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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 7, 2016 0:17:28 GMT -5
The following manuscript was written collectively by the Colormen during the first era, with primary contributions from the Cerulean lineage. Similar to the Dragon manuscript, the purpose of this was to create a manual that could be used as reference in the event giant monsters were to attack common people. The hope was it would help others "know your enemy" so they could defeat them.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
PART ONE: Golems
Fire Golems Ice Golems Rock Golems
PART TWO: Humanoid Giants
"Normal" Giants Cyclopes Titans
(OTHERS TO BE SPECIFIED IN TIME)
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2016 1:03:15 GMT -5
(remember guys, these entries are hundreds of years old and based on research of the time. If you have any "new discoveries" post them here)
GOLEMS:
Giant monstrosities that have existed since the earliest years of magic, these beings are not "naturally" born. In our research of these beings, we have found, much to our shock, that it takes a third party in order to bring a Golem into existence. They seem to be "summoned" or "created" from the earth itself, with Golems taking physical form based on the element it is representative of.
To date, three subspecies of Golem have been identified: fire, ice and rock. Fire Golems are composed of magma, and their attacks are based on fire/heat. Ice Golems are composed of ice, and their attacks are based on ice/cold. And rock Golems are composed of stone, and able to manipulate any stone within a certain reach.
The vary in size, depending both on the skill of the summoner/creator and the amount of magic used. They can be anywhere from 5 to 6 feet tall like humans, up to 50 feet tall. To date, the tallest ones found have been 150 feet tall.
Their intelligence is also proportionate to the magic used to bring them to life. More magic= higher intelligence. In our studies, it has been found that almost all golems possess a "beast-like" level of intelligence, with less than 4 percent having developed human level intelligence. Of the human level intelligence, even fewer can be considered "good". To date, only a handful of ice golems, and even fewer stone golems have been fallen under the criteria of good golems with human-level intelligence.
While it is theoretically possible for other subspecies of golem to exist, to date none have been found.
Because they are not technically "living" our research has found that Golems do not have to eat food for sustenance; they simply live off the magic that created them. They are extremely aggressive, given that almost all of them have been created solely for the purpose of combat.
It is very difficult to fight golems- but it is doable when the proper tactics are used. To fight fire golems, spells involving supercooled water and and air have been found to be extremely effective; rendering their magma frozen solid and them unmovable. At this point, a strike to their body with the proper amount of vallerium can finish them off.
Similar principles apply to ice golems- fire spells and ones involving the manipulation of molten earth can melt ice golems into water; a state where the magic that summons them dissipates, for reasons we do not quite understand. Vallerium is not necessary, for once melted the ice golem is no more.
Stone golems must literally be broken apart to be defeated. When struck with enough force, chunks of stone will fly off their body, these chunks no longer being magic containing, are therefore rendered inert. Scanning them with certain spells has revealed that in stone golems, the magic that created them is spread out in a specific way, and there are certain areas with high concentrations of the magic. It is found that once these "pools" are disrupted, the golem no longer functions and ceases to be. Vallerium does work, but compared to other beings, a larger amount is needed to achieve the desired effect.
It was a mystery for many years how Golems came to be, until the early 1100s, when a faction of mages called The Order of Masteri made themselves known, and declared war on the first generation of Colormen. In what proved to be a very lopsided war, less than a dozen Colormen were killed in the conflict, while the entire order of mages was slaughtered in battle. During the 14 battles that composed this war, the mages were observed creating beasts of magma, ice and stone, solving the mystery at last of who created golems: it was this faction of mages who solely possessed the spells needed to create them; when other factions wanted them, they were basically sold as commodities. Others, they went around the continent and created these beings to terrorize villagers for the sake of entertainment.
Documents recovered from their stronghold in a remote part of Sodor showed how they created Golems. Deeming this kind of magic too dangerous to exist, all documents pertaining to creating golems were destroyed, with only a select few being spared for Colormen research. These copies were subsequently lost in the dark era; destroyed by the Man In Gold of the time to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands
Once the Colormen finished investigating the Masteri castle, they simply abandoned it and let nature reclaim it. When they found out about the golems that roamed the continent, the Cerulean line was given the task of traveling the world to ensure they were brought to an end.
Thanks to the Cerulean bloodline, with the exception of 14 good Golems that live in secrecy, they are now extinct, with only a few individuals in select areas still existing.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 13, 2016 10:35:05 GMT -5
Tug , I know you've had some golem stuff going on, so I just want to let you know that remember- this text is 500 years old and in need of updating. If you have anything you want to inform us, let us know.
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Post by Tug on Aug 13, 2016 13:39:05 GMT -5
I just wanted to say I had a plan with a golem in mind but isn't really affected by this, and the only thing I need to tell you is that there is a named fire golem as a chief guard in impel Down, so there probably is something special about him and that the magic the giants from Elbaf know allows them to create stone gloms, so you could say someone from Masteri fled Sodor and began anew on Elbaf, but I can come up with an explanation for my golem plan Frank
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 13, 2016 13:42:10 GMT -5
Thanks tug.
