Giants

Giants are a staggeringly tall and extremely primitive humanoid race. Once populating all of Aizo and parts of Pralgad, the giants were driven from their homes and put to the sword by the Empire. Renowned for their stupidity and brute strength, giants are remarkably similar to humans, moreso than any other sentient race.

Appearance

Giants are more than twice as tall as humans, and eight times as heavy. They often carry large wooden or stone clubs and wear tattered patches of clothing made from animal skins. From a distance, they are indistinguishable from a primitive human. Their only difference is their immense size and strength.

Skills

Giants are known to be exceedingly unintelligent and do not have a very large skill set as a race. They are decent farmers, and capable smiths, but none of their work can match that of humans, or even troglodytes. Giants have some marginally skilled mages and shamans that command great social standing. These shamans are the most intelligent giants, although that's not saying much. Giants possess some degree of literacy, and they are capable of writing crude signs and messages to humans.

Technology

Giant weapons are crude clubs and maces, fashioned out of wood, stone, or iron. They also make use of boulders, which they carry on their back and throw (or hit with their clubs) at enemies. Giants are not very skilled masons, but they are able to create rudimentary structures sufficient for living. The most technically apt giants become smiths and forge weapons or other necessary equipment.

Culture

Giants have a rigid tribal structure emphasizing leadership of the strongest and the most magically powerful. Strong chiefs and shamans dictate everyday living of the tribes. Giants live in a community of tribes and clans, sometimes peaceful, and sometimes warring.

Tribal Structure

There are several positions the average giant can aspire to. First is the warrior, who defends their territory from humans and other giants, and goes out to fight enemies. Above them are the smiths, and the forgers, who create the weapons that the warriors use. Still above them are the chiefs, one per tribe, who is the strongest or most cunning warrior. Giants with magical ability become shamans, who rule alongside the chieftain, usually manipulating him. Giant women occasionally do the farming or the gathering necessary for the tribe, but their greatest function is giving birth to and raising giant babies.

Religion

Giant religion is largely unknown to humans and unstudied by them. Shamans pray to various gods and idols, with varying results. Often the name of a clan will indicate its religion, and giant temples are evil places, usually offering sacrifices to demons or other beasts of the netherworld. However, because of their lack of intelligence, they are not often taken over by demons, who see the giants as too difficult and frustrating to work with.

Behavior

Giants are brutal and often get restless if there has not been fighting recently. As a result, fighting amongst clans and even civil wars within clans are common. Giants loathe troglodytes, their natural enemy, and humans are not far behind in terms of their hatred. Giants often force ogres, goblins, and ursagi to work for them as slaves and fight alongside them. While they are not smarter than any of these races, they are much stronger.

Names

A listing of giant names and major tribes.

Varieties

There are two varieties of giant, distinguished largely by their habitat. Hill Giants are from the surface, and Cave Giants from Exile.

Hill Giants

Hill Giants were thought to have been eradicated hundreds of years ago, but after resurfacing during the Plagues, they have not gone away. Now occupying mountain hideouts on Valorim, Vantanas, and Aizo, the Empire does not bother them unless they leave the mountains.

Cave Giants

Cave Giants are somewhat common to Avernites, as they inhabit a large area west of Northeastern Exile known as Giant Lands. There is a tenuous understanding between the Avernites and the giants that neither will enter the other's territory, on penalty of death.

History

See the related article, Extermination of Non-Humans, in our History of Ermarian series.