Character - Giants (Concept) 

Giants are a a race of humanoids that typically grow to double the size of the typical human. They are longer lived and can survive a greater degree of deformity and mutation, which is prevalent from monarchial inbreeding. They live in discreet tribes and command some of the greatest strongholds in existence.

Their ability to coexist with smaller races is dependent more on resources and availability of food than temperament or politics. It can be very difficult to feed an entire giant tribe from the common stock plants and animals. A few tribes keep a small number of large herd animals, while many others make for some of the most productive deep water fishers ever. It is also not uncommon to find giants serving larger settlements of other races as defenders in exchange for sufficient food.

A giant’s size and strength are their most obvious advantages in combat and they use them very well. However their overwhelming size makes them easier targets for smaller enemies. But it also hampers their choice of arms and armor.

The materials that are required to fully equip a single giant could similarly equip an entire battalion or more. Many giants rely solely on their own fists and feet in battle, especially against their own kind. Commonly, naturally crafted weapons like clubs or spears made from large trees with slabs of stone attached are carried into battle along with  hurled stones and war machines with unsurpassed power and range.

It can be relatively easy for a giant to be swarmed, especially by mounted archers or heavy cavalry. Similarly a sufficiently nimble opponent may be able to outmaneuver a giant in the same fashion as a fly dodging a swatter. A single strike from any giant is devastating, but only if it lands. Experienced giant fighters wrap thick layers around their legs and head and use low sweeping attacks to mow down enemies in groups. There was a legendary giant pirate that would use a ships own anchor and chain as a devastating flail and grapple.

Mountain giants have been famous for mining and working raw iron into thick slab plate armor and rough hewn blades. Rarely, a giant allied with a wealthy or powerful city will receive the honor of a master crafted weapon or piece of armor, using tons of material and special forges. The military role of giants changed when a tribe of Fire Giants allied themselves with a Dwarven mine. The ingenious dwarves equipped them with ballistas that became as efficient as crossbows, turning giants into living artillery. This practice began to spread until the dwarf artificers designed special cannons for the giants, surpassing their previous war machines entirely. Since then every castle, keep, fortress and port takes great expense to keep at least one giant employed and armed.

Most giants travel solely by foot, but sometimes they can find and tame a large enough beast to ride. Mammoths, Dragons, Dinos even whales have borne giants into combat and drawn their massive wagons.

As mages, Giants are mostly spiritual or naturalists that use their power to boost their already impressive physical abilities or to heal their own wounds. Shamans prefer to use elemental spells symbolic to their tribe.

The Iron Giants of Black Mountain 
A clan of mountain giant raiders that clad themselves in rough iron armor. They launched a campaign of conquest to crush every other stronghold in the land. They were able to decimate 3 fortresses previously considered impregnable and destroyed a dozen villages. Eventually they were driven back into their own mountain stronghold where they have been contained.

The Honour of the Pillar
Distinguished city defenders receive master work equipment piece by piece. Most ‘Pillars’ only ever receive one or two, including a unique shoulder pad and favored weapon. However some legendary giants ‘Gilded Pillars’ have been in service so long or perform deeds so great that they amass a full set of armor. These enormous bulwarks are unique to the giant that earned them and reflect the total wealth and craftsmanship of the entire city. 
The armor of the first Guilded Pillar stands in the throne room of the King, mounted on an exact replica of the giant Halix carved from a single great stone of his homeland. It also serves as his grave marker, having earned the highest honors the Kingdom had to offer and more.

Giant Shooters
Longbows and crossbows when scaled up to suit a giant become frighteningly effective. A giant can reload a light ballista war machine as efficiently as a heavy crossbow and use oversized arrows similar to cavalry lances. 
Canoneers use large single or multi-barreled iron cannons designed to be carried by hand with specially made charges to fire heavy ball or scatter shot more quickly and accurately than any warmachine. These weapons are expensive to build and maintain and while valuable and impressive have never been able to replace mounted defense weapons.

Sea Giants
Giants that live on the beaches or on the deep water fish for their meals, producing some of the largest catches ever recorded. They build large rafts, anchored to the bottom to cast their nets. Rare giant fishing boats are constructed for deep water and large species catching. These vessels are massive platforms that can withstand incredible wind and waves compared to most sailing ships, but are horrendously slow. 
There was at least one giant pirate vessel known, called the 'Jormungandr’ (norse mythology, “huge monster”). This massive vessel is a floating fortress designed to be smaller and faster than a fishing barge, but still remain a thickly armored and heavily armed raiding vessel. The captain was able to raid entire merchant vessels, claiming their cargo and stripping their hulls for materials. They rarely ever strike land and are believed to be sailing all over the world, rather than predate upon a single area. as such very few who have seen the ship have lived to talk about it, or know where it is.