Trolling

The origins of various words and phrases can be very interesting because definitions are affected by usage and can stray from the original intended meaning.

This may occur when people either intentionally or inadvertently misuse a word in a context where it was not originally meant to be used, and the misuse gains traction and eventually becomes popularly accepted as truth — which is how this:

Trolling

Became this:

Trolling

Anyway, enough digression. The subject of this particular post is obviously the troll.

In Norse myth, trolls were closely related to giants (it is even believed that troll is just a negative synonym of jötunn), but the term was also used to describe various smaller mythological beings including huldra.

On to the miniatures (grouped roughly by size and proportions):

The largest trolls in this group are from RAFM, and include a Troll Warrior (Demons of Darkness RAF3723), and an Undead Troll (Demons of Darkness RAF3724).

The next pair is a Giant Troll attacking with Spiked Club (Fiend Factory FF16-1) and a Reaper Marsh Troll (Dark Heaven Legends 02609).

The Marsh Troll was sculpted by Bob Olley, and bears the characteristic facial features of all Olley trolls.

Two more Olley trolls, but this time they are older Ral Partha trolls that stand about 1cm shorter than the newer Reaper sculpt. On the left is one of the Troll Heavy Infantry figures (Fantasy Armies 02-143), while on the right is one of the Troll Rock Throwers (Fantasy Armies 02-142).

Some of these Ral Partha sculpts were used for Mage Knight, and include the Krugg Heaver (Whirlwind #040, #041,#042), Krugg Thug (Whirlwind #037, #038, #039), and the Krugg Headhunter (Minions #082, #083, #084/Nexus #102).

I repainted my figures to eliminate the awful yellow-blue-red colors originally used on them.

The Krugg heaver is one of the Troll Rock Throwers, while the Krugg thug is one of the Fantasy Armies Troll Light Infantry sculpts. The Krugg Headhunter is a modified version of the Fantasy Armies Troll Leader.

I cut off all of the trophies from one of the headhunters because I don't like figures that are covered with skulls or decapitated heads. It is a painstaking process, and will require additional work to make the figure presentable.

I really like these Olley trolls, as they remind me of the Fjeltroll from The Sundering Trilogy by Jacqueline Carey.

Next are a pair of Heritage trolls. The one on the left is a Troll of Moria (Lord of the Rings 1760), while the other one is a regular Troll (Dungeon Dwellers 1246).

A Grenadier War Troll (MM84) and Female Troll (MM86), both from the Monster Manuscript Vol.X box set.

Two Citadel C20 Trolls: Grog Stuntycrusher (left), and Hobol Firebreath (right).

Another Citadel troll (Marauder MM40) and a Reaper Cave Troll (Bones 77004).

Citadel Fantasy Tribe Trolls, sculpted by Tom Meier.

These are the early sculpts, and I believe there were later releases with their "naughty bits" covered up.

Next is a Large Troll with Club (minus the club) from Asgard (Fantasy Monsters FM66), a TSR troll (AD&D Monster Tribes 5305), and a very similarly posed Grenadier troll from the Horrors of the Marsh boxed set (Dragon Lords 2010).

A Ral Partha Troll (AD&D Monsters 11-408), and a pair of Grenadier Trolls (Julie Guthrie 706) are next.

The Ral Partha troll in particular bears the characteristics of the classic troll from the AD&D Monster Manual. The AD&D troll was obviously modeled after the troll from Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson (which may in turn have been influenced from elsewhere?).

I also have the Grenadier Denizens of the Swamp troll that is even closer in appearance to the Sutherland illustration from the Monster Manual, but unfortunately it suffered an accident while I was gathering up all my troll miniatures for photography.

More Ral Partha trolls include True Trolls (Personalities and Things that go Bump in the Night 01-063), and a Hill Troll (Personalities and Things that go Bump in the Night 01-010 v2).

Some unconventional trolls are the Archive Bridge Troll (Middle Earth 540), and the Ral Partha Draken (Personalities and Things that go Bump in the Night 01-123).

The figures are kind of similar, and remind me a bit of the Fremont Troll.

More unconventional trolls are the Uz of Glorantha. From left to right are a Trollkin with Spear, Trollkin with Sling, and Dark Troll with Large Axe from the Citadel Trolls and Trollkin box set (Runequest Box 3). The final figure is a Troll Adventurer from the Citadel Adventurers box set (Runequest Box 2).

The Runequest trolls seem a bit undersized for their intended scale, since Uz are supposed to be larger than humans, but they're just about right compared to 1/72 humans. The trollkin are okay, but having even smaller ones would be nice.

Additional candidates for trollkin are cave imps from Splintered Light Miniatures. The following miniatures were purchased as part of the Cave Imp Army (BOX21).

