Giant knight thoughts
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So I’ve been playing Baldur’s Gate 3 (I’m addicted, it’s a problem) and, unsurprisingly, been inspired by all sorts of D&D related size fantasies. I’ve been reacquainted with my love for giants in armour. More recently, and specifically, paladins or guardian/sentinel types.
Like, I’m already a fan of giants who are capable of immense destruction, but also great gentleness. So it’s fitting to fantasise about a big, handsome man in beautifully crafted armour, striding down through the narrow streets of some town or city; helping those in need while doling out justice indiscriminately to those who do harm. He is careful, mindful that each step creates tremors strong enough to shake the tiny citizens and their buildings (the extent of this depends on his size). Some narrower streets can’t accommodate the width of even one leg, so he sticks to the main road. Maybe he’s stationed at the city walls, watching from a distance and intervening as necessary. His size alone is enough to intimidate anyone to submission, but he doesn’t shy away from using his fist or boot on bolder types who like to test him.
I think the fun part of his character is that justice isn’t always kind or merciful; often driven by the laws, or the code of his patron, maybe his own if he’s aggrieved by the formers. Because despite paladins having a reputation of being virtuous do-gooders, he acts with impunity, to judge crimes as he sees fit against his code - all for the greater good. Say, if I’m up for a more destructive scenarios, he can try to be careful where he walks, but it’s difficult to avoid things that barely or don’t reach his ankle. But it’s a manageable consequence of keeping the citizens safe. Idealism and dogma can be really unsettling - more so when the person is a colossal juggernaut. They’re scary! And do I love me some fear and tension in my fantasies? I sure do!
Importantly, he is not above vengeance. One scenario I like to play with involves him saving his little love from a corrupt official or government that hides behind a private army, and those who get in his way face his wrath. He saves her, of course, but does she watch on in horror from the safefy of his palm or shoulder as he continues to mete out his rightous fury? Maybe - that depends on my mood - she couldn’t stop him anyway, not without some effort at least. By then, he’s razed a good portion the city to the ground, the antagonist’s armies are down to the last few soldiers who have survived or haven’t managed to run away. He won’t stop until the antagonist is judged accordingly.
I could go on, but those are the main points I think. My thoughts are a bit everywhere, but I just wanted to share and get it off my chest. It’s been such a turn on, let me tell you. I vaguely remember a story I read a while ago on the VSW Forum involving an armoured giant, but it has been a while and I wasn’t so into destruction then as I am now. I could do with more anyway
Other inspirations (from video games because that’s how I roll) have been the Tower Knight boss from Demon Souls, and Ornstein from Dark Souls (when he is powered up by absorbing his partner, cutscene at 1:10). But they could be bigger.
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BG3 is crack.
Paladins are my go-to characters in almost every fantasy RPG, tabletop or otherwise. My longest lasting D&D character was a LG Paladin (alignements don’t exist anymore, but whatever) and I think you nailed an important aspect of their personality - doing “Good”, no matter the cost. Righteous and unwavering, no compromises. So I can see how that fits into your scenario, ie. destroying parts of a city to root out a greater evil would be in-character for them.
taking notes…
I never imagined myself gigantic, not really something I’ve given much thought, but that could be a fun thing to render!
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As much as I enjoy D&D (thankfully I’m in a life stage where I’m not playing video games much because I’m already fascinated by BG3 despite not actually playing myself), it’s rare that I think about that kind of medieval fantasy type setting in my size fantasies. But some of what you just listed is making me reconsider
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Being a giant is much more congenial in a world without artillery, aircraft, or nuclear weapons.
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@miss-lillipants Yes to all of this!
I’ve always been a fan of armor…knight armor, samurai armor, futuristic, sci-fi armor. There’s something powerful and elegant about it, and when you combine it with size scenarios, it’s simply the best. It was difficult enough finding male giant scenarios when I first discovered the size community, and it was next to impossible to find giants in armor. I ended up shamelessly writing several stories about armored giants, including one about a daimyo and another about a man who’s turned into a living weapon. I’ll probably keep shamelessly writing them.
Oh, and that scenario about a handsome giant in elegant armor is absolutely inspiring. I love the idea of an entire army against one very big (and very scary) giant
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@foreverlurk said:
BG3 is crack
Isn’t it just
An unwavering righteousness to a fault is one of my favourite character flaws. I look forward to whatever you might create
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@littlest-lily said:
As much as I enjoy D&D (thankfully I’m in a life stage where I’m not playing video games much because I’m already fascinated by BG3 despite not actually playing myself), it’s rare that I think about that kind of medieval fantasy type setting in my size fantasies. But some of what you just listed is making me reconsider
Medieval fantasy settings are one of my go-tos, but it helps to have something on hand to help with visualising, references, inspiration, etc. I normally make a bit of time for a liiiiittle bit of gaming here and there, but BG3 is such a time sink. Damn their beautiful character models!
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@Olo said:
Being a giant is much more congenial in a world without artillery, aircraft, or nuclear weapons.
True. I like to spare my giants exposure to harder hitting pests, but they have a time and place.
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@Nyx said:
I ended up shamelessly writing several stories about armored giants, including one about a daimyo and another about a man who’s turned into a living weapon. I’ll probably keep shamelessly writing them.
And I will happily indulge reading them!
You’re right about the power and elegance, and what better a look on a being who inherently exudes it?
And then to demonstrate on a tiny army - stop, my heart. -
I have a mental image now of a giant in armour just sitting down enjoying the tranquility only for someone to ride up and challenge them each time the persons deafeated they come back with bigger weapons and seige weapons only to be easily turned away by the kind giant. The plot twist he sits among the broken weapons of war the defeated general rides up and informs him that he has bested them what are his demands to leave in peace the giant shrugs and replies you could have just asked as he strolls off
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@The-Big-G Giving off some “how’s the serenity?” vibes. Love this!
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I tend to be more into shrinking/tiny woman scenarios, which is wonderfully compatible with knights since so much fantasy includes fairies, elves, etc.
I wonder how many blacksmiths they would need to acquire to make a giant knight’s armor though? Honestly, would he even need it?
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@blehb The armor is a symbol of his office. It announces his authority and reminds him of his duty.
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@Olo And he looks very dashing in it, which is all the reason he needs to be honest.
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It’s probably the restraint, both overt and understated, posed against the sheer power, and what they could do if they weren’t restrainted by their morals.
I come at it from the giant end, obviously, but every time I think about a more gentle scenario, there’s this obvious dynamic of, ‘I could do this to you. I won’t, because I’m not an asshole, but that has nothing to do with your ability to stop me.’ that flavors the mental space so much. A giant has that same dynamic effect the whole area (instead of the SW being vulnerable to it from everyone else), and with a knight… there’s this energy of, ‘I trained to be able to fight’, that they’re more than just being big, and thus they destroy things, they’re a precision machine of destruction, similarly to giant robots in the like; there’s that extra element of refined power.
Power is choice.
