Gigantopithecus

Giants, and all of their related kin, are a genetic offshoot of the prehistoric giant ape, gigantopithecus. After hundreds of thousands of years of magical and genetic evolution, these creatures have carved a place for themselves within all societies on Terris. Unlike the Fey or the dwarves, giants and their kind have a long history with humans.

The original gigantopithecus could grow to well over twelve feet in height.[1] Outwardly it appeared to be an enormous, bipedal orangutan. Although they initially lived independently, they quickly developed a partnership with Homo erectus. Ultimately that same partnership was passed on to Homo sapiens. Initially this partnership was difficult to distinguish from domestication. These giant creatures fought alongside their human partners, joined in the hunt, and shared duties around the camps. While a separate species, they could easily communicate with early man and their superior strength made them a valuable asset.

As time passed gigantopithecus continued to evolve along with their human partners. While the Fey and the dwarves sought separation from the humans, giants were firm allies. As with humans, giants lost most of their coarse body hair. They developed less simian facial features that were similar, but larger, to humans. In some cases their skin lightened with the climate while those closer to the equator developed darker skin. They continued to evolve and grow more intelligent, using the same tools and weapons of their human clan-mates. Fierce in combat, giants were almost subservient in camps. With a lifespan approximately twice a human’s, giants were able to take a longer view of issues that ultimately provided them with the patience and foresight to thrive alongside humans.

The final bit of evolution in gigantopithecus evolution came when they became inter-fertile with humans.  While crossbreeds were rare, half-giants could be found throughout the world as humans and giants alike continued to expand their domain. Gigantopithecus DNA spread freely into the human gene pool and vice versa, creating what are now call ogres and trolls.

In modern times a giant is any creature of relatively pure gigantopithecus genetic stock. Trolls and ogres vary greatly in their DNA and may include human, giant, Fey or dwarven genetic materials. Terris currently has no magical ritual capable of accurately determining genetic background, so the difference between a giant and troll is purely subjective.

Giants have retained their height and are typically twelve feet tall, although history shows they can reach heights of over fourteen feet. Females are shorter with extremes in height extremely rare. Their features are more simian than a human or troll. Giants have a sloping brow, with heavy ridges of bone over the eyes, recessed eyes, and protruding jaws. While giant strength is legendary, so is their lack of manual dexterity. Thick fingers and powerful muscles tend to make fine motor skills poor at best. Unlike humans and trolls, giants rarely have any truly distinctive ethnicity. Their skin is fair, while their hair ranges from red to dark orange. About 25% of all giants are hairless. Giant patience is as legendary as their strength. Giants often allow petty comments or injustices to pass without much reaction. While some consider this a mark of stupidity, in giants, inaction is more a sign of patience – their longer lifespan gives them a different outlook, so they tend to ignore what they don’t consider important in the long run.  Contrary to what some believe, giant intelligence is within the typical range of humans although true genius in a giant is extremely rare. Slow to act and somewhat ungainly, giants have an undeserved reputation for low intelligence because of their physical characteristics.

Giants have a great capability for magic, but this typically goes unfulfilled due to lack of training and proper tools. Human rituals require precise patterns to produce the required effects. The different size of a single dancer or the inability to perform the required finger contortions can well lead to disaster. As such, most human are unwilling to train giants as ritualists. In cases where giants have received the proper training, the effects are impressive. Giants are capable alchemists, but are exceptional enchanters where their brute strength alone assists them with the creation of unique metals and enchantments.

Trolls[2] are typically between eight and nine feet in height. There is little difference in height between males and females; however, males tend to average a few inches taller than females.  Their facial features run the full range of human types with males capable of growing full beards. Although truly beautiful trolls are rare, they certainly exist in modern times as well as in literature. In general trolls display ethnic characteristics similar to the humans of their home region. Although some humans would disagree, there is no difference between a troll and a human in regard to intelligence and the ability to use magic. While there is a tremendous range in intelligence and magical potential in both species, the ultimate determination of capability is in opportunity, not genetics.

Giants and Trolls in Society

Giants occupy a wide range of social positions depending on the human culture of which they are a part. Always a minority, their treatment depends upon their value to the given society. Given their temperament and minority status, most are exploited to some degree. Prejudice grows from fear, and the size of a giant alone is enough to cause fear in all but the bravest. Giants pose an obvious physical threat and are often oppressed because of it.