The figures look as if they may have been modeled after the Dam troll, and I'm going to paint them up as such. The product line has been sold to C-P Models, but a boxed set appears to still be sold by Splintered Light. I'm not sure if they actually come in a box though, since I received my figures in a single ziploc bag.

Last are my 15mm trolls, with figures from Chariot (GOB10) and Alternative Armies (HOT3) on the left, while to the right is a Splintered Light Troll Throwing Rock (ORC04) and a 25mm Heritage River Troll (Fantasy 1315).

These smaller trolls would be ideal for a low fantasy game in which monsters are not of gigantic proportions.

The Heritage troll is a 25mm figure, but it is barely taller than the SLM troll. The Chariot figure looks like a typical Warhammer troll, while the HOT troll would fit well stylistically with the Olley trolls (while still being unique). I just wish there was a 25mm version of the HOT figure so that it really could be used alongside the Olley trolls.

A nasty-looking troll, brandishing a bloody axe,
blocks all passages out of the room.

Then inspiration struck me. It was a rust monster...

The rust monster is another iconic creature from D&D that originated from toy monsters that were made in Hong Kong. Based on general appearance, it's likely that the toy was modeled after Kemular (ケムラー), also known as the Poison Gas Monster (毒ガス怪獣; Dokugasu Kaiju). Kemular does not have antennae, but the tail and back (with the wing case folded) seem fairly analogous to the rust monster. In any case, rust monsters are the nightmare of any character with magic weapons and armor made of metal.

In old school illustrations, rust monsters were not particularly big, but in later editions they were portrayed as much larger creatures.

I like the original way in which they were presented as whimsical creatures, like in The Very Hungry Rust Monster by Steve Dismukes. I don't think every monster needs to be huge and menacing.

The miniatures of rust monsters in my collection include the Archive Rust Eater from the Dungeon Nasties II blister pack (Fantasy 5040), the Grenadier Ruster Beast (Monster Manuscript Vol.IX 1509, MM74), and the TSR Rust Monster (AD&D 5612).

The Rust Eater has the bumpy skin of a rust monster, but is bipedal, with aardvarkish features. The other two miniatures are pretty consistent in appearance to the original plastic toy.

As far as size goes, they're all probably about twice as large as I would prefer them to be, but they do not look overly large if you consider them to be later edition rust monsters.

The Four Elements

Elementals were derived from the classical Greek elements of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire by the physician and alchemist Paracelsus back in the 16th century. He described them as beings that occupied a position somewhere between man and spirit, in that they were physical beings, but had the ability to translocate themselves in the manner of spirits.

In fantasy role-playing games, elementals are typically animate forms of their respective element, while the Paracelsian nomenclatures (pigmy/gnome, nymph/undine, sylph, salamander) are used for related, but completely different types of beings. In addition, fantasy gaming has many other classes of elementals, paraelementals, quasielementals, and such, that I won't get into.

Earth

The earth elemental is also known as the Gnome, or Pigmy. Paracelsus characterizes them as malevolent beings, but also as creatures who treat others as they themselves are treated. Most gamers of course, recognize them as humanoid piles of boulders.

"...the element of the Gnomes is the earth, and they pass through rocks and walls and stones like a thought; for such things are to them as no greater obstacles than the air is to us ... the Pigmies are of the length of about two spans, but then can extend or elongate their forms until they appear like giants."

– The Life of Philippus Theophrastus Bombast of Hohenheim

The three earth elementals are (left to right) from Grenadier (Monster Manuscript Vol.III 1503, MM21), TSR (AD&D 5602), and Shadow Corp (3057).


I haven't accumulated many earth elementals because I still haven't made up my mind on how they should appear. I think the Grenadier miniature would make an outstanding mud elemental. The TSR elemental has a sculpted look to its face which seems more appropriate for a golem than an elemental, but I do like the look of the Shadow Corp elemental.

An option that can be used to represent Paracelsian Gnomes are the Reaper Stone Zealots (Warlord 14572).


My miniatures are slightly modified (chin spikes removed), but I'm using them as a type of kobold, rather than as earth elementals.

Water

The water elemental is also known as the Nymph or Undine. In the typical game setting, they appear as ambulatory waves. Paracelsus had a different take, and describes them as spiritual gold diggers who lingered near bodies of water in order to snag themselves a human mate.

"...those belonging to the element of water resemble human beings of either sex..."

– The Life of Philippus Theophrastus Bombast of Hohenheim

Below are two large water elementals. The first one is a WoW CMG Crashing Wave Spirit (Spoils of War expansion), while the other is a DDM Large Water Elemental (Blood War #38).


I removed a lot of the paint on the Large Water Elemental with acetone, and I will do the same with the Crashing Wave Spirit, since the paint is just too opaque for my tastes. The wave action on the left arm of the Crashing Wave Spirit looks nice, but for the raised right arm, the large sheet under the arm doesn't quite look right.