Like I said, this text is 500 years old give or take; so anything you can add/update would be most helpful.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 20, 2016 21:37:21 GMT -5
HUMANOID GIANTS:
Part one: Cyclops
Originally appearing in Greek Mythology, in truth the Cyclops race actually spread throughout all of Europe during the Prehistoric era. It just so happened though, that the cultures where they would have the greatest impacts on were the Greeks and Romans.
A lawless race possessing no social manners, they were basically giant Barbarians. Attacking in angry hordes rather than organized forces, when the Colormen came to power they vowed to put an end to the destructive rampages brought upon by the one-eyed monsters. It would not be an easy fight, as it was said the Cyclops were so brave, they did not even fear the Gods.
For the most part, cyclops anatomy is similar to that of a human, with the notable exception of only having a single eye. Due to this, cyclops lack depth perception and can be easily blinded. Their height range varies, with some described as being 20 feet tall, and others 150 feet tall. They also have long life spans, some living for centuries. They reproduce in a manner similar to humans.
Notable cyclops include Polyphemus, the Cyclops who was outwitted and blinded by Odysseus in Homer's Odessey.
Another is Balor (NOT to be confused with the character created by Tug). Originating from Irish mythology, Balor was said to have an eye that whenever it opened wreaked destruction. He was the king of the Fomorians, the son of Buarainech and the husband of Cethlenn. It is said that when he heard a prophecy that he would be killed by his grandson, he locked his daughter, Ethniu, in a tower to prevent her from having children. But... well, long story short, Balor stole a magic cow, the guy guarding the magic cow sets out to get it back, ends up at the tower where Ethniu is, they procreate and she has three sons. Balor tried to drown them, but one survived, and became Lugh. Later in life, Lugh did kill Balor by tossing a sling or spear (sources vary) through his eye, killing Balor. It is said when Balor died, his eye was open and he burned a hole in the Earth. That hole became the lake loch na Suil.
In Colormen history, the Cylcops were deemed too dangerous to let live, since even those that had human level intelligence were barbaric. Starting near Sodor and working their way around continental Europe, both the Cerulean Giants and a special legion of Colormen dedicated themselves to ridding the world of this awful race. They would travel to where ever they were needed, and deal with the threats at hand.
When the war on cyclops ended in 1504, only seven were still alive, and they had gone into hiding. The Colormen decided to let them be... because all seven were male, and they knew that without females, the race was doomed to extinction.
They eventually made their way to the continent of Elbaf... but what happened after that is unknown.
*What do you think guys?
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Post by Tug on Aug 20, 2016 21:43:33 GMT -5
Sounds good Frank, I'm liking it, I think I could easily work it into the society of Elbaf I plan on setting up
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 20, 2016 21:57:00 GMT -5
Glad you like it Tug; and here's the next one
HUMANOID GIANTS:
Part Two: "Normal" giants
In the classification of the giant creatures and monsters, the most basic of the giants is that of a giant human. Ranging in height from 15 feet to 50 feet, these giants are for all intents and purposes, giant humans in behavior, lifestyle, reproduction, and other key factors. Their behavior is so varied, it is impossible to generalize them into one term. There are peaceful giants who coexist in harmony with humans, and there are also savages and barbarians who exist only to destroy the human race.
The Colormen's history with normal giants is unique. Realizing the enormous variety of giants, they made it a point to help the peaceful ones coexist with humans, and help in campaigns to destroy the barbaric ones.
Though eventually the barbaric tribes had all been wiped out, there was a problem- many kingdoms and countries did not have the same level of respect for the peaceful giants as the Colormen, and began destroying them as well. Faced with extinction, the giants proposed a solution: Exodus. There existed a secret continent called Elbaf, which was said to be a place where all mythical, magical or legendary creatures could live in peace. The Colormen used magic to construct a "fleet of mighty arks" (Meaning unknown), allowing the surviving giants to escape the wrath of the human empires.
Ever grateful to the Colormen for their help, they promised to spread the word of the "great Colormen who, even in our dark hour, stood by our side and helped us gain a second chance." The fleet of arks left from Sodor in the dark of night... but what happened afterwards is unknown. (UPDATE: Tragically, several decades later Colormen on expedition in Iceland found the wrecks of three of these arks, and a further two were found wrecked at the bottom of the ocean about two miles off that coast with the three wrecks. With no signs of giants found anywhere in Iceland, the worst was assumed, and the Colormen built a memorial to "The peaceful Giants" on the Great Hall grounds. Due to the dark era, it fell into a state of disrepair, and in the new era, is being repaired.)
