#artalam

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@riesenlied content Here’s a new character that I didn’t get to develop much yet. He’s a saint named Niarto Toik and is part of the government of the Welikanate.

He is one of three parlamentarians who’s job it is to represent the traditional Artalamian communities there. This proves difficult at times.

Traditional Artalamian families are “mixed”. Which means they are made up of giants and humans. This is a huge part of their cultural identity and faith. Toik himself has numerous adoptive human family members and has been raised by both kinds. In those families both kinds have equal say in things. Which is not the case in the Welikanate overall. (The word Welikanate itself means “country ruled by giants”.) At that point in time Traditional Artalamian families are not in control of their homeland, Artalam, as they have been exiled from there a couple centuries after gods death. Since then, these communities have had no other choice but to live in countries that are strictly giant-governed, despite disagreeing with that kind of hierarchy and law. In this moment in time, there are two giant-ruled countries. Crownland and the Welikanate (Crownland has existed for many centuries at this point, the Welikanate less than a 100 years.) Artalamian communities are divided on which country to live in. Over all it seems like the Welikanate feels like a safer and less stressful place to live. But one of the only things keeping Crownland Artalamian communities safe at all is that there is a lot of them there and they are a relevant political force there. If too many of them were to leave and go to the Welikanate, that influence and safety might be lost. So there is no easy solution there. Back to Toik - his clothing there is a Welikanate uniform with Artalamian-style ornaments added to it. And he is known as a mediator and peacemaker, helping find compromises between different parliament factions. This includes talking to people like Kadi Samkiuliot - someone who his two fellow artalamian collegues will avoid interacting with at all cost because of her bad reputation about how horrible she can be towards humans.

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one super rough sketch that needs to be redone some day. a handful of Welikanian cultures/groups. Explanation under the cut. Twitter • YouTube  • Insta • Patreon • Worldbuilding

from left to right Sidrics -  a religious minority of giants that believe that trying to learn and understand more about the world honors god and creation. After having to leave their home, most of them live in Tuliam/Crownland, where some of them make a living being private tutors to the Tulish Elites. Artalamian Families - a society where giants and humans live in mixed families together. Were one of the last groups to lose their homelands after Odhr’s death. After that, most of them live in Tuliam/Crownland, where they live in gated communities. Keeping the humans of their families hidden away and protected. Resenting most of the other groups they have to share that country with, which is mutual. Enesh Giants of the Welikanate - a group that has survived being sentenced to “death by exile” by the giants of Tuliam/Crownland. Under the guidance of their Prophet they have founded conquered a row of human-led countries and founded a nation named The Welikanate of Dayan (A Welikanate being an old word for a land ruled by giants.) and begun “The Golden Age”. During that Golden Age they are the only giant-run country except Crownland. And while trading with each other, relations between the two nations are still tense. Their symbol is a sun that shines downwards, while a symbol of crownland has a sun that shines upwards. They rule the Welikanate using Odrics, a loyal class of human nobles that believe in the same god as them.

Enesh Giants of Tisli - (this is in an earlier era, way before the Golden Age) these are the Ancestors of those who would later become the Welikanate. During the time of the Tislian Empire though they were loyal to Tises, a human king, whom they had helped into power and had a contract with. And while they were not technically in power, one of them, the captain of the royal guard usually, would always be an advisor to the current human monarch of that dynasty. And the humans of Tisli would see their Giants with Pride. Later, after a great catastrophic event, the humans if Tisli were unable to uphold their part of the contract, the heir of the dynasty was dead, and an Enesh Giant Woman, the Prophet Daya, would take over. Tisli would become the first territory incorportated into the Welikanate. Tulish Giants - live in Tuliam/Crownland, a nation of giant former monarchs that still cling to being monarchs, even centuries after being dethroned. Waiting for god to return one day and give them their kingdoms back. And making life hell for each other. Because in a land made of kings, they can not all be kings. Even the lowest paid giants there will wear cheap crowns. And be eager to tell everyone how they are the so and so’th in line to some throne to some far away kingdom that might not even exist anymore. The moment the Welikanate sprung into existance as a new giant-run country, several Tulish Giants would show up and be like “HEY, actually, I’m first in line for the throne of this land you just returned into giant hands, and by Tulish law that means you have to return that land specifially to ME thank you very much.” After a short audience with the Enesh Prophet, those would usually change their minds and renounce all of their claims. At some point less and less Tulish giants would show up with that same goal, fearing to be brainwashed by the Prophet aswell.

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An Artalan g​iant with four archers and a kruvik bird shield, during the Ancient Days of @riesenlied. I think that kind of weapon might be used rather against other g​iants than humans.

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All over the world the first generation of giants was raised by human adoptive parents. That was understood as a temporary solution, until there would be giants old enough to raise the next generations themselves. In a place named Artalam however, they just kept the tradition going, keeping families mixed, all helping in raising both kinds equally, making decisions together. That set them apart from most other cultures of that world. Over the course of history, whenever it came to interacting with countries that were human-led or giant-led, Artalamian families would trade, ally or war with whatever side was the most advantagious or safe choice at the time. Twitter • YouTube  • Insta • Patreon • Worldbuilding