"Then the Lord said, ‘My spirit shall not abide in mortals for ever, for they are flesh; their days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterwards—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown."
~ Genesis 6:3-4
The concept of a mythical giant is present is nearly all world cosmologies, folktales, and spiritual lessons. Somewhere, somehow, primeval man contended with, was usurped by, and watched perish the "heroes that were of old." The Hebrew Anak, the Austrailian Yowie, the Sumatran Orang Pendek, the Celtic Fomorian, the Norse Jotun, the Māori Maero, the Greek Titan, the Hindu Rakshasa, the Japanese Oni, the Lenape Allegwi, the Brazilian Mapinguari... look around in nearly any primeval history or mythological account and you are likely to find a reference to a race of giants closely descended from the gods, set loose in their own ambition to lord over men and rule or harass the natural order established by higher creator deities.
Frankly, we are sleeping on the primeval, antediluvian history of our own planet as what is probably the most hardcore Sword & Sorcery setting for our use in game worlds. We're talking occult cabals, spiritual ritual inhabitation, sorcerer-kings reigning in mountaintop garden strongholds, megalithic architecture, time-lost technology, the fuel of heaven for machines on earth, underworld uprisings, and copious amounts of hybrid godlings running amok and creating culture and empire on a whim...
Simon Wong - Artstation
"Impiety increased; fornication multiplied; and they transgressed and corrupted all their ways."
~ Enoch 8:2
So it came to pass that the mighty men of renown, hybrids of the spiritual and mortal, consumed the land, ruled it with unquestioned might, and dominated the mere humans who were their lessers. In all races, across all lands, bound up in the epoch which predated judgment by divinity itself, the giant Nephilim of all stripes reigned and conquered and despoiled humanity with heavenly secrets not meant to be shared.
"And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day..."
~ Jude 1:6
Giants are not simply very tall men and women of larger-than-average stature, they could be profound leaders of political or rhetorical prowess, mighty warriors of common size but uncommon resilience, counselors and sorcerers of mild manner but deep malcontent. In short (joke), they may not look any different than you and I, but they are imbued with imposter supernaturalism. They could also be classic oversized figures of tremendous size. Your call.
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| It's spiritual beings all the way down. |
This is not strictly an antediluvian-accurate generator, but could be used to produce all manner of demigod-like figures for your games. Adjust to taste, flavor as you want. Or use it to come up with a minor primeval pantheon of Nimrods and Herculeses as you like.
Typical Form (d4)
1. Fully corporeal
2. Occasionally corporeal
3. Malleable shapeshifter
4. Pure, invisible spirit
Angelic Progenitor (d6)
1. Semyaza, who taught root-cuttings, alchemy, and material magic
2. Azazel, who taught metallurgy, weaponry, and technology
3. Kokabel, who taught astronomy, and the traversal of the heavens
4. Barkayal, who taught astrology and the arcane means of prediction
5. Kasdeja, who taught sex magic and the creation and cure of disease
6. Penemue, who taught pen and ink, the writing of scrolls, and sorcery
Preferred Means (d8)
1. Extortion, manipulation, and mockery
2. Illusion, deception, and false hope
3. Subjugation, slavery, and dehumanization
4. Addiction, sloth, and inefficiency
5. Brutality, murder, and conquest
6. Sickness, infirmity, and vulnerability
7. Fear, nightmares, and depression
8. Depravity, licentiousness, and corruption
Area of Expertise (d10)
1. Magic
2. Intimidation
3. Strategy
4. Guile
5. Leadership
6. Industry
7. Population
8. Tactics
9. Logistics
10. Charisma
Occult Focus (d12)
1. Embodiment and Procreation
2. Warding and Abjuration
3. Alchemy and Herbalism
4. Elementalism and Geomancy
5. Binding and Enchantment
6. Symbology and Crafting
7. Decay and Resurrection
8. Communion and Divination
9. Summoning and Conjuration
10. Vitality and Growth
11. Thaumaturgy and Prophecy
12. Sacrifice and Empowerment
Stronghold of Influence (d20)
1. Khufu, the city of new birth and royalty
2. Gobekli, the compass of the ancient fathers
3. Brake, the gateway to the realm of the dead
4. Huantar, the plaza of ritual and ceremonial rites
5. Meroe, the necropolis of the beautiful wives
6. Koh Ker, the retreat of the hidden viziers
7. Argolis, the barrows of the mighty brothers
8. Cholula, the harbor of the living stars
9. Gwaelod, the prison of the false traitors
10. Buyan, the island of illusion and sorcery
11. Zealand, the plains of the victorious riders
12. Hermon, the seat of the Great High Ones
13. Atlantis, the garden of the inventor kings
14. Teotihuacan, the palace of the Sun and Moon
15. Uruk, the stairway to the highest heavens
16. Ji'an, the tomb of the elder visitors
17. Borobudur, the temple of the sacred worship
18. Cahokia, the plateau of faithful multitudes
19. Tikal, the throne of the brazen conquerors
20. Saqqara, the altar of water and revival
This demigod is a malleable shapeshifter born from Samyaza, the teacher of roots, alchemy, and magic. He pursues his goals through brutality, murder, and conquest, and is highly skilled with tactics. His occult followers have mastered magicks of symbology and crafting, and sits at Argolis, the barrows of the mighty brothers.
That is instant brainfuel for me. This antagonist is a serious threat, crushing enemies under a boot, putting them to death by superior weaponry, and surrounding himself with cunning, sorcery, and the legacy of the victorious dead. Doubtless many flock to his kingdom as he wages war agains the multitudes. Putting my head in this primeval / antediluvian / mythohistorical context, a handful of dice can spit out a tremendous output that I could build a whole faction around with little additional effort.
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| Robert Perez - "Demon Children" |
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