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Goliaths were a nomadic race of humanoids who roamed the cold, mountainous regions of Toril, but their exploratory nature occasionally brought individuals or small groups to more temperate and populated areas. A typical goliath stood between 7 and 8 feet (210 to 240 cm) tall and weighed 280–340 lb (127–154 kg). They were very strong and had extremely tough skin that varied in shade from gray to brown with distinctive markings in darker shades. Goliaths believed these markings were an abstract map of their destiny and for this reason never tattooed themselves for fear of altering their fate for the worse.

Fiercely competitive, especially with themselves, goliaths kept a running account of their accomplishments and personal bests, and always desired to improve. Those not familiar with goliath culture could misconstrue this as boasting, but to them it was the matter-of-fact measure of their lives&mdash;goliaths looked upon cheating, gloating, holding grudges, and whining with disdain. They lived by the maxim "Today's rival is tomorrow's teammate."

Goliaths tried to get along with anyone that didn't threaten their livelihood, but expected everyone to pull their own weight and contribute to an endeavor. They were particularly fond of dwarves and their weapons-crafting skills, enough that goliaths would venture underground to seek out trading opportunities. They were known to hunt with human rangers and druids, but were a bit awestruck by elves that were old enough to have first-hand knowledge of their ancestors. (Archive | Read more...)