The mighty, statuesque mountain-dwelling legend-folk are the goliath. Though just as down-to-earth as any other individual, members of the goliath species have in some eras been considered mythical or otherworldly thanks to their impressive and immaculate appearances; even the common name for the people implies an air of myth.
Goliaths take the shape of very tall, remarkably fit and muscular humanoids most closely resembling humans. Aside from their size, their most notable traits are their complete lack of hair, their marble-colored skin, and their perfectly white eyes - lacking visible iris, pupil, or anything else. It is easy to tell how some people could see the species as mythical when every member so closely resembles old-fashioned and legendary works of art depicting famous or athletic people as statues. Indeed, some people even suggest that goliaths are made of marble themselves, but this is mere fanciful rumor.
Goliaths have a unique sort of physique; lending to their reputation, goliaths are basically incapable of being physically unfit. That is, a goliath's body processes energy so efficiently that their physical shape is always immaculate, even if they are lazy or gluttonous. Even elderly goliaths are able to effortlessly maintain their physique until their twilight years; only a few years before their natural lifespan is up do their muscles and bones begin to ache.
One quirk of this physiology is that goliaths also run very hot; a goliath at a healthy body temperature evokes that of a human burning with deadly fever. Due to this, many goliaths prefer to live in cold environs, leading to them to be commonly known as mountain-dwellers.
Goliaths, otherwise, live an existence not too dissimilar from the average human. They are born from mother and father after about six months of pregnancy, and grow to maturity quickly, in just thirteen years. Sexual dimorphism between the two sexes is clear, similar to humans; female goliaths tend to be built slightly slimmer and slightly shorter than their male counterparts though this rarely has a measured effect on their impressive constitution.
Goliaths in the World
True to their nature, goliaths worldwide tend to be found in cold or mountainous regions, and rarely in arid places. For this reason, goliaths are somewhat of a novelty in tropical or hot regions, while people living in higher latitudes or in valleys between tall peaks might have common interaction with goliath folk.
Like many other species the world over, goliaths have no known one homeland, and many travel freely as they wish. It is not too unusual to find a goliath family living in a diverse town. But it is also possible to find nearly-exclusively goliath tribes living in the most remote places, where the cold and treacherous terrain keeps most others (bar for certain dragonborn) out.
Interestingly, it does not seem that goliaths appeared in Des Forabis alongside many of the other species who traveled to the modern continent some millennia ago. Certain evidence indicates the existence of goliath tribes from the far past living in areas near where some still live today. Similar evidence seems to exist in other lands across the world, suggesting these hardy folk once traveled the world and perhaps before anybody else.
Goliath Player Characters
As a goliath, your most notable trait is your body: it is huge compared to other mortalfolk, and beautiful on top of that. Your physique grants you great strength, and most people you meet will probably react somewhat in awe to how you look, even if they've met a goliath before. Aside from this, you are still just a regular person - you likely have a normal family, and while you may have grown up in a remote area, chances are you want the same things everybody else in the world does.
Consider where you grew up and why you have left that place for adventure. Goliath biology means you're quite comfortable in the cold and quite uncomfortable in the heat, so if you're traveling somewhere outside of your comfort zone, chances are you have a very good reason for it. If you grew up in a remote goliath tribe somewhere outside of civilization, consider what possibly could have called you to adventure from such a distant place and bring you into a world where all sorts of people travel & mingle freely.
Goliath Traits
Ability Score Bonus. You gain a +2 to Strength and a +1 to Constitution.
Age. Goliaths reach maturity after about 13 years and normally live till about 80 years.
Size. Your size is Medium. Goliaths are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds, but no matter their size, they always have a flawless physique.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Natural Athlete. You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.
Stone's Endurance. You can focus yourself to occasionally shrug off injury. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled, and reduce the damage by that total. After you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. Also, you require 50% more food than an average human to survive day to day.
Mountain Born. You have resistance to cold damage. You're also acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.
