Cyclops

The most ancient and powerful true giants, on the verge of extinction

Basic Information

Anatomy

The anatomy of the cyclops, while not a thing that has ever been studied in thorough or incredibly exact detail, can be said with little exaggeration or hyperbole to be the "mould" in which all other two-legged life was made - the Titans, one of the three original races made at the dawn of time by the Yema, were the first of this mould, who then created the Cyclops as the first true 'mortal' race in the cosmos - the first two-legged life not of divine origin that had a lifespan, could grow old and die, and possessed the 'free will' and 'spark' that would later define mortal life.
Cyclops stand as incredibly massive humanoid beings with two arms and two legs, with chests as large as warships and heads as jagged and craggy as rocky cliffs - their muscles are incredibly well-developed and, most notably, a single massive eye sits in the center of their forehead as their defining feature. Within their bodies, their muscles are as taught and durable as woven Adamantine cables, their organs are not only more durable and more effective nearly 500% in excess of the humanoid norms, but each come with a redundant backup that works at less than half capacity ready to take the main load if the central organ is damaged.
However, more importantly, in the center of their chests beats their mighty, thundrous hearts which are said to glow with divine, radiant light and emit such monstrous power that to merely hold or be near the heart of a cyclops, dead or not, would be fatal in a matter of minutes. This is due in large part to the spark of the divine they carry within them - the legendary "Titan Spark" said to have been passed down to all True Giantkind, from the first of the modern true giants in the Jotun and Dai-Yukai to the most lowly hill giants, twisted and monstrous. In the cyclops however, what is a mere fragment of a shard in the other true giants is a mighty, radiant sun in they themselves - imbuing each cyclops with mighty, unfathomable power that, while unimaginably powerful, pales in comparison to the likes of which were wielded by the Titans themselves.
This 'Titan Spark' infuses their very beings, ensuring their bodily health, stitching their mortal frames back together at fightening speeds, and grants them to a host of incredibly supernatural powers ranging from future sight to the near-divine ability of 'creation', said to have once been the defining trait of the Titans themselves who first defined the ground from the sky and taught reality what it was to yearn for more.

Biological Traits

Cyclops are mighty beings, and are as strong as they are tall - they are immensely strong and durable, and universally have one single, monucular eye that sits in the center of their foreheads. Some Cyclops have been known to have four or even six or more arms(And in one case, a hundred), but on the whole they have two arms and two legs and have skin that can run the gamut from pale to bright red or blue.
Their horns that grow in on their heads, shoulders, arms, and chest with age can come in a variety of gnarled shapes and sizes, and are often groomed and carved into pleasing aesthetic shapes by the Cyclops themselves.

Genetics and Reproduction

Unlike the Titans which created them, the Cyclops are more than capable of reproduction(Which they achieve sexually, like many other races) - however, they are limited in a number of ways in this regard which has contributed to their population decline over the eons. Firstly, though their libidos and desires are active enough to warrant frequent attempts to reproduce, the actual fertility rate of Cyclopean females is rather low most of the time. When they do come down with children however, Cyclopean females carry their children for a period of two to three years before giving birth.
However, this low fertility rate is not universal, and is rather a byproduct of their own immense power - to compensate for creating the first of the mortal races with such power in their frames, the Titans designed the Cyclops in such a way that they require unfathomable amounts of energy both natural and magical when they reproduce if they wish to assure the child takes root and they properly come down with child. Outside of such concentrations of power, Cyclopean fertility rates sink to rather low levels(though barely still high enough to sustain a population).
So it was that, at the dawn of time when the Cyclops were new and the world was still unmade, their specially crafted "birthing complexes" known as Worldheart Nexuses(Designed to capture and focus the energies of reality to allow for Cyclopean Reproduction) crafted for them by the Titans(And later made by the Cyclops themselves) were plentiful and manifold - however, in the modern day, only one Worldheart Nexus is known to remain in the world, in the coastal lands of the Dharan people and the Dharan Alliance.

