Giants

The forgotten men of Wythe

Have you ever been far to the East, where the plains stretch out into eternity? That's the domain of the giants, and they don't take kindly to outsiders.

— Ak Makasir Shamaniq Yaluk

The Giants are mysterious beings of massive stature that roam the endless tundras and plains north and east of Teoti-Itza and Bergeaux. Little is known of their history or customs, and much of the world's knowledge draws heavily from folklore, conjecture, and secondhand accounts from unreliable narrators. Many in the mannish kingdoms west of Wythe proper believe giants to be extinct.

Appearance & Description

Giants generally stand between twelve to eighteen feet tall, and are believed to weigh an average of five to six Wythian tons. Their legs are long and broad to support their massive weight, with some Bergic sources claiming that:

"two men, both of noble stature, cannot with arms outstretched [...] wrap themselves about the shanks of these mighty beasts so that their hands might clasp together."¹

The eyes of giants are relatively small, set back in the skull amidst folds of creased flesh. Their noses are wide and flat, with large nostrils to draw in enough air to support their huge lungs. It is said that a giant can pick up a man's scent from over 20 leagues away, but this has yet to be proven. Unlike many depictions in Wythian bestiaries and folktales, giants are not covered in shaggy pelts of fur or hair; rather, they are covered in naught but a thin coat of short bristles below the neck, and have thick wrinkled skin to keep them cool.

Imperial Bergic depiction of a maurading Giant, c. 320 AU

The northern 'race' of giants (see below) are bulkier than their southern cousins, having significant stores of blubber and fat deposits to hold in warmth during the frigid winter months. There is little difference in appearance between male and female giants, although according to the Wayfarer, female giants "possess a certain allure and charm that is wholly absent in the demeanour of their masculine counterparts".

The intelligence of the giants has long been a matter of debate amidst scholarly circles in Bergeaux, Teoti-Itza, and northern Lagona. The magicians of Du Vin Academie go as far as to keep a resident 'Giant Expert' on staff to consult on the subject, although the purported expertise of this individual is questionable. Bergic scholars claim that giants are little more than upright beasts, pointing to their nomadic way of life and supposed lack of a true language. Lagonan intellectuals hold a different view, claiming that there is a secret city of giants across the eastern plains built of opal and jade. According to this theory, the giants that are encountered by men are simply the barbarous descendants of those cast out from this hidden domain, and that the true civilization of the giants far surpasses any of the mannish kingdoms in both military prowess and knowledge of the arcane. The Dragonborn of Teoti-Itza, perhaps due to the inclusion of giants in their folklore, hold yet another stance. It is commonly believed that giants are keepers of hidden knowledge from before the time of the Dragon Tyrants, and maintain a secretive existence to safeguard this knowledge against those that would abuse it. As such, giants are regarded as extremely wise, and whose isolation from society must be respected at all times.

History, Myths, & Legends

In Teoti-Itzan mythology, during the final days of the Dwarven-Draconic War an army of giants marched on the city of Cuetztocha (then called Tecpaquiahuatilan) in support of the besieged Dragonborn. With massive bows the height of small trees, the giants felled dozens of Dragons on the wing with minimal losses, winning the day for the rebels. The dragonborn named the giants Ixtolotontli (Wythian: Small-Eyed), the opposite of the Dwarves, Ixtolopatlac (Wythian: Large-Eyed). In exchange for their assistance, the grateful dragonborn granted the giants all the lands north and west of the Cuitlapoztecqui Mountains, to be forever undisturbed and unmolested by non-giants.

Illumination from a Bergic manuscript c. 15 AU, depicting armoured knights tilting against several Giants humourously dressed in Lagonan garments

In the days before the rise of the Wythian Empire, there existed a somewhat peculiar tradition among the knightly houses and nobility of Caissebois and eastern Bergeaux: giant hunting. Armoured knights on horseback, alone or in pairs, would ride out into the endless plains armed with lances, javelins, and nets in search of giants. Considered a test of martial prowess, the practice continued in earnest until 54 AU, when a band of giants levelled the provincial walled village of Taillet in retaliation for the death of a chieftain's wife. In response, the Emperor and his provincial governors put an end to the tradition, threatening those caught engaging in giant hunts with exile or execution. While the destruction of Taillet has been largely forgotten, the air of mystique around (and heightened respect for) the giants remain. Giant hunting in contemporary times, whilst far more sporadic, continues to be perpetuated by certain Bergic Houses as a test of strength for eldest sons.

The true language of the giants is unknown to all peoples, both because of the vast distances separating giants from the more developed nations of the west, and the lengths that giants maintain to preserve the secrecy of their language. On the rare occasions that giants interact with outsiders, they often speak a pidgin language formed from an amalgamation of Draconic, Bergic, Wythian, and Lagonan. Until quite recently, only one word of the giant's true language was known to the scholars of Bergeaux and greater Wythe, the giant's name for themselves: Awon eniyan ti o wa laaye juloo.

