Firbolg

Firbolgs are a type of giant-kin closely associated with druidic magic.

Firbolgs reach maturity when they are roughly 30 years old, and can live up to 500 years.

## Myths

The firbolgs left Gigaheim many years ago. The reason why is unknown: some say the firbolgs had a disagreement with their neighbours, others say that a firbolg prophet had a dream of a new homeland being offered to them by their god, and some claim that the firbolgs left to go on a raid and got very lost, ending up on Erah instead of reaching their destination. Regardless, the firbolgs made landfall on the northern tip of the southern continent. The land there was barren, so their god, Draeg Huntmaster caused the Great Forest to spring up to serve as a home for his children.

Draeg was said to live deep within the Great Forest in a sacred grove. Over time, he became perceived as a more laid back, jovial figure who embodied the firbolgs' connection to nature and their enjoyment of ritual narcotics.

The oldest myths of the firbolgs are full of legendary raiding parties and journeys through the skies with giant hounds as part of Draeg's entourage, the Wild Hunt, and these myths were recorded as pictographs on stone monoliths within the Great Forest, though these places were deemed taboo as the firbolgs became more peaceful.

Later firbolg beliefs include a belief that a deceased firbolg will be reincarnated as a new plant within the Great Forest, and that through excessive drug use, one can bypass the limitations of their physical form and travel across time and space.

## Lands

The original homeland of the firbolg people was an ancient forest within Gigaheim, which they shared with a number of other giant-kin. On Erah, they consider the Great Forest at the northernmost point of the Southern Continent to be their homeland. In recent years, a second forest, the New Forest, was planted in the Kolshet Empire by exiles from the Great Forest. With the recent destruction of the Great Forest, most firbolgs consider the New Forest to be their new homeland.

## Culture

The firbolgs have recently undergone a cultural revolution as a result of Draeg Treespeaker reverting to Draeg Huntmaster. They effectively were split into two groups: the traditionalist firbolgs, and the wild hunt firbolgs. With the intervention of the spirit of Saint Aristotle the Learned, this split became much less violent, and the remaining firbolgs are working to integrate the two schools of thought.

The main similarity between the two groups was the importance of druidic magic to them, as this is a major underlying part of firbolg culture and has been from the beginning.

The traditionalists were largely pacifistic and isolationist, wanting nothing more than to live in harmony with their home. They lived with the idea that, as long as they don't start conflict, conflict won't come to them, and they would only fight if someone invaded their home and attacked them. These firbolgs were led by a council of archdruids who made decisions as a democracy. They also had an elected leader to guide them.

The wild hunt firbolgs were following an interpretation of the earlier stages of their culture's development which was carved in pictograms in their forbidden sites. These firbolgs were much more militaristic and almost eager for violence. The had a positive view of pre-emptive violence in order to protect their home from potential invasion. They also took a much more pragmatic view of druidic magic than the traditionalists, viewing all druidic magic as a tool, rather than certain aspects of it being good and others as bad. This group was much more theocratic, with Houndmaster, the Chosen of Draeg Huntmaster, being their leader.

## Evolution

Firbolgs, along with true giants and a number of other giant-kin, are descended from hill giants, who are themselves descended from the irda. It is unknown if firbolgs evolved directly from hill giants, or if there were intermediate stages.