Ettin

What is an Ettin? The Ettin is a Large Giant characterized by the fact that it has two independent heads on top of its body. They are members of the giant race. In their language “Ettin” means “ugly giant” and “runt”.

Behavior

An Ettin is a foul giant coming from a distant place called Ter. It is with two heads and the crude characteristics of an orc. You should not expect it to be a creature that takes care of itself:  it is encrusted with a thin layer of dirt and grime. It washes only if necessary and a putrid smell comes out also from its mouth, containing long fangs and big teeth. It possesses enough intelligence to speak and craft clothes and instruments, but not much more than that.

The most curious thing about the creature is the two heads: they are individuals trapped inside the same brutish body. They have their own mind, personality, and name and possesses different tastes and preferences. It is crucial to notice that one head’s preferences are often completely the opposite to the other. These differences make the ettin bully and argue with itself constantly, with its two heads each taking constant offenses to the other’s slight.

When referring to a Ettin it is necessary to combine the names of the two heads and form only one. For example if one head calls itself “Brag” and the other one “Horg”, the full name is “Brag-horg”. The two heads are always of the same sex

An Ettin is a solitary creature: it is even less tolerant with other Ettins as much as it argues with itself.

An Ettin tolerates the presence of another Ettin only when it is time to reproduce. In the Ettin race, females are the dominant gender. They initiate the mating rituals, which consist of searching for a suitable (and probably tolerable, since the main issue for these creatures apparently is to bear each other) male, which is consequently hunted and rape … ehm … conquered.

The male is then obliged to care, providing food and protection during the six months of pregnancy. When the child is old enough, the family separates forever.

Environment

An Ettin is generally found in remote mountains, as far as possible from any civilizations, possibly in a cold environment.  In the World of Solaria, they were originally from the Great Plane of the Giants, but since the End of the War between Kumerians and Taws, most of them emigrated to Kraahn.

Report about Ettins

” I must admit that it was quite a challenge to study the Ettin race for this page of the Bestiarium. I traveled to the remote Great Mountains of Betzia to explore the region, and in a small village of dwarfs, I discovered that there was a significant presence of these creatures in the surrounding area. I felt fortunate since I thought that they have all migrated to Kraahn a thousand years ago.

When I finally encountered my first Ettin, I discovered another exciting aspect of this creature: when focused on a mutually beneficial purpose or united under a common threat or mission, it can overcome personal differences and focus only on the task, with surprising strategy and efficiency. In that situation, the joint mission was to kill me. I must admit that I’ve had better days. “

Kurt Pathfinder – Bestiarium of Solaria