Giants

Giants are exceptionally large humanoid beings, with heights ranging on average from 15 feet to 25 feet, although there are some notable exceptions. There are six sub-categories of Giants, whose place in the Giant social and political hierarchy is dictated by the ordning: Storm Giants, Cloud Giants, Frost Giants, Fire Giants, Stone Giants and Hill Giants.

## History

Giants have existed on the continent for millenia, having once had an ancient empire called Ostoria that ranged over two thirds of Faerun, from the Spine of the World downwards. Their god, Annam the All-Father, dictated their standing among their ilk via the ordning, a political hierarchy that also existed innately in the very blood of all Giantkind. This hierarchy was present all the way back in the time of Ostoria and has continued onwards to present day, until recently. Once dragonkind made their way into the world via the dragon god Garyx, the giants and dragons soon went to war in a conflict that lasted for over a thousand years. There are differing accounts of its conclusion, although the giants believe it was a result of a stalemate in a game of *wah-ree* between Annam and the dragon god, while dwarven accounts say that the dragons needed to declare peace to conduct a civil war in which the metallic dragons fought the chromatic dragons. third account stated that the war ended as a result of a curse that struck the evil dragon goddess Tiamat after she slew an unknown giant deity, dooming her to imprisonment in Avernus (the first layer of the Nine Hells), whereupon she was only able to leave if summoned by a powerful ritual.

Regardless of the reason for the truce, however, the nation of Ostoria had been reduced to a shadow of its former glory in the aftermath, with what remained of the kingdom lying in the far North. While this fragment of Ostoria lasted for several thousand more years, it eventually was entirely dissolved. Now, Giant communities still remain as separate settlements, although the ordning still stood the test of time, until very recently.

## Types of Giants

### Storm Giants

At the top of the ordning stand the Storm Giants, powerful and enormous beings that rule over their ilk from afar. Many of them, especially the royalty among them, are often gifted diviners and seers reading cosmic omens. They are predominantly good-aligned, with some exceptions, and some have been known to visit coastal settlements to accept gifts and offerings from the small folk. That being said, however, their kind usually keeps the other Giants in line and prevents them from wreaking havoc, and since the shattering of the ordning, they've been mysteriously silent and undiscoverable. According to Harshnag, the Storm Giant Lord has gone missing, and until recently he was the only one capable of keeping the other Giant Lords in line.

**The current Lord of the Storm Giants is King Hekaton.**

### Cloud Giants

Just below the Storm Giants in the ordning are the Cloud Giants. Extravagant, aristocratic and normally aloof, they very rarely deal with the “lesser” folk, including lesser giants and small folk. Although generally good-aligned or neutral-aligned, their interactions with the surface are often few and far between, as many believe themselves to be above interactions with surface folk. Notable Cloud Giants that the party know of include Countess Sansuri, the current Lord of the Cloud Giants, and Zephyros. A Cloud Giant castle- believed to be Countess Sansuri's palace, Lyn Armaal- launched an attack on Nightstone and stole the ancient obelisk that the town was named after.

**The current Lord of the Cloud Giants is Countess Sansuri.**

### Frost Giants

Standing at an equal point as the Fire Giants, Frost Giants are next in the ordning. They are known to be the most savage of Giants and, predominantly evil-aligned, have been known to make attacks in the far reaches of the North since long before the word started to spread about the uptick in Giant violence. Often predatory and merciless, they pride themselves on martial prowess above all else, and are known to have a culture of settling disputes in fights to the death to defend their honor. Notable Frost Giants that the party know of include Harshnag, the exiled and legendary good-aligned Giant known to have saved Waterdeep, and his old enemy Jarl Storvald. Frost Giants launched attacks all around Ten Towns in the far North, and had an alliance with ex-Zhentarim operative Nilraun Dhaerlost, prior to his capture in Bryn Shander by the party and their allies, Aoife Roisin and Darx Züks. According to Nilraun, the Frost Giants are tracking long-lost explorer Artus Cimber to gain a relic he possesses known as the Ring of Winter.

**The current Lord of the Frost Giants is Jarl Storvald, who has since been defeated.**

### Fire Giants

Sharing their place in the ordning with Frost Giants, Fire Giants are warmongering and tyrannical, and rank themselves further among their kind by their forging prowess. Also predominantly evil-aligned, some have been attacking an enormous stretch of the Long Road- very far from their forges- in search of something for a mysterious Lord Zalto. Silix saw a dream that was recorded in his book of the Fire Giants attacking a town; this premonition came true when a pair of Fire Giants led a siege on the town of Triboar. One Giant was killed and left behind a *Rod of the Vonindod*, which, upon examination, gave the party some insight as to what the Fire Giants are in search of: pieces of a relic known as the Vonindod. According to intel obtained from Morganna Morwick and Umbros Ilystryph, the Vonindod was a powerful, ancient construct used to slay the dragons in ancient wars and the Fire Giants aim to rebuild it once again. Not only that, but the Fire Giants have made allies of the Xolbarrin family of drow in their efforts to do so.

**The most recent Lord of the Fire Giants was Duke Zalto, who has since been defeated.**

### Stone Giants

Stone Giants are known to be xenophobic and reclusive, and largely live underground, with their prowess at sculpting stone determining their place among their peers. As a result of their habitat, they are rarely seen and their activities since the breaking of the ordning have, as of yet, been undetermined. Notable Stone Giants the party have heard about include Thane Kayalithica, Stone Giant Lord of the Greypeak Mountains.

**The current Lord of the Stone Giants is Thane Kayalithica, who has since been defeated.**

### Hill Giants

Finally, Hill Giants stand at the bottom of the ordning. These lowliest of Giants are as gluttonous as they are loathsome. They have been known to terrorize small folk settlements before, but cower in fear of their larger Giant cousins. As they are the smallest and least intelligent of the Giant races, their status is determined by their size; the largest rule. As of the shattering of the ordning, they have been attacking the areas surrounding Goldenfields; in particular more livestock and food has been stolen and farmsteads and settlements destroyed in the process. The party met one Hill Giant, on the road between Triboar and Everlund, lamenting the loss of her husband to "Chief Guh". Later, after an attack on Goldenfields, the party infiltrated the Den of the Hill Giants, Grudd Haug, and slew many of the Giants within, including their chief.

**The current Lord of the Hill Giants was Chief Guh, who has since been defeated.**

## Trivia

* According to Zephyros, the ordning shattered not long before the Giant uprisings started, although no one knows how that is possible.