However, on the 13th of October, 428, the Argent Company encountered a small tribe of giants north of Sevnónicha, and through minor arcane assistance George Cadougan was able to decipher several key aspects of their grammar and diction, propelling the study of 'Giantese' forward by decades.²

There are stories of giant attacks against royal caravans in the annals of House Ishbadhdan, situated in northeast Lagona. It is said that King Husraw slew a giant Chieftain in single combat as recently as 365 AU, although it is possible the supposed 'giant' was simply an unusually large Ghazi marauder.

Culture

Giants can be broadly divided into two races, although as formal study on these groups is scarce it may be more appropriate to simply refer to them as two cultures, or to go as far as label them distinct species. Regardless, for the purpose of this document these two groups will be treated in comparison as the races of men are weighed against one another, to ease the process of categorization that will inevitably fall upon the author.

The Northern Tribe

Far more reclusive and little-known than their southern cousins, largely on account of their inhabitation of the windswept ice flows of the North, northern giants are physiologically distinct and bear notable adaptations to survive their environment. As mentioned above, their legs are extremely robust and sheathed in thick layers of blubber, even moreso than the rest of their bodies. Furthermore, although this concept is little understood among contemporary scholars, the blood vessels in their legs are said to function via countercurrent exchange, with frigid blood flowing from these extremities warmed by nearby veins containing warmer blood being pumped from the body's core.

This allows the giants to wade into otherwise impossibly cold waters to fish and effectively hunt marine mammals. If this system of countercurrent exchange is insufficient for prolonged stays in the water, the giants can contract the blood vessels in their legs, usually as they remain still while waiting for prey. One such hunt, rarely observed by men, was witnessed by Sevnóni fur trappers, among whom a scholar from Vyssíjórgen Academy was travelling:

"A great number of the giants, instead of immediately attacking the droves of seals which lay on the stony beach, walked out into the water beyond the shore, and waited with immense nets made of tough animal sinews. Once they had reached this point, their remaining fellows on the shore stomped and bellowed as they charged towards the seals, causing great alarm as the animals slid into the sea to escape. Instead of finding safety, they were met by the waiting giants whose legs were as trunk-like stilts in the water. You can imagine our astonishment as nets full of writhing seals were lifted and slung over the shoulders of these lumbering giants when they strode back to shore, as easily as a man carries a net full of small fish."

In addition to marine mammals such as seals and even porpoises, the northern giants provide for their nutritional needs by consuming large quantities of fish, which they also procure by wading into the water with large nets. Given the toughness of the tissue in their gullets, and the robustness of their digestive tracts, fish - as even the largest of arctic cod are comparatively small to them - can be swallowed whole in great numbers at a time by the giants, who are able to digest even the bones and scales.

Based on the limited observations of their society, northern giants appear to live in small, kin-based 'tribes' that travel in search of food and shelter. These groups are led by a patriarchal chief, usually an elder male, though the exact extent of their role, power, and privileges remains unknown. No permanent shelters or dwelling-places built by these giants have been encountered, with tribes instead weathering the harsh nights or prolonged periods of perilous weather, some of which can last for months, in temporary camps.

When preparing to rest, giants will dig several feet into the snow and cover themselves with cloaks or tarps made from the intestines of marine mammals, over which snow and ice then accumulate and provide igloo-like insulation. Food is stored in clay pots (see left) or pouches made from animal skin and are often pulled behind the tribe using whalebone sledges. Bone is also used for various tools such as knives, needles, clubs, and spears, as well as to record information. The Argent Company, in their brief dealings with the northern giants, observed such behaviour as the giants used etched whalebones to record which fishing holes and hunting grounds had been recently utilized and required time to recover their stocks.

The beliefs and cultic practices of the northern giants, like their language, are closely guarded aspects of their lives. They most likely practice some form of animism which requires few institutions and only small-scale organization suited to their lifestyle, while being tied to the resources upon which they rely. The Argent Company, however, was also able to glean that certain areas and landmarks possess sacred value to the giants, such as low passes through the mountainous Gelid Belt or whatever lies beyond them.

The Southern Tribe

The southern giants, being more numerous and (relatively) sociable than their reclusive northern kin, provide the inspiration for many of the legends and folklore surrounding giants in Bergeaux and other eastern polities.

¹This quote is often attributed to Michel de Aureppel, a 1st-Century Bergic philosopher well-known for his anti-conformist stances and legendary fondness for wine. It is unknown if de Aureppel ever saw a Giant first-hand, or if the entry on Giants in his Livre des bêtes ("Book of Beasts") is pure fiction.

²To George Cadougan of Dalhurst is due the publication of this manuscript. But for his liberal contributions of coin, before and since it came into my hands, its publication would not have been possible.