Firbolg
Firbolgs are the last of the Giants to be created and they are the closest with the ‘small folk’ of Aerith. They are a varied and encompassing people, taking traits from many of their different Giant brethren. They have a versatility that is greatly honoured by their communities and they use abilities and skills to better their families, their friends, and the people they trust.
On Starhelm Firbolgs don’t currently have any major settlements save one, Motengrast, located in the mountains just east of Shardhold. It is the only Firbolg settlement on Starhelm that is considered a city. The rest are smaller communities, village, or towns. A large portion of them can be found in Denethen’s Helm, from Burrowfast all the way up to Shardhold.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Firbolgs are the smallest of the Giants and they are humanoid in appearance. They are taller than all 'small folk' but not by much compared to the larger folks like Minotaur, or Goliath. They can be lanky and lean, or large and muscular, or anywhere in between.
Genetics and Reproduction
Firbolg produce offspring more rapidly than their Bairn kin, and their gestation period is a bit longer than a Human's going on for almost 1 full year.
Ecology and Habitats
Firbolgs have a very wide range of habitats that they call home, but they most often can be found where other Bairn can be found. They thrive well in the hills and mountains, as most Bairn live in or around there. Their ancestral home is in the North, at Denethen's Helm, and they have developed alongside the other denizens of those lands. The Bairnspeakers are used to build relationships not only with the other denizens in their area, but also to help cultivate the realtionship with the land itself.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Firbolgs form communities most often, some being nomadic but more often just being smaller in size. Some become villages, or towns, but there is only one official Firbolg city on Starhelm and that is Motengrast in the northeast of the Helm.
Communities are not run by one central authority. Rather they have Doyens that have a specific field of responsibility, like agriculture, food distribution, defense, culture, religion, infrastructure, trade, external affairs.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
Bairnspeakers Academy
Beauty Ideals
Firbolgs have a very strong sense of self so gender does not come into play too often for them. When speaking Bairn amongst themselves Firbolg do not use gender terms very often. When speaking with other Bairn or cultures who have stronger gender ideals they will adhere to those ideals when interacting.
Firbolg will most often refer to their family as parents, siblings, cousins, etc. They do not use the term mother, father, brother, sister unless needed for clarification for other cultures.
Gender Ideals
Firbolgs have a very strong sense of self so gender does not come into play too often for them. When speaking Bairn amongst themselves Firbolg do not use gender terms very often. When speaking with other Bairn or cultures who have stronger gender ideals they will adhere to those ideals when interacting.
Firbolg will most often refer to their family as parents, siblings, cousins, etc. They do not use the term mother, father, brother, sister unless needed for clarification for other cultures.
Courtship Ideals
Gifting personal items of their homemade design is important when expressing close feelings for partners. Many Firbolgs will craft something, create art, or search for natural items to gift to their intended partner.
A lot of pressure is placed on young Firbolgs to find partnerships and strengthen the community with bonds. Gender plays no role in the courtship of Firbolgs. Male or female may initiate a courtship ritual and same sex couplings are neither encouraged or discouraged.
Relationship Ideals
Firbolgs appreciate equality in their relationships, frequently looking for scenarios where all parties can gain.
They like relationships that can offer a wide range of skills, experiences, and traits to provide the most well-rounded experience for all involved.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Bairn, Common, Primordial, and a variety of other languages as befits their locale can be found amongst Firbolg.
The dialects of Firbolg can vary greatly, even from one nearby geographical location to the next. A mix of Hill, Stone, Fire, Frost, and the occasional Cloud can be present in even the same community.
Common Etiquette Rules
Firbolgs are very careful to address people by their preferred names, titles, monikers, etc. They take pride in their adherence to other culture's customs and etiquette, and would expect the same in return. If they do not get it they may get a little curt or even adversarial if the response is purposefully hurtful.
Firbolgs are also very conscientious of the needs of others, being Bairn or small folk. They do their best to ensure all parties have the necessary resources for basic comfort (like properly sized chairs, locations needed for all folk to exist comfortably, proper meals, etc.)
