Giants

"You know, they say these mountains were used as temples by the Giants," Danok, the seemingly ancient priest recollected to his disciple.

"The holiest of churches in the holiest of places," he shook his head. "If I have any regret, it's that I never could find the way in."

Basic Information

Anatomy

Giants are the largest of the human race. They have the largest diversity in size and configuration, ranging anywhere from ten to fifty feet, with proportions similar to that of Men or far more obscure. They are typically mono-ethnic, with not much need for physical evolution to protect from the elements via pigmentation. However, after their fall from grace and corruption from the Void, most giants are foul creatures who more closely resemble Voidian races then Men in terms of surface level appearances. Those that were not corrupted are few and far between, and mainly in exile or hiding. These still resemble men.

Additional Information

Social Structure

During the Age of Paradise, Giants were free roaming people who had no social hierarchy. They served and enlightened the other races of Humanity, and worked together in harmony. During the Cataclysmic Age, they separated into Tribes, each with a Chief. From here, they developed their independent social and political systems - many based off the ideas of Men. Some tribes were organized and industrious, others malevolent, and some completely lawless and full of anarchy. By the time of the Age of Beginnings, most Giants have been slain or exiled, and as such don't have any particular organized social systems.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Before the Reign of Terror, Giants had dispersed throughout most of Mythoterra. Their highest population density was near the mountains of Trinitus - the holiest location and place of their creation. During the reign of Terror, those who stood against the Titans were slain or went into hiding in the far and deep places of the world. The rest became corrupted severely, and served as mindless slaves to their masters. These corrupted giants made their way throughout the entirety of the continent. After the world was liberated during the Third Resistance, what remained of the corrupted giants also fled into hiding, not making much of an appearance to the civilized world around them.

Average Intelligence

Non corrupted Giants sport a higher intelligence than Men or Dwarves. However, corrupted Giants tend to be more mindless, with some having the capability to reason similar to Men.

Civilization and Culture

History

Giants were originally created with the two other forms of Humanity , Dwarves  and Men , at the beginning of time - before written history, in the Age of Paradise. Their purpose, like all of humanity, was to find Antus Vicem before their death. The role of Giants was to be the caretakers of the world and their fellow humans, to connect on a spiritual level with the power of the Ether to better understand the nature of their existence and their faith, and to guide the other races to Antus. Giants roamed most of Mythoterra, but most stayed within a general vicinity of Trinitus - the holiest location on the continent.

In the Age of Paradise, religion had not yet been founded, or needed, as the awareness of the Antus Vicem was commonplace, if only poorly understood, among all creation. The Giants were the intended bearers of the gift of Ethereal Sense, where if they were strong in virtue and piety they could gain insight into the Ethereal Realm. For most giants, this insight was merely a faint sound, vision, or sense of direction. For some, it was less. For the most devout, they could enter the Realm. It was during this time that a giant named Primivir discovered the counter realm to the Ether - the Void. After many years of indulging in its vice and temptation, he betrayed the other Giants - committing the first murder, and bringing about the end of the Age of Paradise.

This led to the Cataclysmic Era, where Giants turned against each other and developed tribes among themselves. Many tribes wanted to utilize the power of the Void and dominate Mythoterra, others wanted to use it's power to balance the world and bring further enlightenment, and others saw it only as a means of destruction and death. These twelve tribes erected twelve massive fortresses across the world to protect themselves and their people, while war wrought havoc on the world. Eventually, Primivir used the power he gained from the Void to tear the fabric of reality and unleash the Void onto the Physical World. This released not only the corrupting essence of the Void, but incarnations of its power as well: Titans, Dragons, Krakens, and the Leviathan. These beings came down and further destroyed and corrupted the world, with the Titans being the arrogant, spiteful, and hard willed incarnations that sought to dominate and rule the physical world. This act brought the Reign of Terror.

The Titans slew nearly all giants who tried to resist their might, and enslaved and corrupted those who didn't. Many who worshiped the Void and the titans within grew in power and malice, while other became degenerate forms of their former selves. This was the key turning point in the evolution of Giants, and brought about their current configuration.

After the reign of terror, the few remaining Giants fled into hiding, rarely seen again, but not unheard and still infamously remembered.

Historical Figures

The most significant Giants to have lived were those Chiefs of the Twelve Tribes. Of these, two take special note:

Primivr
The most devout of all Giants, until vice brought him down, and with him came the Cataclysm that would change the world forever.
Erector of Ultima Steterit

Shimon

The most virtuous of all giants, the last to hold onto the light in the darkest of times.
Erector of Est'Cathadro

The remaining ten are as follows:

Credo
Erector of the fortress of Drake

Cicero
Erector of the fortress of Kaiser

Satanas
Erector of the fortress of Kahn

Sancta
Erector of the fortress of Khaza

Maxim
Erector of the fortress of Kebac

Stoicus
Erector of the fortress of Nifhleim

Pediatrus
Erector of the fortress of Aba-Necro

Mosiah
Erector of Eliash

Jeshen
Erector of Batavia

Imman
Erector of Rohadentium

separate

Firbolg

Chief of the Lost Tribe of Firbolg

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Human

Lifespan

200-800 Years

Average Height

10 to 50 feet

Average Weight

400 to 5,000 pounds.