Detritus

Detritus is a troll who started off as a thug hired to beat other people up. He then became a splatter (like a bouncer, but trolls use more force) at the Mended Drum.

For a time Detritus was used by C.M.O.T Dibbler as hired muscle in his takeover of Century of the Fruitbat Pictures. While in Holy Wood Detritus met and fell in love with another troll called Ruby who insisted that he get a better job than hitting people for money. Detritus' relationship with Ruby is described as 'happily married but childless' when Detritus takes a severely drug-dependent young troll named Brick under his wing, indicating that Detritus and Ruby want children.

Detritus joined the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, following Ruby's wishes, and made many friends. When Corporal Carrot formed the Ankh-Morpork City Militia, Detritus was promoted to Acting-Constable and it was during this time that he discovered his natural leadership abilities, as he was able to 'recruit' a large number of able bodied men and trolls into the Militia and eventually into the reformed City Watch. Later Detritus in promoted to a Sergeant. He accompanied Samuel Vimes to Überwald for negotiations in Bonk and was temporarily appointed cultural attache by Vimes.

Detritus is following the convention of trolls (a geological race) of adopting geological names.

While Detritus does not have much imagination, he is fairly intelligent - though he becomes extremely intelligent as the temperature drops, as evidenced when he once developing a grand unified theory of everything in several hours when locked in a cold-storage meathouse.

His lack of imagination results in an interesting interrogation technique; while he cannot think of any questions beyond 'It was you what done it, own up', he never gets bored of asking it. He can, however, be thrown completely by a simple denial. He has started a personal crusade against trading in Slab, which is a narcotic (to trolls only), that 'melts troll brains' (literally).

In contradiction to his species preference, his weapon of choice is not a club, but rather a converted siege-crossbow. Originally this fired a blunt but enormous metal bolt, but after further modifications he made it to shoot a large bundle of wooden bolts at once and renamed the bow as the 'Piecemaker', due to the incredible destructive power of the new configuration. The first time it was fired, it removed several archery targets, the bunker wall behind them, and the gulls above them. Other notable 'targets' include a bandit who was the first to open the door of Detritus' coach, the gates of von Überwald castle near Bonk, an entire chimney, a weathercock, large parts of roofing, sundry pigeons that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and practically all of Sir Samuel Vimes' shrubbery. It has on occasion been fired at people, but Vimes has generally forbidden this except in special circumstances. He prefers to allow Detritus to use it when trying to get into a building, as it is able to open both the front and back doors at the same time. Detritus is very attached to the Piecemaker, so much so that he tried to take it as part of his uniform to a major social occasion. Vimes has taken great care to impress on Detritus that "When Mister Safety Catch Is Not On, Then Mister Crossbow Is Not Your Friend."