Editing House Goliath (section)

===The Three Variants===
As part of ensuring Goliath's sustainability, there were experiments made by [[House Van Saar]] involving cloning. Though this was chiefly to ensure that the labor force didn't die out, Goliath eventually found ways to make use of them without needing another house's extensive meddling.

The first and largest group would be known as the '''Vatborn''' and make up the majority of Goliath's forces due to their population being mostly sterile. Each batch of Goliaths can be gene-smithed for specific traits resulting in a lot of variety in subjects, although the science to growing new Goliaths was barely understood even when the Van Saar did it and is prone to failure, sometimes resulting in aborted subjects or other "things" with no resemblance to Goliaths at all. Best practices and gestation periods can vary from enclave to enclave, but are usually ranging from a few days to a few weeks. Even when successful, the Vatborn Goliaths will emerge from the amneo-vats fully grown, but in an instinctual, feral state. They need to go through massive education regimes through a process called the 'data-slug' which implants the language and motor skills necessary to actually function, along with knowledge of the clans history, their place in the world, as well as rudimentary combat instruction. Though the data-slug comes with risks, as skipping years of childhood only to have it jammed into their brains over a few minutes can reduce many potential Goliaths to drooling vegetables. Vatborn Goliaths tend to have lifespans in the range of a decade or so (leaving aside violence or accident of course), and will spend that life with a dependency of Stimms. Though their lives can be extended with rejuve treatments, a Goliath has to prove his worth before earning that right, and even then will likely not live as long as a Natborn.

Second up are the '''Natborn''', who are Goliaths who were birthed by actual parents (yes, [[musclegirl|there ''are'' some rare Goliath females]], indeed the first Tyrant of the House was female). The Natborn benefit from an increased lifespan of around forty years, and (relatively) increased intelligence. Because of the natural selection processes inherent within the House, and only the healthiest specimens actually being ''allowed'' to breed, Natborns can usually trace their heritages to powerful bloodlines and typically inherit the best traits. Despite being born in the natural fashion, they are still subject to a lot of the side effects of the Vat-growing processes, notably that they still age rapidly ''(though not as quickly as the Vatborn)'' and will reach adulthood within one or two years from birth. Because of this lack of time to earn the education and experience associated with age, they are also subjected to the "data-slug" like the Vatborn. Natborns take great pride in their status - but this makes them more cautious. External agencies take great interest in Natborns, because if Goliaths can fully free themselves of cloning technologies, it could pose either a problem with them spreading unchecked to other worlds, or an opportunity in getting enhanced labourers and soldiers into the wider Imperium.

The last Goliath group are called the '''Unborn''', since these are the people who join the house rather than being born into it. These Unborn are forced to undergo the procedures needed to keep up with the naturals, which might include even undergoing the same data-slug the Vatborn do - with considerably worse risk since these are fully-developed minds being crammed with even more info to the risk of overload. Similarly, there is no "single" methodology for making a Goliath from a regular person and the results can be perilously unpredictable, an ''almost 50%'' success rate being considered very good. Most candidates are chosen from the Slave Pits, which is kind of a proving ground for the traits of strength, resilience, and willpower that House Goliath finds desirable. Though some Unborn come from other social castes, it is extremely rare for them to from other Clan or Noble Houses. In any case, once the commitment has been made, if the procedures are successful, their prior lives are considered over. Welcoming the Unborn allows for an influx of genetic variability that may eventually allow the Goliaths to free themselves from their dependence on the cloning technology.

All three branches of Goliath are still bound by their common dependency on the Chem-Leash for managing their metabolism for the rest of their lives. But each variant has their own particular balance of Stimms that they require; as does each particular enclave of Goliaths who come from the same amneo-vats; each Alpha or Overlord ''also'' has their individual requirements; all necessary to just to continue surviving without falling into metabolic chaos. There is no simple solution to removing the House's dependency on Stimms, which is how the other clans and houses like it, and put hefty bounties on anyone who might try to upset the status quo.