Giant

This entry is for the Madrian variants of the humanoid species. They are in many ways similar to other examples of their species found on various worlds and in fiction.

Giants were called forth from the elements during the Age of Myth by their god, Kravos. This event is related in a variety of giantish tales and songs. A traditional version follows.

*"Kravos thundered across the world rumble tremble and boom.*

*Kravos cracked his flail struck the world tremble crumble and boom.*

*Kravos summoned giants to the world crumble tumble and boom.*

*Some to rumble with stone, some to tremble with cold*

*Some to crumble with fire, some to tumble with storm*

*Boom, boom, boom!"*

This is a mere sample from a shorter than usual relating of giant creation. Giant literary conventions mean that a more specific version of the myth does not exist. However, giants consider their god to be something of an uncontrollable force. To giants their creation was a thing of violence and destruction. It is known that following their appearance a long period existed where giants warred with the dwarves and the elves. This war was ended with Kravos banished and the giants running rampant until the Throne of the Giant King was crafted.

Giants should not however be thought of a mere rampaging brutes. Most have rich cultures that prize craftsmanship, the arts and beauty. In fact, the halls of giant kings often are wonders in and of themselves. Some of the earliest written art was created by giants. Many of their kind are also quite adept at magic and have made numerous contributions to the arcane arts over the ages. The reputation they have as forces of destruction is earned but is not a mindless thing. Giants often will rearrange the land in which they settle to make it more pleasing to beings of their stature. Behavior common to humans but of a much different scale. Giants as well enjoy war as a way to test one's strength and mind.

After the Age of Myth, as the mortal races began to spread most of giant kind chose to live on the Prime. This brought them into contact with humans. The relationship between giant and human is a complex one. Giants see much of themselves in humans. In fact, as a language common seems to have origins in the giantfolk tongue. Giants have been known to prize attractive or talented humans as treasure and is some cases as spouses. History has more than a few giant nobles that have wed humans.

As a species giants are physically diverse on a level not common among humanoids. This makes certain details impossible to generalize. Despite this, certain things are consistent. All giants can live for centuries and can withdraw to the Fey Realm like elves and gnomes. While obviously strong and hearty, they also are very skilled at throwing and regularly use boulders as an effective weapon. Giants also have a highly developed sense of smell. Tales are filled with would be thieves sniffed out by a giant. Giants also have shown themselves quite adept a magic and it is not uncommon for members of even the dimmest giant tribes to become spellcasters. Lastly, giants all have a fondness for art and treasures. They display items in their homes and carry bags or wallets with items they find pleasing to look at.

There are several common clades of giant as well as a variety of offshoots and aberrations.

**Hill Giants**

Hill Giants prefer to live in hilly plains and lands useful to herding their goats and sheep. Because of this they are the true giants most likely to be encountered by the average commoner. So, they form the standard image of giants to some. Hill Giants live primitively with tribes rarely exceeding only basic bronze age culture. In is not uncommon for inbreeding to occur within some tribes. Such groups live a more stone age existence. On average hill giants reach between 9 to 13 feet tall and look like oversized wiry humans. Hair is usually dark, and skin has a warm brown color from constant exposure to the elements. Clothing consists of furs and kilts. Tools and weapons are crude, often no more that rocks and tree branches. Hill giants typically dwell in or around caves and old ruins. Hygiene is not good. Hill giants collect anything that catches their interest treating it as treasure regardless of actual value. Many an adventurer has defeated a hill giant only to loot it its bag and find "garbage".

**Stone Giants**

Stone giants have many similarities to hill giants. Dress and technology being similar, as well as their habit to keep sheep and goats. Unlike their kin, stone giants choose their simplified stone age existence. This becomes apparent in the complexity of their art and their skill in growing white mountain grapes for wine. Stone giants grow to be between 10 to 15 feet tall and with builds even scrawnier than hill giants. All stone giants are hairless, and their skin looks like angularly cut stone. This gives them the appearance of walking statues which they use to their advantage. They live nomadic lives, sheltering where than can in the mountains they roam. Tribes will roam a territory following the seasons and planting for future harvests along these familial routes. They create art from stone and gems, polishing and intricately carving to make jewelry and small objects to carry in their bags. They also leave carving in boulders and rock faces along the paths they wander every year. In places where they have lived for generations a traveler might stumble upon a mountain side carved over years miles from any settlement. Stone giants get particularly angry when these carvings are desecrated, or their plantings are abused.

