Giff
The Giff are a species of large, hippopotamus-like humanoids native to the Astral Plane. Giff were said to be loud, boisterous and stubborn people, but also honourable and friendly ones, renowned for their martial prowess and their love of explosives.
Many Giff were said to be spacefaring mercenaries, traversing The Astral Sea to fight battles and slay dangerous foes. Giff could historically be found among the space colonies founded among the stars during the Age of Arcanum. Unfortunately these colonies were destroyed during the Fall of Arcanum, and there have been no record of any Giff existing since the Fall.
Militaristic Mercenaries
A majority of Giff were said to be members of a large mercenary organization that consisted almost exclusively of Giff.
Every aspect of Giff society was said to be organised along military lines, from birth until death, every Giff had a military rank, with promotions given as a reward for valour. Giff were frequently hired by other factions for their skill in fighting and mechanics, but it is said that they refused to fight other Giff, never agreeing to a contract unless it stipulates that they can sit out a battle rather than wage war against their kin.
Giff were said to see no honour in Magic, preferring more practical warfare. Records from the Age of Arcanum detail many arguments between visiting Arcanum mages and Giff.
Because of their aversion to Magic, the Giff were said to be masters of mechanical technology, responsible for much of the advanced technology found within the Astral Sea colonies, from black-powder weaponry to large metallic spaceships.
Mysterious Past
Records from the Age of Arcanum claim that the Giff do know from where they originate, or how their species came into being, and that their history had been lost to them.
Notes from ancient Arcanum scholars have been found debating the topic, discussing how Giff resemble Exorsian hippopotamuses, and have Mammal ancestry, suggesting that they could have originated from Exorsia. But the scholars had no idea how Exorsian hippos could have ended up in the Astral Sea, especially as they must have evolved away from Exorsia, as there were no historical records of any such species in the vast Arcanum libraries.
Appearance
Giff were said to be easy to recognise, with their large and imposing forms, heavy set bodies and large hippopotamus heads. They were said to have four fingered hands, a small tail and thick blubbery skin that was a mix of a pink and grey colouring. Giff also do not have hair outside of short bristles on their head and whiskers.
Male and female Giff were said to look almost identical.
Maturity
Giff were said to mature at around the same rate as Humans, reaching adulthood around the age of 18.
Reproduction
Giff were said to reproduce similarly to Humans. The gestation period for a Giff was around 10 months.
2.1 - 2.4 m (7 - 8 ft)
Diet
Omnivore
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