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Post by Tug on Aug 20, 2016 22:06:19 GMT -5
It's good, though I'll like to inform you that modern giants are very weary of the Colorfolk after hearing about the campaigns of the Cerulean giants, and a few of the barbaric tribes did survive, so that doesn't help their image on Elbaf, basically, I'll explain more when we get to the giants on Elbaf but in the past this is correct like you said this being hundreds of years old...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 20, 2016 22:18:19 GMT -5
Exactly; this is hundreds of years old; at the time (and some giants probably do to this day), the giants spoke highly of the Colormen, for coming to their aid in their darkest hour.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 21, 2016 21:07:54 GMT -5
Slightly fixed the normal Giants epilogue regarding the arks; should make more sense now.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 22, 2016 23:15:20 GMT -5
HUMANOID GIANTS:
Part Three: ogres
Though they appear in various fairy tales as monsters that eat children, in 3WSR that is exactly what they do, much to the horror of many humans. These humanoid giants don't get very tall, peaking at 8-12 feet at most, but they are only slightly less barbaric than their Cyclops cousins. They are extremely aggressive, and while they will eat plants and animals, they are also cannibalistic, particularly with eating human children. Since ogres tended to be solitary creatures, their nature regarding reproductive behavior, social heirarcy and relations is fairly unknown. However, anatomically they are quite similar to humans, based on study of bodies recovered. However, relative to humans the body proportions can be strange/off.
In Colormen history, when they saw what ogres did, they considered them an "abomination" and the fact that every ogre they came across was cannibalistic only solidified their resolve. Traveling throughout Europe, and even some parts of the rest of the world (full extent unknown), they effectively drove the ogres into extinction. The last time a living ogre was observed was in 1497, in what is today the southern part of Denmark.
It was hard to study the behaviors and traits of ogres, because whenever the Colormen tried to observe them, they would either attack the Colormen outright, or they were about to eat innocent victims and had to be stopped. Unlike other species, the barbaric nature of ogres game them no redemptive value at all.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 23, 2016 20:26:09 GMT -5
GIANTS OF THE AIR:
The Roc:
Imagine taking an eagle or hawk, and then increasing its size a thousand fold. That is the basic of idea of the creature called the Roc. Put simply, it is a massive Bird of Prey, with a wingspan as long as 50 feet, and its length varying from 20 feet to 30 feet. Their behavior is much like other birds of prey, with the exception that what they prey on is much larger. Like birds, they reproduce by laying eggs.
They originated in the Eastern world, but in due time, quite literally spread their wings and flew west. Some Colormen adventurers that traveled east to study them noted that "they were strong enough to lift man, livestock and even elephants"
Since they were, for all intents and purposes, giants birds, repeated studies of specimens failed to find any with human level intelligence, or that could be trained to respect humans... they were giant monsters, plain and simple. As such, they had to be wiped out, and starting on Sodor and moving East, and working with other factions of mages when possible, eventually the Roc had been wiped out. The last time a living Roc was observed was 1458.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Aug 23, 2016 21:26:52 GMT -5
Awesome, Frank! Love that you took one of my all-time favorite mythical creatures. Another one that I'd add would be the thunderbird.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 31, 2016 23:10:04 GMT -5
Thunderbird:
A creature stemming from Native American mythology, because they only lived in the Americas, the Colormen's information on them is somewhat spotty and incomplete.
Described as being "so large it could carry a killer whale in it's talons, akin to an eagle carrying a fish," exact measurements are unknown. In some traditions, they are said to be responsible for thunder and lightning, while in others they are treated as clan animals.
Some have described them as powerful forces of nature, while others have described them has powerful, but ordinary animals.
Colormen history with the Thunderbird is minimal at best; during the voyages of some Colormen who took to explore the world, they would hear of them through interactions with Native Americans. Because the creatures were held in high regard, they are presumed to be good.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 1, 2016 0:07:42 GMT -5
Wyvern:
Closely related cousins to dragons, the wyvern is a bit smaller than its cousin, and while dragons can be 2 legged or 4 legged, wyverns are always 2 legged and have wings that are fused to their arms.
They were more or less "barbaric dragons," taking pleasure in the destruction of villages and consuming humans. They breathed fire, and had razor sharp fangs and talons. They were found throughout Northern Europe.
They were such monsters, even the dragons did not like them. In Colormen history, they were deemed too dangerous to let live, especially since they were all either beast-like in intelligence or barbaric and couldn't be reasoned with. Given the relatively narrow range they were in compared to other species, they were wiped out relatively quickly. The last living Wyvern was observed in 1392
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 1, 2016 0:16:40 GMT -5
I'm sorry D-11; everything I read said that they were either cousins of dragons or "closely related to" dragons, but not dragons themselves.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Sept 1, 2016 23:24:30 GMT -5
CERBERUS:
The legendary "hound of Hades" this demon dog is tasked with making sure that souls do not leave the underworld.
A giant, three headed dog, each head is surrounded by a mane of serpents, and its tail is also a serpent, allowing it to see in all directions.
It is a ferocious beast, but luckily for mankind, it only dwells in the depths of the underworld.
the Colormen only had one encounter with it: during the first era, Cerberus briefly came to the surface world to hunt down an escaped soul. The Colormen had coincidentally taken notice of "strange anomalies" and had tracked down and captured the spirit separately. When Cerberus found the soul had been captured by the Colormen, he seemed to sort of gesture to it, indicating it had only come to the surface world for the soul. The Colormen handed it over, and the hound returned to hell. It has not been seen since.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on May 6, 2017 0:03:07 GMT -5
Wow- the giants really need updating; given how much was developed in the chronicles; and we established that the Peaceful giants were fully aware of and supportive of the Colormen's campaigns against the evil creatures, and even fought alongside the Cerulean giants.
Off to the wiki, I guess.
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