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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Jul 2021 : 20:16:52
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I love the stuff done in products like Ruined Kingdoms and the Complete Necromancer's Handbook for trying to flesh out some lore of Zakhara. They do it in such a way that they give hints but not definites, but I feel that enough time has passed and nothing done with those opportunities that we can maybe develop them for fun. For instance, one of the things I see is a variety of fallen religious sects throughout the region.
So, what are the "lost religions" of this region that we might be interested in developing?
Shajar - Hippo headed male river deity of life, death, growth, and decay
Ragarra - "crocodile headed/bat winged" ... dragon?... headed goddess of violence incarnate, which can be appeased through sacrifice. Wife of Shajar
Kiga the Predator - panther headed goddess of the hunt and the kill, worshipped primarily today via some lyncanthropes.
Thasmudyan - baatezu god of the undead from the Complete Necromancer's Handbook. He was a ghoulish god, known as the King of Worms. He seemed inclined to worship via cannibalism. He seems very odd to me as a "baatezu", and it could be "misinterpreted by a sage" from the idea that he's maybe a warlock patron who is also a fiend (so he makes bonding pacts). He is the god already worshipped on the isle of Sahu when Uruk Kigal (the first "necromancer king") shows up.
On the isle of Sahu are the "iron towers of Ereshkigal", which brings this goddess of death/underworld into the picture. These ALSO already exist when Uruk Kigal arrives on Sahu.
So, where can we take this to make it different but fun
My first thoughts, given that Ereshkigal is mentioned, is to assume that there were some gods that arrived with the Mulan gods that DIDN'T follow Ra or Enlil to the east, but rather this group of darker gods travelled south. Also, some of the gods that did travel east may have had split residence between the two areas (because creating a portal and traversing between the two would be easy, and so would simple teleportation for a god-king).
We also have a god of death (Shajar) amongst the people of "the Old Dynasty" in Nog and Kadar, and a goddess of death (Ereshkigal) on the isle of Sahu who is already forgotten by the time of "the Old Dynasty", so in theory Shajar/Ragarra/Kiga are either an entirely different pantheon or offspring/offshoots of the Mulan one that have taken on roles of a fallen goddess (Ereshkigal).
So, what if we went with the idea that we have a mix of gods, and some of them are Mulan gods who chose to not follow Ra or Enlil?
Along these lines, we have Sekhmet of the Egyptian pantheon (a daughter of Ra), as a lion headed goddess who was sent to punish man and became filled with bloodlust. She had to be tricked by Ra into drinking red colored beer and became "drunk" enough to stop killing humans. She grew angered at the deception and "left" diminishing the power of the sun. She was a goddess who "both delivered and healed plagues" and was a goddess of vengeance.
So, it would seem that "Kiga the Predator" makes for a perfect personification of the goddess Sekhmet if she chose to not follow Ra after the fight with the Imaskari. If we "intertwined" the Mulan gods more, and made "Kiga" the rebellious daughter of Ki and Ra, it could explain why she isn't confined exactly to either the Untheric or Mulhorandi (even more so when one considers that in classic myth, Ki is Enlil's mother, not child).
Along with Sekhmet, we have her son by Ptah, Maahes, who appears to embody amongst other things war, punishment, execution, and lions devouring captives (cannibalism). So, if he go with the above notes on Thasmudyan, perhaps the god Maahes was killed by Thasmudyan and his portfolios corrupted?
Then there's Ereshkigal, who herself is also a bit of an "outcast" goddess amongst the traditional gods of the Sumerian/Babylonians. She killed her sister Inanna in some myths (she got better) and hung her body from hooks in the underworld, and she had some falling out with Enlil. Plus, her FOURTH husband Nergal was a part time ruler of the underworld, who only stayed with her "half the year". So, that could fit with a storyline that Nergal was moving between Unther and Zakhara to be with his wife.
So, that would have it that Semkhet(Kiga the Predator), her son by Ptash (Maahes), and Ereshkigal all break away from the Mulan gods going east and head south instead. A cat goddess of vengeance/plagues, a cat god of war/execution/devouring one's enemies, and a death/underworld goddess. They may have some nobler aspects (as they're written up elsewhere, Sekhmet is also a healer goddess in addition to bringing plagues, breathing fire, drinking blood, etc....), and maybe they become corrupt over time like Gilgeam. Maybe Maahes' "devouring one's enemies" is seen in the form of bloody gladiatorial fights against beasts for people's entertainment, maybe with citizens who make him mad.
