Firbolg
Firbolgs were a reclusive giant-kin race who preferred avoiding contact with other sentient races.
They were both the most intelligent and the most powerful of the giant-kin.
Description
Firbolgs resembled humans, and the males would sport great, thick beards. Their dense, tough skin was fleshy pink, and their hair, though in many colors, was usually either red or blond and worn long. A firbolg's voice was deep and smooth, and they tended to roll their consonants when speaking. Firbolgs were typically about ten feet tall. Males, on average, weighed about 650 pounds and females about 500 pounds.Abilities
The average firbolg was stronger than a forest bear. Beyond sheer physical strength, they had innate magical abilities. Firbolgs were said to be resistant to magic. They could sense the presence of magical auras innately. They also had the power to change their physical appearance, including making themselves larger or smaller. They sometimes used this magical power to blend in or interact with smaller races. They had excellent night vision and could see in the dark. Firbolgs had regenerative abilities, could turn invisible, and could communicate with plants and animals to a limited extent.Personality
Firbolgs enjoyed quiet time in the woods, in harmony with nature. The forests were sacred to them and symbolized the heart of the earth and the adaptability of life. They saw themselves as the forests' caretakers. Firbolgs considered greed to be one of the worst vices. They believed that one should only ever take what one needs and no more. They saw no value in material wealth such as gems and gold, but sometimes would find prankish ways of taking valuables from strangers, out of a sense of fun. Firbolgs believed that charity was a virtue, but also believed that it was harmful for the recipient to know the provider's identity; because of this, they appeared to be reclusive amongst the other races, although they were very sociable with established friends. They were extremely honest and could not lie without feeling physical discomfort, even if the lie was by omission. Firbolgs tended to be over-confident and fearless, except for a pervasive phobia of humanoid mobs. They saw the wearing of armor as cowardly and thus did not usually wear armor, nor did they carry shields. Firbolgs were cautious and shrewd in their dealings with outsiders. They distrusted most humans and demihumans. Among non-giants, they were neutral with druids, elves, and fey. They were on good terms with storm giants, whom they admired and tried to emulate, but they avoided other giant races and actively fought against the other giant-kin.Combat
If provoked, firbolgs were formidable opponents, skilled in physical combat and druidic magics. They preferred massive weapons, such as two-handed swords and halberds. They were strong enough to wield most human-made weapons in a single hand. In battle, firbolgs fought tactically and relied on teamwork. Like any giant, they were adept at batting away or catching projectiles and had excellent throwing arms. They could easily toss a large rock weighing forty to fifty pounds.Society
Firbolgs had a family-centered, clan-based society. They lived in settlements in remote hilly or forested areas. Their settlements were strongholds, including wooden structures built from the trees around them, with defensive towers and catwalks between them. Rarely did they inhabit cavern complexes dug into the hillsides. They used their magic to ensure that their homes remained a secret to outsiders. These clan settlements were small, with about four to sixteen members, often with a shaman or druid, and lived separately. A typical firbolg home was a huge one-story log building with strong walls. A large fireplace with multiple openings warmed a central common room. As caretakers of the woods, they carefully and resourcefully lived off the land, ensuring balance. During summer, they stored excess nuts, fruits, and berries so that they could provide food to the forest animals during winter. Although they did farm, it was only to supplement their diets; they preferred a more hunter-gatherer lifestyle, rather than the brigand/raider lifestyle of many other giants. Their hunting grounds were usually spread out in a twenty‑mile radius from their clan homes. They ate small portions of meat with most meals, and reserved large roasts for special celebrations. Most firbolg tribes preferred isolation from other races, avoiding their politics and struggles. If intruders entered their territory, they would usually try an indirect approach at causing the "invaders" to leave—driving game away to discourage hunters or redirecting streams or forest trails to confuse parties. If these methods failed, the firbolgs would finally confront the outsiders. If the outsiders seemed peaceful, the firbolgs would peacefully ask them to leave; if the outsiders seemed evil or had no concern for the forest lands, the firbolgs might mount a devastating attack. On occasion, they traded with peaceful folk living nearby in exchange for providing services that utilized their great strength. Firbolg adventurers were rare and most often were individuals separated from their tribes—orphans, exiles, lone survivors, or the like. A few adventured to gain knowledge. Firbolgs seemed to naturally tend toward druidic magic, and many of their chieftains were thus druids. Others became rangers or fighters. Other adventuring vocations were rare; firbolg monks were completely unknown.Government
The firbolgs rejected ordning, the customary social order among giants and their kin, and preferred to exercise free will by using a system called "the code." This was conceived in ancient times, although its exact origins have been lost. All firbolgs were usually required to carry a written copy, but the exact implementation varied from one community to the next. It promoted the idea that society was the most important aspect and superseded the individual. Actions were more important than relatives or heritage. If "the code" was breached, a firbolg might be enslaved within their own tribe or banished completely, although transgressions were uncommon. The implications of "the code" meant that the firbolgs would treat all intelligent creatures as equals, and thus they did not exhibit the same superior attitude that other giants and giant-kin displayed. They considered the effects on the forest and the rest of the natural world for every decision made. During a famine, they would rather go hungry themselves than strain the land. Firbolgs had a rough form of democracy known as "the cast." This involved summoning all the firbolgs in a tribe, who then cast their vote on an issue using a rune-engraved stone. The actual "casting" of votes varied from clan to clan. In some cases, it involved tossing the stones. Exile was often used as a form of punishment for an unforgivable act, such as killing a rare or beautiful animal or starting a forest fire. An outcast firbolg was never permitted to return home. Nearby clans would gather once a year at the fall solstice at an enclave to settle any disputes among the clans. Shamans would preside over such events, which were often a time of celebration.Language
Firbolgs had their own tongue, but also spoke Common, Giant, and Elven. Sometimes, firbolgs who interacted with outsiders took elven names.Biology
Firbolg pregnancies were typically about two years long, much longer than those of other giant-kin, with pregnancies roughly equivalent to those of humans. Firbolgs reached adulthood at about thirty years, and could live as many as 500 years. Some scholars postulated that this long life was because firbolgs had fey blood, but most giant races had long lifespans. Firbolgs consumed about twice as much as a human to survive.Lycanthropy
Firbolgs were known to be highly susceptible to almost all forms of lycanthropy, though somehow immune to being afflicted with the wereraven form of the condition.History
Like all the giant-kin races, the firbolgs were never granted a portion of land by Annam from which to found their own "dynasty" inside the kingdom of Ostoria. They were initially welcomed by their fellow giants and learned their ways, but once Annam discovered their true parentage, he cast them out. Despite Othea's best efforts to protect them, they became excluded from the societies of true giants.