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| Species | Goliath |
| Order | Giant |
| Classification | Humanoid |
| Family | Big Giant |
| Sphere | Might |
| Origin | Gargu made them from those who turned away from the Shemmish gods |
| Lifespan | 70-100 years |
| Habitat | Arid mountains and fertile river valleys |
| Food | Large amounts of human fare. |
| Description | Goliaths stand 10' tall, but have inordinate strength to their size. |
| Procreation | Follows the mother with other giants. With other humanoids or pseudohumans, mixed nations people are possible if size permits. |
| Esoterica | Goliaths are beings of mijjit and oalkhaylaoataa, the Damaskian aspect of strength and might. Many of them are skilled in the practice of the arts of these energies. They also use other Damaskian powers, gebvel, mashoaab, inferum (especially imperium), hegnh, various forms of aether, other ordinal bodily powers, kor, yahas, and mana. |
| Body | Because of the mijjit and oalkhaylaoataa, goliaths have supernatural size, strength, agility, and constitution, though their strength is much greater than even their size. They are resistant to most forms of mundane physical attack, save for one soft spot on their foreheads that they cannot change. They use the art of tivu to alter their bodies, combining diet and exercise to do so. The main diet of tivu is kandaulos, which is boiled meat, cheese, fatty broth, dill, and breadcrumbs. Their exercises include lifting 3,000 lbs. 10 times per day; pushing 3,000 lbs. up and down hills for 12 miles every other day; carrying another 1,000 lbs. for 12 miles every other day; and breaking 100 lbs. of solid stone with their bare hands every third day eight times per day. The commonest alterations include strengthened hearts, patterns on their skin, and horns. Some faithful will alter their hearts to bear the words of their Divines. |
| Farming | Goliaths are sea-farers who bring agriculture from all over to their lands. Cumin, radishes, purslane, saltwort, sesame, figs, and chestnuts were the commonest crops, and goat, sheep, cattle, deer, boar, pheasant, partridge, quail, francolin, and hare. All of their livestock is known to be larger and stronger than normal. They innately know how to tend these. Their farms are varied, each one unique and featuring a few of the aforementioned crops and livestock, but rarely all of them. They build their farms along rivers and coasts; they often keep fisheries as well. Honey is extremely common and beekeeping is at every farm. |
| Special Powers | Goliaths have all of the aforementioned powers of supernatural size, strength, agility, resistances, farming abilities, and body-changing. They can also empower any weapon they wield to be resistant to impact, so that it can survive being wielded by them. They can give strength to other goliaths in times of desperation, usually in battle. |
| Weaknesses | There is a spot on the forehead of a goliath that is vulnerable to all forms of damage. They usually wear armored headbands. |
| Culture | Goliaths are a hated nation of giants. In their distant past, they conquered much several continents, enslaving millions, and even after their downfall, they are hated. They were defeated eventually by a warrior anointed by divine power, who slew their king. Ever since, they have been banished to distant mountain lands, where their culture of conquest lingers, diminished. They still live in an autocratic, imperial society that functions on a slave economy, but they are less likely to try to conquer whole other nations, being disunified. Their homeland is a pentapolis, a region of five cities. Children in goliath society are raised by the women of the tribe. Once they are able to walk, they begin to be trained to wrestle, fight, and strengthen themselves. By the age of 10, they are taken into training as warriors. They are taught to wield javelins, spears, and clubs, and made to wear heavy armor at almost all times until they reach their final growth spurt around the age of 16 (those who don't force it through rituals of weight gain and lifting) and enter adulthood. Then, men are called into military service for three years. Women may choose between military service for a year and marrying immediately. Other genders are suppressed and forced to conform, though some win their right to be themselves through ritual combat. They become part of the city religious orders. Men may take up to five wives, though women are allowed to sleep with whomever they choose. Same-sex pairings are common and allowed, but marriages are not. Children are assumed to belong to the husband of a woman. If she is unwed, the child belongs to her father. Marriages are all arranged to benefit families and tribes, but coupling is casual or romantic, with courtship being heavily focused on showing off one's strength to one's potential partner. After their required military service, most men choose to become farmers, craftsmen, or merchants. Women are usually required to marry after military service unless they win the right not to through ritual contests of strength. Those who win a reprieve from marriage are allowed to remain unmarried for different lengths of time, depending on the decision of the judge. Very rarely do they get a lifetime reprieve. Unmarried women can do any job a man can. Married women must serve their husbands. Each city of the pentapolis is run by a warlord, and they are often at war with each other. Every city has its own set of festivals and celebrations, focusing on their own history, founding, victories, and major milestones. Goliaths celebrate personal milestones with personal feasts: birthdays, marriage anniversaries, adulthood anniversaries, and wakes are common among all five cities.
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| Notables | |
| Sample statistics | PRO 11 ATH 15 STR 36 AWA 8 WIL 8 ROG 8 Farming 11 Special Powers [See Above] |
GrandGuignol
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