In the years following the Fever Plagues, giants as a percentage of the population have increased. Giants seemed to be resistant to some forms of the plagues, but not all. As such, they were often ostracized by local populations, which ultimately helped them survive the very plagues some fearful populations held them responsible for causing. This subtly shifted the balance of power in Uropan communities, allowing giants a measure of freedom and respect they had not previously enjoyed. As human populations have recouped the plague losses, this measure of privilege is in danger of slipping away. While giant strength is vital in most rebuilding efforts, giants are not by nature explorers or innovators. They are mostly content with the status quo, even when the realities of such a life are rather harsh. Now that giants have had approximately 10 human generations to establish a new position within human societies, they may, finally be treated as more of an equal.

Trolls, on the other hand, have always been an abused minority. While their actual treatment varies by culture, trolls typically exist on the fringes of society. Troll blood is something to hide as it carries a strong stigma of shame or failure. Again, fear is at the heart of this treatment. The one area where both trolls and giants have enjoyed greater success is in the military. Their value as shock troopers and combat specialists cannot be overlooked and they may often rise to positions of power (depending on the culture). This success can carry over to civilian life where veterans may garner additional freedoms or status for their immediate family.

Trolls were every bit as susceptible to the fever plagues as humans. While their strength and constitution allowed them to survive the rigors of a collapsing society better than humans, their physique offered no additional protections from the plagues. Because they were able to better survive the changes to their culture, however, trolls as a percentage of the population have never been higher in Uropa.

Castilian

The theocratic government of the Phentha makes no distinction between giant, troll or human. There are only those who are a member of the Phentha and outsiders. During the war of liberation from the Tyrian Fey, giants and trolls were at the forefront of the battle. They were typically allowed to become members of the church, although they were somewhat looked down upon. All of that changed during the wars.

Giant and troll holy-warriors stood side by side with priests, forming a bulwark against Tyrian attacks. They rallied the people with fiery speeches. They attacked and raided. When the invaders were finally pushed out of Castile the grateful populace did not forget their “big brothers.” Such fervor did carry a high cost. There are relatively few giants and trolls within Castile any more.

Giants and trolls in Castile enjoy the widest social freedom of anywhere in Uropa. They can aspire to any position in society that their skills and ability merit. They can become members of the priesthood, the ultimate honor in the land. They serve in the military in nearly all positions. They may own land and have unlimited access to education. Alfonso the Pure has decreed that giants and trolls equal members of society and entitled to all the Phentha has to offer. The survivors make every effort to make sure they take advantage of that possibility.

Chohote

Although there are subtle variations among the different tribes of the Chohote, overall giants and trolls are viewed as awakened beings that are naturally closer to the spirit world. While this may or may not be true on an individual level, giants and trolls derive a great measure of freedom and respect from the belief. They are hunters and shaman. Their size gives them a distinct advantage when dealing with Thunder Lizards, so many work with the giant animals.

Giants are viewed a “pure” beings. They are believed to be close to the gods. As such, most tribes have strict rules about marriage and interbreeding with humans.  Diluting the blood line by having children with a human is normally taboo, so there are fewer trolls in Chohote society. Chohote giants are among the most advanced shaman on Terris, as theirs is one of the few societies that educate giants in the ways of magic.

Trolls make up an extremely small portion of the population. Despite this, they have a position of honor as the living link between giants and humans. While their parents may be ostracized, trolls are generally well regarded and viewed as the sons and daughters of the entire village. This means the trolls are typically very protective of their human clan-mates and the village is very supportive of the trolls. Trolls are considered more prophetic and their visions carry extra weight at council. Troll children, therefore are encouraged (or required) to become shaman.

Dotur

Trolls and giants are significant resources in the growing Doturi Empire. However, while valuable for their size and strength, they inspire old fears and prejudices. As a result, they are accepted, grudgingly, into the empire at all levels of society rising as far as Reason Radiant allows. In actuality, while there are no official laws regarding giants and trolls, the application of laws rarely goes in their favor. Likewise, they carry a strong social stigma that their economic value has yet to overcome. As a result, they are tolerated, but rarely befriended.

Giants and trolls make up a disproportionate part of the military, for in Guntram’s newly ordered army, the need for raw recruits willing to travel the length of the empire (or beyond) is great. Unlike other nations, most trolls are integrated into existing regiments and fight shoulder-to-shoulder with humans. As a result, human veterans are a bit more kindly disposed toward trolls and trolls are a bit more tolerant of veterans or soldiers.  Giants, on the other hand, typically serve in special detachments[3] where their size can be better accommodated.

In civilian life trolls and giants who are not veterans are viewed with suspicion. Even minor transgressions can merit a long sentence to the mines or imperial forges where they fuel the growing empire. Many trolls voluntarily indenture themselves to a trade guild, relying on the great merchant guilds to provide protection while they learn, grow, and mature.

