Comic Books
"We're on the Puppet Planetoid! This world is the playground for the children of a fantastic race of super-sized giants! To them, we are as puny as ants!"
Fairy Tales
Suddenly, just as Curlylocks had turned the corner of the very biggest wall, she saw, fast asleep at the foot of the wall, a huge man, bigger than the biggest oak in the biggest forest. The man was dressed in a huge cloak of coarse linen, and the strap he wore for a belt was five fathoms long. His head was as big as the biggest barrel, and his beard was like a shock of corn. He was so big, that man, you might have thought there was a church tower fallen down beside the wall!
This giant was called Reygoch, and he lived at Frosten. All he did was to count the stones of the city of Frosten. He could never have finished counting them but for that huge head of his, as big as a barrel. But he counted and counted—he had counted for a thousand years, and had already counted thirty walls and five gates of the city.
When Curlylocks spied Reygoch, she clasped her hands and wondered. She never thought there could be such an immense creature in the world.
This giant was called Reygoch, and he lived at Frosten. All he did was to count the stones of the city of Frosten. He could never have finished counting them but for that huge head of his, as big as a barrel. But he counted and counted—he had counted for a thousand years, and had already counted thirty walls and five gates of the city.
When Curlylocks spied Reygoch, she clasped her hands and wondered. She never thought there could be such an immense creature in the world.
— "Reygoch"
Literature
You do not appreciate at all from fairy tales how unbelievably terrifying a giant is. These players were seven-story giants, and they did not mess around. In real life, humans didn't slay giants, because it was impossible. It would be like killing an apartment building with your bare hands. They were stronger than they looked — had to be, to be the Square-Cube Law that made land organisms that big physically impossible in the real world — and their skin was half a foot thick. There were only a couple dozen giants in all of Fillory, because even Fillory's hyper-abundant ecosystem couldn't have fed more of them. Six of them had come out for the battle.
—The Magicians: The Magician's Land
GIANTS are seldom seen these days. They may be invisible. If you think you see a Giant, it will usually prove to be a very large human or the result of a BREEDING PROGRAMME. There are, however, confirmed sightings of a whole race of gentle Giants. Tours occasionally stumble on these.
Tabletop Games
"The key, gentlemen, is in their height, that very essence that makes a Giant, giant. The world cannot abide such bulk; from the moment they first draw breath, they are in pain. Growing pains, surely, but more, so much more. The world claws at them, drags at them always, whispering "lie down, lie down, rest upon the earth and rise no more." They drink to blot out this endless pain."
—Waldemarr, Scholar of Nuln, on Giants, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Old World Bestiary — A Compendium of Creatures Fair and Foul
"Above all things, even dere vast height, you will remember dere stench. Each one reeks so strongly of liquor that the fumes will set your eyes to watering. I've seen a Giant carcass lie for five days, unrotting, as the flesh slowly stripped the flesh off its alcohol-preserved hide. And dere breath, ye Gods! Dere breath. Rancid and foul, dere huge teeth strung about with decaying remnants of dere last four or five meals. Ya, I have fought alongside dem, so I know more than most wot can still talk, eh? Dere are many in homeland, always have been, for dey love the cold places, though I cannot say why. Sometimes dey fight for the Northern tribes. Sometimes against us. But always dey want hard drink and food for pay and dey aren't particular for either. Once, long ago, dere were many across the land, but Man drove dem to the mountains where dey couldn't be followed easily, for dey have always been few. Your great Sigmar killed some in his day I think and the Long Beards have claimed countless over the years. Dey are terrible foes. Dere clubs are made from whole trees, set with swords, and dey can smash three man in a single blow, even more with a good sweep. Dey don't feel pain as we do, or maybe it's all the liquor dey drink, but dey'll fight on long after dey should be dead. Dey aren't so smart, but when you're so big, you don't really need to be, do you?"
—Holger Algersson, Norse Mercenary, on Giants, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Old World Bestiary — A Compendium of Creatures Fair and Foul
"Oh, I've seen one all right. Even spoke with him. Came down from the World's Edge, he did. Was half again as tall as Kaspar's barn and almost as wide. Moved swifter than a running horse, though I don't suppose he was trying to, it's just that his stride was so long, each step took him half a furlong. I was out in the fields and everybody else ran away, but I've never been any too quick, so I whispered a prayer to Sigmar and stayed put. Well, this Giant, he stops and gazes down at me. He looked a little unsteady, weaving in place and I caught a hint of ale. 'HUMAN', he says, and I think my bones are going to break from the force of his voice, 'IS THAT THE ROAD FOR TALABHEIM?' he asks, vaguely waving one great arm towards the west. I allowed as it was. 'THANK YOU', he rumbled, then he was off and away past the horizon so quick he was out of sight before the echoes of his final 'YOU' had ended. Polite enough sort, though I wish he hadn't stepped on my cow."
—Old Hob, Peasant Farmer, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Old World Bestiary — A Compendium of Creatures Fair and Foul
