Recently reminded that I never actually completed my series of cultural, biological, and world building Trolls (DreamWorks) meta that I've had sitting in my Drafts since 2021. So rather than finish it, I've decided to post what I had with some minor edits, with a second post to come about some tribe specific meta.
At some points you might see references that don't exist (ala, see "subject on expanding on this idea") where I had planned a series of other articles to be linked back later. Rather than write them all out and burn myself out, I'll probably only address the mentioned topics if someone shows interest, and link them back later then. So yeah, feel free to ask on any of those or for explanations or expansions.
This stuff is ancient, but overall holds up and is still my general headcanons to this day, though the tone is strange to me now after all this time. Most notably I have not watched the third movie. I have spoiled myself for it for the most part, but what I've seen has left me disappointed and uninterested, so all of this is technically canon compliant to a point up through World Tour, colored by the TV shows, and does not account for Band Together at all. Everything below is as written as of 2021, with any modern expansions labeled with an edit.
Reminder to take all this as a “generalization and stereotyping” sort of thing, which of course ignores obvious exceptions and nuances and personal preferences of a sentient speciesÂ
General biology and behaviors:
Trolls are a plant based lifeform. All parts of a Troll including hair are digestible, though due to the repeated consumption and internal refinement of excess sugars, their sap is exceptionally sweet. While Trolls come in a variation of shapes and colors, their sap is universally transparent with visible iridescence. Troll sap is known to cause a euphoric high in most species and thus, Trolls are the victims of several natural predators.Â
It is believed that the phenomenon known as Harmonic Tranquilizing developed as a direct result, though this is up for debate as other uses have been observed. Known consistencies in this behavior is the use of vocalizations to affect the immediate vicinity of said Troll in a pacifying way. Experiencing these vocalizations causes a much milder form of the same euphoric high produced by consuming the sap. It is unknown how these vocalizations are able to affect their surroundings, though it’s believed to affect the endocrine systems, as they affect low sentience flora as well as all fauna. All Trolls carry this ability, with the only known exceptions being instrumental based Troll mutations. While most mutations of this variety are small communities of nomads who have found alternative adaptions, the most prolific and notable of these exceptions would be the mountain dwelling Classical Trolls, who at some unknown point completely lost the ability to use of Harmonic Tranquilizing in exchange for their highly domesticated local fauna being able to do so instead. (see Trolls as a keystone species, see Troll symbiotic relationships)Â
Edit: (sing away the paaaaain. Harmonic Tranquilizing was my way of trying to create a word for the behaviors we see in trolls through singing. I've specifically had some form of this headcanons since movie one, talking about Branch and going grey as a hormonal stress response, and how singing might be used around him as a subconscious attempt to reduce stress and increase health. Also explaining away the end of movie dance sequences, singing when nervous or towards those who are upset. This isn't a word used by the trolls (maybe something made up by some very specific funk trolls doing some very specific research) but it's no more a general word in the trolls lexicon as say a word for "you exude dopamine when eating good food" would for people. Though it is a much more intense phenomenon capable of being observed. Troll societies who have observed with would probably adhere it to some facet of bonding or spirituality when addressed.)
It is strongly believed classical Trolls did have this ability at one point, as their closest known relative, the Operatic Troll, retains the ability. Why they lost this ability is unknown though, as other variations of farmer Trolls, the most notable and prolific being the yodeling Troll, contains specifically strong examples. It is believed that oxygen availability at high altitudes may be a factor in this loss.
