Giff
Astral Guardians, Iron Defenders, Hippo-Folk
Giff are tall, broad-shouldered folk with hippo-like features. Some have smooth skin, while others have short bristles on their faces and the tops of their heads. As beings of impressive size and unforgettable appearance, giff are noticed wherever they go.
Most giff believe they originated on one world, but their home world is now the stuff of legend, because no living giff has seen it or knows where it is. The divine beings who created giff have likewise been forgotten. Their titanic petrified bodies drift on the Astral Sea, isolated and unrecognizable in their current form.
Although they don't realize it, giff are drawn to the Astral Plane because, on a deep psychic level, they remain connected to their creator gods, who have just enough divine spark left in them to imbue giff with sparks of their own, which giff have learned to channel through their weapons. Most giff have no idea where this so-called astral spark comes from, but they feel its presence most strongly when they are in Wildspace or the Astral Sea.
Giff are split into two camps concerning how their name is pronounced. Half of them say it with a hard g, half with a soft g. Disagreements over the correct pronunciation often blossom into hard feelings, loud arguments, and head-butting contests, but they rarely escalate beyond that.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Giff are large, powerful beings with hippo-like features, including broad shoulders, barrel-shaped bodies, and dense musculature. Their skin is thick and gray, providing a natural resilience. They typically have smooth skin, although some have short bristles atop their heads. Their robust, flattened faces and wide-set eyes convey both a sense of humor and a readiness for combat.
Genetics and Reproduction
Giff reproduce biologically much like humans, with an extended gestation period to account for their large size and slow development. Their offspring are born without the full connection to the Astral Spark, which awakens during adolescence as they come of age and begin training in Serentinel.
Ecology and Habitats
Giff have adapted well to Coshar, particularly the fortified city of Serentinel. While they value open spaces for their immense size and strength, they also enjoy working in large, heavily fortified environments like the Iron Gates, where they feel a natural affinity due to the powerful defenses and concealed technologies they’ve helped embed. They thrive in places where they can engage in military preparation, engineering, and defense building, keeping their technology hidden but accessible for future threats.
Behaviour
Giff are deeply disciplined, with a military mindset and loyalty to their communities. They are generally straightforward and honest, often showing jovial personalities among friends but displaying a fierce protectiveness over their home and responsibilities. Despite their physical might, Giff are contemplative and strategic, valuing intelligence and planning as much as strength in battle. Their loyalty to the protection of Astrium is woven into their identity, and they take pride in upholding their duty.
Additional Information
Average Intelligence
Slightly above average, with particular aptitude for engineering, military strategy, and weaponry.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Giff possess strong senses of sight and smell, both of which are beneficial in their military endeavors. Their connection to the Astral Plane has imbued them with a unique sense called the Astral Spark, which allows them to tap into psychic energy, particularly during combat. This spark manifests as an intuitive awareness of weapons and tactical proficiency, especially with firearms and black powder-based weaponry.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Giff names often reflect their proud, militaristic nature and are structured with strong, clipped sounds that are easy to shout or command in battle. Names like Tarvos, Krag, and Grokk are common, with some Giff incorporating titles or nicknames related to their prowess, such as “Ironhide” or “Powderfist.”
Beauty Ideals
Giff see strength, resilience, and discipline as markers of beauty. They take pride in scars and signs of past battles or engineering work, viewing these as signs of both personal dedication and duty to Serentinel. Large, sturdy builds and well-defined musculature are highly admired among their people.
Gender Ideals
Giff society is largely egalitarian, with both males and females holding roles in engineering, defense, and military leadership. All Giff are expected to train and demonstrate prowess in areas that serve the community, whether through weapon mastery, architectural work, or technological innovation. Strength of character, loyalty, and competence are valued over any specific gender traits.
Courtship Ideals
Giff courtship involves demonstrations of skill and loyalty rather than overt romantic gestures. Courting partners often train or work together, showing their compatibility through shared tasks or projects. A common Giff custom is the exchange of crafted tokens or miniature firearms as symbols of protection and respect.
Relationship Ideals
Relationships are seen as partnerships built on mutual trust and respect. Giff value commitment and a shared sense of duty in their relationships, expecting loyalty and support as they work together to protect Serentinel and uphold their duties. Partners often share projects and endeavors, such as crafting weaponry or maintaining defensive technologies.
Common Etiquette Rules
Giff etiquette emphasizes respect and military precision. They value directness, clear communication, and adherence to established customs. Salutes, chest thumps, or handshakes are common greetings. Raising voices or displaying undisciplined behavior is frowned upon, as it is seen as disrespectful to the Giff’s disciplined lifestyle.
Common Dress Code
Giff attire is functional and robust, often composed of heavy leather or metal armor that reflects their readiness for action. Work attire includes gear belts, tool pouches, and protective clothing suited for both combat and engineering. For formal occasions, they wear decorated shoulder sashes with medals or insignia symbolizing their service to Serentinel.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The Day of the Hidden Spark is a solemn and secretive holiday observed by the Giff people on the island of Coshar. It honors their long and storied history as wanderers of the Astral Plane and their discovery of the Nexus Plane, a material world known to the rest of the cosmos as Astrium. This day commemorates their oath to guard the secrets of Astrium from those who would exploit it, and their role as protectors of hidden astral technology.
