Description
The conflict between the Gods and the Elder Titans created the Giants, tall humanoids created by the Gods from elements (Fire, Ice, Stone, Storm Giants) or other creations of the Gods such as dirt (Hill Giant) or fog (Fog Giants). But when the Gods showed weakness, the majority of the Giants led by their then King (also called King for they had no use for names at the time) turned on them and sided with the Titans. Unfortunately for them, the Gods managed to trick the Titans and seal them, which left the Giants alone to face the wrath of the Gods. They were forced to scatter, run and hide while the Gods scoured them from Levantis for nearly a hundred years. Eventually the conflict settled down, and the Gods turned to more important things, no longer seeing the Giants as threats. Nowadays the Gods leave them alone, but Giant communities are still small in number and they try not to draw too much attention to themselves (with the exception of the
Zhushen God-Kings, who sided with the Gods).
Religion and the Gods
Giants know they cannot afford to disrespect the Gods, but they also believe that the Gods hate them for their ancestor's transgressions and their entire concept of religion is built around this. In their minds, the Gods will only respect them through violence and they speak through the pain that they cause them. When a Giant feels a dull pain between its shoulder blades, it foretells a betrayal by a close friend. When it feels a sting on its hand, it is an omen for weakness. Scars speak even more strongly, and the devout haruspices are entirely covered in them, many of which are self-inflicted. Some haruspices are so disfigured they appear nearly undead. Giants do not trust someone who has no visible scars, like one would distrust someone who refuses to give their name.
The Gods speak through blood as well and the blood spilled during battle most of all as that is an accumulation of all the different kinds of emotion that the Gods value so. The clergy of the Giants is not led by priests who worship the Gods, but by haruspices who divine the Gods' omens in the entrails of the slain. They inspect these and try to divine, but their faith comes not from worship, but begrudging respect for the victor and deep-seated self-hate for their blasphemous existence. They do not seek to be returned to the cycle of life when they die, or to go to
Hell. Instead they seek oblivion, to hate themself so much that even the Gods will no longer touch them and they are rewarded with eternal nothingness.
Since their pain and suffering and the violence they inflict are the only things that appease the Gods according to them, they believe it to be the only guarantee for their own survival. Thus they hurt themselves and others with leaden hearts, knowing that their sacrifice and the sacrifice they force on others will save them. In private they can be kind and loving to their children, spouses and friends. Just like anyone else. But they cannot show it where the Gods can see them, for that would invite disaster. Love can be shown in private, but must never be spoken aloud. Others may believe Giants to be without compassion or gentleness, but this is far from true. They can simply never show it to these outsiders.
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