(edit: will be discussing Operatic trolls and nomads in my tribe specific posts)
Another notable species that is rapidly loosing the classic example of Harmonic Tranquilizing is the underwater Techno Troll. While examples of vocalization have been found, the majority of the Harmonic Tranquilizing affect seems to come from the rhythmic pulsing of the Techno Troll’s exposed Wishstone (see wishstones in mythology)Â
The initial development of this ability is up for debate due to the varied uses that have been observed. Said uses include
pacification of predators
pacification of farmed resources in the form of living creatures from more predatory Trolls
encouragement of aggression from other Trolss (notable in that vocalizations can affect other Trolls in ways other than pacifying, and seemingly done with intention)Â
encouragement of a lack of aggression from other Trolls
vocalization from nearby fauna and flora (unknown if this is a byproduct of pacification or intent
hormonal balancing in imbalanced trolls (see troll coloration variation vs loss of color)
large vocalization gatherings of unknown meaning, though observation of behaviors lead the belief as bonding exercises, potentially through said hormone balancing
observations of said behaviors has led to the prevalent theory that trolls of similar genre’s are able to cause a more euphoric sensation in one another, as when placed together, different genres are still prone to grouping
(edit: basically, there is some biological component to what a troll's genre is. Genre is both your heritage, and what you practice, in the way that say, Cooper is a Funk Troll by birth and Pop by practice. Trolls of similar genre have physical responses to their genre's style, and will see different genre's presentations as positive or negative specifically when comparing it to their own reactions. Example, a classical troll might appreciate a hard rock's guitar solo for its technical skill, while the hard rock troll might resonate with the message of the song and loud bodaciousness)
Trolls are an ancient species whose variations have become keystone to their respective environments. How they do so vary, though it is most closely related to community building and food collection, some general trends in environmental changes include domestication of local species to suit the Troll’s needs, large scale housing that directly affects the landscape, waterway redirections, and resource hoarding. Â
(edit: Wishstones are a completely unaddressed subject in the DreamWorks Trolls universe, but that wasn't always so. For those who weren't around for the original dolls, Wishstones were the little gem at their belly buttons, and trolls were advertised with the perks of rubbing their stones to grant wishes. Watch an old commercial, they are wild.
The artbook for the first movie addresses Wishstones in an early draft that wanted to establish Creek as a villain early in the story. In that version, his sister was a fully acended troll with a working Wishstone that let her float around in a meditative state. Creek was supposed to have one hell of a complex over his not working stone, and it was supposed to be an indicator of his inner darkness and nature. As it stands, the visual gag of him floating only to reveal he's being carried around is a byproduct of that cut storyline)
Wishstones are the core of a Troll that makes them function. Though they are found to beat much like a heart in an animal, it doesn’t appear to have any sort direct biological function as an muscular organ might. Rather, it works closer to a brain, sending out pulses that direct the health and actions of a Troll. The beating of the Wishstone is necessary, and limbs cut from the main body of the Troll immediately go grey while those injured but still connected to the Wishstones will retain color. An otherwise heathy Troll with an injured Wishstone with quickly fade to grey and expire. Studies indicate that the tempo of beats that a Wishstone maintains is related the Troll’s genre. While most are internalized, some Trolls have adapted to a partially externalized Wishstone for unknown reasons. While it has been found that an exposed Wishstone is necessary for a flight capable Troll, an exposed Wishstone is not necessarily indicative of flight capability. Nomadic Gem Trolls, a subgenre of the Instrumental Trolls, are famous for their beautiful exposed Wishstones, which are said to be covered in a layer of hardened sucralose for protection. Common Troll mythology tells of Gemtrolls who are able to grant fortune telling and wishes if the Wishstone is touched directly, which is where the name of the stone originates. Gem Trolls were nearly hunted to extinction by their own kind as a result, and are a common target of bounty hunters.
(I'll probably go into it deeper when I go over the tribes, but I found it *veeeeeeery* interesting that a series ofpreviously completely sequestered series of cultures would need out of tribe bounty hunters....)