Next are two medium water elementals. The one on the left is from The Legend of Drizzt Board Game, while the one on the right is from Heroscape (Champions of the Forgotten Realms expansion). Both of these elementals are the same as the DDM Medium Water Elemental, except they are made of translucent plastic instead of opaque plastic.


The last four water elementals are metal miniatures. They are (left to right) from WotC (WOC40098), Ral Partha (AD&D Monsters 11-427), Grenadier (Monster Manuscript Vol.III 1503, MM23), and Shadow Corp (3057).


Frankly, I like the plastic elementals because they are translucent, which approaches the appearance of water better than metal. I'm sure that fantastic water effects can be achieved with painting, but I don't have those skills.

One other miniature that I thought would make a great Undine is the Ral Partha Zaftig Maiden (Personalities and Things that go Bump in the Night 01-008).


I can see using the Dark Art to create one in transparent resin that would result in a great looking elemental. I have actually seen the Heritage Air Elemental (below) cast up in transparent turquoise resin, and it looked fantastic as well.

Air

Air elementals are known as Sylphs or Sylvestres. The appearance of sylphs as slender female spirits comes from Alexander Pope, who characterizes them as an embodiment of post-mortem female vanity in his poem The Rape of the Lock.

                            "The light Coquettes in Sylphs aloft repair,
                            And sport and flutter in the Fields of Air."

                            – The Rape of the Lock

The first group of air elemental miniatures are modeled as personifications of the wind. From left to right, they are from Heritage (Dungeon Dwellers 1283), Citadel (C34 Elementals and Demons), TSR (AD&D 5602), and Ral Partha (Personalities and Things that go Bump in the Night 01-064).


The second group are more typical D&D style air elementals that appear as whirlwinds. From left to right, they are a Windfiend Fury (Savage Encounters #39), Shardstorm Vortex (Savage Encounters #32), and a Thunderblast Cyclone (Against the Giants #9).


Next are a mixed group of metal and plastic air elementals. From left to right, there are Ral Partha (AD&D Monsters 11-427) and Grenadier (Monster Manuscript Vol.III 1503, MM20) air elementals; Grenadier (Monsters 5002) and Shadow Corp (3057) wind elementals, and a DDM Air Mephit (Unhallowed #12).


To represent Paracelsian Sylphs, one option is to use Fenryll Fairies (FA14).


The fairies are not the best work coming from Fenryll, and the wings printed on acetate sheets had overly thick veins, but they are usable with 1/72 figures, so I can't complain too much.


Other miniatures that can be used as Sylphs include the Magister Militum Sprites (ELF07), and Foundry Fairies. These miniatures are smaller than the Fenryll Fairies, but will work quite well as delicate, airy creatures.


I think a neat effect could be achieved if one of the DDM air elementals were to be hollowed out, and a winged sprite was embedded in the center.

Other denizens of the Elemental Plane of Air include a pair of Ral Partha Djinn (Personalities and Things that go Bump in the Night 01-069), and a Grenadier Djinni (Monster Manuscript Vol.II 1502, MM15).


Fire

Fire elementals are known as Salamanders or Vulcani. It is the only elemental that is based on an actual creature, though the nature of the mythical Salamander is very different from that of the actual amphibian. Of course it goes without saying, that Trampier's illustration of the Salamander is how I see these creatures as appearing.

"...the Salamanders are long, lean, and dry ... Salamanders have been seen in the shapes of fiery balls, or tongues of fire running over the fields or appearing in houses."

– The Life of Philippus Theophrastus Bombast of Hohenheim

The three fire elementals are (left to right) the DDM Huge Fire Elemental (War of the Dragon Queen #20), a WoW CMG Enraged Fire Spirit (Core Set), and a DDM Small Fire Elemental (War of the Dragon Queen #54). I particularly like that the beast form of the DDM elementals. To me, these are how salamanders appear when they materialize on the Prime Material Plane.


The next three fire elementals are metal figures. They are (left to right) from Reaper (Dark Heaven Legends 02251), Grenadier (Monster Manuscript Vol.III 1503, MM22), and Shadow Corp (3057).


Next are some other denizens of the Elemental Plane of Fire. A DDM Phoera (Blood War #21) on the left, and a pair of salamanders on the right. The first salamander is the Ral Partha Firekin (AD&D Monsters 11-489), while the smaller salamander is from the Broadsword Serpent Creatures set (M-06).


And from the City of Brass we have a Ral Partha Efreet (AD&D Monsters 11-454), and a Grenadier Efreeti (Monster Manuscript Vol.III 1503, MM19).


Again, I prefer plastic to metal for elementals because some neat effects can be created with the plastic miniatures. Here is the DDM Huge Fire Elemental sitting on a lighted base.