The Last Bone

Goliaths are found in two places throughout Velaria, in nomadic tribes roaming Icewind Dale and the Gadrobi Highlands as members of the Bronzebone Tribe. Whilst they are a fearsome, yet peaceful people in Icewind Dale, creating amazing technologies and beautiful runes, the Bronzebone Tribe is instead known for their incredibly durable warriors. They are so renowned for their unusual techniques and practices which are practiced within the tribe, ensuring their children grow with the strongest bones in all the land. It is a barbaric practice named Bonebreaking, where as a Goliath child grows up, they continuously shatter their own bones one by one to make them mend together stronger than before. As they grow, the children, under tutelage of the elders, break each of their bones brutally with forceful bludgeoning damage. The child must endure the pain and be able to keep doing it to themselves, whilst training constantly, around their many injuries. The Bronzebone Tribe believe that when their broken bones heal stronger and this continues exponentially, the strongest warriors have the strongest bone and have broken those same bones the most. And with all the evidence of the extremely powerful warriors of the Bronzebone Tribe, it appears to be working.
The Last Bone is the ritual that every to-be warrior of the Bronzebone Tribe undergoes once they have broken every bone in their body except one, the skull. The skull is saved for last because it is the most dangerous and the elders believe that breaking all the other bones first allows the skull to prepare itself. The teenager warrior-in-training who has completed all of the previous breaks, witnessed by the Elders of the tribe, caves in his own skull with a hammer. If he/she lives, they rise stronger with all bones in their body being truly made of 'bronze', but many also die or become braindead. The failures who brains become permanently damaged cannot live in the society anymore, and are sent out into the highlands to live amongst the mountain wolves and bears. They appear as massive near-indestructible warriors with wounds in their heads leaking mental fluid, running around on all fours and howling at the moon. They are called the Nola. Despite the risks, the Last Bone remains as the most important coming of age ceremony in the Bronzebone Tribe. You are not considered an adult within the tribe until you have completed the Last Bone, even if you do not devote your life to fighting. But the Goliaths of this tribe would not consider themselves strong unless the ritual is completed, and for them strength is everything.

History

The founder of the Bronzebone Tribe, Mavek Thulukate, was mentally deranged and considered unstable by the people around him. For that he was banished from his native tribe of the Ironwolf Clan and secluded himself in the forest. He went through tragedy after tragedy, succumbing to depression and smashing his own bones to make himself regret his past choices. However, what he learned was his bones repaired themselves over time as normal, but they felt noticeably stronger and more resilient afterwards. This excited Mavek, he had something to live for, and he continued experimenting on himself, spending years breaking his own bones over and over, until he became a near-indestructible warrior. During an attack from a set of fearsome Demons that escaped the Abyss, it looked like the Ironwolf Clan was going to be destroyed but Mavek descended from the mountains screaming his deranged battle-cry. He swept through the Demons, being cut and slashed all over but not faltering. His swings carved right through the fiends and nothing could stop his advance. Finally, after carving through nearly one hundred Demons, and covered and blood, Mavek chased the remainders off. Mavek told his former tribemates off his exploits, which frightened some and excited others. The leader of the Ironwolf Clan at the time, worried for Mavek's mentality and tried to help him by accepting him in if he stopped breaking his own bones, butt Mavek refused, convinced he had uncovered something amazing. Mavek led a portion of the Ironwolf Clan back up to the mountains, teaching them his methods and starting the Bronzebone Tribe around this dangerous yet effective tradition.

Execution

The ritual named the Last Bone takes place at the top of a mountain named Mavek, after the founder of the Bronzebone Tribe, within the tribes territory. It is a tall peak constantly berated with cold winds is extremely difficult to traverse. The Elders of the tribe gather the night before the Last Bone in preparation and wait at the top of Mavek for the small band of to-be warriors. The band usually consists of 4-5 warriors all doing the ritual at the same time. Their first step is to climb the treacherous mountain. Once they do that, they must demonstrate the resilience of their body so far. All of their bones should be extremely durable except the skull at this point. They break stones and shields over various parts of their body, overseen by the Elders. Once that is complete, they must take their family hammer, and with all their strength, smash it into their skull. This always knocks the aspirants unconscious, and the Elders descend off the mountain without them. Whoever, awakens and is stronger for it makes their way down off the mountain and is welcomed into the tribe as a full warrior, others that return braindead are sent off as Nola, and those that don't return are left up on the mountain for the vultures.

Heh. I don't need to wait for the Last Bone ritual, I'm the strongest warrior ever. While you weaklings are still breaking your toes I'm going to break my skull. Watch me be the bone-strongest warrior in history!

— Final words of Irathag, aspiring warrior.

Primary Related Location

Gadrobi Highlands

Related Ethnicities

• Vastryan Goliaths