Firbolgs

Humble Guardians

Firbolgs are fey-oriented half-giants living in small, tightly knit family groups deep in the woods. Firbolg tribes cloister in remote forest strongholds, preferring to spend their days in quiet harmony with the woods. When provoked, Firbolgs demonstrate formidable skills with weapons and druidic magic. They love nothing more than a peaceful day spent among the trees of an old forest. They see forests as sacred places, representing the heart of the world and monuments to the durability of life.
In their role as caretakers, Firbolgs live off the land while striving to remain in balance with nature. Their methods reflect common sense and remarkable resourcefulness. During a bountiful summer, they store away excess nuts, fruit, and berries. When winter arrives, they scatter everything they can spare to ensure the animals of the wood survive until springtime.

Natural Druids

Firbolgs have a talent for druidic magic. Their cultural reverence for nature, combined with their strong and insightful minds, makes learning such magic an instinctive part of their development. Almost every firbolg learns a few spells, typically those used to mask their presence, and many go on to master nature magic. As caretakers of the land, firbolgs prefer to remain out of sight and out of mind. They don’t try to dominate nature, but rather seek to ensure that it prospers and survives according to its own laws. Firbolgs use their magic to keep their presence in a forest secret. This approach allows them to avoid the politics and struggles of Elves, Humans, and Orcs. Such events concern the firbolgs only when the events affect the forest.
This affinity for the woods makes Firbolgs natural allies of species such as Wood Elves, Gnomes, forest spirits like Dryads and Treants, or Bugbears who often inhabit the same woods. It also makes them ideal members of organizations like the Earthen Circle, but are often reluctant to get involved unless it directly involves them. That same proclivity towards nature will often create tension with more industrious races like Goblins, Humans, Gnomes, or Dwarves.
In the face of an intrusion, firbolgs prefer a subtle, gentle approach to prevent damage to their territory. They employ their magic to make the forest an unappealing place to explore by temporarily diverting springs, driving away game, stealing critical tools, and altering trails to leave hunting or lumber parties hopelessly lost. The firbolgs’ presence is marked by an absence of animals and a strange quiet, as if the forest wishes to avoid attracting attention to itself. The faster travelers decide to move on, the better. Firbolgs do not commonly worship the gods of Men and Elves, but rather often pay patronage to Melora, The Wild Mother. Some scholars say that Melora is just another version of Ghyran - Goddess of Life, Beasts, Forests and Spring, but there are others who believe that Melora may be far older than the gods of younger races.  

Outcast Adventurers

As guardians of the wood, few firbolgs would dream of leaving their homes or attempting to fit into human society. But, there are a myriad of reasons why one may leave, such as exile, their clan has been destroyed, perhaps they leave seeking information to protect a dying forest, an artifact to purge corruption, assistance for other reasons, to sell wares of the clan, or seek to right a wrong they have committed.
Outcast firbolgs can often never return home, for They committed some unforgivable deed, usually something that put their homeland at risk, such as starting a forest fire or killing a rare or beautiful wild creature. These firbolgs are loners who wander the world in hope of finding a new place to call home. Orphaned firbolgs are those whose clans or homelands have been destroyed. They become paladins or clerics of nature, seeking to avenge their loss and prevent the further destruction of the natural world.

Kind Hearted Fey-Giants

Firbolgs are half-giants of a Fey Origin. No one is certain where they came from initially. Some believe they were Goliaths or giants taken to the Fey Wild, and after generations of living there returned here to tend to the land. The first thing many will notice about firbolgs is their size, being among the tallest humanoid (non-full giant) races in Othlorias. They often stand 7-9ft tall, and strong of build even if they're not fighters. Where there would be human hair, Firbolgs are covered in almost a thick fur, ranging from earthy brown/red colours, to cool greys and blues. They're skin tends to be of a pale blue, grey, or purple. Their faces are somewhat cow-like, having long, floppy, pointed ears and broad, pink noses. They live to age of over 500 years old.
In Esseas, Firbolgs are very uncommon within the general society. The further you get from the deep woods the less common they become. The towns closest to areas of old forest are most likely to see Firbolg adventurers, travelers or otherwise.

Firbolgs in the World:

• Tavis Burdun - Was once a renowed ranger with the Kirkwall Frontier Scouts. He never spoke of why he left his home, but traveled quietly with his ranger troop for many years. Tavis was described as an honorable and loyal, yet solitary figure. He was known to have a soft spot in his heart for strays and orphans, acting as a father figure to many youths that had no one else. His passion while ranging was hunting down Aberrant creatures and ending their unnatural lives with his magical crossbow Mountain Crusher. He later retired to Dun Harrow and inherited the Weary Giant Inn.
• Shahana Clan - The Shahana Clan resides in Amberwood Peaks. They tend to the forest, and guard a dark barrow which houses a cursed blight that had once taken over the woods which originated form inside. Outside of the barrow, they also run a unique cemetery on the outskirts of their forest glades. Here, they grow herbs and mushrooms off the graves of the dead brought to them, which they brew into some of the most sought after tea's in the world; each brew is unique to the individual buried.