Jothnarsønir

*The Jötunn Sons are mellifluous, cunning and full of tricks. It is a clan of outcasts, proud of their dissolute lifestyle and openly mocking the Nine Virtues. Humans that begin to manifest frost giant blood, many of this clan have become functional goliaths (race). Their clothes and equipment are usually eccentric, yet functional. They are, in fact, great experts of traps, poisons and other obscure contraptions. Barring some rare accidents, the Jötunn Sons try to keep a neutral facade toward the other Clans: the last thing they want is becoming the common enemy of every other clan of North. When a Jötunn Son goes into battle, she always takes time to find the best way to win without dying and – although considered a dishonorable behavior by many – this is a clear sign of the clan’s superior strategic abilities. These qualities and their vast knowledge of the magical arts makes them very sought after allies for oversea raids, in spite of the outcast status. The Outcasts’ clan Assassins, thieves, traitors and cursed ones, it doesn’t matter why they were cast out from the Clans, those who have the guts to look for the way through the swamps and survive, will find a clearing beyond the bogs and be welcomed among the outcasts known as the Jötunn Sons. The Jotuns are the only clan that does not follow the Nine Virtue and even brags about this freedom. They call themselves Gargan (“snakes”). The clan continues to exists thanks to the constant influx of outcasts, but also the sexual freedom enjoyed by its members. Furthermore, many mothers that discover the signs of curses upon the children try, as last act of motherly love, to give them to the Gargan, to spare the young ones a death sentence.*

## ***The Way Past the Swamp***

The main Jötunn’s settlement is an encampment in a dark and accursed clearing, at the heart of a foul swamp. The precise location of' Fínnbol is a secret but, even if it wasn’t, it would be hard for other clans to infiltrate it. According to some rumors it should be in the northern part of **Svitjo**d, where the forest becomes a wasted plain. The Jötunn Sons survive thanks to the scarce resources of the swamp and the outcome of their nightly raids in the villages near their encampment. The inhabitants of this region are so terrified that the often leave offerings and necessities along the borders of the swamp, hoping to keep at bay its inhabitants, feared like evil spirits.

## ***Children of the Giant***

The origins of the Jötunn Sons clan are lost to time and today very few people remember how this pack of outcasts united and has become one of the most important clans. Many believe that the growth of the outcast’s clan is a consequence of the power of its founder, the legendary Hrókr Fjalson, “The Crow Son of the Mountain”. Others claim that Fjalson has been the only leader of the Jotuns since their foundation, over 200 years ago. It’s possible that Hrókr Fjalson is just one of the many lies created by the outcast clan to bolster its reputation and strike fear into the hearts of the Northerners.

Very few know the truth: Hrókr Fjalson is real and so are the rumors that he’s the child of an unfortunate encounter between an ice giantess and a mortal. This half-breed has a really unusual look and, also, an incredible longevity, far superior to ordinary humans. Only four people – Hrókr himself and the three Mímaneidhr of the Icy Crows – know the truth about how the Jötunn Sons came to be: Hrórk was a very powerful and respected Mímistafr of the Crows, according to many it was written that he would become a Mímaneidhr, but something went wrong. The Jötunn blood pushed the Crow closer and closer to ancient and forbidden rites. His desire for power consumed his sense of honor, making the council more and more worried. When his Rót was found dead, with the body covered in unknown symbols and riddled with terrible malformations, Hrókr was cast out from the Crows. Since that time the rare blue blood, like his, is considered a terrible curse. The hatred toward the children born with even a hint of ice giant blood is so widespread among the Crows that has spread to all the other Clans. It has become customary to abandon these children, considered abominations. Hrókr never accepted his exile and remains jealous of his superiors. He passed the last 200 years hiding in the swamp and preparing for a vendetta. After this exile, desperate to escape, he discovered a path through the swamps and, when he reached the clearing, an ancient and magical statue of Zytir Runeus. Desperate and without anywhere to go, Hrókr put his fate in the hands of the God and Zytir Runeus answered, through the statue. It has become tradition for Hrókr to pass the same day every year talking to the statue, waiting for instructions. This is an important festivity for the Jötunn Sons and long, wicked celebration follows it. The objectives and aims of the Jötunn Sons are obscure and mysterious. The outcast clan blindly follows the orders of the half-giant, but these are so unclear and guttural that nobody can understand them.

## Lies Until the End of the World

The members of the clan worship Zytir Runeus above any other deity and believe that the rest of the Gods are wicked liars: according to their beliefs, the Gods stole magic from Vir'Exalon and hides it behind the Weave, because they feared the potential dormant in mankind. All the Jötunn Sons have been waiting for the Great Winter that heralds End of All Things, as the oracle foreseen, this will be the time of vengeance for the outcasts and glory for the Jotuns. The Jötunn Sons despise all the other Clans, but not openly, considering them lapdogs of the Icy Crows. The reserve a special, unlimited, hatred for the Crows, to the point of organizing schemes and conspiracies to bring down the circle. In the depth of their souls, almost all Jötunn Sons desire vengeance against the other Clans. Being part of the Jotuns means that one was either cast out or, at best, was born among the Gargan and taught to hate everyone else since childhood.