(tldr: trolls are plants and their heads are flowers, fight me)
Trolls contain chlorophyll and are able to photosynthesize. Trolls come in a large variety of exceptionally bright colors, but their pigment base comes from highly modified pigment chains not unlike anthocyanin, leaving low pigmentated trolls dark in color but still capable of said photosynthesis. (see Trolls and environmental factors for variations)
As a result, Trolls have very small caloric needs, but disproportionately large trace mineral and water requirements. Trolls are capable of consumption and can augment their needs accordingly to environment. In ideal conditions, a Troll could theoretically subsidize entirely on sunlight and mineral rich waters, but such conditions have yet to be found in the wilds. All Trolls are capable of opportunistic omnivorous behaviors, but show poor meat digestion and a marked preference for high sugar content foods.Â
(Pop Troll, having only been reintroduced to a moderately rich environment, are not noteworthy, but are a decent comparative control when compared to nomadic subgenres and more extreme mutations)
Closest to the ideal conditions are the Mountain trolls. Rich clean waters and great sun exposure have lead Classical Trolls and their variations to give up much of their darker chlorophyll in favor of the light hair and gold skin camouflage that makes them nearly invisible to airborne predators, but their flying has left them with a much higher calorie and water needs. Classical trolls have adapted a social culture around domestication of the local fauna in a symbiotic train of extensive trade deals. Forming large clans each with their own specializations, the clan’s highly specifically domesticated animals are able to imitate harmonic tranquilizing of very specific kinds, and Classical trolls often form large bands of concerts to make the best use of various specializations at once. Classical trolls use this to control local resources and repel predators to a much greater effect than any other Troll species around. Classical trolls take great pride in their patron animals and live in excess, using said excess to bribe the local clouds for water resources.
(this information above should go into the classical troll shtick, and most will be repeated there, but it's in the original draft so.....)
Trolls do not naturally retain water or excess calories. A majority of waste is exuded out of the mouth as a sort of colorful paste. But excess is refined in the guts and exuded from an orifice at the bottom of the abdomen as a sort of highly nutritional nugget. These nuggets have been observed as being stored for later, given to the sick and young, consumed for large gatherings, and are apparently incredibly sweet to taste. Arguments can also be made of its development as a defense mechanism, in which a startled troll might drop the contents of their stomach to distract a predator with a sweet smelling alternative. While all trolls have this byproduct to some degree (see Trolls and animal domestication, see Country Trolls and gut fermentation) Funk Troll territory is both lavish and lush, and their guts have evolved this refinement to an art. Funk Troll history is filled with periods of rich trade between other Troll Tribes, as well as periodical raids and the occasional territory dispute when they were land bound.Â
(edit: look....look. I don't want to think about the poop cupcakes, you don't want to think about the poop cupcakes. And yet here I am, here I was, trying to justify the poop cupcakes. The best way I found was to remove the action as far away from waste production as I could, and perhaps tie the action through Cooper, to some of the excess and opulence of the Funk trolls. The closest real world examples would probably be bees, in that it's the collection of sugars, excreted at high concentrations in times of excess, to be consumed in times of little. And also it's explicitly bug vomit but we do not care cause it's yummy. I almost guarantee that this stuff was a Bergan delicacy in the heyday of Troll domestication, and would be so again if rediscovered and capable of mass harvesting)
