Cyclops from Forge of Ice!

[Alex Bates]

(Sculpted by David Soderquist of Bronze Age Miniatures)

These are not the mythical creatures of old – in Azor, the Cyclopes are tragic individuals, almost always doomed to short and miserable lives.  Whether it’s some quirk of genetics specific to the population of Azor, the legacy of meddling from an ancient non-human race, or the whim of some cruel and capricious god, the poor cyclopes always have a similar profile.  Once or twice a generation, a baby is born with an extreme & specific set of deformities – their eye sockets never differentiated, nearly blind, their limbs long and twisted.  Despite that, they are usually quite strong and often reach seven feet in height. Their minds remain childlike and impulsive their whole lives, until they get too tall and their hearts give out in their 25th year (at the latest! They often die in their teens).

The best case scenario a Cyclops can hope for is to be given (or sold) to a temple or nobleman’s menagerie immediately after birth.  They’ll be fed and clothed & treated as unfortunate but semi-sacred beings – they are said to have been touched by the sun, changed by it in ways beyond their control.

(Concept sketch by Grace Passeratti)

It’s much more likely that they will be destroyed at birth, or abandoned, exposed out in the jungle.  The mother (and occasionally the father!) may be killed, too, thought to be cursed.

Even that is a relatively kind fate compared to the cyclopes that end up in the arena.  Tormented, chained, made to fight, they are treated as monsters and featured in the grand summer spectacle.

Adventurers who end up in Azor may encounter these poor beings – perhaps the ape-men found one that had been exposed in the jungle, and are raising it as a member of the tribe.  Perhaps the heroes want to rescue one that’s been consigned to the arena.  Maybe a merchant is keeping one as a curiosity and a guardian… a screaming, weeping, inarticulate seven-foot tall person makes for a memorable encounter no matter the circumstance!

The miniature is approximately 40mm tall to the top of his head, and he’ll be $9 and should be available around Christmas.  He’s also available as an add-on if you bought in to my recent Kickstarter.

Eye of the Cyclops pre-orders now available, for a short time only:

https://eyeofthecyclops.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

[Author]

Posts