"I don't even know his name. Can you believe that? Maybe my great-great grandfather did. Our people believe that once the statue of the victorious hero sinks all the way down under the swamp, then there will be no hope for the renewal of Calakmul. I wonder what will happen then? Will we all pack up and leave?"

-Keeper of the Statue, Iktan Stoneback

Calakmulan Culture

A Fallen Legacy

Arathia is a land of giant peoples. Beyond the famed giants, of cloud, storm, and fire, there are smaller giant-kin that are often not as often thought of as their larger cousins. One such race are the Goliaths. In the earliest memories of the Goliaths, they lived in the northern hill-lands of Arathia, ranging with huge flocks of sheep, and living in separate tribes. These towering warriors were feared and renowned across all who knew of them. They easily defended their realm from the jungle raids, and lived in prosperity for an unrecorded amount of time. Eventually, dwarves, arriving on ships from the west, built a settlement on the coast. While these dwarves made themselves seem as friends, over centuries, they slowly expanded into the lands of the Goliath. Dozens of wars and famed battles took place between the two peoples, and in the end, the far-more advanced dwarves sent the mighty Goliath into defeat and exile. The Goliaths retreated to the Ob-Doni plains to the east, and reorganized themselves. The Dwarves operated not under loose tribal units, but under strict and regimented hierarchies. The Goliaths took this innovation, and founded a Kingdom, which they called Calakmul, which in their Giant tongue meant the Land of Plenty. The move forced the goliaths to change from sheep herding to crop farming, but the land was fairly fertile, and the Kingdom prospered in its new location. A people that once set their eyes on reclaiming their homeland eventually became comfortable in this garden of plenty. However, their success, and their prowess in battle drew the attention of a growing power in the south. The Alz Gamorans had carved out a powerful nation around the Great Shark Bay, and expanded rapidly in their dominance of the continent. Having already gained the clients of the Caxamalcans and the Bolgans, the Gamorans wanted to add a third feather to their cap. Three wars were fought between the two peoples, and at the end of them all, the Calakmulans submitted to the nominal rule of the Princeps. Their land was extremely desirable, and being wasted on "barbarians", the Calakmulans were forcibly removed from their homes, and sent into exile once more. This time, the Calakmulans found themselves the rulers of the Great Northern Swamp, a hostile and impoverished land. Ill suited for its environs, they lived in squalor. Unable to fully live on their own sweat, the kingdom now relies on the donatives of the Gamorans, who send food and supplies to the major population centers. Furthermore, the greatest warriors of this culture, who once almost brought the Gamorans to their knees in the 2nd Golian War, now almost all served the Gamorans. The Gamorans required a minimum of boys and girls from each village and town to be sent off to be trained for the Gamoran army. Those that remained in Calakmul who gained superior skill would often make their way to the Princep's court to volunteer their services, seeking good pay and a better life. The result has been a kingdom that is robbed of almost all its strength, and a people reliant upon their enemies for their very survival. The statue of the victorious hero slowly falls into the swamp, and all hope for the renewal of the Calakmulans will soon fade into memory.

          The Calakmulans have changed many times over their long and storied history. In the current age, the Calakmulans are known as a broken people. Generally speaking, the Calakmulans tend to dark moods, depression, and despair. Of course everyone have their miseries, but Calakmulans tend to brood over their suffering more than most. They also tend to possess little to no knowledge of agriculture or food production. Their ancient ancestors did, but now most have no knowledge of such matters, though there are some swamp huntsmen who bring in meat for the settlements. While many Calakmulans are largely dependent on aid from the Alz Gamorans, and consequently their chiefs and leaders who distribute these doles, they have not forgotten their roots. Martial virtues are valued highly among all Calakmulans, often training from a young age to be warriors. Most will not become true masters of combat, but because the best jobs in Arathia for Calakmulans are in the army, there is enormous pressure on their people to become as strong as they can. For those who aren't drafted or hired into the Alz Gamoran army, some can still find service as a sword bearer for a chieftan or the king. Calakmulans and goliaths are enthusiastic story tellers. Most Calakmulans have a saga that they know by heart, and build upon as they grow older. These sagas and stories can sometimes become hours long, and tend to cover the escapades of ancient Calakmulan warriors, either real or imagined. This tendency towards story telling plays strongly into the Calakmulans' strong sense of nostalgia, constantly ruminating on their glorious past, and often grasped in either faint hope or despair over their future. Calakmulan travelers in foreign lands are often heralded as aggressive savages, and while it is true of a few, in general the Calakmulans are not very wild in temperament. The stories of their ancient ancestors inform these rumors, but now, most Calakmulans are calm and rarely quarrel with others. Even modern-day Calakmulan warriors tend to exhibit rigorous discipline in battle, having been trained in the Gamoran fighting styles. However, woe betide anyone who happens upon a Calakmulan trained in the old ways.

          The Calakmulan people are most highly concentrated in the Great Northern Swamp of Arathia, though many serve in the armies of Alz Gamora, spread across their territories. The races of the Calakmulans are most predominately goliath. The most popular gods among the Calakmulans were once the war gods. Now, after centuries of loss, and with most of the strongest warriors leaving the homeland, the swamps are awash in rival faiths, pantheons, churchs, and cults, each offering salvation to all of Calakmul, should the people but believe. Calakmulans tend to be martial, reverent, and allegoric. They also tend to be nostalgic, brooding, and untrained. The dominant language among the Calakmulans is giant, though those who interact with the Gamorans or serve in the army tend to learn Terran.

If you choose the Calakmulan Culture, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Strength score or a +1 to your Charisma score~

~A -1 to your Dexterity score~

~As a known language, either Giant or Terran~

~A Sub-Discipline in every knowledge skill on checks relating to Calakmulan Culture~

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