Worshippers of these gods then form "the Old Dynasty" as it is noted in the Complete Necromancer's Handbook. They have incarnations born of their blood who rule, just like the godkings to the northeast. However, they aren't in a Patriarchal form, nor necessarily the same "group".... i.e. Ereshkigal's people go to Sahu, Kiga's and Maahes' go to Nog and Kadar. Eventually all three manifestations are killed (Ereshkigal first, Maahes second, and Kiga last).
Dungeon #178 gives that Sebekar (Sebek the crocodile god) is born of the union of Set and "a bestial archfey of the Feywild
known as Mornach". So, maybe there were twins born, Sebekar and Ragarra, and Set sends Ragarra's manifestation down to Zakhara to eat Kiga and Maahes manifestations (maybe Ereshkigal's too).
So, Ragarra shows up and "pulls a Tiamat", wherein she presents herself as an enemy of the corrupt "godkings" (or whatever they're called down there), and encourages overthrow of the "Old Dynasty". This may take a century or more and not necessarily a fast overthrow. Ragarra eventually allies/marries a hippo headed being (giff? another bestial archfey?) that becomes Shajar after gaining divine rank. They are aided by wizard/priests of Grumbar who call themselves "the Geomancers" and who .
Uruk Kigal, an incarnation born into Kiga's bloodline, flees when the "Old Dynasty" begins to fail and he's accused of practicing "deviant and forbidden magic" by the "new" priests of Shajar. He goes to the isle of Sahu, where he finds the religion of Ereshkigal fallen and a corruption of the worship of Maahes in the form of Thasmudyan (which focuses on cannibalism and undeath).
The realms of Nog and Kadar form under Geomancer rule. Ragarra informs the population of Kadar that she must be appeased by the providing of some living beings every year in order to stave off her crocodile children, but this is done through captured folk or prisoners. These people are forced to either "convert to worship of Ragarra or die", and those who convert are turned into Segarrans (see ruined kingdoms, Lesser Segarrans are followers turned into crocodile headed/tailed, human bodied people)
But Maahes wasn't killed... and the lionheaded manifestation eventually inspired a new group to overthrow the geomancers. This group, a young a fervent group of farisans (a faris is a holy warrior in Zakhara) known as "The Lions of Yesterday". Perhaps these "Lions of Yesterday" are even the incarnations of Maahes and/or Kiga. They overthrow the geomancers rule, and Nog and Kadar fall. The geomancer known as Tisan escapes (see ruined kingdoms). At least 8 centuries before modern times pass (since we don't know an exact date of modern day for Zakharan modules).
As the geomancers are overthrown, they name the worship of Ragarra in Kadar "as subversive". They label her worship a capital offense and destroy her temples where they are found. The appeasing of her through providing "sacrifice" is ordered ended.
As a part of this, Zakhara has "werelions" that are listed as lyncanthropes (in Monstrous Compendium 13, Al-Qadim appendix), but there is no talk of them passing on their traits except via breeding specifically with humans (and children are stuck as humans until age 15). These werelions are matriarchal and have only 2 forms, human and lion. They also don't like hanging out with animals, and rather human interaction (though they can talk to felines). Perhaps these "werelions" can trace their heritage back to Kiga/Maahes.
relevant entries from Complete Necromancer's Handbook below
Long ago, when the Old Dynasty began to fail on the mainland, Uruk Kigal was exiled with a whole cadre of his supporters for practicing deviant and forbidden magic. Uruk departed the jungle valleys of his youth in search of a new home. He crossed the sea and discovered Sahu, a large island of mysterious beauty that resembled, in many respects, his beloved home.
The island was divided into a low-lying coastal region, an inner high plateau embraced by jungle, and a high ridge of mountains rising from the center of the island like the spine of a vishap. On the high plateau, by the shores of a sepia lake, Uruk built Nycopolis and made his city the capital of a new monarchy. He built the Great Summer Palace out of solid ivory and erected a mighty Colossus in his image to guide visitors safely to his island. Uruk was the first and most powerful of the Necromancer Kings, and he ruled Sahu, some say wisely, for many
hundreds of years.
