The Big Brothers of Man

More About the Gargantuas

Art by Zhu Bajiee

[Shortly after I restarted Grognardia, I began to develop Telluria, the setting of Dwimmermount and Urheim, in greater detail. One of the first things I did was present a new race for player characters: the Gargantua. Now that I am once again returning to that project, I thought I should expand upon the little information I presented about the Gargantuas. What follows is pure “fluff” without any game mechanical information. I’m saving that for another post, probably on Patreon.]

Among the peoples of Telluria, none loom quite so large — literally or symbolically —as the Gargantuas. Standing over seven and a half feet tall and broad as draft horses, they are rightfully nicknamed the “Big Brothers of Man.” The sobriquet is affectionate rather than ironic. Gargantuas have lived beside Men for as long as either remembers, often serving as protectors, laborers, mercenaries, and champions. Their immense frames and prodigious strength make them impossible to ignore, but their role in history has been shaped as much by loyalty and stubborn honor as by brute force.

Though commonly stereotyped as slow-witted, Gargantuas are better described as plainspoken and direct. They value clarity over cleverness, action over speculation, and honesty over diplomacy. Intrigue baffles them, half-truths irritate them, and elaborate social niceties strike them as wasteful. This has earned them an undeserved reputation for dullness among smaller folk, but those who take the time to know them quickly discover a people capable of dry humor, deep memory, and surprising insight — just not subtlety.

Origins and Early History

Gargantua oral tradition claims they were once giants reduced by the Great Ancients, a punishment for ancient pride. True or not, their legends speak of an elder age when their ancestors strode above treetops and fought creatures now extinct. Over centuries, their stature diminished, but their sense of responsibility toward smaller folk endured.

Human chronicles corroborate this in part. The oldest city-states record Gargantuan warriors standing beside the kings of Men, fighting off monstrous adversaries. In several regions, ancient fortifications still bear stones so large that only Gargantuan hands could have placed them. In Tellurian folklore, the phrase “built by big hands” still refers to ancient structures of uncertain origin.

Society and Culture

Most Gargantuas live among Men, either in frontier towns, military settlements, or rural communities where their strength is valued. A single Gargantua family in a village often becomes its unofficial defenders and labor backbone. In return, Men provide them with food, tools, and social acceptance, though prejudice against them is not unknown.

Others prefer to form independent enclaves in forests, hills, or valleys. These settlements are usually small, rarely exceeding a few dozen individuals. Such communities favor self-sufficiency: hunting, quarrying stone, and forging their own tools. Gargantuan villages are built from massive timbers and boulders, often without mortar, relying purely on weight and clever placement.

Family and Kinship

Gargantua families are tight-knit. Children mature slowly, remaining physically awkward for many years before suddenly shooting up in adolescence. Elders are highly respected, not for clever speech but for accumulated experience. A Gargantua who has survived three wars is listened to carefully, even if his advice is blunt. Kinship ties matter greatly. Feuds are rare but last generations when they occur. To wrong a Gargantuan family is to invite slow, patient vengeance — not dramatic but inevitable.

Values

Gargantuan culture prizes:

• Strength used responsibly

• Keeping one’s word

• Endurance over speed

• Honest labor

• Direct confrontation

Gargantuas distrust trickery, contracts filled with fine print, and those who boast without deeds to support it. A gargantua would rather fight an enemy openly than win through ambush, though they will not hesitate to do what is necessary in war.

Relations with Other Races

Men and Gargantuas share the longest history. They admire Gargantuan might but often underestimate their intelligence. Gargantuas, for their part, see Men as clever but fragile, brilliant younger siblings who sometimes get themselves into trouble. This relationship is not without tension. Gargantuas dislike being treated as muscle-for-hire or curiosities. A human ruler who respects them as equals will earn fierce loyalty; one who exploits them will eventually face rebellion.

Dwarves and Gnomes respect Gargantuas for their physical strength but consider them crude craftsmen. Elves, meanwhile, find them frustratingly literal but admire their long memories. Goblins often fear them outright and avoid their company if at all possible.

Warfare and Reputation

Gargantuas are renowned as shock troops and champions. Their presence on a battlefield inspires allies and terrifies foes. They prefer heavy weapons, massive shields, and straightforward tactics, advancing steadily, breaking lines, and crushing opposition with relentless force.

Despite this, they are not berserkers. Gargantua warriors fight methodically, conserving strength, holding formation, and protecting weaker allies whenever possible. Many human armies place them in vanguard units specifically to absorb enemy charges. Likewise, their ability to hurl rocks with deadly accuracy makes them fearsome in sieges and skirmishes alike, especially in rugged terrain where ammunition is plentiful.

Religion and Beliefs

Gargantuas acknowledge the Great Church of Law and accept Anyastos as the one god, whom they regard as the First Ancestor and ultimate source of order and endurance. To them, reverence for Anyastos is expressed through action rather than ritual: keeping one’s word, standing firm in adversity, and fulfilling one’s duties without complaint.

Alongside this, Gargantuas maintain a strong tradition of ancestor veneration, which they see not as worship but as remembrance. Their dead are believed to stand before Anyastos as witnesses, observing the deeds of the living. Many gargantuas treat notable forebears as folk saints — exemplars of virtue, sacrifice, or steadfastness — invoked in oaths and stories, even if the Church does not formally recognize them. These ancestral saints serve as local models of Law in practice.

Shrines are simple and austere, like standing stones, cairns, or planted weapons, sometimes marked with a symbol of Anyastos. Clerics are rare among Gargantuas and those who exist act primarily as oath-keepers and mediators rather than theologians. The Church generally tolerates these practices, seeing them as an older, plainer expression of Law, even if some prelates quietly disapprove.

Common Stereotypes

“They’re stupid.”
False. Gargantuas are simply blunt and uninterested in verbal games.

“They’re violent.”
Only when necessary. Gargantuas actually prefer stability and peace.

“They’re mercenaries.”
Some Gargantuas are, but most value loyalty over coin.

“They’re just big Men.”
Insulting. Gargantuas consider themselves a distinct people with their own ways, even if they value their long shared history with Man.