This isn't really a regular RP post per se, but rather one in a series of posts describing and expanding upon aspects of Troll culture, society, politics, and physiology in the Kingdom of Thulkar. Many of the things described in these posts could quite possibly apply to the other Troll Kingdoms as well, but as those other kingdoms are not part of my claim, I'm not making definitive statements about them one way or another.

This particular post is about geoculture, the Trolls' rough equivalent to the agriculture of most races, and about Troll civilian industry and commerce in general.

In the ancient royal library of Thulkar, buried deep in one of the cavernous royal complexes of Thulran, lies a great collection of stone tablets, parchment codices, and inscriptions carved into the very walls of the library itself. These works of literature represent the recorded institutional knowledge of the royal dynasty, read by young princes as part of their education on statecraft and rulership and consulted by the eldest of kings and royal dynasts as they confront the complex and high-stakes situations that rulers must resolve.

Among the more famous codices on warfare and tactics written by warrior kings and warrior princes, and the more juicy texts on intrigue and politics written by royal spymasters and diplomats, are a series of texts on the economic structure of the realm, and best practices for its prudent management.

For most realms of this world, the fundamental basis of the economy, and indeed the very realm itself, is the feeding of its people. In Troll realms this is no different, although the uniqueness of Troll biology does mean that the production of food takes a much different form than elsewhere. As Trolls eat rocks, metals, and gemstones, the harvesting and mining of such minerals is the centrepiece of the Troll economy. As rocks are famous for lying about just about everywhere, you might think that Trolls don't need to work very hard to gather enough rocks to provide themselves with sustenance. In many cases, that is actually true; however, it does not tell the whole story.

Firstly, Trolls who wish to give birth to young, and young Trolls who are still growing, do need certain amounts of the specific metals and minerals needed to create the core internal organs of a Troll. Trolls who are wounded at more than a surface level also often need specific metals and minerals to regrow any organs that were damaged. While none of these metals and minerals are extraordinarily rare, neither can they be found just lying around anywhere, especially if you wish to sustain an actual urbanized civilization of Trolls rather than a few scattered, wandering tribes.

Next, as the famous saying goes, you are what you eat. Trolls who just eat whatever rocks are lying around probably won't starve to death, but those Trolls who wish to be especially hardy, flexible, or shiny need to actually eat harder, more flexible, or more lustrous rocks and metals. If you're wondering why a Troll lord would ever want serfs, this is why: mining, gathering, and prospecting for enough superior minerals to allow an entire Troll's body or an entire Troll dynasty's bodies to be of superior quality takes a lot of labour, as the most useful and most prestigious minerals are definitely not just lying around in the open. While a human's or goblin's power and wealth might be reflected in the clothes they wear and the palaces they live in, a Troll's power and wealth is reflected in the actual composition of their body, the bodies of their children and kinsmen, and the bodies of their close retainers. And by the palaces they live in, too; Trolls aren't completely different from other races in that respect.

Speaking of Troll palaces, and Troll architecture in general, as Trolls are significantly larger in both size and mass than most races – they usually stand at least a couple of heads above the average human, are about twice as wide and bulky, and are much, much denser – Troll buildings tend to appear grand and imposing by the standards of other races. Door frames and passageways need to accommodate much larger beings, and pillars, buttresses, and floors need to withstand significantly more weight. Most Troll architecture also incorporates significant subterranean elements, with the average flatland city being about half underground, and cities on mountains or hills sometimes being almost entirely beneath the earth.

As most Troll buildings, tools, and trinkets are made of the same stone and metal that Trolls eat, essentially all of the Troll primary sector is mining and quarrying. Most Troll trade in raw materials is to acquire rocks, metals, and gemstones that are more common in one region than another, as is most Troll raiding and conquest. Trade in manufactured goods is more varied; Trolls, like most races, have an appreciation for artistry and elegance, and high-quality sculptures, containers, arms and armour, and other such goods are highly prized by merchants and raiders alike. Further prized still are artisans themselves, as while other races wear jewellery, apply makeup, or get haircuts, Trolls have their very flesh moulded, carved, and polished into intricate patterns. As such skin-crafting can't really be imported as a good, there is substantial travel of both Troll artisans and clients, making up along with architecture a significant portion of the Troll tertiary economy.