Giant-Kin

Official Information

Giant-Kin are huge, powerful humanoids, averaging nine feet tall. With their great strength and ability to take punishment, combined with their chiseled features and solid bodies, fighting one is truly said to be like fighting a mountain. Fortunately, Giant-Kin are innately good, and though they may choose the path of evil, they pay a high price for doing so. Giant-Kin are more volatile and less patient than the longer-lived pure Giants, and have a greater desire for what they see as progress. Giant-Kin have an affinity with the magic of the land and can see if something has magical properties with a glance.

Giant-Kin can be a shaman, warrior or a thug.

Giant-Kin live in Skor'lanis in the north and on The Isle out on the Maelmordian Seas.

Player-Supplied Information

History of the Giants and Giant-Kin by Nayr (original location http://www.fastq.com/~rholmes/giants.html)

The First Giants Over four thousand years ago (Historians usually guess at a date of around 2100 YBH, but as Giants keep very few historical records, that date is only an educated guess), IvoryTiger walked the world. He traveled through it, observing, finding the dark glens and breathtaking mountain-top views, the dark and the light of the world. He then retired to his Den, both of and not of this world, and slept. And dreamed. He dreamed, and in his neutrality he dreamed of the darkness and of the light, and the magic of the world responded to his dreams. Across the world, life arose. Dark, twisted creatures rose up in the darkness, and tall, peaceful beings rose up in the light. In this way did Giants and Trolls enter the world, one Good, one Evil. These Giants were a peaceful, long-lived people, living simply and quietly, some nomadic, some living in small family groups. They kept to themselves, prefering the company of nature to the company of other races. This company can change them over time, because of their magical origins. When Giants live in a region over generations, they absorb the characteristics of the region. In this way have Frost Giants, Marsh Giants, Hill Giants, and many other variations appeared. All are equally Giants, and are much the same, although those who have undergone more radical physical changes have often undergone more radical changes in mindset as well. However, in the century between 300 YH and 400 YH, a new line emerged.

The First Giant-Kin In 360 YH, Thalos was a quickly growing city. The higher classes were accustomed to having numerous slaves, and often went through them fairly quickly. The demand for more powerful, more resiliant slaves was high, and the Mayor of Thalos and his advisors, after much thought, decided to enslave the Giants. Huge hunting parties spread out from Thalos, searching the hills, forests and mountains, tracking down every family of Giants that lived anywhere near Thalos. Upon finding one they would overwhelm each member of the family until they could be easily captured and restrained with chains and spells. By 363 YH all of the hunting parties had returned, and over one hundred Giants had been brought to Thalos. However, the Giants proved to make poor slaves at best. Unlike Humans, the Giants seemed to have no breaking point, no point where they would give in to despair and accept being a slave. The Humans tried every torment they could devise, as the Giants were impossible to use effectivly as slaves by all but powerful mages until they could be broken. By 368 YH the slavemasters had all but given up, and went to the mages of Thalos for assistance. The mages worked long and hard, researching and testing, attempting to find a way to alter Giants to their needs. In the end they came to the conclusion that they could not magically change the already magical Giants enough to make them servicable slaves. Unfortunately, they did not admit defeat. They decided that if they could give Giants a tiny bit of Humanity they would lose their undominitable wills, but retain their great strength and longevity. They devised powerful spells, altering their Human slaves and making them as compatible with Giants as they could. Then, in 372 YH, all of the female Giants old enough and in good health were brought into the laboratory and impregnated by these altered Human slaves, with the assistance of the mages' spells. For the next 20 years, the Giant-Kin matured, under the eager eyes of the mages. As they grew older the mages slowly began to lose hope, for the Giant-Kin, it became obvious, had inheritated the willpower of their mothers. In 391 YH the project was offically declared a failure, and the mages began to work on refining the techniques they had begun to develop during their experimentation, in the hopes of creating more desirable slaves from the Human slaves they already had. The Giants and Giant-Kin were considered too dangerous to keep, but few Humans thought that freeing them would be safe. Instead, it was decided they would be sold to the Unnamed City, to become gladiators in its Gladiator's Arena and provide entertainment for as long as they lived. The Giants and Giant-Kin were chained and marched for the Unnamed City, under heavy guard. The slaves had realized that this was perhaps their only chance for freedom, and under the guidance of the Giant Skor'lanis, a plan had been formed. Skor'lanis had been a warrior and a shaman before his capture, and he was a wise and careful planner. The rebellion was swift and sure, and the Human guards were chained with their own chains and left to make their way to the Unnamed City to find a blacksmith. After almost thirty years of slavery, the Giants were free. Skor'lanis led the group north, through the forest and foothills and into the mountains. It was here that he founded the first Giant city, Skor'lanis, in 392 YH.