Now, Sahu was not entirely uninhabited when Uruk founded the New Dynasty. The colonists found the traces of an even more ancient civilization on the island, based on the low, sandy shores. They discovered entire ruined cities of antique metal towers, sundered and dilapidated, lapped along the coast by the hungry sea. In these mushroom- shaped spires, exotic totems and strange shrines were unearthed, temples of the forgotten god Thasmudyan, King of Worms, Lord over Life and. Undeath. Many of the New Dynasty began to worship this ancient god whose first followers had long since abandoned Sahu to live forever beneath the cold waves of the sea
(or so the ancient legends say).
The worship of Thasmudyan, known as the Cult of Worms, soon flourished again under an ambitious priestess named Vermissa, one of the first nobles to accompany Uruk into exile on Sahu. But the King was jealous of Vermissa's mounting influence, and he conspired with his most powerful nobles to destroy her. Vermissa disappeared soon after from Nycopolis. When she died, the Cult of Worms floundered without her direction, and Uruk reigned supreme once again in his mighty new kingdom of necromancers.
Thus the age-old conflict between king and high-priest began again in Sahu, transplanted from the mainland by its colonists, and it sprang forth anew with all the vehemence of old. As it destroyed the Old Dynasty, so too did it unravel the Necromancer Kings. The New Dynasty eventually withered and died, leaving only mournful
spirits to glide over the still black waters by the ruins of Nycopolis. Now only their histories and their mysterious artifacts remain as sad, silent testimonies to their former power and glory.
—From Kazerabet's Art of Necromancy
Relevant Entries from Land of Fate boxed set below
Migal, also called the Mentor of the Gods in some writings. He had a horde of winged assassins to enforce his orders.
Relevant Entries from Ruined Kingdoms below
The Nogaro River has been worshipped by natives of the mainland for centuries, manifesting itself in the male god Shajar, a hippopotamus-headed deity embracing life and death, growth and decay. Just as the river provided nourishing food, it also brought death each year when it flooded during the summer monsoons. The river brought transportation and commerce, but its waters could wash away a city overnight. The newborn were washed in its waters during their naming ceremony; the dead were carried downstream in small rafts, ultimately entrusted to Shajar's care in the watery underworld.
Although the forces of nature have always invited reverence, Ragarra was nature's unpredictable violence incarnate, violence which must be appeased through sacrifice to be kept at bay. Shajar's passionate mate, Ragarra was depicted as a woman with bat wings and a crocodile's head and tail. The most powerful of the ancient cults, Ragarra's worship has spread clandestinely through the cities on the mainland.
Kiga, goddess of the hunt and of the kill, was depicted as a mysterious, sometimes sinister, panther-headed deity. A predatory goddess, Kiga was venerated by those who hunted for necessity or for personal amusement. Today, the worship of Kiga has been perverted into ritual murder by her (thankfully) few lycanthropic followers, based in Kadarasto.
On Afyal, civilization seems to have evolved along a different path than that taken by the empires on the mainland. Their native peoples once worshipped an elephantine god, now known only as the Lost One, leaving behind a fascinating legacy of poetry, ruined temples, and towering statues. Poems in Affa, the ancient language of Afyal, are inscribed on many of the island's ancient monuments. Among Afyal's modern inhabitants, Affa remains a forgotten and obscure tongue.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2021 : 20:52:31
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Yeah, this is a very interesting topic. With Kiga, I wonder if she could be essentially combination/composite of Sekhmet and Lamashtu (via Ki being her mother).
Lamashtu and Sekhmet are both leonine (if Lamashtu is more chimeric), bot are bloodthirsty and connected to plagues, and both were send by a god to punish humanity and went out of control - with Lamashtu, Enlil (her brother or father) sent Lamashtu to "cull" humanity from time to time, after the Great Flood (and possibly cursed Lamashtu into a leonine form and bloodlust for her to fit into that role), as it's stated in an an incantaton against Lamashtu "Anu begot her, Ea reared her, Enlil doomed her the face of a lioness". And Lamashtu also went out of control, only her bloodlust was never trully sated, and it's noted to not be now uncontrolable by gods. So I think it could quite fit if Kiga was a couterpart to/composite of both Sekhmet and Lamashtu.
Shajar, I wonder if he isn't maybe a son or aspect of Taweret/Taueret - as Shajar is very similar to her:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taweret
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2021 : 23:04:16
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In context, some of the Enlightened Gods, might also have origins in the Untheri or Mulhorandi pantheons.
Jisan of the Floods, has some similarities with Ishtar, especially if we take the theory tht connects th Untheric Ishtar, with Eldath.
Zann the Learned has some similarities to Enki/Ea - while Enki didn't come to Toril...maybe Ea did?