Common Dress Code
Firbolgs wear clothes demonstrative of their passion or expertise. They wear whatever is appropriate to the region, geography, or locale they are in but usually have some part that reveals their interest.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Firbolg express their art in a variety of ways, including stone carving, painting, pottery, and sculpture.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Firbolgs are often ambassadors to other cultures, extending Bairn relationships amongst the small folk, though not all Firbolg take this responsibility on. The most common and popular method of this is the role of the Bairnspeaker, who make it their duty to bring Bairn and small folk together.
Firbolg typically get along well with most other cultures, but those that live in Denethen's Helm have a great dislike for Dwarves, and the Goblins of Navandark.
Lineage Features
Select two from the list below for each Minotaur Lineage chosen:
Gift of Hiatea (Mandatory): Hiatea blessed her giants with the power of potential. Though they are the smallest of the giants, they have the ability to reach further and wider than any others (metaphorically). When you pick this feature you must choose how your gift manifests, and once you make this choice it can’t be changed.
• Hill Giant: Your physical scale increases by 1. This repeats whenever you gain a level. In addition, when you make a Fortitude check you can change one of the dice in your array to be qual to your Fortitude value.
• Stone Giant: you can use your major action to manipulate the stone around you in one of the following ways
o Mold Stone: Target a patch of stone within 40ft. of you. To make a 10ft. area either becomes difficult terrain, or remove difficult terrain.
o Stone Skip: While you are holding a rock in your hand you can use a major action to throw it, treating it as an attack (including any modifiers to attacks). When you throw a stone you can use your Brawn, Finesse, Influence, or Personality as your primary attribute and are considered trained in this attack. The stone deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage with a grimness equal to your Soul Tier. You can throw the stone up to 60ft.
o Sculpt Stone: While you are touching stone you can sculpt as if it were clay, though you aren’t able to remove small pieces of it or add stone to it that wasn’t there originally.
• Frost Giant: When making an athletics or survival check, or a Fortitude resistance check, you can add 2 additional dice to your array. In addition, when you make a precision check while adjacent to an ally, you can increase a roll in your array by the number of allied creatures within 5ft. of your attack. This can’t increase a number above 8.
• Fire Giant: During a long rest you can apply a fire rune to an accessible weapon. While the weapon has the rune, if an attack made with that weapon hits, you can use your interrupt to make that weapon magical until the end of the current turn, and the attack deals an additional 1d8 fire damage. You can activate this rune a number of times equal to your Soul Tier then it fades. The rune will also fade at the start of a long rest.
• Cloud Giant: You are immune to the charm condition. In addition when making a Mental attribute check, you can increase one of the dice in your array by 1d4 (to a maximum of 9). You can do this a number of times equal to your Soul Tier per long rest.
• Storm Giant: You can reduce any lightning damage you take by 2d10. Also, you can use your interrupt and target any number of creatures within 15ft. of you, and reduce any lightning damage they take by 2d10. If you do this you can’t reduce the lightning damage to yourself. o In addition, pick an attribute and raise its maximum value to 6.
Giant Born: You are considered one size larger when determining carrying capacity, and when making any Brawn checks with grappling and shoving. Also, you can share a space with a creature one size smaller. Voice of the Land: Plants and animals are able to understand you when you speak, though you aren’t able to understand them unless stated otherwise. When speaking with plants and animals any Attribute checks you make as part of that interaction, you may reroll a number of dice in your array equal to your Soul Tier. In addition, choose two animals. You gain the ability to understand them as if you shared a language. Giant Heritage: Choose one of the following options: • Hill Giant: When you eat you can have up to 30 lbs. of food in one sitting. For every pound of food you eat you can go that many days without requiring food.
• Stone Giant: You can carve into stone using just your fingers. You can use your hands to draw and carve up to half an inch into any stone, this won’t weaken the structural integrity of the stone when you do this.
• Frost Giant: You don’t gain a penalty on perception checks when travelling at a fast pace and can see clearly up to 1 mile away.
• Fire Giant: The lowest number you can roll when making an attribute check to learn the history, properties, or value of an item is 5.
• Cloud Giant: When making an insight check you win ties when comparing any numbers 5 or lower.
• Storm Giant: Your carrying capacity increases by 150 lbs. This is applied after any other alterations to your carry capacity. Mountain Born: You suffer no penalties for being at naturally high altitudes and being in naturally cold environments.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Average Height
7-8' tall
Average Weight
300 - 500 lbs
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
Comments