Horse Lord

The Horse Lords have little use for a creature that cannot ride the tough steppe horses of Yazhea. As a result, they have no use for trolls or giants. That does not mean; however, that there are no trolls or giants in Horse Lord lands. On the contrary, they can be found everywhere.

Trolls and giants form a type of shadow culture across the steppes. Trolls maintain separate villages that mirror those of the Horse Lords, albeit on a larger scale. Giants typically live with trolls or in small family groups near troll villages. Trolls and giants trade with Horse Lords, but they are literally a breed apart. They are not allowed to enter Horse Lord villages. They are shunned and avoided unless needed. They occasionally serve in a battue as mercenaries for a share of the spoils. In such cases trolls and giants serve as a type of shock troop to augment the speed of Horse Lord cavalry.

Trolls and giants often serve in great campaigns. In such cases they lope alongside Horse Lord riders matching steppe horses in stamina as they are able. Those that cannot keep up are left behind. They excel in siege craft, although there were surprisingly few during the siege of Tarsos. Their weapons are troll-sized, making them especially effective at reducing human walls and towers. While the final scope of their involvement in the Golden Horde remains to be seen, several troll and giant Kral have already pledged themselves, and their warriors, to Genghis Khanom.

Nahuatl

Nahuatl giants and trolls make up a separate caste within the society. They are considered unclean, which is both a curse and a blessing. Trolls and giants are allowed to live in their own segregated communities in the countryside. They are allowed to enter Nahuatl cities and mingle with humans only on specific feast days, when they city is ritually prepared for their entrance. On those days trolls, giants, and humans mingle freely to conduct trade, arrange long-term contracts, and celebrate. Following the festivals, ritualists cleanse the city of the giant taint.

While Nahuatl in culture, giants and trolls have developed skills and abilities outside the norm for members of that culture. They are famed for their agricultural and alchemical skills. Their magic is simple and limited, however, they have developed several rituals that speed the growing of crops and allow plants of the Chohote to thrive in the south. While loath to admit it, the humans rely on troll and giant produce to supplement their own diets and provide the basic materials for their own magical rituals.[4]

Giants and trolls are not considered “clean” and are therefore not used in blood sacrifices except in the most dire of emergencies. In the military they are conscripted and organized into very small units with human overseers. Until the moment of battle, they are kept safely away from humans so they do not taint the warriors or offend the gods. Giant and troll losses during battle are normally very high. The few recorded instances of troll or giant rebellion have always been put down with extreme brutality.

Onogur

Although giants and troll of Onogur would be unlikely to recognize it, they are among the best treated of their kind in all Uropa. Between the rise of the ghouls and the dwindling of humans, trolls rose to prominence within the region, cementing positions of power and influence as the nation was born. While the ravages of the Fever Plagues did not spare them, trolls and giants were, perhaps, the best suited to recover quickly. Nowhere on Terris do trolls, giants, and humans work together so closely or cooperate so freely.

In the military trolls and giants form the backbone of most elite units. Like their human counterparts, they enjoy the best equipment, food, and training the nation has to offer. Unfortunately, compared to the Dotur or Roma, even that is not especially good. This rough life of privilege is likely to end in a skirmish with monsters, brigands of their own kind, or small scale skirmishes with their neighboring empires.

Beyond the military, trolls and giants can look forward to the same types of opportunities as any human in the empire. They are free to marry and raise a family, but their choice of careers is limited for there are some pursuits that they are not allowed to follow.[5] Indeed, many humans eagerly seek marriage with a suitable troll for the added protection such a mate provides. As a result, there are fewer giants and many more trolls in Onogur than elsewhere.

Roma

As with all things in Roma culture the status of a troll or giant is a complex affair depending on the individual’s lineage, birthplace, military status, and citizenship. Trolls and giants each make up their own distinct legal class with associated sets of rules and laws. Giants and trolls are assigned a class at birth and are only rarely able to change class. Conscripted into military service by both sides during the recent civil war, giant and troll populations have significantly decreased in the past generation.

The two classes share many restrictions. They may only enter one of fourteen allowed professions[6]. They are not allowed to eat in public. They are not allowed to enter a Templum by the front door. Giants are further restricted as to what sections of a city they may enter and they face harsh penalties for striking a human.

In addition, giants and trolls have long been the scapegoats for any crisis or problem within the empire or city. Mobs of humans may descend upon troll and giant insulae, burning and killing in a vain attempt to reverse a curse or to “appease the gods.” Romari justice typically sides on behalf of the human mobs when such events reach the courts, invariably finding initial fault with the trolls and giants. 

