Gigas

The giant races share a common inheritance: descent from the primordial Titans, an instinctive bond with the dominant element of their homeland, and a long-standing pact that holds them apart from the smaller mortal races. The traits below apply to every gigas kindred unless a specific entry overrides them.

All giants are descended from the titans, immortal humanoid beings of colossal size and primordial origin who reside mainly in the outer planes. Eons ago the titans went to war with one another, and most of the giant races were conceived during this conflict or in its aftermath. Modern giants worship the titans who are responsible for their creation.

Giants naturally adapt to their native environments, developing an immunity to and influence over the dominant elemental forces. Though made of flesh and blood, they assume physical characteristics appropriate to their environment, such as hair color, skin tone or texture, etc. Gifted giants often develop magical powers as sorcerers or oracles, though few find faith or practice magic academically.

Many surviving Titans have made a pact with the gods of the smaller humanoid races. It is now a matter of religious doctrine that their descendants avoid living alongside small folk, and the neutral and good-aligned giant races heed this edict. Evil giants who owe allegiance to the dark titans residing in the lower planes are not bound by this law.

Most giants dismiss small folk, holding themselves apart unless necessity demands otherwise. They are taught from a young age that their kind are semi-divine and descended from immortals, and most giants live many centuries or more. While male giants vary widely in appearance and are often brutish or monstrous, most female giants are quite comely. Many legends exist of deities swayed by the beauty of such creatures, resulting in divine offspring.

The language of giants is a primordial tongue originally used by the Titans. It is highly nuanced and complex, with single words communicating concepts smaller creatures would use an entire sentence to say. When giants speak their own language, most exchanges are only 2–5 words long. They have difficulty keeping up with the high-speed “chattering” tongues of smaller creatures, which they find stressful and hard to follow. While some giants learn smaller mortals’ languages, their thought patterns lead them to use very few words when speaking naturally. This can give the impression that they are slow or stupid, even when they are not.