Skor'lanis When Skor'lanis led the newly freed slaves into the mountains, a Giant city was an almost unthinkable idea. Giants had never gathered in groups of more than about ten, and now, counting the Giant-Kin, there were over one hundred and thirty. But, these Giants and Giant-Kin shared many common bonds, having spent so long in enforced company. The Giant-Kin, especially, enjoyed the company of the other Giants and Giant-Kin. Some of the pure Giants left the group, desiring to return to their former solitary lives, in the wildernesses far from Humans. The others, however, felt that the Humans might again desire to enslave Giants, and that the only safety was in numbers. These Giants, led by Skor'lanis, founded the city of Skor'lanis, basing much of it on the model of Thalos, having no other city to compare it with. Skor'lanis was elected the first Mayor, and his careful planning and attention to detail served the city well. The Giant-Kin intermingled with the pure Giants as time went by, and the small bit of Human blood spread throughout the city. Their Human quirks spread as well, and an interest in history, research, and learning arose, maturing slowly, at Giant life-span rates. The Giant-Kin stayed isolated however, turning their attention inward, and having few dealings with the outside world. They felt no need for revenge or retaliation against the Humans, but were well aware of the threat they could pose, and arranged for the defense of Skor'lanis accordingly. As the centuries went by and Humans fell and rose again, a new attitude arose in Skor'lanis. This attitude would be directly responsible for the split of the Giant-Kin in 1642, and the subsequent founding of the Isle.

The Isle The Giant-Kin of Skor'lanis had long felt that Humans were of little threat to them. From their first years of freedom, the Humans had left them alone, having no desire to face the Giant-Kin in a fair battle, and little reason to recapture them. When Maurice left the realm and Humanity was torn asunder, the Giant-Kin were glad that the people of Thalos would do no more experimentation, but felt no joy at the loss of the great knowledge that burned with Thalos. The Humans were resiliant though, and almost immediately began to spring back from the terrible loss of life in the decades following Maurice's departure. The Giant-Kin watched as Midgaard grew, and Humans once again began to dominate the area. They watched as the Elves and Humans lived together in peace, and as Half-Elves arose from the peace. They remained cautious though, and when Ofcol was founded on the edge of the Whitefrost Forest in 1312 YH, mutters that the Humans were going to grow out of control began. When Mayor Rasputin turned the people of Midgaard against the Elves in 1340 YH, the mutters turned to worries. Upon hearing that the Half-Elves had left Haon'Dor and sailed to the south, those who had been worried began to suggest the Giant-Kin leave Skor'lanis and follow the Half-Elves' example. This idea was debated back and forth, only half seriously, for the next century and a half. Then, between 1500 YH and 1600 YH, the Goblins, Kobolds and Gnomes came up through Moria, settling in the forests and hills near Skor'lanis. The long-pondered idea of leaving for the southern continent was again brought up, and this time gathered enough supporters to make it possible. However, it was far from unanimous, and the city was divided into two camps. The Giant-Kin debated for decades, each side trying to convince the other of the merits of their position. In time the two groups realized that both sides had valid points, and they decided to follow both paths. In the spring of 1641 YH, almost half of the population of Skor'lanis left to travel to the southern continent, as the Half-Elves had done over 200 years before. They traveled south to Seaside, purchasing supplies along the way. In Seaside they bought a great cargo ship, large enough to hold all of them, and they stocked it with all the supplies they thought they would need to build a new colony. After spending the winter months learning to navigate and sail, they set sail in the spring of 1642 YH. The great ship sailed slowly south, into the Maelmordian Seas. For the first week, all went well. In the second week, one of the huge storms that sweep the Maelmordian Seas blew up from the west. The Giant-Kin struggled against the storm, but their inexperience was no match for the power of the Maelmordian Seas. They were blown before it, lost in its howling winds until they were slammed against a beach, the ship splitting like a melon on the rocks. When the storm finally died away, the Giant-Kin explored, finding that they were on a sizable island. This news was at first disturbing, but slowly they realized that this black cloud had a silver lining, for the island was lush and green. The leaders of the group declared that this Isle was ideal, far from the disturbances of any other race, isolated and unknown, and they founded a city among its meadows. Under the Founders direction the ship was dismantled and homes were built, cargo was salvaged and stored. They planted the seeds and saplings they had brought with them, carefully tending them, and collected the small herds of sheep and goats that had survived the crash. The city grew slowly, as all Giant-Kin projects do, and the Giant-Kin settled into peaceful introspection. Recognizing that all temperments have their place, and that all skills have their uses, the Guardsmen were formed for those Giant-Kin who wished to learn to fight. They have proven their strength in battle repeatedly over the centuries, as many pirates have sought to plunder the city and use the island as a base of operations. Not all who have found the Isle have been unfriendly however, and trade with both continents is carried out through trusted traders who have sworn not to reveal its location. The occasional refugee is allowed to stay on the Isle, as the Giant-Kin will not turn away those in need. These visitors are few and far between however, as few are aware of the quiet and peaceful island in the middle of the wild Maelmordian Seas. This is how the people of the Isle wish it, and they are content in their isolation.

Rumor and Speculation

None at this time.