Cyclops

“Ingrash, whom we call Ingerimm, was the first born from Sumu’s body while it still burned with the raging fire of combat. Ingerimm became lord of Ore, the firm element, and of Fire, the burning element. The one-eyed fire giants known as the Cyclopes were his first creation, his first children. They would later fashion the weapons used against the children of Los that sprang from volcanoes, Sumu’s fiery wounds. The cyclopes’ single eyes glowed with the heat of molten rock and burned with determination. Others joined the children of Los and went to war with the one-eyed giants.”
— from the Annals of the Divine Age: From the Beginning of Time, Kusliker Horas edition, 1012 FB

The cyclops (plural: cyclopes) is a giant creature of human-like shape, but with a single eye above its nose. As the first-born chosen people of Ingerimm, cyclopes can work extremely hot metal with their bare hands. Their simple language, Cyclopean, is not related to any language family in Aventuria. They have a deserved reputation for aggression and contrariness. They are known to throw rocks at ships and travelers, to keep them at a distance from their treasures, but they sometimes welcome humans as guests and even present them with gifts of goods from the forge.

The Cyclopes’ forging tradition is probably the oldest in Aventuria, and it is they who created the legendary weapons that appear in the myths of many cultures. This includes such famous blades as the Thorwalian hetman’s sword Grimring, and Gnorakir, the Sword of Heroes, as well as the sword of the great Bornish hero Festo of Aldyra, Theater Knight and founder of the city of Festum. Cyclopes typically guard their creations jealously, but occasionally forge weapons and other goods for humans. The reasons for this are unknown. Sometimes they ask for a service in return, and sometimes they simply give the items to people whom they consider worthy. They are not as intelligent as humans in general, but neither are they stupid. They merely focus their attention on their surroundings and their craft.

These one-eyed master smiths can reach an age of several hundred years, though some are rumored to be more than 1,000 years old. Female cyclopes are extremely rare and are guarded like treasures by the men. Few humans have seen even one female cyclops, for they live deep in the mountains, sheltered from all harm.

Distribution

Cyclopes are rare today, and most choose reclusive lives surrounded by Efferd’s sea, on islands pleasing unto his divine brother Ingerimm. They prefer the rough rock and live volcanoes of the eponymous Cyclops Islands, but some live on other islands stretching from the South Sea north to the coast of Uthuria. A few cyclopes also live on the mainland, mostly near volcanoes in the middle and the south of the continent, like near Rashtul’s Wall and the Forge. Besides the familiar one-eyed variety of Cyclops, Cyclopean legend tells of Ingrash (known to the humans as Ingerimm) creating monads out of cyclopes to serve as teachers for His human worshipers. Monads also have only one eye and are legendary smiths, but have dark skin and metal hands. They left Aventuria in ages past and today are found only on South Sea Islands or as god-cursed monomates at the bottom of the sea of Myranor. Monads also supposedly dwell in Tharun, the world within the world of Dere, far beneath Aventuria. Way of Life Cyclopes’ culture is one of the oldest in Aventuria. According to their own faith, they are children of the god Ingrash (Ingerimm), which is also their word for fire. During the Giant Wars, they fought with Ingrash against the gods. They mostly live secluded on their islands or in volcanic mountains. Some keep goats, cattle, or sheep as a source of food and cheese, while others demand offerings of food from nearby villages. Some plant mountainside vineyards or groves of olives, from which they produce wine or oil. They spend the rest of their time creating metal goods, a craft they have perfected.

In days past, Cyclopes lived in populous tribes ruled by a king of the cyclopes, but today, a meeting between even two of these reclusive beings is unusual. They rarely pass on their forging secrets to students or even their own children. They do not know any magic, but they can work and shape hot metal with their bare hands due to their physical properties and strong resistance to heat.