The purpose of ettins

 What is the purpose of ettins? I think this is no great discussion, lore wise they are an artificial species, made to serve. But are they used for this in the game? In both c2 and c3 the do more or less what grendels do, spread disease. In c3 an extra hindrance to the player was added by making them hoard gadgets and in doing so dissect the connected machines the player would have set up. 

To players the ettin was mostly something to be annoyed by, or to feel sorry for in the case of c2 were constant pain was in their genes.

Because of these things players that made ettin breeds, genetic or graphically, made them to be more or less like norns. This allowed players to just breed them and play with them, but this usually forgot the ettins purpose as a servant. 

Now, lets go there. Were they to be reworked into servants, assistants to the hand, how would that work in the game? Lore wise they they were to the shee what igor was to victor frankenstein, but in the game they simply are not intelligent enough to directly comply to commands, be it bringing tea or machine parts.

To simply gather gadgets and to bring them home is one thing, but gadgets do not cease to be gadgets when you build something out of them, making the gathering only an annoyance.

So what other jobs can you do with the simple acts creatures are limited to? Collection of food is one thing, hitting of pests another. Perhaps gathering detritus and leaving it by the recycler would be another. Collecting eggs is one task that might suit them. Perhaps pulling weeds, though I suspect not all weeds can be pulled out which would make it a confusing act to them.

I am sure people can imagine more “jobs” for ettins to do, and readers are very welcome to add suggestions in the comments. 

The next question would be; how and whether to specialice the ettins in question? The how is a puzzle for the genetists, of course, but the other one is a less technical but just as imprtant question. Would one generalised servant ettin fullfill all these tasks? Would you have separate breeds for every job, like a farmer ettin to tent to plants and weeds, a chef or “cookie” ettin for food gathering and a pest control ettin for that separate job?

Let me know what you think, I would love to see other opinions and ideas on the topic!

-gobbo

Edit: sketchstape felt inspired by this article and drew an ettin befitting the theme! https://www.creaturescaves.com/gallery.php?section=Art&view=3098

Dragoler enlightened me on the internal workings involved with ettin behavior and their limits: https://www.creaturescaves.com/mycaves.php?section=Bibble&view=32824