The Luminaria Chronicles

Many millennia ago, before recorded history, giants roamed the world. We know this to be true because ancient bones have been found and some are now for display in various museums around the world. It is believed that their numbers were few, and that most were killed off by mortal kind, after civilizations began to rise. However, some rumors claim some giants still exist in the furthest reaches of the world.

The Religions of Golicus

Religions that revere the giant pantheon all fall under an umbrella term known as Golicus. Golicussans, as they are coined, are spread throughout several nations around the world. These religions are passed down mostly through word of mouth, with very little factual lore. The "factual" lore comes from various cave paintings and stone tablets as well as the remnants of goliath bones found around the world.

The Creation of the World

In the beginning, before mortal kind were birthed into the world, giants & dragons roamed the earth.

The Grand Architects designed and crafted the world. With precision and purpose, they shaped the land, sea, and skies, imbuing the universe with life and energy.

The Seven Founders

To guide and balance their creation, The Grand Architects appointed seven goliath giants , known as the Founders, to serve as patron deities for the world's inhabitants. Each Founder embodied a distinct aspect of the creation:

Octhos the Ram Lord: Appointed to safeguard and protect, Octhos oversees strength, travel, and warfare.

Tunoma the Death Goddess: Tasked with governing the cycles of life, Tunoma reigns over death, magic, and the mysteries of the deep.

Blevog the Wise Hunter: Entrusted with maintaining balance, Blevog watches over animals, knowledge, and luck.

Zir-RohTag the Brave Climber: Chosen to embody resilience, Zir-RohTag personifies earth, strength, and the radiant sun.

Kallitha, the Fertile One: Responsible for nurturing life, Kallitha governs healing, magic, and plant growth.

Wivag, the Harbinger of Woe: Tasked with testing resolve, Wivag wields destruction, fire, and cunning.

The Silent Companion (unknown/mysterious): The seventh Founder remains shrouded in mystery, their name and domain hidden.

The Founders' Covenant

The Grand Architects charged the Founders to maintain harmony and balance within the world. The Founders pledged to cooperate, ensuring the delicate equilibrium of nature and guiding the evolution of life.

This pantheon oversees the world, influencing the course of history and shaping the destinies of giant and giantkin civilizations.

Beliefs & Rituals

Golicus is very much an animistic type of religion. Golicussans generally live within nature as nomadic tribes, living one with nature. They are primarily hunter-gatherers and unless given a VERY good reason, will avoid settlements at almost any cost. There is only one known sect of Golicus that lives stationary, that is The Cult of Wivag, found deep within the heart of The Redrock Canyon, in Goliath Gulch.

Birth:

Followers of Golicus based faiths see the birth of every child as a blessing, and show great pride in it. A common ritual is for the child "see its first light", when the couple (after the female recovers from birth) goes to an open place towards the East before sunrise, and "shows" the child the light of the sun. Generally, it is in this ritual where its First Name is given.

Adulthood:

Followers of Golicus based faiths are considered an adult around age 18th, but in the Golicus society, an individual can only be considered an adult after "earning" it. How this happens changes from tribe to tribe - some would demand a trial (hunt a certain animal, go from point A to point B in a certain amount of time, bring a certain artifact from a location to the encampment, etc), others a show of one's skills, others engage in a "spirit quest" under a trance induced by drugs or hypnosis. In it, the new adult receives their Given Name.

Marriage:

Followers of Golicus based faiths generally have arranged marriages, where the elders of their tribe arrange the union of their young because they are very aware of the lack of... "social sensibilities" of their young, but the elders always take in consideration the compatibility of the partners to avoid a tumultuous union. However, it is not unusual for marriages happening for love as well.

Death:

Followers of Golicus based faiths do not believe in burying their dead. Instead, they believe in going back to nature, literally. When a person is dead or close to dying, they are brought out to the forest, or perhaps near the base of a mountain, and for those close to coastlines, some choose to set out to sea on handmade rafts. They are then left to spend their last living hours within nature, and eventually decomposing into nature itself. This belief is based off of one of their core beliefs "From dust we came and dust we shall return."