Rock Trolls live in a similarly mineral rich calorie deficient environment to Classical Trolls, but have evolved a nomadic lifestyle to compensate. Rock trolls have a very high calorie requirement due to local volcanic activity lowering sun quality in their territories, and have become strip grazers in response. They rely heavily on complex networks of travel routs to survive, to allow new growth to appear as fast as they can get to it without starving. Population growth is leaving them more and more dependent on their local variation of Bug Bus (see Angler Bus. See symbiotic Troll relationships. See great Troll migration theories) to travel these routs at greater speeds. It is believed that the gradual darkening and lack of pigmenting in Rock Trolls is due to the greater need to depend on anthocyanin based photosynthesis, but it’s unknown if the change is happening quick enough to maintain sustainability of the population. Current outlook seems unlikely, as Rock Trolls also rely heavily on their opportunistic diet for their water consumption as well. (Note: Am I insinuating that part of Barb’s motivations in the movie came in part from the slightly farther than beginning stresses of food insecurity in her people and the hope that if all Trolls were rock that would mean more resources?... yes I am
(edit: in fact, that was directly what I was implying. Will get into in much greater detail in the rock troll article)
Techno Trolls are a very unique case as the exclusive deep sea aquatic troll (yet known). Their exceptionally high anthocyanin content insinuates they were once surface dwellers, but its later been found they they do very little in the ways of consumption, relying almost exclusively on hydrothermal vents for their mineral needs. Note that Techno Trolls are not bioluminescent by nature, but rather, have developed a symbiotic relationship with a bioluminescent bacteria that lives on and in the Troll. This bacteria uses heat from the thermal vents to chemically produce energy, which is shared with the Troll. Note that parental Techno Trolls do not partake in the bonding experience known as sunbathing with their young, rather have taken to a much higher level of skinship with offspring in developmental stages to share this bacteria. Techno Trolls also receive a very high degree of their pigmentation from their bacteria and thus have the greatest child to parent resemblance of all Troll types. Techno Trolls are a rare case of visual identifiers over vocal, and a infant Techno Trolls can pick out a parent in a group using the exact variation of their parent’s glow as an indicator.
Country Trolls are the most vicious, outwardly aggressive, and carnivorous of all Troll genres. They have become almost entirely reliant on Bugfallo for their nutritional and liquid consumption, as Bugfallo are able to to consume the normally toxic to Trolls but prevalent cacti and produce a sweet and far less toxic Honeydew the Trolls can consume in response. The Honeydew is overly processed to the point of little nutritional value, and consumption of Bugfallo flesh is high enough in demand to compensate that Country Trolls are known to subsidize their diet by raiding other genres, most notably the herding tribes of Yodlers to the north and the nomadic subgenres. Direct consumption of local cacti by the Trolls is technically possible and only fatal in the long term, and is often done by the older generations, as the gut byproduct of the cacti are highly fermented and alcoholic. Repetitive consumption of this fluid quickly intoxicates said Trolls as it ferments more and gets stronger, and some Country Troll families boast multiple generations worth of the same alcohol being re consumed.Â
(edit: country trolls make tequila in their guts. Their elderly are almost always piss drunk on it. Pass it on)
On troll biology and hair:
Trolls do not have bones, and maintain their shapes through a combination of stretchy membranes and internal pressure. These membranes deteriorate rapidly after death. Chemical reactions upon expiration cause the rapid fermentation of internal sugars, which upon evaporation, leaves a unique and delicate latticework of internal and external structures. It is unknown if this structure aids in shape maintaining, or is adjacent to an nervous system. Trolls are not animals and do not have a brain, but have something noticeably adjacent in the form of a Wishstone kept in the abdomen.
