Giant

From PathfinderWiki
Giant
Eovath, a frost giant.
(Creature)

Giant is the name given to a large number of over-sized humanoids living on Golarion.1

Appearance

Rune giants defending their mountain home.

All giants share one common trait: massive humanoid forms. They often range from 12 to 40 feet tall and measure their weight in tons.2

Culture

There are many forms of giant on Golarion broadly classifiable into two categories: true giants and giantkin.3 True giants are sometimes referred to as giantkind.4

Language

Though potentially able to speak many languages, giants also have a common language known simply as Giant or Jotun. The language of the giants that exists today is a mixture of Cyclops and Thassilonian. First used by the giant slaves of the runelords in the time before Earthfall, it spread to the rest of Golarion after the destruction of that realm.5

Religion

Giants worship many deities depending on their outlook on life: some giants are thoroughly evil, others much more benign. Their worship can vary considerably by giant race and culture, but all exemplify strength and many incorporate the elements as well.6

  • Aegirran: Storm giant demigod of dreams, sailing and voyages
  • Bergelmir: Storm giant goddess of elders, family, and genealogy
  • Fandarra: Giant goddess of birth, death, earth and knowledge
  • Haggakal: God of ogres, darkness and inbreeding
  • Kostchtchie: Demon lord of giants and cold
  • Minderhal: Giant god of creation, justice, giants and strength; law & crafting, architecture, stonework, metalwork
  • Skode: Storm giant demigod of diurnal beasts, hunting evil, and trophies
  • Skrymir: Storm giant god of riddles, wanderlust, and wit
  • Thremyr: Frost giant god of ice, salt and tribute
  • Tjasse: Storm giant demigod of giant birds, mountain peaks, and pride
  • Urazra: God of battle, brutality and strength
  • Urxehl: Demon lord of storms and trolls
  • Zursvaater: Fire giant god of conquest, slavery and weapons

Some giants are also known to worship their Ancestral Spirits rather than a particular deity.78

Creation myth

According to the myths of a number of giantkind, true giants are the mortal descendants of titans, who themselves were the children of the gods. Like other species, the progenitors of today's giants migrated to different parts of Golarion where they adapted to their local environments, eventually transforming into the many varieties who exist now.9

Reference

Paizo published major works about giants in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting line (Giants Revisited) and the Pathfinder Player Companion line (Giant Hunter's Handbook). It also published an article about giant organizations, titled "Titanic Alliances", in Ice Tomb of the Giant Queen.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

  1. Logan Bonner, et al. “Appendix” in Bestiary, 346. Paizo Inc., 2019
  2. Logan Bonner, et al. “Monsters A-Z” in Bestiary, 170–175. Paizo Inc., 2019
  3. Alexander Augunas, et al. “Other Giants” in Giant Hunter's Handbook, 14. Paizo Inc., 2014
  4. Patrick Renie. “Ecology of the Gigas” in Shadow of the Storm Tyrant, 72. Paizo Inc., 2015
  5. Erik Mona, et al. “Chapter 5: The World” in Campaign Setting, 221. Paizo Inc., 2008
  6. Sean K Reynolds, et al. Inner Sea Gods, 188. Paizo Inc., 2014
  7. Wolfgang Baur. “Born of Stone” in Fortress of the Stone Giants, 56. Paizo Inc., 2007
  8. Wolfgang Baur. “Bestiary” in Fortress of the Stone Giants, 85. Paizo Inc., 2007
  9. David Schwartz. “Giant Primer” in Battle of Bloodmarch Hill, 63. Paizo Inc., 2015