Growth Rate & Stages

Once a Cyclopean female comes down with child and the child is eventually born, it must be carefully nutured and given ample access to plentiful energies both natural and magical if its parents wish to see it survive to adulthood - this is typically done by resting the child near leylines or, in emergencies, placing them in the care of the Kami or submerging them within bodies of water charged with natural and/or magical power.
If they endure, Cyclopean children grow to adulthood over 50 years, hitting full bodily maturity around 50 years old. Their lives are massive and long-reaching things, though not into the domain of elves, and they are known to each live around 800 years, hitting middle age around age 400, becoming old around 600, and becoming venerable and passing away around age 800, though some elderly Cyclopean Sages have been known to live well over 1,000 years.
When they die, Cyclops do not leave corpses behind - in a process said to be the original source of the Jotun quirk of petrifying after death, their corpses slowly return to the "life-stream"(So it is called in Cyclopean Myth) that runs throughout reality, submerging their surroundings with massive amounts of energy such that fertility can be returned to salted and scorched earth, forests can grow overnight, dormant volcanoes are reignited with furious rage, and mountains once again run rich with mineral wealth...and, in time, that very essence might again serve to be the foci for the birth of another Cyclops, who inherits the energies of their ancestors stretching back to the dawn of all things.

Ecology and Habitats

Cyclops, made adaptable and strong by the Titans, can survive and thrive in most any environment regardless of extremes - Cyclops have been known to exists at the ocean's bottom, atop glaciers, and even inside mountains and volcanos as well as everywhere in between the two extremes.
When they live in a place, it is rare to see Cyclops not acting as caretakers for the space they dwell in - their nature that requires massive amount of energy to assure fertility means that Cyclops do not see the logic nor value in mindlessly consuming and destroying the lands around them - better to safeguard it, take what is needed, and ensure it remains as it was so that the natural Atlen(Mana) of such a place is not tarnished and does not diminish.
Oftentimes, Cyclops are great friends and close allies of Kami, who they regard as kindred spirits of similarly ancient age as they themselves.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Cyclops are hardy omnivores, and can eat and derive sustenance from most anything to a supernatural degree similar to other True Giants, capable of eating moss and lichen and surviving healthily on it for months. However, they prefer diets rich in fatty meats and leafy greens, though for most Cyclops simply 'roasting' their food is enough for them as they devour roasted cows or pigs whole...not that they do not comprehend cooking, but the inordinate expense of doing so at their size is simply unfeasible most of the time.

Biological Cycle

As Cyclops age, their skin occasionally changes colors to suit their existing environment(ranging from mundane brown to icy blue or fiery red), their eyes grow larger and more charged with magical power, and bony spikes soon grow from their heads, shoulders, and sometimes arms and chest.
Their skin is not prone to wrinkle, and much like True Dragons and Titans, Cyclops do not weaken with age(Though not immortal) - they continue to grow in size, strength, and power as they age up until the point of their death, meaning any who assume an elderly Cyclopean Sage will prove a frail and easy target is in for a nasty surprise.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Cyclops follow a relatively simple social structure - groups of Cyclops generally form groups referred to as a 'family'(Regardless of actual blood relation), and are usually led by the eldest cyclops present in the family(Either a Patriarch or a Matriarch, referred to as "The Elder") who is usually advised by a Cyclops Sage if one is present in the family, as Cyclops as a people venerate both age, wisdom, and knowledge rather than outright power.
Sometimes, in rare situations, Cyclops 'families' might be lead by a sage rather than an Elder if that sage is especially venerated, especially wise, or has proven themselves in mighty or notable ways - or, if the Sage is also the eldest member of family...though, even in such a case the Elder/Sage is typically made advisor to the second Eldest unless another Sage is readily available, though exceptions exist.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

While many things about a Cyclops are highly sought after by collectors, none are more coveted than their Eye or their primary heart - the former of which is said to carry their gift of future sight while the latter of which is said to carry a majority of their "Titan Spark".
However, complicating such desires is the nature of Cyclops to not leave behind bodies after their death - since they will rapidly vanish and disseminate into the surrounding environment as energy once they die, such things must be taken from the Cyclops while they yet live.

Facial characteristics

Cyclops have jagged, craggy faces reminiscent of rocky outcroppings that are adorned with a single massive boulder - a central monocular eye in the center of their heads. They have a singular eyebrow to compliment this eye, and often have long and incredibly thick carpets of hair on their heads which they often braid into locks and such, with males and females alike displaying prodigous beard growth unless regularly trimmed(Which men often keep, while females tend to keep smooth chins save for the occasional single, braided short lock at the tip of the chin),

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Cyclops are almost exclusively found in the lands of the Dharan Alliance on the western banks of Zheng-Kitar with any amount of regularity - Cyclops can otherwise be found in single numbers all across the continent and the world, but such Cyclops often exist outside civilization as villainous and manipulating creatures who seek to restore their glory through force, or as peaceful loners who settle down by themselves or with a small family looking to live a quiet life.

