Ogres, Kaimeran (5e Creature)
Kaimeran Ogres[edit]
Giant humanoids are of great interest in the folklore of peoples across both Earth and Kaimere, with plenty of myths and legends of men the size of titanosaurs. The difference on Kaimere is that at least some of these stories have grains of truth to them. The humanoids known as hinterland giants are naturally evolved humanoids of great size, with men standing 8 feet tall on average and the Tlaton of Kaishel are also quite tall. However, the most impressive specimens of giants, referred to by the Assembly as ogres,[1] are not natural and more than a little ironically owe their existence to the smallest of Kaimere's human species: the First Children.
Given the ubiquity of giants in cultures across Earth and Kaimere, it is almost guaranteed that the first children had stories of giants as well, and perhaps the ogres were created
to recreate the figures of those legends and the utilitarian function ascribed to most homunculi[2] came afterwards. As with all homunculi, the First Children seem to have found it easier to use humans, primarily the Homo altus, as a genetic base and transplant homeobox genes from other animals into them to make their hinterland giant genetics express unconventional morphology, rather than create true hybrids. In the case of ogres, several massive animals like sloths, palaeoloxodon, and mammoths were used but the primary added genetics were from titanosaurs. This is because they have highly pneumatized bones and chests filled with air sacs that not only create efficient respiration but also serve as weight reducing adaptations, allowing them to maintain larger body sizes without as many anatomical constraints. As stated they are still genetically human: though the traits resemble other animals, its still all human bone, muscle, and keritin.
Though many homunculi did remain in Qajar after the collapse of the First Children 10,000 years ago, many of the giants left the peninsula and spread out to Arvel, but also Ni'Khar, Pakardia, and some of the southern islands. They may have sailed though given their lightweight, pneumatized morphology and the hereditary magic in them allowing the processing of saltwater with little ill effect, they may have simply floated and swam to these places. Being one of the few homunculi capable of sexual reproduction, they found great success, though many of their diagnostic traits were lost in favor of a more efficient build. Although insular populations are known to express more derived characteristics, most ogres look surprisingly human for their incredible size.
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