Goliath

Goliath are the nomadic people of Pteris who lives amongst the dunes of the Kharmaja Dune Sea as well as inside caves and the lower levels of both major mountain ranges.

Description

Goliath are direct descendants of the Giants of Quelmar, though the two species have no direct relations to this day. Giants typically view Goliath as just another smallfolk whereas the Goliath revere and fear the Giants as they live amongst their natural habitats but try to avoid them whenever possible.

Goliath do not follow the Ordning, the caste system that holds together Giant society, as despite being nomadic peoples, they are still considering part of "normal" society amongst the other humanoids of Quelmar.

Appearance

Goliath are considered medium creatures, but range from 6 to 8 feet tall, towering over other medium humanoids. They are most commonly seen with grey skin, occasionally featuring light hues of blue, purple, red, or brown, depending on what type of Giant they descend from. Nomadic Goliath are given tribal tattoos when they reach twelve years of age, as a coming-of-age ritual. These tattoos are usually done on the head and face first and extend farther down the body as they age. It is a safe guess with Goliath that the more tattoos they have, the older they are, and the more dedicated they are to protecting their tribe.

The Thri-Kreen Blood Feud

The Thri-Kreen are one of many monstrous species that populate the Kharmaja Dune Sea. The Thri-Kreen and Goliath tribes are locked in a constant stalemate, fighting over breeding grounds. Both species make temporary homes in the caves at the base of the Fiddlehead Mountains, as they are the safest places to be found for Thri-Kreen breeding and Goliath survival. Going too far up the mountains risks drawing the ire of the Storm Giants who live atop the mountain range, whereas the valleys and troughs house the Stone and Hill Giants, and the sand dunes of the Kharmaja Dune Sea are filled with countless monsters under the sand, including large sand worms that can destroy entire clutches of Thri-Kreen eggs or temporary Goliath settlements in the blink of an eye. As such, both species aim for the caves and hope they don't choose one housing a Fire Giant Forge below.

This fight for survival often leads to spats between different tribes of Goliath and Thri-Kreen, who fight to the death to gain access to the caves. More often than not, the Goliath are defending their home and the Thri-Kreen attacking, and more often than not, the Thri-Kreen win, simply because they outnumber the Goliath 10 to 1 and can hide and crawl underneath the sand where they can't be detected.

Powers and Abilities

The Goliath of Pteris are naturally equipped to surviving in the most extreme of environments, from desert dunes to frozen mountain peaks, and as such are naturally immune to natural extremes of hot and cold, and are also able to consume almost any plant or animal matter as sustenance, even rotten or decayed, with minimal side effects.

All Goliath are descended from one of the six species of Giants (Storm, Cloud, Frost, Fire, Stone, and Hill) and the strongest Goliath among them occasionally develop powers based on their heritage.

• Storm: Can retaliate against attackers with thunderous sound, dealing damage
  • In 5.5, this is 1d8 Thunder as a reaction when hit with an attack
• Cloud: Can teleport a short distance
  • In 5.5, this is 30 feet, and a bonus action
• Frost: Can coat their weapons in frost, dealing additional damage and slowing their target
  • In 5.5, this is 1d6 Cold + 10 foot reduction in movement when landing an attack
• Fire: Can coat their weapons in flame, dealing additional damage
  • In 5.5, this is 1d10 Fire when landing an attack
• Stone: Due to their harder skin, can shrug off limited amounts of physical damage
  • In 5.5, this is 1d12 from when hit with Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing
• Hill: Small but fierce, they are adept at knocking larger targets of their feat
  • In 5.5, they can knock large or smaller creatures prone when landing an attack.

Player Characters (incomplete list)

• Enrik
• Kludzu
• Lone Wanderer

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