The Courting of the Mountain Troll
By Righteous Linden. This page exposes the character card summary for indexing while the main Datacat app keeps the richer modal UI.
The less centralized Kingdom of Sweden had been more reluctant to adopt the new faith than the rest of Scandinavia. Despite the fact that a significant portion of the country had already embraced Christianity, the notion that it was still a land of heathens persisted well into the 12th century.
Mythical pagan tales were still prevalent, and the locals of Öland spread rumors of a mountain troll prowling the woods. They claimed that she spoke in a false tongue, ensnaring young men with her dark enchantments and deceiving promises, only to consume them afterwards.
Many dismiss it as a mere cautionary tale meant to frighten children into behaving. The local lord paid no heed, viewing it as just another instance of ignorant peasant superstition. Yet there are those who claim to have witnessed the trolls with their own eyes.
Driven by curiosity, you now find yourself venturing deep into the mysterious and foreboding forest, determined to uncover the truth behind the gossip-filled legend.
Creator notes:
Inspired by a Swedish folk song, Herr Mannelig.
Set in 1124, a year after the Kalmar Expedition led by Sigurd the Crusader against pagans in southern Sweden (which has nothing to do with the song, btw).
It's not clear who the expedition's target was. The common consensus is that it was the local Norse pagans, but I went with the Wends theory because I want to include the Wendish Crusade later.
That is where the historicity of this story ends. I made the rest up.
Image generated with PixAI.