Trolls do have an organ on top of said abdomen that contains some sensory organs of varying use, but what common observation in mammals would call the head of the Troll is rather it’s reproductive organs. Trolls grow large amounts of long thin filaments around their stigma that are able to extend and retract at will. Excess length is kept within the organ’s cavity, reeled around the internal ovary, and can be reeled out at will to more than 10 times the length of the troll in the most impressive of species. These filaments are very thin, excessively strong, and are controlled by minute musculature covering the entire length of the filaments. Though referred to as hair, these filaments are a living functional organ of the troll and should not be cut under any circumstances. It’s believed that ancient trolls once used these in reproductive behaviors, the most common theories being courting displays, passive pollen collection, or mate capturing, but there is no concrete evidence to support such claims other than the rapid filament growth that comes at sexual maturity.Â
Most modern trolls only have vestigial extension abilities and musculature with enough control to allow conception, but there are notable exceptions. Pop Trolls are famous for their unique chromatophores and dexterity, wish allow them to use their filaments as camouflage to a great degree of success. Like most decorative trolls, (see decorative trolls and hair shapes) Country Trolls have very high external musculature for control, but nearly no internal musculature. But Country Trolls have very notably retained this musculature around their forward facing sensory organs in some individuals. Classical Trolls are another ornamental Troll that has lost most internal musculature, but have interestingly enough mutated to have some filaments grow down and out the back of the abdomen. Cursory dissection of filaments has led to theoretical similarities to those of the Techno Trolls and might be responsible for flight. Techno trolls have the greatest relative reeling ability, though it's uses are unknown, as they are relatively young for an aquatic species and such ability would have developed before their time in water. Modern uses see it being employed in current surfing, allowing Techno trolls to travel great distances with little energy (see migratory trolls)
On “Grey” or “dark” Trolls:
Trolls are famous for their wild variations in pigmentations, but occasionally darkened Trolls that don’t fit their genere’s coloration can be spotted. These trolls should not be confused with naturally dark colored Trolls, who normally contain very high chlorophyll concentrations in darker locations (see Techno Trolls, Rock trolls, Punk trolls and grunge variations, Operetic Trolls, and other dark dwelling variations)Â
Grey Trolls are Trolls who’s Wishstones have gone quiet (note that a Wishstone can not go silent, as that denotes a dead Troll, but direct correlation has been found between the strength of the beat of a Troll’s Wishstone and primary pigmentation) Trolls can go dark for a large variety of reasons, but it is far more common denotes some sort of long term mental distress. Troll who have received fatal blows do not often loose color as there is no time for the hormonal trigger to take place, though all Trolls lose pigmentation at some point in decomposition. A grey freshly killed Troll denotes suffering or complete separation from the Wishstone.
(edit: This is in reference to Chef's cookbook in her deleated song, a few pages of which can be screen grabbed and read. One recipe calls for thinly slicing the finished product, with a troll still alive in said product, and mentions that a troll that survives a few slices will loose its coloring before it dies, unlike a quickly killed troll, which will retain its bright coloring. The note continues that the cook in question should not worry, as a grey troll retains it's flavor and euphoric effects, it just doesn't look appetizing, and the presentation and filling should cover that up nicely. Absolutely horrific, and has always stuck with me)
Otherwise healthy Trolls might go grey if they have long term medical issues that cause suffering, but this is considered beyond quality of life as it has affected the Trolls mental health. Most common issues in greyed out Trolls is mental distress. It is believed that low pigmentation in a normally pigmented Troll intended to be a visual signal to their community that a Troll is in distress, as other Trolls are often seen using Harmonic Tranquilizing on the affected Troll to great effect, as the euphoric affect of the vocalizations seem to cause artificial stimulation to the Wishstone (see first song stimulation in newborn Trolls) Greying out is commonly very temporary given enough communal exposure. Resistant Trolls most commonly succumb to wasting as they show a resistance to eating and sun exposure and have little interest in personal hygiene or sleep. Long term grey out effects is unknown and untested. Note that grey Trolls do no produce glitter inert or otherwise, do not court or show any other signs of reproductive interest, nor to do they produce seeds/eggs when exposed to glitter, indicating infertility.Â
(edit: lot of this is based off of the general reaction to Branch and the very visible physical indicator of his mental distress. And the idea that the best cure for what's ailing him really is music. Poppy's continued determination to pull Branch into social gatherings and songs in the first movie is as close to an instinctual reaction to his physical and mental state as you get for a troll. For those outside his tribe, in briefly meeting him, his coloring is dark enough he might be mistaken for a mixed breed of some kind (*flips off Band Together* you will pry Soft Rock!Branch genetics from my cold dead hands) and those who dont assume might think he's just in chronic pain)
(edit 2: am I also insinuating that Branch's depression makes him both infertile and without sexual desire? Yes I am. I developed this idea in parallel to my own struggles in trying to untie my own asexuality from my depression. The original idea coming from the hilarious idea that Pop Trolls have accidently developed a propensity for giant springtime orgies, which look an awful lot like the world's glitteriest dance party. I had developed 3 separate chapters, one before the movie in which Branch looks on with some bitterness but overall apathy, one in which recently recovering Branch finds himself on the outskirts but without inclination to join, much to his own embarrassment. He spends most of the time with the people helping on the sidelines (hydration, food, childcare, ECT) and talking to *actual asexual* Biggie. The third fallows quite deep into recovery and the discovery of his own desire to pursue Poppy in the fray beyond romantic.)
