Goliath
The mountain-men hailing from the Old World region of Tilth have appeared in many glorious tales, starring as overpowering hunters of exotic creatures and monsters that threatened the early peoples of the land. Portrayed as heroes and saints, witnessing the famed Goliaths in their natural habitat that was combat was once considered to be a wonder and feat, let alone having the chance to speak to one. Selfless, fearless, and with a lust for battle, they wandered the world in search of challenge and adversity, besting untamed wilds, murderous beasts, and even the tyrannical rule of corrupt lords. They were never motivated by fame or fortune, rather they only sought to grow stronger as individuals and warriors, forever seeking worthy opponents to test their mettle and learn from. Standing at an average of 7'6" and weighing over 310 lbs, few could match up to their sheer raw might, thereby reducing their chance of finding story-worthy confrontation considerably, striking fear in the hearts of many just by looking at them.
To live is to die: this was the motto of the Goliath, for if you are not actively searching for death, you can never develop and become powerful - a fate worse than death. They survived so that they may contest the status quo, imposing this lifestyle on others they feel are "weak" and need their guidance, throwing themselves into harms way for the sake of demonstrating "the error of your ways." While they are widely considered to be nothing short of heroic as a species, they are anything but, long since forgoing the concept of kindness or courtesy, frequently recorded to create devastating power vacuums in entire regions by committing regicide, be it another sapient or a "beast-lord" that reigned. In a twist of irony, what they believe will make others stronger and free them from servitude had instead collapsed entire civilizations, regressing technological progress significantly and maintaining their dreaded status quo as a side effect. While they always strive to learn and grow, they never stick around to witness the effects of their endeavors which may indeed help the local populace in the short-term, but almost always reduces them to ash in the long.
As a whole, they were driven by the deeply rooted belief that the world and her starry heaven commanded them to maintain the peace, to ensure nature remains wild and that the people of the planet respect her all-mighty power. At their core, they were incredibly humble and spiritual, tasking themselves with the responsibility of cleaning and purging the monstrous invaders that dared to challenge the earth, posing themselves as its rightful guardians, as no one else was competent enough to seize it from them. They enacted the will of above by reading and interpreting the movements of the night, meditating over small changes in the dark sky and theorizing as to what these changes might imply in the grander scheme. Typically this resulted in mass migrations across the globe, seeing "the signs" as something was amiss somewhere and required immediate correcting, lest they damn the world to oblivion for their hesitation and negligence. In their superiority complex to maintain the peace, they strove for raw strength, so that when the time came to put evil-doers in their place, they would be ready. They were indifferent toward the many inferior races they shared the earth with, though did not stop to think about their genocidal behaviors when they dared to question the Goliaths or threaten the balance. This same treatment was indiscriminate, also being applied to the great beasts that terrorized early settlers, seeing them as grotesque abominations that deserved nothing less than a swift, respectful death, as they still granted them the opportunity to learn from their atrocities and grow. This habitual heroism was a repeating theme for much of early recorded history and pre-history, with tribes of Goliath watching over swathes of territory as if they were its keepers and protectors, yet never expanding past their tribal tendencies, as they believed their way of living to be the only correct way. Consequently, they never progressed in way of culture, remaining stagnant and content with their lot in life, seeing little reason to cooperate with other Goliath tribes and consolidate into civilizations, yet never numbering higher than a few hundred per tribe due to their suicidal ideals. They only spoke the language of the sword, knowing nothing of "agriculture" or "reading", dismissing them as mere constructs of lesser beings that were unable to muscle their way through the ages as they could. Some even despised the idea of civilization, going so far as to dedicate their efforts to raiding and pillaging any hint of societal advancement instead of battling mythical creatures. As such - and also perhaps partly due to the hostile environments they often settled - there was never any true possibility of Goliath enlightenment, for the only thing a Goliath feared more than the deadly animals they faced daily was the idea of civil legislature.
When the Dragons arrived, they were one of the few to openly contest their perceptions of conquest and supremacy over the Old World, but the only to ever somewhat succeed in their crusade against total Draconic dominance. The scaled Demons from hell boasted motivations of "destiny" and "birthright", but to a Goliath, living within an organized empire is analogous to enslavement and damnation, regardless of the sensible benefits it may bring to their people as a whole. And for a millennia, they battled the Dragons, they hunted them for sport, and some tribes were even quite successful and experienced in turning the many vices of the demon-descended lizards against them in the form of surprisingly cunning traps and ploys to lure them to death. Overtime, even the great Dragons came to fear the name of the Goliath; the latter of which was the one that granted them the nickname of Dyrmyth, meaning in their tongue "Hell Lizards". However, due to their lacking numbers and the Dragon's overwhelming support by many of the other mortal races, the Goliath were beaten back and defeated, with only isolated tribes persisting when all of their other brethren met an illustrious demise, but they too eventually succumbed to the Dragon's fire.
