Heligastenen

Though technically connected to Nordenhauner over the North Pole, the subcontinent of Heligastenen is universally considered separate from the goblin continent.  Home to dwarves in the north and giants in the south, it is a rocky and windswept place filled with stark and piercing beauty. Hardy plants and animals eek out an existence on Heligastenen, but the most successful flora and fauna are the ones that have been domesticated by the dwarves, giants and their allies.

Giants know the sub-continent as Awyr Agored.

## Cities and Holdfasts

* Llangelynin; South giant town (mostly cloud giants)
* Ymyl Ysmygu; West giant town (mostly fire giants)
* Llawer o Loliaid; Northwest giant town (mostly frost giants)
* Ffordd Dorri; Northeat giant town (mostly cloud giants and frost giants)
* Calon Godig; Central giant town (mostly stone giants)
* Tunnell Brig; Southeast giant town (mostly storm giants)
* Bergskölden; North dwarf citadel (5% gnome)
* Svavelvatten; North central dwarf citadel (8% gnome)
* Järngrind; Northeast dwarf citadel (6% gnome, 1% hobbit)
* Stenknivarborg; South dwarf citadel (15% gnome, 4% hobbit) ~8,500 dwarves, led by Queen Estrid Trolskuddar
* Fårköttkruka - Dwarf trading town between Stenknivarborg and Llangelynin, ~750 dwarves, deals in wool, grain, alcohol and craft goods
* Bruthaken - Dwarf military outpost between Stenknivarborg and Bränt Utkik, ~ 110 dwarves
* Bränt Utkik; East dwarf citadel (20% gnome, 10% hobbit)

## History

Constant territory wars between the hardy, numerous dwarves and their powerful, but less fecund giant foes have kept either culture from reaching a zenith in commonly recorded history, though both dwarves and giants have produced many celebrated smiths and armories. Interestingly, both giants and dwarves place utmost value on familial ties, and practice a sort of ritualized ancestor worship that seems to have cross-pollinated between the two peoples.

Despite their relentless skirmishing, both cultures have a healthy respect for one another, and are known to form incredibly well-coordinated alliances in order to repel a common foe, such as serpentfolk, demonspawn, or goblinoids.

Despite their considerable size disadvantage and similar technology levels, the dwarves have kept up, and in some areas exceeded the giants due to their superior ability to manipulate divine and arcane magic, both of which have proven more challenging for giantkin to master.

Powerful giantish druids and stormcallers are not unknown, but are considerably more rare than their dwarven cleric and runecaster counterparts.

Both giants and dwarves hate goblins with an intense ferocity, and will stop at nothing to repel goblins from their lands. That goes double for serpentfolk, a feeling which dwarves also extend to drow. Dwarves maintain an odd rivalry toward elves, who tend to be puzzled by this position and remain aloof from dwarven vitriol. This irritates the dwarves even more. True giants tend to respect elves and deal with them fairly, but warily. Conversely, orcs and trolls maintain an enmity against the elves that goes back as far as spoken history.

Trolls are the odd bunch among giantkind, and though they are numerous on Awyr Agored, their depravity has led the rest of giant society to shun them. They are attacked on sight by dwarves, and are shown intense hostility by all giants except the ever-tactful cloud giants.

### Battle against Mutaventus

Recently, the dragon of elemental air, Mutaventus, was lured out of his lair with a powerful illusion ritual, and then destroyed by a combined force of thousands of dwarves and hundreds of giants. The giant and dwarf armies were led by a pair of humans who negotiated the alliance and came up with an innovative strategy for the attack. The northern giant cities and dwarf strongholds have been greatly enriched by plunder from the dragon's lair, but lost a full quarter of their warriors in the battle against the horrifically powerful dragon.