Great Cyclops

Does the Bestiary cyclops feel a little too…well, small for you?  Do you want your giants to be truly giant—great thundering, Greek-eating, spawn-of-Poseidon monstrosities?  The great cyclops has you covered.  Mind that flash of brutality, by the way…

A cyclops sage convinces human adventurers to accompanying him to a hitherto unknown cyclopean ruin.  He secretly intends to sacrifice his companions to reactivate the many magic circles there and return the city—and his people—to prominence.  But he is not prepared to face the great cyclopes who already people the city, and who regard him as a stunted degenerate to be snuffed out.

Minodes the True is more than a fighter; he’s a celebrity.  Having slain the Linnorm of Antarch and harnessed the Griffon of Ephar (subsequently presenting it to Countess U’Shem as a wedding present), his name is known throughout the land.  A promoter convinces him to headline staged combats in the great cities along Daggertooth Coast, dueling with well-fed and well-bribed manticores and lizardfolk.  But it all goes wrong when a supposedly tame great cyclops flattens Minodes with a single brutal blow, then turns to vent his rage on the thousands of gathered spectators.

A storm giant offers to take his buccaneer friends to any island that borders his domain.  But when they name the Smoking Orb, he grows pensive and silent.  Finally he says, “That is cyclops land.  I cannot disturb the Fathers.  Had you the will of a rune giant, my hands would still be tied.”

—Pathfinder Bestiary 3 61

Remember how I whinged about cyclopes not getting the love from D&D?  This cover is more like it.

And after three months, I’m finally up to 50 Tumblr followers!  (Thanks, assbakas-incorporated.) 

Which means it’s a great time to introduce my Kickstarter—naaawww, I’m just messing with you. 

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