Now, they exist only in name, their legacy as rebels of the system forever living on in popular stories told to the next generation, tales weaved to inspire and invoke the imagination of the young, and even as a cause to rally behind for anti-Dragon separatists throughout the ages. Extinct they may be, their spirits are said to have ascended past their limiting vessels, wrestling the gods above for their right to rule over the universe.
To live is to die: this was the motto of the Goliath, for if you are not actively searching for death, you can never develop and become powerful - a fate worse than death. They survived so that they may contest the status quo, imposing this lifestyle on others they feel are "weak" and need their guidance, throwing themselves into harms way for the sake of demonstrating "the error of your ways." While they are widely considered to be nothing short of heroic as a species, they are anything but, long since forgoing the concept of kindness or courtesy, frequently recorded to create devastating power vacuums in entire regions by committing regicide, be it another sapient or a "beast-lord" that reigned. In a twist of irony, what they believe will make others stronger and free them from servitude had instead collapsed entire civilizations, regressing technological progress significantly and maintaining their dreaded status quo as a side effect. While they always strive to learn and grow, they never stick around to witness the effects of their endeavors which may indeed help the local populace in the short-term, but almost always reduces them to ash in the long.
As a whole, they were driven by the deeply rooted belief that the world and her starry heaven commanded them to maintain the peace, to ensure nature remains wild and that the people of the planet respect her all-mighty power. At their core, they were incredibly humble and spiritual, tasking themselves with the responsibility of cleaning and purging the monstrous invaders that dared to challenge the earth, posing themselves as its rightful guardians, as no one else was competent enough to seize it from them. They enacted the will of above by reading and interpreting the movements of the night, meditating over small changes in the dark sky and theorizing as to what these changes might imply in the grander scheme. Typically this resulted in mass migrations across the globe, seeing "the signs" as something was amiss somewhere and required immediate correcting, lest they damn the world to oblivion for their hesitation and negligence. In their superiority complex to maintain the peace, they strove for raw strength, so that when the time came to put evil-doers in their place, they would be ready. They were indifferent toward the many inferior races they shared the earth with, though did not stop to think about their genocidal behaviors when they dared to question the Goliaths or threaten the balance. This same treatment was indiscriminate, also being applied to the great beasts that terrorized early settlers, seeing them as grotesque abominations that deserved nothing less than a swift, respectful death, as they still granted them the opportunity to learn from their atrocities and grow. This habitual heroism was a repeating theme for much of early recorded history and pre-history, with tribes of Goliath watching over swathes of territory as if they were its keepers and protectors, yet never expanding past their tribal tendencies, as they believed their way of living to be the only correct way. Consequently, they never progressed in way of culture, remaining stagnant and content with their lot in life, seeing little reason to cooperate with other Goliath tribes and consolidate into civilizations, yet never numbering higher than a few hundred per tribe due to their suicidal ideals. They only spoke the language of the sword, knowing nothing of "agriculture" or "reading", dismissing them as mere constructs of lesser beings that were unable to muscle their way through the ages as they could. Some even despised the idea of civilization, going so far as to dedicate their efforts to raiding and pillaging any hint of societal advancement instead of battling mythical creatures. As such - and also perhaps partly due to the hostile environments they often settled - there was never any true possibility of Goliath enlightenment, for the only thing a Goliath feared more than the deadly animals they faced daily was the idea of civil legislature.
When the Dragons arrived, they were one of the few to openly contest their perceptions of conquest and supremacy over the Old World, but the only to ever somewhat succeed in their crusade against total Draconic dominance. The scaled Demons from hell boasted motivations of "destiny" and "birthright", but to a Goliath, living within an organized empire is analogous to enslavement and damnation, regardless of the sensible benefits it may bring to their people as a whole. And for a millennia, they battled the Dragons, they hunted them for sport, and some tribes were even quite successful and experienced in turning the many vices of the demon-descended lizards against them in the form of surprisingly cunning traps and ploys to lure them to death. Overtime, even the great Dragons came to fear the name of the Goliath; the latter of which was the one that granted them the nickname of Dyrmyth, meaning in their tongue "Hell Lizards". However, due to their lacking numbers and the Dragon's overwhelming support by many of the other mortal races, the Goliath were beaten back and defeated, with only isolated tribes persisting when all of their other brethren met an illustrious demise, but they too eventually succumbed to the Dragon's fire.
Now, they exist only in name, their legacy as rebels of the system forever living on in popular stories told to the next generation, tales weaved to inspire and invoke the imagination of the young, and even as a cause to rally behind for anti-Dragon separatists throughout the ages. Extinct they may be, their spirits are said to have ascended past their limiting vessels, wrestling the gods above for their right to rule over the universe.
EXTINCT
Scientific Name
Lgroziir Magaa
Lifespan
90 years
Average Height
7'6"
Average Weight
310lbs
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