There is also a similarly named Durpari God - Zionil (currently aspect of Gond), whose name is similar to both Zann (and curiously Enlil), but seems to take crafwork and creation elements of Ea/Enki's portfolio.
Haku could be seen as connected to Enlil, Ramman or Shu. |
Edited by - Baltas on 15 Jul 2021 23:18:06 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2021 : 00:02:53
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Hmmm, I like where you are going with also bringing in Lamashtu, as she also fits an "outcast" goddess. However, rather than mix Sekhmet and Lamashtu, maybe have them both, and give Sekhmet/Kiga and Maahes somewhat more noble aspects (so maybe Sekhmet/Kiga is just bloodlust and not plagues). It would seem that Lamashtu would be a great counterpoint to Taweret (as a goddess of childbirth and child protection specifically).
On Shajar being a "son or aspect of Taweret"..... I had never thought of that (hadn't really seen taweret much, but I remember someone .. possibly you...mentioning her in the past). So, since we're already having other "Mulan" gods defecting and coming south, having Taweret do the same thing makes sense. Just like the manifestations in Unther and Mulhorand, she would have incarnations. However, maybe she actually.... as a goddess of birth and the protection of infants... maybe she gives birth to her incarnations and raises them (essentially, they are the classic "demigod").
Since Shajar seems to be the embodiment of seeming opposites "life and death"/"growth and decay".... maybe he was an incarnation/demigod that was being born when Lamashtu struck with magic seeking to slay the child? So, the manifestation of Taweret, the goddess of life, child protection, etc..., does the natural thing for her... she gives up her own life for her newborn/stillbeingborn child. This creates a duality in Shajar, as he has seen death. Shajar grows up without a mother in the jungle wilds, where he meets and falls for Ragarra, another demigoddess born of Set and Mornach.
Maybe the two of them Shajar and Ragarra then set out on a quest for divine power. Their first stop... the isle of Sahu, where they slay the goddess of death, Ereshkigal, with the help of a demon, Thasmudyan. They split her power amongst them... Thasmudyan takes undeath, Shajar takes the delivering of spirits to the underworld via the river of death, and Ragarra takes the violent act of the kill. Next stop... "the Old Dynasty" lands that will become Nog and Kadar, with the aid of the primordial Grumbar and his geomancers after a few decades, all while they begin feeding knowledge of necromancy into "the Old Dynasty" while they wait.
Uruk Kadil, the first necromancer king, is forced out of "the Old Dynasty" for studying necromancy and similar deviant arts. The people see his corruption, as an incarnation of Kiga, as a reflection on Kiga and Maahes. Uprising occurs, "Old Dynasty" out, creation of the new Nog and Kadar by the geomancers. Eventually, the Lions of Yesterday (as an arising of the symbolism of the original Maahes) comes back and ousts the geomancers for a short lived time.
Hmmm, and in relooking at the history of the region... before the humans arrived, the area was ruled by giants, so the mulan manifestations help oust the giants (worth looking into lore on the giants, as I know the giants of Zakhara were different).
Working? Better plays on things possibly?
On the History of Nog and Kadar from Ruined Kingdoms
Nog and Kadar
Practically everywhere one looks in the modem cities or jungle, one can see icons and ruins from the past. The Ruined Kingdoms of Nog and Kadar left behind writings, inscriptions, and magical artifacts which long outlived their doomed civilizations. Without a knowledge of the cultural context in which they were created, this historical legacy is often fragmented and meaningless. Most sages are sure that more than two ancient civilizations evolved along the Nogaro, a wide, crocodile-infested river twisting hundreds of miles through the jungle wilderness. Given the mainland#146;s two prominent ancient languages, some think that Nog and Kadar were the only civilizations of note in the region. However, historians have found evidence of at least four other cultural traditions along the Nogaro River valley, starting with the giants before the arrival of humans. Since none of these other cultures developed a strong written tradition, however, the truth about them may never be known.
The history of Nog and Kadar is convoluted and confusing, as the two empires seem to have gone through several ruling dynasties, some of which may (or may not) have ruled
different regions along the Nogaro at the same time. Kadar is by far the older of the two empires, founded over a thousand years ago by the despotic Geomancers, a race of terrible sorcerer-priests who at one time held sway throughout the entire river valley. The Geomancers were toppled by pioneering missionaries of the enlightenment and replaced by a dynasty of corrupt warrior-kings, or khedives, who seized power in the wake of the western explorers' departure. The Geomancers and their legacy are at the core of the adventures in this boxed set and so are further discussed in Chapter Two.