On reproductive biology and child rearing:Â
Trolls are plants and are built very similar to a flower (edit: not similar. They are straight up a flower). The organ on top of their abdomen contains their ovaries, with their stigma terminating in their scalp. There is little visual indication of the stigma compared to the rest of the scalp, but there is a textural change that can be determined with practice.
(edit: in a very tldr short version. Their body is the stem, their head is the ovary containing the seeds (eggs) their hair their petals. Their cheeks are the part that produce pollen (glitter) and the central part of their scalp the place pollen is received and where the seed emerges. Troll sex consists of rubbing their cheeks together, and potentially all over each other, and hoping the pollen is exposed to the stigma.)
(edit 2: I spent a loooooong time contemplating whether the stigma (pollen receiving organ that takes it to the ovaries to produce a seed) should be on the scalp, or in the mouth, adding kissing and licking into the mix, and I'm still really attached the idea of the soft pallet as the exposed part of the stigma. I'm up for debate on either option.)
Trolls do not have filaments, and their anther is instead exposed on the apple of their cheeks. Troll Microsporangium is chunky, shimmery, and metallic in color, and is universally referred to by trolls as Glitter. (note that the inferior set of cheeks on the lower abdomen also produces large quantities of glitter, but this glitter in inert). Trolls also produce inert Glitter on the anther from birth, and that inert Glitter is visibly different from viable Glitter, with viable Glitter being discernably more holographic and chunkier than inert Glitter. Trolls can easily tell the difference between and are unbothered by common inert Glitter, though it can be seen as an attractive trait. Other attractive traits vary by genre, but high pigmentation, well groomed hair (see ornamental Trolls) and pleasant vocalizations are universal attractors as well.
Note that Glitter covered mutations have been noted in the wild (see classical trolls, see pigmentation display theory) and artificially (see the Bergan affects on troll biology). Glitter covered Trolls are not more reproductivly viable, but carry a mutation that causes production of inert glitter in mass.Â
Reproductive Troll sex consists of courting behaviors to trigger hormonal responses, viable glitter production, and the frantic rubbing of the anthers on each other to encourage cross pollination. Even the most advanced Troll societies are not particularly interested in the sciences behind reproduction, so general Troll society tends to be less than knowledgeable and ascribe some spirituality to the act. But some tribes know more than others, and bathing is almost universally considered the most consistent contraceptive.Â
(edit: look. Humans as a species only like, *just* figured out how human reproduction works on a molecular level. The only trolls debatably advanced enough to care might be the Funk trolls. Most trolls aren't going to know how their bodies work in sexual and non sexual ways, and their understanding of how they do work will mostly boil down to whatever mysticism their cultures have attached to it, as well as any correlations they've discovered, and any misconceptions when conflating it with causation
Reproductive sex rarely leads to conception. Unless a Troll accidently or otherwise rubs the Glitter in their hair, the Glitter has a short viability span and must drift into the hair naturally. Conception is less common in small Troll communities as the presence of children suppresses reproductive hormones. Larger communities can afford to sequester children away and thus encourage reproduction in not child responsible adults.
(edit: this was the beginning of a long article attempting to explain the Pop troll numbers vs how much they must have been eaten and needing replaced vs the sustained population down the road, moved to pop troll article)
(edit: and this is where it ends. I had a whole listing of tribe specific diets, courting behaviors, some rough historical events and holidays, ECT, but I'm now choosing to save those for individual posts.