Average Intelligence

Cyclops are extremely intelligent at base - their intellect, while not on the level of the likes of Dragons or Titans, is by no exaggeration said to be genius-level on the scale of humanoid races.
Cyclopean Sages, the ancient shamans and spiritual guides of their people, are even more intelligent - as those who have learned to tap into the Cyclopean "Life-Stream" and have learned to wield powerful magics and glimpse the past and future with equal alacrity, they easily wield minds on par with Great Wyrm Dragons and can even tap into the memories of their ancestors that dwell in the "Life-Stream" that stretch back to the dawn of reality, when their people where made by the Titans.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

As far as mundane visual acuity goes, Cyclops are perhaps flawed in this one aspect above all others - their central, monocular eye falls short compared to two or multi-eyed creatures, and they lack any real sense of depth perception. Offsetting this, however, is the suite of fantastical sights that their eyes carry thanks to the power of the Titan Sparks that beat like thunder within their chests - they are notorious and famous for their ability of future-sight that allows them to look into the future nearly at will, and also are able to see not only in the dark nearly perfectly, but can supposedly see the fundamental aspects of reality from Magic to life and more.
With that said, it is still, perhaps, not the best of ideas to stand in front of a Cyclops or walk in front of them - their terrible depth perception means that one unlucky footstep could spell fatal doom for a creature small enough to go unseen...or, even in situations such as handshakes where they can accidentally misjudge distance and squeeze the life from the other creature.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

The Cyclops use the greek and ancient greek naming conventions similar to the Dharan people, of whom they are either close with or may even be the ancient founders of.

Major Organizations

Cyclops have no large organizations - due to the low number they have left in their population, they can seldom afford to form organizations beyond the 'Families' they gather into.
The one exception to this is the Dharan Alliance, homeland of the Dharan people, which they are closely tied to and good friends with - much of their remaining population exists here in and around the last remaining "Worldheart Nexus" that allows them to maintain a steady population count, and even begin to experience an incline in numbers.

Beauty Ideals

To Cyclops, beauty is imperfection and imperfection beauty - as the true children of the Titans, who were the living embodiment of the will to make and of creativity itself, they see scars, grooves, injuries, and imperfections as the very definitions of beauty, in both objects and people.
Unlike the Ezdhûl, whose master craftsmen accept nothing less than perfection, Cyclops have a zen-like view of beauty - they treasure life's imperfections, its scars and bumps, and everything else in between and see them as beautiful. The same is often said of people: a 'perfect person', to a cyclops, does't exist or can't be trusted just as one can't trust a flawless blade unmarred by battle or strife.

Gender Ideals

Cyclops have little notion of Gender Ideals - they recognize other races have them and do not judge them for having such things, but see little need for it themselves. With so few numbers left, all Cyclops are expected to tow the line and do the job of both 'man' and 'woman - all are expected to forge, to care for children, to raise them, to hunt, and so on.

Courtship Ideals

Cyclopean Courtship rituals are mostly unknown - they are relatively secretive about their private lives.

Relationship Ideals

Cyclopean relationship ideals are mostly unknown - they are relatively secretive about their private lives.

Average Technological Level

Standing even above the Ezdhûl as craftsman and 'makers' without peer, the Cyclops have a mastery of making things that none can match - the objects and things they make are in a league of their own and sometimes utilize ancient, natural technology unlike anything seen on Zheng-Kitar.
Cyclopean Smiths, or 'Makers' as they more commonly called, have been known to craft strange bits of technology referred to as "Maker Technology" or "Maker Tech" - this strange, naturalistic technology is mostly unknown but is believed to be remnants of inventions and creations pioneered by the Titans long ago, which the best Cyclopean Elder Makers have improved upon over eons.

Common Etiquette Rules

Contrary to many other True Giants, Cyclops are often described as "Polite but Imposing" - they are more familiar with mortals than most True Giants, and are often well-versed in local customs so as to not out themselves as foreign or come off as excessively hostile. They believe in being polite and welcoming to most all they meet unless given a reason not to, but do not budge on many things - first and foremost of which is being given respect, which they see themselves as deserving of.
They are quick to remind others of not mistaking their politeness for friendliness, and are stalwart on their insistence on being given respect and formality when any interact with them. They do not like 'casual talk' most of the time unless with those they know they can trust, though they are perfect versed in being 'polite'.

