Tribal Structure

most mundane task into a race, wager, or other competition. Additionally, the social pressure to be a “good sport” is almost overpowering—cheaters and poor losers fi nd themselves shunned by the tribe. Goliaths compete almost without thinking about it. A team of hunters might fi nd themselves sprinting toward a mountain peak, but none of them announced a race and none of them could say who started running fi rst. Goliath tribes tend to be generous and hospitable to visitors, as long as those visitors don’t pose a threat. In yet another indication of the race’s competitive nature, a goliath tribe will provide as much food and entertainment as possible for a visitor, hoping that tales of the tribe’ s excellence will spread. This generous tendency is tempered by the fact that, as huntergatherers, goliath tribes don’t have much in the way of traditional wealth, and only when a hunt goes particularly well do they have a surplus of food.

Between forty and sixty goliaths—three to fi ve extended families—comprise a typical tribe. Most goliaths stay members of the same tribe for life. Tribes that grow too large and unwieldy sometimes split into two or three smaller tribes, and tribes that fall on hard times and become too small to survive on their own might merge with more stable tribes. However, such changes are rare; the lorekeepers of most goliath tribes can trace their tribal history back a dozen generations or more. Most goliaths identify far more strongly with their tribe than they do with their family. Family members generally share a sleeping tent and regard each other as particularly close companions, but the bonds between them aren’t as strong as they would be in a typical human society. The tribe as a whole raises its young, so children don’t form strong parental bonds. Marriages and remarriages are frequent among goliaths, so families tend to be rather fl uid.

Key Tribal Members Though tribe members are generally considered equals, several key roles are important to every goliath tribe. Chieftain: The tribal chieftain is the primary authority fi gure for a tribe, but by no means the only source of power within a tribe. The chieftain leads the tribe by acclamation when the former chief steps down (or is forced out). He is responsible for setting the path of the tribe, leading it to food-rich regions, and deciding when to move on once hunting is scarce. Each day, the chieftain selects a number of captains (“kathunae” in GolKaa) and gives each of them a task for the day, such as hunting, gathering raw materials,

Illus. by T. Baxa

Illus. by R. Spencer

cooking, or scouting new terrain. Wise chiefs assign at least two captains to each task, because then the two teams compete against one another and get more done.

Captain: The chieftain chooses captains each morning after breakfast, and most chieftains give each adult goliath an occasional turn as captain so everyone has leadership experience. Each captain gets a broad outline of the day’ s task from the chieftain. Then the captains take turns picking from the adult population of the tribe to form work teams, and the day’s work begins. Captains generally have great discretion in how they accomplish the assigned task— the chieftain, and by extension the tribe, wants results, not a specifi c set of criteria followed to the letter. Most captains relish the competitive aspect of leading a team and outperforming the other teams assigned similar tasks that day. Captains have almost absolute authority when directing their teams, but they’re loath to throw their weight around too much; any resentment they foster might show up in tomorrow’s captain.

Skywatcher: Regardless of whether they’re pantheist or animist goliaths (described in the Religion section later in this chapter), most tribes have a druid with the honorifi c of Skywatcher who preaches against the needless slaughter of game and overharvesting of resources such as fi rewood and edible plants. The chieftain often holds the skywatcher out of team selection, letting him roam as he pleases. Sky watchers spend most of their time scouting out new territory, monitoring the hunting and gathering teams, and preparing various seasonal festivals and rituals.

Dawncaller: Most goliath tribes have four to six members with the Dawncaller honorific (see the dawncaller prestige class description in Chapter 5). Dawncallers are bards who act as night sentries, patrolling the perimeter of the goliath camp at night and sounding the alarm if danger is nearby. Shortly before dawn, they sing anthems of bravery and virtue to awaken the rest of the tribe. During the day, whatever teams remain in camp pick dawncallers last, then give them light duty so they can sleep during the day and be alert at night.

Adjudicator: Adjudicators act as referees for the many games that comprise goliath leisure time, and they also settle disputes among members of the tribe. Unless the matter is particularly urgent, adjudicators hear disputes after the evening meal, listening to each party in the dispute tell his tale. The adjudicator then renders a decision. Any goliath can appeal an adjudicator’s decision to the chieftain, but the chieftain can’t overrule an adjudicator without taking the Adjudicator honorifi c away, so most chiefs are reluctant to do so. If an adjudicator can’t determine who is in the wrong in a particular dispute, he often settles the matter with a contest of some kind—often a contest that relates to the matter at hand. For example, if two goliaths each claim ownership of a particular ram, an adjudicator might award the ram to whichever goliath can carry it farther before collapsing under its weight.

Tent-Mother: The position of tent-mother is unusual because it’s the only aspect of goliath society that is genderspecifi c. The tent-mother is responsible for the care of the tribe’s infants and toddlers. She’s selected as a captain almost every morning, and she picks her own assistants. Goliath females have the ability to nurse multiple babies, so the tentmother is often able to

A goliath child learns the basics of weaving