The Troll's True Name
Popular with: Gaunt, Oresund, Principalities
Unpopular with: Athral Isle
Less known by: Akathia, Tarsikka
Archtypes, if any: Any
Variations, if any: In the Principalities, the Hall becomes a Church, and the skalds priests.
Thane (PC1) of the Northwaste, engrossed in thought, wandered between mountain and valley. He wanted to build a Hall (in the Principalities, a church) whose equal could not be found far and wide, but he realized that he could not do so without severely taxing his warriors and their families. While sadly pondering this problem he met a man of curious appearance, who asked him why he was so contemplative. Olaf revealed the problem to him, and the troll (for truly it was a Troll of the East, but a very articulate one) offered to accomplish the task for him within a certain time. His reward would be the sun and the moon or the Thane himself.
The Thane entered into this agreement, but then drew up plans that he thought would be impossible to execute. The hall was to be so large that seven clan-heads and their warbands would be able to drink in it at one time and hear the tales of seven different Skalds, without bothering any of the others. The pillars and decorations, both inside and out, were to be of hard flint, and so forth.
Soon such a Hall was standing there, complete except for the roof. Deeply concerned, Olaf again wandered through the mountains and valleys. Suddenly, from within a mountain, he heard a child crying and a trolless comforting it with the words:
tomorrow your father,
Wind and Weather,
will come home,
and he will bring you
the sun and the moon
or Thane (PC1) himself!
The Thane returned home, elated with this discovery (for one can destroy a Troll's power with its name). Everything was finished. The roof had just been set into place. Then the Thane called out:
Wind and Weather,
you have set the roof on crooked!
The Troll fell from the top of the Hall with a horrible crash, and burst into many pieces of flintstone.