Jax on Trolls

Jax the Weird writes:

What we call "trolls" are in actuality a wide variety of unrelated creatures. The term troll seems to generally be applied to creatures that are significantly larger than even a tall man, are bipedal, roughly humanoid in shape, and are aggressively predatory in nature. There is where the similarities end.

Some trolls are actual humanoids, large with stony or leathery skin. Others are far more exotic. Some trolls are fungal colonies, others are giant wormlike creatures. Others seem to have a mineral base.

The only true to commonality among trolls is that they are quite dangerous to humanoid species.

The Troll of Johann's Ferry

Johann's Ferry is at a wide boggy part of the Yori Delta. Old Johann built a sturdy boat and eaked out a meager existence here foraging, fishing, and carrying across the occasional traveler. Though eccentric he was generally well liked by wanderers and tinkers.

On a chilly winter morning Johann met a grisly end. A foul blister-skinned troll came out of the marsh as Johann stirred up the ashes of his fire and devoured him on the spot.

Now the troll can always be found lurking around the abandoned ferry waiting for unwary travelers to feast upon. The troll collects various shiny oddments he finds on and in his prey in the dense thicket he calls home. Of particular note among the treasure is the unadorned but deadly Knife of Gorm.

Yarram at Omek

The wyrm Yarram beset the Citadel of Omek at dusk. In the citadel a star of the heavens had been secreted in sacred vault. A hot wind swept over the mountain from the west and across the peak he flew, magnificent in his way, mighty, old, and terrible. His scales of burnished bronze caught the last rays of day and it was as if the sun had returned over the mountain top from the west to start the day anew. He plunged down upon the citadel like a meteor and the heroes died and the rest fled.

For uncounted days he sat in that fastness. His eyes burning like the sun.

On the Care and Storage of Potions

Potions are neither dead nor static. They teem with a myriad beings all struggling for life. The more potent or complex the admixture the more dynamic the brew. The consequence being that potions and other concoctions are fundamentally unstable. Only the most skillful chemist can prevent the immediate onset of fermentation - which has unpredictable results.

To slow, prevent, or control fermentation a chemist is well advised to salt and chill his brew. Cold slows the growth and change of life. Salt encourages the growth of beneficent life and gives the brew a helpful vigor. Beware the consumption of too many salted potions for they can cause illness or death if taken in excess.

Gabor the Excellent writes: "the hemic dust endures ten eons and the liquor is unchanged." The meaning of this is lost.

Beware the storage of fermenting liquids in sealed glass! A potion is best stored such that it can both inhale and exhale.

The Monks of the Twin Heavens

The Monks of the Twin Heavens, also known as the Cult of the Mirrored Akash Ganga dwell in the towers of the Great Bridge on the river Yaz. Their dogma dictates that the terrestrial realm is the exact mirror of the heavenly realm. They believe that they are not worthy to touch either the heaven above or the heaven below. Hence they never leave the confines of the bridge. They fish over the side of the bridge and grow vegetables in its lofty towers. They would be mocked by all except for the glittering stars that the sift from the swirling waters of Yaz on moonless nights.

These stars are prized by princes, magi, and warlords for their great beauty and unearthly power.

The Encyclopedia of the Obscure

In the Citadel of Mung there is a long forgotten library. In a dim corner of that place a massive tome rests on a dust covered lectern. The book has a simple leather cover and is completely unlabeled and unmarked. The binding and paper are of high quality but unremarkable. A scholar of the mysteries of antiquity would know it as The Encyclopedia of the Obscure, but it has no title and recognizes no author.

Perusal of its pages by one who is literate in the ancient language of its anonymous author reveals a multitude of wisdom on a dizzying array of topics. Unfortunately the tome has no recognizable organizational structure.

The Encylopedia has been deeply studied over the years and parts of it have been translated into modern tongues. Many an exegesis has been written on its arcana and works related or derivative of it are highly prized by sages and scholars everywhere?