Half giants are a curious breed, and Thom Goghaer is no exception. Born from the unhappy union of a rampaging giant and a gentle but stupid farm girl, Thom was raised as an outsider from the beginning and always knew he would never truly belong to the land of men. Thom’s stepfather, a brutish, idiotic and bad tempered fellow, beat him continually, never minding the fact that his stepson dwarfed him in size; and as it would become apparent; intellect. For, it must be said, that Thom is one clever giant. Let us not get confused, by human standards he is of average intelligence, no more, no less. But compared to his giant kin, and the repulsively moronic folk that raised him, he is quite the clever cookie. It was this intelligence that caused Thom to always remain peaceful, to take his stepfather’s blows and never strike back. Thom understood that had he turned to violence, he would soon have a mob of angry peasants with pitchforks, fire and other hurtful implements set upon him. Thom bided his time, waited until he had grown what he judged to be big enough, and then announced over the breakfast table one morning that he was leaving and never coming back. “I’m sorry Ma. I just can’t stay here anymore. If I remain, my resolve may waver and I will bring heartache upon this family.” With this he hazarded a withering glare at his stepfather, who, had he possessed greater mental faculties may have cringed. Instead, the simple farmer wrinkled his nose in confusion and set back to his porridge. Thom’s mother pleaded a little. Deep down, she must have known this was coming and as such, did not try too hard to dissuade him from his course of action. Thom finished his chores for the day and the rest of the week, settled what few debts he had, waved goodbye to the villagers (who rejoiced at his departure) then headed down the village road towards the town of Hlint. Thom’s education had been sparse, but he benefited from a religious epiphany in his 16th year. Durebon, a travelling Dwarven smith had taken pity on the outcast and invited the half-giant to help him prepare goods for the people of neighbouring towns. Thom was a fair to middling smith, but while at the forge he learnt of Vorax, a God of Dwarves who offered pride and a place in the world to all strong individuals. While Thom was not a violent person, he respected Vorax and his dogma and secretly hoped that he might encounter more of Vorax, and expand on his fledgling spirituality. Thom is a nervous sort of man. He is slow to trust, having been burnt many times by the hypocritical taunts of the unsophisticated peasants that raised him. He generally thinks of humans as very simple and cruel people, if only because all the humans he grew up with were just so. Despite his nervous demeanour, Thom is a very steadfast companion once he gets to know someone. He has an honourable approach to all his dealings and possesses an innate morality that is unusual. Having had little to do with ethical people, some whisper that Thom’s natural egalitarian spirit and steadfast ethics are a sign of something deeper in his character and purpose. On his way to Hlint, Thom discovered an unsettling aspect of his being. He could fight. Not two days journey from his home he was set upon by a group of vagabonds who thought his wretched appearance would make him easy prey. He saw them off easily, killing one with a single blow and dealing enough hurt to the remaining two that both were probably rethinking their vocations quite seriously. Thom is not sure what to make of the power he wields. He was so under the thumb of his stepfather, and so scared of being ostracised that he had never really let his violent urges fly free. Now that he has, they form a terrifying aspect of his personality that he is yet to explore. At the gates of Hlint, Thom gazes warily at the fortifications and buildings of man and considers whether these folk will be as callous and stupid as his family and brethren back home. Or perhaps, there are, among men, those who can embrace and appreciate the unique place a half-giant might fill in the complex world of the humans...