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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Oct 2013 : 05:54:19
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So, in my Forgotten Realms, I am planning on creating a portal that goes to a land of ONLY GIANTS. Yep, no humans...no elves...no halflings...no orcs...and CERTAINLY no dwarves.
A world where only giants live and have created civilizations. The only other sentient races there will be other massively sized races, dire animals (as "normal" animals for this world) and gigantic plant races and such.
What races, besides giants, would you all suggest as the "other races" aside from the dominant giants?
The Giants I'm planning are going to essentially be slightly more advanced culturally than Frost Giants...having cities, solid technology, even feudal kingdoms/empires and such. I'm going to be fashioning the lands primarily as a colder climate land, much akin to Scandinavia in our own world in how the lands are laid out...but it won't really be a Nordic type culture.
There will actually be Giant Knights, Giant peasants and etc.
So what suggestions?
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The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2013 : 07:33:12
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| Where do you see Dragons in this world? |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11830 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2013 : 08:14:45
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golems/constructs... what kinds? I'm picturing them much bigger than normal
duergar & spriggans - they naturally can grow larger
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2013 : 10:27:37
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A world populated only with giants poses some questions.
Is there an underground portion to this world.
If so then there is room for other intelligent races that cannot naturally compete with the giants.
So maybe the underdark on this world belongs to the orcs (since I know you like orcs). And maybe on this world, without the constant wars with the dwarves that would have decimated orc culture (by destroying its smartest members) the orcs have instead evolved a quite civilised and comparably advanced society that dwells entirely underground.
Nothing can really compete with the giants on the surface, like on Faerun they are super strong, very smart (some of them), and culturally and magically advanced. They are a super predator at the top of the food chain and would naturally dominate any environment they dwell in.
The only reason they are no longer the top dog in Faerun is because something bigger came along and destroyed their supremacy (the dragons). So do dragons exist in this world, probably not if giants rule the world. Neither dragons nor giants would exist subservient to one another, its against their nature, both races believe themselves akin to a supreme being.
As for the other races, they probably would exist, humans, elves, dwarves, halflings (portals exist to the world so enough of the other races could have gone through to create a stable population. But all would be slaves, no nation they create could withstand the might of 20 ft tall magically powerful beings. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2013 : 11:53:21
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You said you weren't allowing other races, but what if humans are chattel, or even vermin, to the giants?
And what if the 'good' Drow and Orcs from the Underdark work-together as an 'underground railroad' to help free the humans from giants?
I like the idea of an all-giant world; I had pictured the outer ring of Faerie (4e's feywild) like this. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 19 Oct 2013 11:54:45 |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2013 : 20:49:14
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My rough idea is this:
The Giants will have evolved from a mixture of Frost Giants and Firbolg, evolving into a tall, slender and powerful race that dominates their area. They are masters of stone and steel primarily; as well as having great power over elemental and illusion magics. They have not expanded from their Island/Continent due to something I'm calling the "Kraken Wars" in which Kraken have come to dominate (with their thralls...primarily Scrags and barbaric tribes of the Qullan which live on the islands) the coastal regions and have crushed all attempts at naval excursion by the Giants, who have now turned inward to create a very powerful series of nation/city-states. The other giant races are primarily unknown in this land; though some few Fire Giants exist in a volcanic range and are the equal of "dwarves" in Faerun: they export great amounts of raw iron in return for foodstuffs and other goods. I also am toying with the idea of Voadkyn being the "elves" of this land.
IF other races exist, they would only exist in the most extreme environments that the Giants choose not to control. The badlands of this area I had planned to be dominated by barbaric bands of Ettin. The surface "orcs" were actually going to be bands of Ogres. The great hunger of the barbaric races puts at a minimum the number of smaller races because they eat them!
I actually LOVE the idea of Spriggan being in the land. They could be vile little bandits that easily escape the notice of the larger races until they are ready to strike! Little vermin that are hard to get rid of! THAT is for sure going in!
I had planned for the Underdark to be dominated by "the small races" and the usual culprits will be found there...I haven't worked out the Underdark yet, but having small enclaves near the surface that would normally be on the surface is a good idea...living in between the evils of the underdark and the power of the giants on the surface.
I have thought long and hard on the situation of dragons in the world, and came to a final conclusion: Dragon Wars. The powerful dragons are all destroyed as a result of ancient wars...things went differently here than in Faerun proper. The Cloud and Storm Giants here, using Frost and Fire Giant mercenaries on their Flying Castles, quickly attacked any dragons they could find. The war quickly spiraled out of control resulting in most of the flying castles being destroyed as well. Very rarely are the "Sky Lords" (the Storm Giants) known any longer...and that is one of the reasons the Kraken dominate the shores now.
Great magic was used to cause the dragons to degenerate into mere beasts with little intelligence or ability to form spells; and thus there are a type of dragon...but no spells. Stunted as well, they are no more than a top notch land predator now like the land bound Linnorm. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2013 : 22:13:16
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The Dragon Wars were fought and led by Storm Giants primarily, and large armies of Frost and Fire giants that were mostly immune to the various forms of dragon-breath. I've reasoned that this land also benefited the giants in another way: It is smaller...and was already dominated nearly completely when the dragons came.
The advantage the dragons had against the giants in Faerun was that the giants didn't actually dominate the entire land when the dragons came...giving the dragons a place to grow in strength before moving against the giants.
In this small land mass that I'm planning, the dragons' greater mobility (flight) gave them no true advantage because giant civilization had already stretched to nearly all corners. There was no attack and withdraw that the giants couldn't respond to quickly even by land.
Thus, the dragons only benefit (from a long term war view) was a greater individual strength; which they couldn't project against an enemy and then withdraw to strike again later. Imagine the U.S. attacking Iraq in the first gulf war with its air force, and then landing those same aircraft within range of artillery...you quickly have no air force. On top of this, the giants had the flying Cloud Castles...which are both base and attack platform.
Essentially, the giants took the war to the lairs of the dragons quickly; giving the dragons no time to renew their fires and magical arts. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
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Land of Giants
