Giants
Giants are known for not being especially intelligent, generally being considered one of the most dimwitted species capable of thought. This reputation, coupled with their tendency to sustain themselves on the livestock of people who make their homes too close to the mountains, causes Giants as a species to be generally regarded by most humanoid races to be little more than simple monsters.
There are, however, strong indicators that the potential for a higher degree of organization and culture exist, particularly among the more powerful species of Giants. While your common Hill and Mountain Giants are reliably dull, the same cannot be said for the powerful higher forms of Giant-kin such as Fire Giants or Storm Giants.
Considering the affiliation that Giant's have to the forces of nature simply as part of what they are, it should come as no surprise that the Giant language frequently relates concepts to natural forces. To put it in perspective for those who primarily speak Common, a conversation with a Giant of relative literacy for their kind would frequently describe things in terms of their similarity to natural forces, so the phrase "I am angry" in Common would more accurately be said as "I am aflame" or "I am burning" in Giant-speak. Because of this, the script of Giant is comprised of a usage of many runes to which there are strong cultural and ideological ties, with runes for different elements bearing special significance.
As a general rule, "might makes right" among Giants, the Giant in charge is usually just the biggest, burliest, strongest Giant in the group, regardless of their capacity for intelligent thought or their leadership capabilities. Giants tend to also be "traditional", if you can call it that, and slow to change their minds, their culture, or their beliefs. Much of Giant history is told exclusively through oral tradition, and almost never are accurate as every Giant telling of their part in history has a tendency to overblow any details to inflate their perceived strength and importance. One thing does remain consistent though: Their adherence to the caste system of their kind. To Giants, the forces of nature and the order of authority among Giant-kin are intertwined directly and cannot be ignored, and it is for this reason that the runes of Giants related to the elements have remained unchanged throughout much of history.
Due to these factors, in rare cases a tribe of Giants will contain a Shaman, a Giant Druid that is particularly gifted in channeling the power of nature and imbuing the runes of their people with that power. These tribes tend to rise to particular prominence, as the warriors of the tribe benefit from the augmentation of these runes, and take on the title of "Rune Warriors", channeling the forces of nature through their runes to attain combat capabilities beyond that of their kin. While one might expect this to result in Shamans being common among Giant tribes, the rigid mentality of "might makes right" combined with their shortsighted nature means that, in a nutshell, being smart doesn't do much for you as a Giant, and you're more than likely to be ignored or abused if you don't have the physical strength to do the abusing. Among the upper echelons of Giant-kind more prone to thought and planning, Shamans are seen more frequently, but they are somewhat rare among the slow-witted lower tiers of Giant-kin.
There are, however, strong indicators that the potential for a higher degree of organization and culture exist, particularly among the more powerful species of Giants. While your common Hill and Mountain Giants are reliably dull, the same cannot be said for the powerful higher forms of Giant-kin such as Fire Giants or Storm Giants.
Considering the affiliation that Giant's have to the forces of nature simply as part of what they are, it should come as no surprise that the Giant language frequently relates concepts to natural forces. To put it in perspective for those who primarily speak Common, a conversation with a Giant of relative literacy for their kind would frequently describe things in terms of their similarity to natural forces, so the phrase "I am angry" in Common would more accurately be said as "I am aflame" or "I am burning" in Giant-speak. Because of this, the script of Giant is comprised of a usage of many runes to which there are strong cultural and ideological ties, with runes for different elements bearing special significance.
As a general rule, "might makes right" among Giants, the Giant in charge is usually just the biggest, burliest, strongest Giant in the group, regardless of their capacity for intelligent thought or their leadership capabilities. Giants tend to also be "traditional", if you can call it that, and slow to change their minds, their culture, or their beliefs. Much of Giant history is told exclusively through oral tradition, and almost never are accurate as every Giant telling of their part in history has a tendency to overblow any details to inflate their perceived strength and importance. One thing does remain consistent though: Their adherence to the caste system of their kind. To Giants, the forces of nature and the order of authority among Giant-kin are intertwined directly and cannot be ignored, and it is for this reason that the runes of Giants related to the elements have remained unchanged throughout much of history.
Due to these factors, in rare cases a tribe of Giants will contain a Shaman, a Giant Druid that is particularly gifted in channeling the power of nature and imbuing the runes of their people with that power. These tribes tend to rise to particular prominence, as the warriors of the tribe benefit from the augmentation of these runes, and take on the title of "Rune Warriors", channeling the forces of nature through their runes to attain combat capabilities beyond that of their kin. While one might expect this to result in Shamans being common among Giant tribes, the rigid mentality of "might makes right" combined with their shortsighted nature means that, in a nutshell, being smart doesn't do much for you as a Giant, and you're more than likely to be ignored or abused if you don't have the physical strength to do the abusing. Among the upper echelons of Giant-kind more prone to thought and planning, Shamans are seen more frequently, but they are somewhat rare among the slow-witted lower tiers of Giant-kin.