Common Dress Code

Cyclops dress lightly - typically only togas as are common in the lands of the Dharan people, or otherwise light straps or pieces of metal or leather designed to protect their dignity while allowing them to retain most or all of their freedom of movement.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

As they age and reach the last century of their life, it is common for Cyclops to go out on adventures and seek the place of their eternal rest - their 'grave' which they wish to die at or upon. Because they inject such a massive outpouring of energy into their environment when they die such that they can revitalize salted and scorched earth, revive exhausted mineral deposits across a mountain's interior, or even cause a forest to grow up overnight, it is important to a Cyclops to chose his or her death site well, for their death will bring about their last great blessing to the surrounding landscape.
When such a spot is chosen, it is common for them to carve a massive statue of themselves at the spot they intend on dying at as a memorial, which they pour all their heart and soul into - these 'Markers' are often imbued with emotional fragments and true power relative to the power of the Cyclops it represents.

Common Taboos

Nothing is more Taboo to a Cyclops than dying without their eye and primary heart - the act of stealing either of these items from a Cyclops is sure to not only earn the offender the ire of the Cyclops in question, but all who hear of such an act, regardless of their morality, as taking either is said to deny a Cyclops their final and greatest deed.

History

The history of the Cyclops people is a long and storied thing - and one that is not widely known outside of their own people due to both the immense period of time that has passed since their creation at the hands of the Titans and a lack of care from other races, even from other True Giants(Who have largely forgotten or drifted away from the Cyclops, and who many view as primitive relics doomed to extinction).
However, the truth is rather interesting(Or so the Cyclops claim, speaking of it to any they trust interested enough to listen) - they as a species were made very close to the dawn of reality at the hands of the Titans(One of the three very first races to come into existence, first creations of the Gods), who created them as a first foray into creating mortal life. The Titans, who represented the notion of "creativity" and "the will to make", stood as the siblings of the Sapphire Elves(Who represented the notions of vigilance, eternity, and harmony) and enemies of the High Dragons(Who represented the notions of law, stagnation, cycles, and absolute order) - and were the very first beings to display the 'spark' of what would later be colloquially referred to as "mortal creativity".
In pursuit of this spark, the Titans soon yearned for 'offspring' - and as they themselves were sterile beings incapable of having children, they soon wielded the immense, near-divine power to sculpt a servitor race that would serve as their inheritors, and the first race gifted with free will and the ability to reproduce: The Cyclops. Crafted by the hands of the Tiants, the Cyclops were given form by their parents in a unique fashion - given arms and legs by the Hundred-Handed Titans, given souls by the Elysian and Danava Titans, given beauty by the Fomorian Titans, and given mortality by the Thanatotic Titans, the Cyclops recieved their trademark singular eyes as the Titans, unable to part with more than one eye each for fear of going blind, gave them singular eyes to make do with...and though many claim it was intentional at the time, the Cyclops themselves say their gift of future sight was a mere accident that cropped up later after the eyes given to them by the Titans retained a shard of their awesome power.
Ironically, the Cyclops would be spared execution even after the Titans were sealed away - instead of being killed for being creations of the rebellious Titans, they were instead ignored and treated as unwanted children allowed to continue their business without much care or attention. Ironically, the Cyclops and the methods and means which the Titans used to make them were later shamelessly copied by the Yema as they made the True Giants - stealing as much of the 'Titan Spark' they could from the imprisoned Titans to implant into the True Giants and the first of their kind they made, the Jotun and the Dai-Yukai.
In this way, the Cyclops are the "Missing Link" many scholars overlook in their history of Giantkind - the real first "True Giants", and the ancient uncles and aunts of all True Giants as they are known today, whose Sages can remember those first early days of reality when their kind stood at the side of the Titans, and whose 'Titan Sparks' they retain even now - though time has not been kind to them, sending their species into a decline only furthered along by wars, witchhunts, diseases, and simple tragedies and calamities.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Cyclops are a reclusive people - they do not associate with many outside of the Dharan people. However, they do get along with many Goliath tribes, who they see as grandchildren and people to be guided and cared for, as well as many other true giant species who will accept them such as the Jotun(who many Cyclops see as adopted sons they wish to lead and teach) Dai-Yukai(who many Cyclops see as ornery and troublemaking Daughters who have much potential if they can rise from barbarity), as well as many others not listed here.
Perhaps most notably, Cyclops are mortals enemies of the ancient and vile Rune Giants - creations of ancient humanity made to enslave and conquer all Giant-kind. As they have waged multiple wars on the Rune Giants in ages past to exterminate them as best as possible, the two species attack each other on sight.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• The Titans

Lifespan

800 Years

Conservation Status

Cyclops in the modern age are an incredibly endangered species - their numbers have thinned immensely since the dawn of time when they were created by the Titans themselves, and now they are incredibly rare, found only in the hidden corners of the world on in places where they are accepted into civilizations as oracles, sages, wisemen, or craftsmen of near-divine skill.

