Also known as "Lesser Giants", the Zerk are the most populous family of Giants in Eruwë. Standing around nine to ten feet tall with arms that reach down to their ankles, Zerk are an intimidating sight to behold for any of the smaller races. With that said, they have a reputation for being aloof and gentle, only resorting to violence when clearly and directly threatened. Their skin is usually green, gray, or brown, and covered in coarse fur. They have doe-like ears and sharp tusks that protrude from their lower lips. Despite their size, they are also typically quite lean and nimble due to their excessive traveling.
ZERK HISTORY
Before the stars collided with Eruwë and life began, the Giants aimlessly roamed the lightless wasteland that was the planet's surface. They were neither dead nor alive, awake nor dreaming, for such things had not yet been imagined. And then they heard the shrill hiss of the Serpent of Life, the first sound to ever be heard, and they were afraid. Light cascaded across the desert valleys that covered the planet as the Sun was born, and when the stars crashed into the ground mountains were raised, and water and magma covered the surface. Few of the Giants survived this great cataclysm; those who did were called Shavok'ra ("Wanderers before the Light"). These Giants drank the Celestial Waters, the first rains of Eruwë, and were thus filled with the same holy Light that fills every living being. Unlike other creatures whose souls are born from the Light, Giants are merely conduits, their bodies and minds still in the state of dreamlike limbo that existed prior to the Hiss of the Demiurge.
From these Shavok'ra, three distinct lineages of Giant have developed. The Storm Giants, also called "True Giants" were by far the most powerful, but were all but eradicated after the Great Flood and Rise of Oskilor. The Trolls are a lineage of Giants who never drank from the Celestial Waters and thus, are void of Light. And finally, the Zerk, who developed souls but unlike the Storm Giants, they were mortal. Like all Giants, because they existed in the time of Dreamless Dark, Zerk do not sleep. The Zerk existed in a time before the great city-states of Oskilor or even the Age of Dragons, and it is said that when the Great Flood came their seers received visions from the Most High that instructed them to flee to Mount Gorm, where their many tribes waited out and survived. To this day, the Zerk live as nomads in western Eruwë, primarily in the Ardenoth and Dzaan regions. When Gormierre the Architect first built her empire, she was welcomed and praised by the Zerk who exalted her as the messiah, finally come to deliver them to a permanent home, their Promised Land. For a time, they believed she and her bloodline were the Light that the Most High instructed their prophets to find, but ever since the Night of Heresy the Zerk tribes have been scattered, searching for a new Light for their Eternal Path.
ZERK CULTURE
The cornerstone of much of Zerk culture are their seers, also called Numen'zra ("Divine Lightbearers", could also be translated/understood as "Baptized Ones"). Every tribe has a Numen'zra, who acts as the leader, for it is believed that they light the way for the tribe's travels using their visions from the Most High. These seers themselves, however, are forbidden to actually speak, for their throats have been anointed with Holy Water. Thus, it is up to the Tribal Elders to interpret the writings and behaviors of the Numen'zra to determine their meaning and instruct the tribe accordingly, made even more difficult due to the fact that Shaav doesn't have a true alphabet or written form outside of a few widely recognised symbols. Verbal speech is sacred to the Zerk, who share epic tales of great warriors and Numen'zra from ages past utilizing vibrant oral tradition. Because they never sleep, they only camp for the night to eat, share stories, and have downtime. Their days are devoted to travel, for the Zerk cannot remain in the same place for very long as they are still searching for their Promised Land.
ZERK TRAITS
Size: large
Speed: 30 feet
Languages: Common and Shaav
Long-Limbed: Your reach for melee weapon attacks is 10 feet instead of 5.
Savage Attacks: When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you roll one additional damage dice.
Sleepless Wanderer: Zerk remain awake and alert even when resting.
Folk Tales: Zerk have advantage on Performance checks and History checks related to storytelling.
Search but Never Find: You have proficiency in Perception.
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