User:Mattalari/Troll Immortality

Troll regeneration
Every troll is naturally capable of:
 * Regenerating lost limbs.
 * Regenerating damaged vital organs.
 * Regenerate a crushed throat and a shattered jaw in the heat of combat, allowing them to continue fighting.
 * Efter having been eviscerated, they can regenerate as long as the intestines are pushed back inside. (They won't just slurp themselves up like spaghetti okay)
 * If a troll is shot, the wound will regenerate in merely seconds after a projectile such as an arrow is removed.
 * Troll drummers allow themselves to get flayed alive to have their own skin used as the drumhead for their own instruments. Their regeneration is the reason why they survive the often grueling ordeal.

Loa-related regeneration
A fabled troll myth tells of how Vula'jin the Void regrew almost his entire body after having stood in a pool of deadly Shadowflame, something much more devastating to a troll's regeneration than normal fire (and a lot more devastating against anyone). Whether natural, elemental or magical. This was possible because he had been blessed by a loa.

But just as the loa can bless, they can also curse; troll children are taught legends of those cursed by the loa, unable to heal even flesh wounds, to instill the proper respect for their patron spirit.

Weaknesses
Of course trolls won't regenerate their heads after being decapitated. There are several ways in lore, capable of rendering a troll's regeneration temporarily useless. However, this temporary futility will eventually be overcome by the trolls' body, and regeneration will be back in action.


 * Decapitation - It's rather self-explanatory this one. A troll isn't a cockroach, even though the race has shown to be as challenging to get rid of. But a lopped off head will still mean a quick death.
 * Fire - Natural fire, elemental fire or magical fire, all work to disable a troll's regeneration. This has been known for a very long time by many races. Humans, high elves and blood elves especially. As the fire sears the skin of a troll, the seared area is temporarily unable to regenerate. However, if a troll was to cut off the seared flesh, their regeneration would once more be able to resume the healing of the area at full speed.
 * A Certain Venom - Rendered Vol'jin's regeneration useless as he was stabbed in the throat by Garrosh's assassin in the Dagger in the Dark scenario . However, it did not entirely render it useless, the troll's regeneration kept him alive for long enough to be found by Chen Stormstout whom took him to Binan Village, where he was cared for and brought back to full health. If he were not a troll, with his faintly lingering regeneration, he would have died. However, no one knows what type of venom it was, as it was most likely artificially made for the specific purpose of hindering a troll's regeneration. How it works is never described.
 * Trol'kalar - Was fabled for rendering trolls unable to regenerate at their fast pace during battle whenever struck by this blade. The effects of Trol'kalar were most likely temporary, and if a troll survived an encounter with it (having his/her arm chopped off before fleeing), they would most likely heal back and/or regrow any lost limb(s).
 * Fel - In the case of Vol'jin, apparently his death was caused by fel poisoning, something never mentioned before in lore. Vol'jin's death vas rather vague and poorly explained in the first place.

Troll immortality
Troll regeneration is a topic that has been debated a lot about in the past, and still somewhat is today. However, with the recent confirmation from Chronicle Volume 1, in regards to all trolls naturally being able to regenerate lost limbs and organs, without the blessing and/or empowered regeneration from a loa. Thus finally, troll regeneration has a valid base potency, without any augmentations.

With the evidence of troll biology being able to create new bones, muscle tissue, nerves and most importantly, stem cells, it clearly indicates that a troll's body regrows and replenishes its stem cells. This leads to a very plausible case of biological immortality.

Research in the real world has shown that biological immortality is far from fictional. As a species of flatworm has the capability of avoiding the aging aspect of stem cells dividing. When stem cells divide, which they do to heal wounds, reproduce or grow, they begin to show signs of aging as they decrease in size after each division. However, with this species of flatworm, their stem cells after dividing, regrow to the original length.

And since trolls can regrow their stem cells whenever regenerating lost limbs or organs, it proves that their bodies are fully capable of restoring their bodies to full health through their stem cells.

Immunity to toxins
Due to how most toxins work and what they are intended to do (damage nerves and et cetera), it is safe to say the strong regenerative abilities of a troll's body is capable of dealing with most venoms and poisons easily. By constantly producing the cells required to combat and break up the molecules of the toxin(s) and absorb them, while the troll's regenerative abilities work on restoring the troll's health and regenerating the damage the toxins are causing.

However, there is one type of venom capable of stopping troll regeneration, as that is its sole purpose. Said venom was (possibly made by) used by Rak'gor Bloodrazor when he stabbed Vol'jin in the throat.

Fun stuff

 * Considering alcohol is a type of toxin, it's poisonous as it's ingested, this means trolls have a much, much greater toxicity tolerance than all other races.
 * To get a troll drunk, one would require a brew so alcoholic and poisonous it would possibly be lethal to other races.