"The Legend of Magic Bones: Religious Beliefs of the Giants of Old Sarkoris"

Note · 55 gp · Weight 2

"All the mages who ever lived acquired their arcane ability via the same means — by spending years poring over books and toiling in laboratories, studying the mysteries of creation alone or with the help of diligent mentors. On the other hand, the origins of sorcerers' power are beyond counting, from inheriting it from an extraplanar progenitor to acquiring it from a conjunction of celestial bodies. There is but one trait that they have in common: all sorcerers wield power that is utterly undeserved, not having stirred a finger to obtain the arcane might they possess. Of course, they take great pride in their ability, fancying it a gift from a higher power, perhaps even a sign of being some kind of chosen one. Such an attitude is especially prevalent among the barbaric cultures. Take giants, for example — despite the massive weight of their colossal brains, these creatures despise learnedness and only respect innate magic, relying on superstitions to explain its origins. My attention was drawn to one of the legends as told by the frost giants of old Sarkoris, the ancient belief in magic bones. It is impossible to recall it in detail because after the demonic invasion, the frost giant tribes were either exterminated or driven away by the ash giants, but one can still find the ruins of their temples and domiciles inside the Worldwound. Judging by the remaining statues and bas-reliefs, these tribes believed a certain divine entity had been murdered or sacrificed. Its bones entered the mortal giants, granting them power over ice and cold. According to legend, the bone exits the body of its former owner upon death and seeks a new host, transforming them into a sorcerer. Spellcasters assumed to be bearers of these bones often rose to prominence as chiefs, sometimes uniting a few families into larger clans for more effective raiding..."