Goliath

At the highest mountain peaks — far above the slopes where trees grow and where the air is thin and the frigid winds howl — dwell the reclusive goliaths. On Apias the majority live in Priom Crana or, exclaves coming fromRashana. Few folk from outside these lands can claim to have seen a goliath, and fewer still can claim friendship with them. Goliaths wander a bleak realm of rock, wind, and cold. For the majority of them, their bodies look as if they are carved from mountain stone and give them great physical power. Their spirits take after the wandering wind, making them nomads who wander from peak to peak. Their hearts are infused with the cold regard of their frigid realm, leaving each goliath with the responsibility to earn a place in the tribe or die trying.   While the majority of Goliaths live in their own secluded groups in the mountains, there are some, particularly those in Herin and Rashana who live among true giants.

Driven Competitors

Every day brings a new challenge to a goliath. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the uppermost mountain reaches. A single mistake can bring doom to an entire tribe, while an individual’s heroic effort can ensure the entire group’s survival.   Goliaths thus place a premium on self-sufficiency and individual skill. They have a compulsion to keep score, counting their deeds and tallying their accomplishments to compare to others. Goliaths love to win, but they see defeat as a prod to improve their skills.   This dedication to competition has a dark side. Goliaths are ferocious competitors, but above all else they are driven to outdo their past efforts. If a goliath slays a dragon, he or she might seek out a larger, more powerful wyrm to battle. Few goliath adventurers reach old age, as most die attempting to surpass their past accomplishments.

Fair Play

For goliaths, competition exists only when it is supported by a level playing field. Competition measures talent, dedication, and effort. Those factors determine survival in their home territory, not reliance on magic items, money, or other elements that can tip the balance one way or the other. Goliaths happily rely on such benefits, but they are careful to remember that such an advantage can always be lost. A goliath who relies too much on them can grow complacent, a recipe for disaster in the mountains.   This trait manifests most strongly when goliaths interact with other folk. The relationship between peasants and nobles puzzles goliaths. If a king lacks the intelligence or leadership to lead, then clearly the most talented person in the kingdom should take his place. Goliaths rarely keep such opinions to themselves, and mock folk who rely on society’s structures or rules to maintain power.

Noble, Separate Spirituality

Giants and their kin do not tend to engage with the rest of the world,they instead prefer to remain unmoving in a world where movement is ceaseless, a steady rock around which the smaller races fly and dance.   They were never corrupted by the The Serpentine Collective, and have never felt the need to involve themselves in wars, which themselves are just fleeting trivialities in the grand plan.   Goliaths rarely leave their homes. Those from Priom Crana that do have either been banished for heinous crimes, or represent Annorlunda, the Eyes of the Ancestors abroad.   Goliaths and Giants believe that with age comes wisdom, venerating the oldest giants above all others. In Priom Crana, they worship their ancestors, who guide the path of the nation into the future. In Rashana the family heads perform a similar role as the oldest and wisest among their kin.