At the same time (or perhaps after) these warrior dynasties seized control of the lower Nogaro, a number of religions expanded and flourished in the upper river valley. Based upon a reverence and fear of nature, some of these religions developed into theocracies, unified by the common language called Noga. Most of these religions have
faded into oblivion, leaving behind only strange artifacts and dangerous living idols that still crave to be worshipped.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2021 : 18:17:16
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Yeah, I can get it, as Lamashtu is more malicious than Sekhmet.
With Tewaret, it does fit she sacrificed herself. It's also interesting male Hipopotami were considered more malicious by Ancient Egyptians (due to the fact they could seemingly attack people unprovked often while female hipopotami were only really that agresive when defending young, at least in Egyptians eyes), which could also nicelly tie to the his aspects of death and decay, along with life and growth.
With Thasmudyan, he is a quite intetesting fiendish deity. Him not being explored in history or hierarchy of Nine Hells, gives me several ideas.
One, that he is an Ancient Baatorian (not a Baatezu) that achieved divinity - hence he is not mentioned - the Devils outright seem to cover the evidence of their predecesors in Baator, so it woud make sense Thasmudyan is not entioned in histories of Baator. Another is that he was a very ancient Duke to even Archdevil, who was amng the first to rebel against Asmodeus, hence his seeming outright erasure from history. Both could explain him establishing cult on Toril, in very ancient times.
It were quite possibly indeed the Mulan gods who cursed the Zakharan giants. I wonder if they are maybe relayed to Sand Giants, out of the giant races:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Sand_giant
And about your ideas, I think they work quite well, especially with fitting Mulani Gods into the narrative (ie connecting Maahes and Kiga/Sekhmet with the The Lions of Yesterday for example). |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2021 : 01:10:52
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Thanks
Regarding the giants, the ones that immediately come to mind that you could throw into this mix are the Rom. They're undead giants who began to die off because they quit producing females (almost like a curse from a goddess like Ereshkigal or Lamashtu, OR they really pissed off Tewaret), and they were a race of giants who were herdsmen and poets/musicians.... not exactly warlike ones.
The next type of giants are the island giants... which are also primarily male, and also they are usually deformed.... severely deformed... and similar to the ROM they have a problem with breeding. The males are infertile. The females are similar to giant hags that can shape change, and they do so in order to trick other giants and humanoids to mate with them so they can continue their species, but they also eat their offspring if they can. Again, almost like they've been cursed by a goddess like Lamashtu or Ereshkigal, maybe turning their women into hags.
From Monstrous Compendium 13 Al-Qadim Appendix for the ROM
The rom are a race of subterranean, undead giants that withdrew from the surface world in the distant past. They are sullen, malicious, and angry creatures, attacking any who disturb their final dwelling places or cairns. Rom are all male. They have tall, muscular physiques, similar to humans in proportion, with thinning, bone-white hair, sunken, glassy eyes, long, curling fingernails, and ashen-gray skin. They stand about 17' tall, retaining the supernatural Strength they possessed in life (20). They speak with sad, resonant voices. All are talented singers, poets, and musicians.
<snip>
Rom are thought to be all that remains of an ancient race of giant herdsmen. They lived in the hills and on the plains where their giant cows could graze, some practicing a limited form of agriculture. They were a quiet, peace-loving people whose end came when their wives produced only male children; there were no further generations. Shaking their fists at the sad destiny Fate had passed upon them, they built enormous stone cairns for themselves, fashioned out of monolithic granite slabs. Entire clans of rom descended into their self-made tombs, burying themselves alive.
However, so great was their collective self-pity and anger at Fate, that their existence persisted beyond death. Their granite cairns can still be found today, towering over the plains or nestled among the hills. They are shunned by all forms of animal and insect life. Nearby vegetation appears stunted and lacks its usual color. All is quiet near these tombs during the day, but at night, one can hear a loud lamentation rising from within the cold, stone cairns, a plaintive cry against Fate.
The giants are known to receive brave visitors during the night, who politely knock on the entrance to the tombs and humbly request hospitality for the evening. Those who brashly intrude on the giants during the night, or who break into a cairn during the day, will be immediately attacked by the 1-8 rom present in the tomb. They will throw any corpses outside as a warning to others against further unwarranted intrusions.
