Verbeeg

Among all the many races of giants, there is one that is different. These creatures are different because they are not giants. These rare creatures are something else entirely, and their history is nearly as complex as that of the giants they resemble.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Verbeegs resemble humans almost perfectly in proportions, facial features, and coloration. The only difference is size. They tower over humans, making living among them a difficult prospect. Superficially, they resemble ur-giants, although the verbeegs' physical features are far more diverse.

Genetics and Reproduction

Originally, the reproductive cycle of the verbeeg were greatly accelerated, such that pregnancy lasted a week, and the young developed into adulthood in just two short years. This modification proved unstable and quickly returned to the human norm.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The culture of the verbeeg is centered around two things: their mercenary existence, and the religious veneration of a being known only as "The Mother".
Their society is centered around their company, a militaristic unit that serves as their only family. Company members live in massive communal barracks, where privacy is completely unheard of. The only ones who live separately are the the children, who live in a barracks of their own to be trained in warfare.
The company is led by a commander who is believed to speak for The Mother, herself. This person has total control of all aspects of company life from who hires the company to who is allowed to mate with whom. This commander is chosen based on a bizarre mixture of merit and omens understood only by the verbeeg, themselves.
There is no loyalty among them other than to the company, itself. This means that the company may be hired by anyone, to do any job as long as the pay is right. It also means there is no greater crime among the verbeeg than desertion. Deserters are considered the worst of blasphemers, and are hunted relentlessly by the company until they are captured and disemboweled for all to watch.

History

Verbeegs are not a natural race. Like the misbegotten mongrelmen, they are the results of the experiments of Velsarra Til'vere. Unlike them, their own creation was very much intentional.
The point of Velsarra's efforts was to create a race of physically superior, utterly loyal soldiers. She named the successful creations "verbeeg", or "hand of vengeance" in the ancient elven tongue. These troops were meant to take vengeance first on the elves of Veille, and then the rest of the world that rejected the initially-hideous Velsarra.
Originally, she controlled her new creations through magic, but as she began creating more and more, that quickly became unsustainable. Instead she quickened their reproductive process and literally bred them at an alarming rate.
The army was complete and nearly ready to mobilize when they were troubled by the most unlikely if sources: a mongrelman. This person, an adventurer named Onder came to Velsarra and asked for a cure for his deformity. She remembered the loose ends the mongrelmen represented and ordered the verbeeg to kill him and all mongrelmen.
Onder escaped, and he and his companions caused a great deal of problems for the army of giants. They, with the help of a mongrelman mob even killed Velsarra, herself.
Unbenknownst to the verbeeg, a hag named Granny Pots impersonated Velsarra and sent them against the nation of Talran. The island's lack of unity made it easy to nearly conquer it before they could even resist. However, Onder and his companion, Ratagar of Rall retook the island from the giants nearly single-handed. They killed the hag and revealed her deception.
Now without direction for the first time in the lives of most of them, they went into the world unsure of what to do. Given their martial nature and imposing physiques, the mercenary life was a natural choice.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Human

Lifespan

Human average

Average Height

9 - 11 ft

Average Weight

600 - 800 lbs