Goliath

Basic Information

Growth Rate & Stages

A goliath enters the same role as an adult when their tent-mother deems them able to contribute to the tribe, though physical adulthood comes around the same time as humans - their late teens.

Ecology and Habitats

Found most commonly in the harsh cold mountains of Rhoprax, Pandryll, and Qara. A small number of goliath tribes also exist on Dun'Kogdor Island and Dun'Varnrum Island.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The harsh environment of the goliath's homedidn't allow for pickiness in the goliaths diet. They ate whatever flora and fauna was enough to sustain them and no more.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Goliaths lived in small tribes that numbered between forty and sixty, with these being from three to five extended families. Tribes that got too large (approaching the hundred goliaths mark) would split into smaller tribes and small tribes (of maybe one or two extended families, for example) would merge together.

A goliath tribe had a number of roles that were filled by the most capable members of the society:

• Chieftain: The primary authority figure in a tribe. The chieftain was responsible for choosing when the tribe should move on to new lands. The chieftain also chose who filled some of the other key roles in the tribe.
• Captain: Two captains were assigned to each of the important jobs each morning by the Chieftain. These jobs included hunting, gathering, cooking, and scouting. The captains then built their own teams and set out to achieve their task. Two captains were assigned to each task to encourage healthy rivalry.
• Skywatcher: Often the most experienced shaman of the tribe. Skywatchers made sure that resources were not over harvested and game animals weren't needlessly slaughtered. Skywatchers were often exempt from the teams that the captains assembled each morning. Skywatchers also oversaw festivals, rituals, and celebrations.
• Dawncaller: Responsible for guarding the camp overnight and alerting the tribe if there was trouble. At dawn, they sung or bellowed tales of goliath bravery or heroics to wake everyone up. Dawncallers were assigned daily and given less work throughout the day so they could rest and be alert at night.
• Adjudicator: Adjudicators settled disputes. Unless urgent, an adjudicator would hear disputes after the evening meal. Tough decisions were often settled with a contest of the adjudicator's devising. If a goliath appealed against an adjudicator's decision, the chieftain had to settle the dispute, but would also have to dismiss the adjudicator from their position. Adjudicators also acted as referees for sports.
• Tent-mother: The only sex-specific role in the tribe because one of her jobs was to be a wet-nurse. Chosen by the chieftain each morning, the tent-mother was responsible for care and teaching of the tribe's infants and toddlers, as their parents were often busy with other responsibilities. It was also tent-mothers who decided when young goliaths were old enough to start contributing to the tribe (usually around the age of 10).
• Lamentor: Responsible for determining when a member of the tribe was too old or weak to serve as a productive member of the tribe. Good lamentors would then approach the individual to explain their decision and consult the chieftain. Once it had been decided, the lamentor prepared a long chant to commemorate the goliath before the tribe exiled the old or weak individual from the tribe.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Goliath names were made up of three parts; a first name assigned by the individual's parents, an honorific middle name chosen by the tribe's chief, and a family or clan name. The first name was often just one of two syllables. The honorific name assigned could change at the whim of the chief depending on particular achievements or failures. Exiled goliaths tended to carry middle names like "solitary" or "Kinless". The last name was often five or six syllables and always ended in a vowel.

Goliath names include:
Birth names:
Male: Aukan, Ilikan, Keothi, Kuori, Manner,Vaunea, Vimak
Female: Maveith, Nalla, Orilo, Paavu, Pethani, Thalai, Thotham, Uthal

Nicknames:
Bearkiller, Dawncaller, Steadyhand, Twistedlimb, Wordpainter, Fearless, Flintfinder, Horncarver, Keeneye, Lonehunter, Thread twisted, Twice-Orphaned, Longleaper

Clan Names:
Anakalathai, Elanithino, Ogolakanu, Thuliaga, Thunukalathi, Katho-Olavi, Kolae-Giuliana, Vaimei-Laga, Gathakanathi, Kalagiano

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The goliath took nothing for granted and worked for everything that they are. Even goliath with magical capabilities would continue their physical training in preparation for losing this ability. The goliath never put their faith in the gods due to their intangibility and the fact they had done nothing to personally prove themselves to the tribe's members, past or present.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Tribe chieftains only maintained power as long as they could prove they were suitable for that role. As a result, leadership constantly changed. New leaders were chosen by contests. Any goliath could challenge the chieftain in an attempt to replace them. If this happened, the chieftain and the challenger competed in three tasks. The challenger had to win all three to become the new chieftain. The old chieftain would then leave the tribe permanently. Due to the fact that few goliaths lived to old age, goliath tribes relied on innate wisdom in their leaders rather than wisdom gained from years of experience.

The competitive nature of goliaths meant that the attitude and achievements of one would quickly inspire the whole tribe. Individuals within tribes would constantly be trying to outdo each other's good deeds. This meant that nearby settlements often stereotyped goliaths as a heroic and good people. Goliaths were renowned for their seemingly arrogant way of keeping score of their accomplishments but the reason why is quite the opposite of arrogance. Goliaths believed that their greatest competitor was themselves and to outdo themselves is the most satisfying victory for a goliath. Competitiveness between goliaths was also common, but they were never arrogant or cocky. They very much lived by following the mantra of "Today's rival is tomorrow's teammate".

It was common for a goliath who knew they had failed their tribe to leave the tribe of their own accord, rather than force the tribe into the awkward position of exiling them.

History

There was an extensive history of other races capturing and enslaving goliaths to be trained into brutes or used for labour which has lead the goliaths to be distrustful of many other races and pushed them further into the harshest regions of their home.

Exiled goliaths would never be spiteful of their tribe but would understand the reasoning behind their dismissal. They would lead solitary lives in lands far from home but with an unchanged lifestyle. Those who forsake their tribe and their customs would find success in mercenary and labour work, with a small number finding success as artists due to the primitive parallel line artsyle they employed in their tribe to illustrate events or people.

Lifespan

A little under a century

Average Height

7"-8"