From Al-Qadim Land of Fate boxed set on island giants
Island giants are a twisted, horrid variety of their towering kind, as malicious and hateful as they are ugly. Their appearance varies, though all are vaguely humanoid. Many have one or more horns on their foreheads, as well as cyclopean (one-eyed) features. Some have the hindquarters of beasts, like satyrs. Others have reptilian tails or jutting, spiked spines. Giants of other races and enlightened humanoids universally despise the island giants, who return the compliment in spades.
Standing 18 feet tall and weighing some 8,000 pounds, island giants are imposing. They wear little more than a few rags, usually bits of sailcloth from the ships they have wrecked. Their skin spans the range of colors common among giants-from slate grays to sky blues to rich tans.
Island giants have no native language. They speak a form of Midani sprinkled with words borrowed from other giant tongues. This often makes their speech incomprehensible to others.
<snip>
An adult female island giant can throw boulders and fight just as well as a male-provided she is in giant form. Females have the ability to shapechange at will, assuming the form of a human or humanoid. Most prefer the shape of a comely giant or a beautiful human woman of normal sire. The female typically uses this talent to lead wanderers to their doom, as well as to attract a mate.
Young island giants have only half the Hit Dice of their elders. They can breathe underwater. This ability helps them flee danger, including the wrath of larger island giants, and it is lost when the young reach adulthood.
Habitat/Society: Island giants tend to be solitary. As a rule, they hate everyone else. Smaller creatures are nothing more than meat, entertainment in cruel jests, or both. The intelligence of males is just enough to foster imaginative brutalities, while that of females is just enough to continue the race through deception.
Island giants are one of nature's curiosities. Males are completely infertile. Females, on the other hand, are quite fecund. They can reproduce by coupling with any other giant or humanoid race. True giants are preferred, but an island female may successfully mate with humans, elves, dwarves, and even genies. An island female's true visage is horrid to behold, so she uses her shapechange abilities to lure beaus, admiring handsome, beefy stock. Such a union is hazardous to the male, because the female will seek to kill and eat him immediately afterward. From the start, an island giant's life is violent and bleak. Each year, females may give birth to a brood of 3 to 12 (ld10 + 2) small humanoid figures, who struggle to the ocean as soon as possible. Those who linger too long ashore may be eaten by an island giant or scavengers. Some speculate that a mother herself will devour dawdling young to eliminate weaklings. The young can breathe in and out of the water, and they typically dwell beneath the ocean waves until they are mature enough to walk back on shore and assume adult lives. It is estimated that only 1 in 50 offspring survive.
Upon returning to land, adult males seek a remote location to establish a domain. Adult females set out to deceive potential mates, beginning anew the struggle to reproduce.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2021 : 13:59:00
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To be clear, I meant Desert Giants, being related to Sand Giants, not all Zakharan Giants. Sorry for not specifying it.
Though Sand Giants might be a result of a migration of Desert Giants, or ther ancestors out of Zakhara.
Indeed it seems Lamashtu, Ereshkigal (or as you mentioned, a very displeased Tewaret). Lamashtu seems quite likelly to be the culprit behind the Island Giants (maybe after the initial curse, they made a deal with Lamashtu?), as their monstrous, bestial traits, and their kinda irregular nature traits seem connected to her. The Hag-like behavior of Island Giants, could be also compared to the overlap Lamashtu has to a degree with Lilitu and Ardat Lili. |
Edited by - Baltas on 17 Jul 2021 14:42:40 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jul 2021 : 19:20:25
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Yeah, I agree, after writing that up, I think Lamashtu would be the best fit of the three for "punishing" island giants, one (Rom) by making their females die, and the other by cursing the males into monstrosities. Would need to think on why.... perhaps one of them killed (or did other nasty things) to one of her children/incarnations? I think both Ereshkigal and Lamashtu could work for the Rom, in possibly placing a curse to take the soul of all their female born giants.
It might be a good thing to have both deities acting out against the giants, and maybe their followers settled down together. They could both be goddesses that ended up getting worshipped on the isle of Sahu by some particularly necromantic mulans, who maybe WEREN'T so stuck on themselves and racial purity, and they bred in with the local population. The isle of Sahu may have some really horrible backstory from even before Uruk Kigal, the first necromancer king, came there. After all, when he shows up, the worship of Thasmudyan..... a cannibal god... is effective in the area.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Expanding the Past Lore of Zakharan Religions
