid Realms, including Teutobrens, the Royal Guard is a highly professional body, with drafts, salaries, and a guaranteed education in exchange for a year of service. This year is counted not from the draft day, but unit assignment, which can take several months, as basic training looks to sort out where one may excel. This process is essential, because the Royal Guard use advanced and unorthodox weapons. Dedicated melee troops eschew longswords for bastard swords, trained to wield them one-handed to still use heavy steel shields, and wear breastplates over cloth uniforms of golden yellow with scarlet accents in their slashed sleeves. Dedicated ranged troops wield repeating heavy crossbows and similar armor, though the crossbow models are uniquely advanced. Unlike typical gravity-fed models that load from the top, the so-called "Lotharingia Pattern" features a bottom loading design allowing for the mounting of an optional scope on top; this innovation is believed to have been devised by dwarven engineers from Vulkhund Ziflin Varr at great expense. The Royal Guard is largely infantry, with a much smaller complement of cavalry. In addition to regular troops, a diverse collection of specialists fill the ranks. Equipment, usually provided by aspiring craftsmen in the Royal Academy or graduates working in national forges and foundries, is of high quality, often masterwork. Promising arcanists take the field as magical support, be it offensive or defensive, while clerics just beginning down the path do well as unit medics. Soldiers with a knack for mathematics command the siege engines, though they are practically never deployed; the engagements the Royal Guard find themselves deployed on have yet to require a trebuchet or ballista, but the eventuality of a traditional war requires their readiness. Royal Guard service builds a fraternal bond between people from across the Realms, with pride in one's regiment being a strong force indeed. The Royal Guard fluctuates in size, unlike Realm Guard units, as soldiers are drafted and released regularly, some reenlist, and others volunteer even without a draft notice. Still, estimates place the average size of the Royal Guard in the neighborhood of twenty thousand men including specialists and officers.

### Auxiliaries, Irregulars, Orders, and Others

In addition to the Royal Guard structure, several additional military bodies exist. The Royal Outriders are the swiftest horsemen in all the Realms, selected for their surety of hoof, who relay messages across them on behalf of the king. Most deployments of the Royal Guard include at least a few Outriders, who, while able to fight along regular Guardsmen, typically coordinate distant units or seek out reinforcements as necessary. Very lightly armed and armored, Royal Outriders are usually a blur of mithral, and are rumored to employ arcane means to enhance their already formidable speed.

Commissioned irregular officers known as Battle Mages are sometimes sent to reinforce Royal Guard regiments. Separate from the regimental Guard Mages, a Battle Mage is far more formidable, though usually drawn from the same stock. While a Guard Mage may bolster his brothers-in-arms, armoring them in force or enchanting their weapons, a Battle Mage has command of far greater powers. Some lay waste to the battlefield, launching a fireball in the middle of an orc village and hurling lightning at giants. Others command squads of skeletons, chewing through the chaff while the Guardsmen regroup and recover before reclaiming savage cadavers to replenish his ranks. A Battle Mage is a massive military asset, typically deployed either to oversee projects of national importance, or to assist in a particularly difficult extermination. Especially deadly is a Battle Mage Coven, which is a Battle Mage flanked by at least two aspiring Battle Mages, either Guard Mages who showed great promise, or students of the Royal Academy looking for the certainty of a military career. Bolstered by these journeyman arcanists, these units typically do most of the heavy lifting during their engagements, allowing the Royal Guard to breath a sigh of relief. A truly great Battle Mage may be promoted to a Battle Archmage, whose powers are truly terrifying to behold.