**Frost Giants**

Cruel and aggressive, frost giants live in the coldest parts of Madrian. Hidden away in the frozen reaches they build their stone fortresses or carve out ice caves. Hulking figures standing between 14 to 16 feet tall, frost giants have builds reminiscent of norns. Their skin and hair come in shades of blues and white. Hair and beards are grown long, and they wear furs, horns and bones of creatures from their homelands with their armor. Frost giants are vulnerable to fire and heat and so use slaves for their forges. Frost giants form raiding parties that will trek for days the settlements of other humanoids for treasure and slaves. Metals of any kind, magical items and scrolls are favorite finds. Frost giant spellcasters favor cryomancy and spells that can track portals to the elemental plane of ice. Frost giants that have access to such a portal are especially dangerous. Using these rifts to travel deeper into the Continent during the winter to raid cities. Grabbing children from their beds in the night is a common practice in such instances.

**Fire Giants**

No other giants embody the war aspect of Kravos like fire giants do. They build fortresses on volcanic sources made of alchemically treated iron to withstand the heat. Fire giants are 12 to 16 feet tall and stocky being very dwarf like in build. Skin is like basalt and obsidian with their hair vivid reds and oranges that glows like embers. They dress with hides of fire-resistant creatures and wrought iron armor. Fire giants are unmatched among their kind at the forge and have mastered numerous processes for treating metals, so they do not melt in their volcanic homes. Fire giants love war and are trained from birth in its art. During the Age of Kingdoms, it was the fire giants that led the attack on the dwarves and norns. During God War they headed the armies of Kravos and even after they plotted. Fortunately, of the ages they have been pushed back to remote volcanoes and Muspelung.

**Cloud Giants**

Living on the highest peaks are the cloud giants. They live secluded lives as philosophers and lovers of finery. Standing between 17 to 20 feet tall, their skin is sky blue, soft white or pale grey. Their curly hair is always the palest shades resembling clouds. It is not unusual for them to possess tusk like teeth and thick brows. Cloud giants dress in the finest cloth and jewelry they can afford, favoring togas and robes. Cloud giant palaces are places of wonder, in architecture and the rare treasure within. They decorate their homes with fine art, magic items and rare birds. (Even those of gigantic varieties.) They love music, especially the harp and eat foods that are exotic and rare. Moral cloud giants pay for some of the most talented servants on the Continent, while those of a more sinister bent keep them as slaves. Legends speak of cloud giants that have built their homes on actual clouds floating through the sky. Scholars have not been able to ascertain the truth of such claims.

**Storm Giants**

Storm giants have a solitary nature and tendency to live in remote areas. Building their palaces on volcanic islands and dangerous coastlines. Most of what is known about them is from sailors and adventurers. Neither group being known for the reliability of their stories. Storm giants are known to reach heights of 19 to 24 feet tall. Their skin can range widely between olive tan, blues, greens and in some rare cases purple. Hair has a similar range with black, blue or violet the most common. Their homes are said to be especially impressive and unique often incorporating merfolk ruins pulled up from the depth. Favorite treasures are those from distant lands and shipwrecks. Storm giants have reputations as very spiritual giants and there are many rumors of those giants that are servants to the gods.

**Others**

There are many offshoots of giant-kind spread across the world and through the planes. Scholars believe that the elemental nature of giant creation makes them more malleable to their environment. The desert giants or Rafiah, marsh giants of the Mire and jungle giants of Mezorale are all examples of true giant subspecies. There also those not recognized as kin by other giants. These include ogres, ettins and trolls. Myths of divine corruption by Balog seem to support this division. The last giant branch worthy of mention are those that never left the Fey Realm. These titans are said to have grown to mythic proportions in the remote places of Faerie and have become more force of nature than humanoid.