History

Goliaths are one of the oldest races in the region, with a legacy stretching back to before the Sundering, some say even back to the beginnings of Tachros. The First came out of the Mountains of Mourning, bastard children of the Chaga, the stone giants. The stories say that they wandered until they found a beacon by the sea, a city shining in the night. Other stories tell of how Chesed Elijah Taldvorah Mattan, a humble warrior, came to the aid of the mind-mage Isma’il Cihan when he was beset by devils. After many exploits, they rose together to leadership among their people and formed a bond which still exists today, Goliaths providing might while Kalashtari provide magic. The race as a whole was wounded during the mindplague, though very few of them died from it, only their own psychics. But the collapse of Kalashtari power was the collapse of Goliath power. Now, they are few in number. Some factions consider an alliance with the Chaga, but many simply want to live untroubled lives rather than pursue political aspirations. The first Lawgiver of the Tachros Senate was the Goliath Tovah Omri Telshahar Sarit, and a Goliath has traditionally occupied that position, with the current one being Nitza Zohar Telyochanen Sarit, eldest and wisest of the Goliaths.

Religion

Goliaths do not recall ever having their own gods, preferring druidic worship before their encounters with the Kalashtari. Now they pray to the old Kalashtari gods, old deities of dreams and desires that stand in the sky. Dakarai is the guardian at the gates, god of those who walk in dreams. Jelani of the Seven Eyes is the dream of silence, always seeing, never speaking. Lerato , dream of the dead, is chosen by those who seek to wake them. Nkiruof the four winds is the dream of the world, and Sanaa is the dream of freedom and rebirth. Xolani is change, the madness of dreams brought to life, and Zuri is the emptiness from which all is formed, the single creative spark. These deities are often presented in geometric relations, evidenced in the waking world by the conflict of ideas, and thus people.

Magic

Though they have no special affinity for magic, they have no aversion to it either. Wise Goliaths go on to become clerics, druids, or ardents, while especially intelligent ones go on to become wizards or psions. In all of those disciplines, they tend to prefer paths which favour their superior strength, often combining spell and sword as duskblades, or ordained champions. Their philosophy of magic is an elemental one. It comes from stone, drawn up from the earth like warmth, or air. And like earth, one must give back to it and use it wisely. All goliath mages are members of the Aecha Ostai, indeed there are some mage dynasties who have hold positions there for centuries, but there are none in the TSR, which gives nothing back.

Society

Goliath society is a family-oriented gerontocracy. It is ruled by a council of elders from the wealthiest families who make decisions which affect the race as a whole. Their core values are those of service and excellence, often leading Goliaths to become craftsmen of great renown. To serve another is an honour, and to serve one’s elders or family the greatest of honours. Goliaths who are found too self-serving may become social outcasts, though there are more than a few who reject the traditions, often becoming mercenaries or pirates. Goliaths each have four names. Their given name, followed by a word of power in their tongue which is given by the elders when they reach adulthood on their name-day, the name of their father with the patronymic “tal”, and their family name.