Russka

Giants and trolls share the same existence as humans within Russka. As with humans, they are typically bound to the land where they serve the local headman by raising crops and working for the general good of the village. Life is harsh, but simple and they enjoy the same rights as their human neighbors. They may also ascend to the heights of power where a single misstep can result in the midnight visit of the secret police.

Oleg Kashpur is the personal advisor and close friend of the prophet-emperor. He serves as a model of what a troll or giant can aspire to and is an inspiration to those willing to do whatever is necessary to advance their career. Perhaps due to Oleg or perhaps due to the prophet-emperor, trolls and giants who are willing to leave their farms have gathered into thickly walled ghettos where they are the subject of regular, but secret pogroms. The first group of trolls to leave these communities has quickly risen to positions of importance within the prophet-emperor’s bodyguard.

Trolls and giants have open access within the prophet-emperor’s regime to rise as far as they are able. In fact, they often receive preferential treatment for postings within the military, police, and church. This treatment has drawn the ire of some humans, but these dissenters are reluctant to do anything to displease Rasputin or call the attention of the prophets. While the situation may ultimately prove explosive, nowhere in Uropa do trolls, giants, and humans work closer and more efficiently.

Wyddian

The Wyddians have their own name for trolls and giants: the Fomor. The uneducated lump all trolls and giants into the broad category of any monster outside the gates. While the Wyddians have more than their fair share of monsters to deal with, trolls and giants may ultimately be part of the solution, not the problem. In recent times war band leaders and the painted mothers are just starting to realize what the Drwydds have known for generations – there is a strong difference between the giants, trolls, and the monsters that haunt the isles.

Giants and trolls are caught between the humans inside the cities and the true monsters without. While they will, of necessity, raid human villages for food, they are loathe to do so for fear of reprisals. As a result, they seek the shelter of caves and ancient sites where they can raise their families and battle the other Fomor. This harsh existence ensures that there are very few trolls or giants in Wyddia; however, those that survive are individually among the most powerful on Terris.

In the past generation war bands have, on occasion, formed short term alliances with small clans of giants and trolls. Although it is not known to outsiders, Drwydds have long worked alongside giants and trolls, helping ensure the survival of one in exchange for helping with the long term plan of the other.

Yamato

Giants of the Yamato were always considered a form of human on the islands and were allowed their own freedoms as long as they respected the laws and ways of the human rulers. Interbreeding was extremely rare, except in stories and legend. When the spirit curtain fell, however, giants were not caught up in the magic and were left behind to fend for themselves against the kami. Never numerous, the battle was never in doubt. Ultimately the giants were forced to leave the islands or retreat to a few mountain strongholds where they lived under siege for generations.

When the humans returned, they assumed that the giants were some form of kami they were to fight. What the kami did not destroy the humans attacked. Fortunately for the giants, they had magically evolved and were not easy prey to the samurai. Fortunately for the humans, the giants were tired of war and did not retaliate against the human attacks.

The trolls and giants of the Yamato are the most unusual of their kind. They display a wide range of magical abilities and sport wild variety of skin tones, hair colors, and facial features. Some are almost bestial, others apparently human. Some have tremendous magical ability while others seem to drain the magic from the area. While growing contact with the rest of the world has caused the Emperor to reevaluate his ‘understanding’ of giants and trolls, only the future will show whether the races can live in harmony.

Zhongguo

While the future of a Zhongguo peasant is bleak, it is an easy life when compared to that of a Zhongguo troll or giant. Most are born to slavery. While humans may ultimately win their freedom, there is little prospect for a troll or giant. Those that are not conscripted to serve a life in the front lines of the army will likely die in the mines. Survivors are little more than breeding stock, used to ensure future generations are available for the eternal court.

The few giants and trolls that are not slaves are peasants. They work the land as their fathers before them to pay the crushing taxes. Failure means slavery, for they are too precious to slay.[7] While they may rise to positions of local power, as the village headman or a midwife, few actually bother to do so. Defeatism and despair seems to mark them, for they know that a single bad season can mean the end to their freedom. There are only two opportunities open to them.

Some embrace what they cannot defeat and willingly join the imperial bureaucracy. These individuals form the elite warriors of the emperor. They train constantly and sit in the lap of luxury. They are among the most fearsome warriors in all the land and their coming spells doom for offending villagers. On the other hand, some headstrong young trolls and giants run away to join the Righteous Pearl Society. Here they join human comrades seeking to overthrow the ancient court of the undead.

Copyright © 2008 Red Juggernaut, Inc.