Average Height

50 - 60ft (15.24m - 18.28m)
** Subject to change. Cyclops can change sizes with a large degree of effort and time.

Average Weight

20 - 30 tons (18.14 - 27.21 tonnes)
** Subject to change. Cyclops can change sizes with a large degree of effort and time.

Average Physique

Cyclops are massive and muscular - they stand nearly as tall as the ancient titans and tower over the landscape as walking giants at a height only the most burly and legendary of True Giants can match. With broad shoulders and bodies rippling with muscle, Cyclops are also suprisingly dextrous and nimble for their size thanks to the power of the "Titan Spark" that dwells within their hearts - a power which also lets them, with massive amounts of energy and in a ritual that takes a large degree of time, change their size down to as small as 10 feet (3.04m), which they typically only do when required to fit in with a civilized people or area.
Even then, they will usually only go down to as small as they need to so as to move around comfortably - for Cyclops, shrinking in this way is somewhat painful, and is often likened to "wearing clothes thirty sizes too small", so they prefer to be as large as they can whenever possible.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Cyclops skin can run the gamut in terms of coloration - nearly all colors of the spectrum have been seen before, though colors usually correspond to their environment, with dark brown, light or pale white/pink, and sometimes blue and red being common for mountainous regions, grasslands, and ice and fire-dominant environments respectively...with other colors being rarer and indicative of unusual home locales.
Their eyes tend towards muted, earthen pupil colors, and their hair as well tends to have darker coloration, though streaks of lighter colors are also common. As they age, Cyclops find their hair turning grey and eventually snow white.
Uniquely, the very texture of their skin can change with their environment, ranging from pebbly and cracked for mountain or rocky locales to smooth or even a texture similar to molten rock.

Related Ethnicities

• Dharan

The Ancient Makers

While many praise the Dwarves and by extension the Ezdhûl people as being the best craftsman in the world, most only do so with knowledge of the 'mundane' mortal races. In truth, none are more masterful than the Cyclops - their talent does not merely border on the divine, it is divine, honed over untold generations of Cyclops Elder Makers hammering away on titanic forges deep within the earth and atop its highest peaks using not only their superhuman technique and skill but also the power of the "Titan Spark" that dwells within their bodies, echoes of the world's first 'makers', the Titans.
WIth this power and superhuman technique and skill, the Cyclops are divine smiths of such sublime perfection that those in need come from all over the world to the forge-complexes of Cyclops Elder Makers in the hopes of getting even one item made at their hands and in their forges...outclassing all other True Giants, the Cyclops by no exaggeration are referred to as the "Smiths of the Gods" as, in legend, ancient Cyclops are said to have made the personal divine weapons for many Gods and Saints both native to Zheng-Kitar and of the Yema.

Servants of the Life Stream

It is no secret Cyclops are unfathomably enormous in their true forms - and while other True Giant species such as Jotun to even Hill Giants have the gift of Hlodvi's Concordat that allows them to enter smaller spaces despite their large size, the Cyclops have an older and more primal form of this gift that allows them to permanently change their own size as needed.
This ritual, which requires them to utilize massive amounts of their own life-force and power unless they have an ample supply of energy from an outside source and requires a large amount of time, allows them to shrink in size down to as small as 10 feet (3.04m). Even then, they will usually only go down to as small as they need to so as to move around comfortably - for Cyclops, shrinking in this way is somewhat painful, and is often likened to "wearing clothes thirty sizes too small", so they prefer to be as large as they can whenever possible.
This gift is largely possibly only to their connection to something which Cyclops only refer to as the "Life Stream" - modern scholars who have heard the term or learned of it from the Cyclops themselves have not yet identified this "Life Stream" nor found what aspect of reality it attributes to, though theories of The Lattice or The Web serving as this "Life Stream" are common. In either case, with access to this "Life Stream", Cyclops Sages are able to tap into the collective history, memories, and legacy of not only their entire people and ancestors, but of all life that has lived and died in reality - which they use to power this ritual and the magicks of their own people.