Wind Giants of the Sky
Said to be one of Garukavar's most impressive monsters, the Wind Giants -- named Orkatang by the royal Hireos -- are thought to be the largest creatures on Riiga. They first were mentioned by the first Hireos, but would never explain what they referred to when they spoke of the Orkatang. It was the feature of an old poem of unknown origin. When the Dutri was written some time later, a startling resemblance was spotted in verse 13, and they are now believed to be the same thing as "wind giants of the sky".
The old poem, named O Orkatang, also refers to it as "Giant of Winds". Strangely, there are inconsistencies. The Dutri says there were multiple giants, indicated by "giants" in the plural form, but clearly, the poem refers to a single entity. Of course, it could just be that there is only one giant left, and it is now split into multiple parts which are spread across Riiga, as the poem implies. The poem also implies that the Orkatang is some great thing worthy of attention, as it tells of one who travelled all over to try to recover the parts of his or her master, but fails to find a single piece.
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Above: Jadon's painting of a Wind Giant. It looms above a battlefield in an eerie greenish light, lifting up its wings higher than ten mountains, staring over the soldiers with apparent malice. |
Appearance
If the poem is to be taken as truth, several physical attributes can be assumed. Firstly, a size can be measured by observing the phrase, "your horns like pines". Even if the horns were as proportionately large as a bull's horns, to have horns as big as pine trees makes the Orkatang rather immense. If indeed it is a wind giant of the sky, and it has wings, the wings must therefore also be immense if they are used for flight. Jadon clearly drew inspiration from the poem, giving the Orkatang massive wings and enormous horns curving round towards its mouth and with rows of more horns across its head and neck.
The Giant's Body
It's not clear who the soldiers are in the foreground of Jadon's painting, but they appear to be human. Strangely, no such epic event has been recorded, and so some say it is a sign of things to come. By this logic, it has been speculated that there are factions which exist for the sole purpose of recovering all nine mentioned parts of the Wind Giant. These factions presumably try to collect the parts so that the Orkatang can then be restored and summoned, and what follows would be potentially catastrophic. It's been thought that the Templars try to do this, but no substantial evidence can be found. Officials -- such as the Guards and Phedailin Knights -- deny possessing any part of the Giant, and also deny knowledge of the whereabouts of the parts. Nikina himself does not speak of it, either. Nevertheless, those who know of the poem and know of these rumours are convinced that it's entirely likely. There is no convincing piece of information about the location of the rest of its body.
The old poem goes as follows:
O Orkatang
And I bid ye heed me, O Orkatang
I ventured through the mountains looking east for your toes
O'er the grey fields in bitter cold for your fingers
And under the heavy seas of the Nest for your wings
But ne'er did I find your tokens
I am unworthy
I am unworthy
Devour my mind for I am unworthy, O Giant of Winds
And I bid ye heed me, O Orkatang
I ventured through the deepest woods of the Red King for your tail
O'er the crescent of the heart for your horns like pines
And under the stars which dance with clouds for your tongue
But ne'er did I find your tokens
I am unworthy
I am unworthy
Devour my heart for I am unworthy, O Giant of Winds
And I bed ye heed me, O Orkatang
I ventured through the winding depths of the dead white for your fangs
O'er the dusty ash for your eyes
And under the dead holes for your heart
But ne'er did I find your tokens
And so you watch from afar and still waiting
Torn apart by the Grand and still waiting
Buried by the palace and still waiting
Bound by magics and split by magics, O Giant of Winds
And still waiting to become one
I am unworthy
I am unworthy
Devour my soul for I am unworthy
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