Thus far, two Knightly Orders exist in the Kingdom of Lotharingia. The first, the Knights of Deathless Oath, are the sworn personal guard of the king. They are an order of individuals, with each equipped however they prefer. While their skills and equipment are all unique, they are still a recognizable unit by their unique uniforms, pitch black with silver facemasks. Whether armored in full plate or the flowing robes of a wizard, sable and silver remain their calling card. The facemask typically bears their name across the top of the brow, and engraved battle honors about the face, showing their deeds to the world. Each has sworn a personal oath to serve the King of Lotharingia until their dying breath without question, and beyond if necessary. They give themselves body and soul to their lord, going wherever he does, and deploying beyond his immediate vicinity only by his request. To see a Knight of Deathless Oath descend upon the battlefield is to witness the personal will of Lothar made manifest. As each is a unique being, no great generalization can be made save for their loyalty and talent, as it is rumored that they are culled from the most talented of heroes, Guardsmen, and Royal Academy graduates. Some say their facemasks conceal that some have already died and are the living dead, truly living up to their name. Their origin lies in the original personal guard of Lothar when he was merely Lord Commander Strauss, five hundred warriors from across the Placid Realms who came together after The Battle of the Blasted Plain. Supposedly they all died by the end of the war, the iron collected from their blood and forged into Lothar's personal bastard sword, Oathbrand. It is estimated that five hundred is still the number for this secretive and dreaded Order. Their headquarters is believed to be in Lotharzheim itself, but that is purely conjecture. The only information truly known about the Order is given at the king's leisure, and all that is withheld is done so to only enhance their mystique and cultivate an aura of awe.

The second Knightly Order, The Knights of Sword and Pentacle, are an elite unit of talented individuals who blend a mastery of the martial and arcane. Their uniforms are typically either chainmail beneath a blazing crimson robe or a breastplate atop a crimson shirt with silver sleeve slashes. Their armor is always of mithral, and often enchanted. Every knight bears the titular arms, a bastard sword in hand and a pentacle about the neck. Most are former Guardsmen selected for their promising talents in both military affairs and magic. Some have been trained as warmages, while others began as either a wizard or fighter before blending the two as eldritch knights. A rare few are more exotic, either warlocks eager to put their curse to use for the greater good, or even the extremely rare Suel Arcanamach. Regardless of origin, all are known for their ability to blend talents to put an end to threats. Chapter Houses exist in the capital of each Realm, allowing Knights to operate far and wide. Many are wandering heroes, tackling mighty challenges across the Realms that might bedevil a far-flung village or beleaguered Royal Guard extermination. Others travel in bands, maximizing their ability to do good. Sometimes, petitioners visit a Chapter House, and the local Master deploys a cohort to resolve an issue. The King of Lotharingia is also Grandmaster of the Knights of Sword and Pentacle, and can thus mobilize the whole of their Order for a given purpose, though this has yet to happen. In the meantime, they are a chivalrous force, greeted with much the same awe as the Knights of Deathless Oath, though none of the dread associated with the latter. Many wish to be so great as to join this noble order, sworn to master tools both plain and occult to serve the righteous and smite the wicked, and thus there is hardly a shortage of esquires to serve them. Existing Knights may extend the invitation to join to anyone, and are commonly sent recommendations by Royal Guard commanders and Royal Academy professors, and those lucky few to be initiated can expect to annually be invited to Lotharzheim for a banquet where new knights are personally knighted by the king. Now, a Knight may be called Brother or Sister, rather than Little Brother or Little Sister, as is custom to call those only inducted by their local Master. Each Chapter House has at least fifty Knights calling it their permanent home, and many wander about at any given time. It is believed that there must be at least seven hundred Knights of Sword and Pentacle in Lotharingia, though only the king knows the whole Roll of Honor, as he keeps it in his castle.

The final element of the Lotharingian armed forces are the arcane experiments either overseen by Battle Mages, or organized in their own unique formations. The Ironclad Maulers developed by experimentation on dire bears are horrific beasts of war, fusions of beast and iron who can slaughter scores of lesser creatures in fits of violent rage. It is unknown how they are made to obey orders, though theories abound that they are either magically imprinted with commands, partially lobotomized, or raised from birth before their transformation. Whatever the case, they are a very experimental weapon of war. More dreadful and polished are the war trolls, whose genesis lies even before the unification of the kingdom. These terrifying creatures are the shock troops of the kingdom, combining the brutal savagery of trolls with the cunning of man. They stand tall and straight, marching in lockstep until battle begins before exploding with calculated violence at bewildering speed. They are said to be led by one of their own kind, a truly exceptional specimen known as Trog Loth, whose demeanor is said to be deeply unsettling to those few who claim to have met him; he is described as intense and restrained, and lacking in the expected savagery, which is said to be somehow more disturbing than the expected bestial nature. Some debate whether Trog Loth is even real, as the idea is a bit absurd. Then again, say even the doubters, five years ago trolls marching in armor sounded absurd, yet that has been seen to be true.