Cyclops

Legendarily quiet one-eyed giants. Pl. cyclopes.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: TheFolk

• Alignment: Poioumenonic

• Energy: Arcane Shadow

• Lifespan: 500 years

• Diet: Common mortal fare

• Habitat: Temperate, often volcanic islands

Origins

Children of poioumenonic Divines who were outcast when they were deemed threats to Divine power.

Description

Cyclopes stand about 12’ to 18’ tall. They have a single eye in the middle of their foreheads. Their skin tone and hair color ranges the normal range of human skin tone and hair color.

Procreation

Cyclopes reproduce with one another sexually. They can reproduce with other spirit folk of similar size - giants, ogres, and others - and the offspring will be the same as the birthing parents. Otherwise, they cannot reproduce outside their species without supernatural intervention.

Powers

Cyclopes are supernaturally strong. They have the supernatural ability to remain silent when they move.

Secret Powers

There are seven ancient secrets that all cyclopes are taught. So long as these remain secrets only cyclopes know, they are empowered to wield them, and because these secrets have been kept for so long, they are supernaturally difficult to break. The secrets are as follows:

• Forging of raw electricity into solid form

• Forging of the currents of narrative into metallic form

• Crafting of fabric that, when worn upon the head, grants invisibility

• Crafting of bows made from special wood that can allow for silent hunting

• Crafting of arrows that are almost impossible to see

• Building of massive walls that remain together without eroding

• Catching of fish without making sound when breaking the surface of the water

Weaknesses

Loud noises disorient them. Being blinded is a death sentence for them.

Nations

Nations of cyclopes are small and isolated:

• Argesian: the original nation in Stayflies

• Arimaspi: Anmaldan nation in western Dabusen

• Bungisngis: Vada’daro nation in northeastern Dabusen

• Ojáncanu: Tienoso nation in central Jesenranu

• Tepegöz: Omaevian nation in eastern Jesenranu

Culture

The Argesian cyclopes live throughout the Stayflian isles, across southern Jesenya in the Talunese region, and in parts of the northern Island Bridge. They mostly live in isolated areas, often completely alone, or in very small communities.

Before the Fall, they were renowned as great artisans, makers of weapons, armor, tools, and cities unparalleled in the world. They are said to have crafted the first altars to the gods. They grew so powerful as artisans that the gods themselves feared them, and so they were nearly wiped out during the Fall. This caused them to flee into isolation and take up the art of silence. Over the centuries, they became synonymous with it, and this and their deeply held cultural secrets imbued them with the power of arcane shadow.

Most cyclopes, especially among the Argesians, are shepherds on lonely islands. They are hermits, living off the land, doing very little farming. They fish, they make clothing, and they spend long periods in contemplation. They eat sheep’s milk, cheese, and mutton. They eschew their crafting abilities because they fear the retribution of the Divine.

Their solitude tends to make them inhospitable (either rudely so or simply out of lack of experience), and their disinterest in the trappings of “civilization” make them unused to certain aspects of it. Most notably, they are not known for their ability to hold their alcohol. They also tend to be bad at the basics of community, love, and politics. One legend among them is that of a cyclops who fell in love with a nereid or naiad that ended in deep tragedy.

Because they are distrustful of others, they build great, vast walls with heavy stones, usually limestone. They are said to have no ships or boats, though some do make rafts or canoes or similar to fish from.

They have no specific government; they are subject to the local governments where they live. However, they are usually so remote that they are left alone by them.

National Cultures

The other cyclops nations are very different:

• Arimaspi: Anmalda is a country in the mountains and steppes of western Dabusen near the central Island Bridge, and the Arimaspi are a nation of cyclopes there who are known for their belligerence and their war with griffins, raiding them for their gold.

• Bungisngis: in Vada’dar, the Bungisngis nation is known for their penchant for laughter, their large teeth, and their large upper lips, which are said to cover their face if they throw their heads back (this is an exaggeration). They sharpen their teeth into tusks. They are known also for having sharp hearing.

• Ojáncanu: in Tienos in central Jesenya, the Ojáncanu are reputed to be brutal and cruel, a warrior nation loyal to the feudal ruling classes. A genetic mutation at some point gave them ten digits on each hand and two rows of teeth, possibly due to eugenic meddling. They often have red hair, which they wear long and shaggy, and heavy facial hair. It is said that if one finds a white hair in their manes or beards, pulling it will cause them to bleed to death. Women among them are said to have sagging breasts, though this is a misogynist insult usually. The use of feirua in their ancestry means that there is a greater occurrence of sterility among them, and they have fertility rituals wherein they distribute the viscera of the recently dead and bury the body under a yew or oak tree. They are known for their intimidation methods, which include hurling rocks, destroying houses, knocking down trees, and damming water sources. Bear- and bull-fighting are common sports. They hate anjanas.

• Tepegöz: in Omaev, this nation is known for its great warriors who are said to be invincible (an exaggeration, but not by much) who live in remote areas and fight fiercely to protect their territories. They are accused of being cannibals, but this is not true. They are, however, often slavers.

Esoterica

Cyclopes are beings of arcane shadow. They are powerful secret-keepers and wielders of silence, and they can use arcanum well. They are also skilled users of other poioumenonic powers, though they mostly use fate, ausa, tutelary energy, and poioumenon. They can use any other energy, but they tend toward practical ones.

Religion

Cyclopes believe the gods rejected them and that only Éna Máti, a silent protector, guided them to safety. They worship this deity as a source of mystery and secrecy, and they honor it via silence itself. As they are very isolated, they do not have an organized faith, but they teach the ways of Éna Máti to one another when they meet.

Gender

Cyclopes do not mind gender very much, as it is not very relevant. They ascribe to local norms, though amongst them, homosexuality is common.

Economy

Cyclopes belong to whatever the nearby economy is.

Military

Cyclopes are huge and powerful, and therefore, they are often sought out for military service. Most are capable of refusing, though some do get drafted. They do not have their own military forces or warrior traditions.

Language

Greek is their language.

Occupations

Some common roles include the following:

• Shepherd

• Builder

• Fisher

• Philosopher

Outside View

Most view cyclopes as cannibals who dwell in caves, hate outsiders, and refuse to obey local laws or gods.

Notables

• Tin Órasí Tis, Cyclops Manifest, Aeonian

Estimated Populations

• Argesian: 2,000

• Arimaspi: 5,000

• Bungisngis: 50,000

• Ojáncanu: 10,000

• Tepegöz: 10,000

• Other: 50,000

Sample Stats

PRO 8
ATH 7
STR 17
AWA 8 Hearing 11 Sight 7
WIL 8
PRS 8
STH 9