The celebration begins at dawn with the Silent Convocation, where the Giff gather in isolated groups to share the oral history of their ancestors' astral travels and their discovery of the Nexus Plane. During this quiet ceremony, the Giff reaffirm their sacred vow to protect the knowledge of Astrium, passing down tales of exploration and sacrifice from one generation to the next. This moment of reflection serves as a reminder of the weight of their responsibility.
Following the Convocation, the Giff partake in the March of Sparks, a grand procession through their coastal settlements on Coshar. Each Giff carries a torch lit with a slow-burning blackpowder, a nod to the explosive technology they have mastered yet kept hidden. The march is a show of both strength and patience—an acknowledgment that their greatest weapons remain dormant, waiting for a time of true need. Along the route, they sing songs of unity and resilience, invoking the memory of their travels through the Astral Plane.
The highlight of the day is the Forge of Memory, a ritual in which selected Giff craftspeople and engineers work to create intricate devices and technological marvels, often powered by their knowledge of blackpowder and other astral innovations. Though much of their technological mastery remains hidden from the world, these small, complex inventions serve as symbolic reminders of the power they wield and the secrets they keep.
As the day winds down, the Giff engage in the Lighting of the Veil, where they launch controlled fireworks and explosive displays into the night sky. The fireworks, engineered with precision, represent the potential energy that remains locked away until the moment when the Giff must once again defend Astrium and its hidden importance.
The Day of the Hidden Spark is a reflection of the Giff’s dual nature: their peaceful, waiting lifestyle on Coshar, and the immense power and knowledge they have stored away for the protection of the Nexus Plane. The holiday serves to remind them of their duty to guard the greatest secret of Astrium while patiently preparing for the day when they may be called upon to use their skills once more.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Giff culture revolves around martial prowess, craftsmanship, and the safeguarding of Astrium. They are proud of their Astral origins and hold an oral tradition of stories about the lost home world and their creator gods. Despite not fully understanding their Astral Spark, they pass down techniques to harness this energy through weapons, instilling a reverence for their divine connection.
- The Astral Call: A semi-annual ritual where Giff meditate and attune to the Astral Spark within, honoring their ancestors and reaffirming their commitment to protect Astrium.
- Fortress Day: A celebration commemorating the founding of Serentinel, where Giff and Loxodon hold joint parades and military exhibitions.
- Iron Oath Ceremony: A rite of passage for young Giff who complete their training and are formally entrusted with the duty to protect Serentinel and the Nexus.
Common Taboos
Neglecting Weapon Care: Failing to properly maintain weapons and tools is a serious offense among Giff, seen as a sign of negligence in their duty.
Unauthorized Access to the Giff Hangars: Only designated Giff and trusted allies are permitted access; any attempt to enter without permission is punishable and seen as a major breach of loyalty.
Speaking Lightly of the Nexus or the Lost World: Disrespect toward their origins or their responsibility to the Nexus plane is considered dishonorable.
History
The Giff people have a proud history of wandering the Astral plane, in their travels they stumbled upon knowledge of a number of being interested in taking over something called the nexus plane. After centuries of chasing leads they were able to find the location of a small material plane known as Astrium, which they determined to be the Nexus plane.
Vowing to keep the information a secret, they travelled to the Astral plane where they eventually settled on the island of Coshar where there was a similar race of people, the Loxodon. The Giff who wanted to protect their astral technology travelled and embedd the technology within the Iron Gates during its construction in 270AD; keeping the secret among the Giff.
The Giff kept a simple lifestyle; waiting for the day a threat big enough to utilise their technology again. While they wait they slowly push the rise of technology from Coshar, where they have brokered a deal with the dwarves to house their technology within stone to keep it steadfast and safe. They have also been linked with the creation of blackpowder and explosives into the world of Astrium.
Common Myths and Legends
The Titan’s Fall: A myth explaining the petrified gods that created the Giff, said to still drift through the Astral Sea. These giants are believed to have sacrificed themselves to shield Astrium from a great threat.
The First Sentinel: A legendary Giff warrior and founder of their lineage, who is said to have sworn the original oath to protect the Nexus.
The Star-Blessed Forge: A mythical workshop said to exist deep within the Astral Plane, where it’s believed that legendary weapons were forged by the creator gods themselves and imbued with the first sparks of divine power, setting the foundation for Giff weapon mastery.
Scientific Name
Homo Bellicus
Lifespan
90-120 years
Average Height
6'8" - 8'0"
Average Weight
500 - 800 pounds
Average Physique
Giff have immense, muscular builds that highlight their natural strength and resilience. Their frames are sturdy, making them excellent at enduring both physical labor and combat.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Giff skin is generally a muted gray or dusky blue. Many have faint scars or ritual markings from their military past, often created with a blend of ash and pigment that symbolizes their connection to the Astral Plane and the mythical journey from their lost home world.
Geographic Distribution
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