All kinds of mystical creatures prowl the Lands Between, and their existence is often hard to grasp, as they differ from the fellow Tarnished. While the game's intricate lore does not shed much light on the existence of such monstrosities, players eager to gain a better understanding of Elden Ring's inhabitants have come up with various ideas that delve deeper into their background stories. One such fan theory touches base on Trolls' potential purpose and explains the strange items found in their chests.
Generally speaking, Trolls can be spotted just about anywhere in the Lands Between, and players are bound to come across them soon after emerging in west Limgrave. Though many take on the role of lone wolf guardians, certain Trolls come in tandem with others of their kind, posing a more serious threat to aspiring Elden Lords. Regardless of their placement in the overworld, the Trolls' unusual physique and the gaping hole in their abdomen make them easily distinguishable in a sea of ferocious adversaries. To further explore this mysterious concept, a YouTuber and data miner, Zullie the Witch, took a closer look at the Trolls' innards in one of their recent videos.
Some players may have noticed that the cavity in the Trolls' upper body reveals a complex system of interlacing tendrils that arguably resemble the roots of a tree. At their core lies a well-hidden item that seems somewhat out of place, even for an adversary doomed to roam the Lands Between for eternity. By playing around with the in-game model of a Troll and using mask flags to hide its body, it is possible to reveal the exact formation of the obscure object embedded in nearly every Troll's chest.
The unusual stone tablet found inside bears an uncanny resemblance to tombstones that appear in other overworld areas. While the upper side seems to be sculpted to resemble a cross, the other is void of any particular details. Since there is no viable information within the game regarding the tablet's exact origins or purpose, Trolls pulling large wagons can provide more insight into its possible function.
The so-called cart Trolls have a stake perforating their back, anchored in the stone tablet, and employed as an attachment point to keep them tethered to the carriage. The same attachment point is used for mounting Torrent and other NPCs who could, both in theory and practice, support its functionality. From a technical standpoint, any Troll with a stone tablet embedded in its chest could become a full-fledged mount with the help of an executable ride prompt.
While the idea of Troll mounts is an intriguing prospect worth exploring, their attachment point is, in fact, slightly more versatile. Not only can it be used to link players and wagons to the Trolls' back, but other overworld creatures as well. Although neither Godrick the Grafted nor Grafted Scion was fashioned in this manner, it would certainly allow players to create similar monstrosities if the mechanic was readily available. For better or worse, it is not.
After Zullie the Witch's in-depth look at the Trolls' innards was released, new theories surrounding their elusive history emerged. Though many of them hold water and connect the missing dots, there is also the possibility of rehashing in-game assets. A plausible explanation for the appearance of stone tablets in Trolls not tasked with hauling the carts could be that FromSoftware simply recycled a perfectly operational model while disabling the attachment point for apparent reasons. It would also clarify why not all Trolls in the Lands Between sport a tablet in their chest.
On the other hand, the sheer vastness of Elden Ring's overworld leaves ample room for the eventual introduction of gargantuan mounts. There is also the idea that the Giants' descendants were mountable or even controllable species at some point during development, which would certainly play into their official lore. Until FromSoftware comes forward with more information regarding the exact workings of these and other similar mechanics, fan theories will continue to thrive.