Ostoria le royaume des géants

Histoire
Il y a 30'000 ans, avant que les nains et les elfes n'existent.

Annam le père de tous les géants créa sa progéniture avec la demi déesse Othea
sous la forme d'une montagne dans la région du Grand Glacier.

De leur union apparut les "neufs" premiers géants, à l'origine de toutes les races
qui en découlèrent.

Attention, ceux-ci ne sont pas les dieux Skoraeus, Thrym, Stronmaus, Grolantor,
Surtur ou Memnor qui sont bien ses enfants mais ne sont pas à l'origine des
géants.

Annam créa le royaume d'Ostoria, divisant celui-ci en plusieurs sections dirigées

par chacun de ses enfants.

Les titans étant les premiers nés ainsi que les plus puissants ils furent désignés
leader de la fratrie.

La capitale Voninheim signifinant "Maison des Titans" dans la langue de Jotun

se situait quelque part au nord de la Citadelle d'Adbar et des montagnes de
glace.

4000 ans de prospérité

Couvrait presque la moitié de Faerun, s'étendant des Moonshae Isles à l'Ouest

aux Endless Wastes à l'Est et des Landes Gelés au Nord au Thethyr et Chessenta
au Sud.

Le reste était dominé par les Dragons

Une guerre de mille ans éclata alors entre les deux races pour des raisons de
territoire et de dominations

Les chroniques naines disent que les Dragons demandèrent la paix car une
guerre civile venait d'éclater entre les dragons métalliques et chromatiques

En réalité Annam et Garyx, un dieu Draconique qui menait la guerre

s'affrontèrent à un jeu de société appelé wah-ree pour trancher en faveur d'un
camp ou de l'autre.
La partie se termina sur une impasse, aucun des deux Dieux ne prenant le dessus
sur l'autre. Il fut alors décidé de mettre fin tout bonnement à la guerre.

Le royaume d'Ostoria était en ruine ne laissant quasiment aucune trace des

villes.

Othea trahit Annam avec Ulutiu, créant les giant-kin ainsi que Vaprak créant les
ogres.

Ulutiu décida de s'exiler de lui-même en échange de la promesse d'Annam de ne

pas tuer Othea. Il se noya dans la Mer Froide, le pendentif que celui-ci portait
s'activa alors, commençant à geler tout autour de lui, créant la région des Glaces
infinies au nord de la Vertèbres du monde tel que nous la connaissons
aujourd'hui. Car autrefois cette région était verdoyante. L'avatar d'Ulutiu est
prisonnier dans les glaces du Grand Glacier.

Annam voulu créer un autre enfant qui serait béni et pourrait unir tous ses frères
et rebâtir Ostoria.

Othea refusa ses avances à cause du départ d''Ulutiu par sa faute. Toutefois
Annam la viola ce qui la rendit d'autant plus furieuse.

Elle menaça alors Annam de donner naissance à cet enfant avant qu'il soit
complètement développé et de laisser les ogres le dépecer morceau par morceau
à moins que Annam quitte Toril et ne revienne que quand cet enfant aurait
rebâtit Ostoria. Annam dû accepté.

Alors que la glace continuait à s'étendre au nord, les Titans se réunirent pour
trouver une solution pour la stopper. Mais Othea leur interdit, considérant cela
comme la vengeance d'Ulutiu et que le royaume devait être détruit.

Lanaxis mis au point un plan pour empoisonner Othea. Le plan consistait à

empoisonner le Puits de Vie. Mais son plan eut un énorme contrecoup. Le
poison tua tous ses frères excepté Arno, Julian et Dunmore.

Avant de mourir, Othea maudit Lanaxis. S'il quittait son ombre(à elle) il perdrait
son immortalité. Il fuit alors avec les autres titans en Arborea pour ne pas la
perdre. Désormais l'esprit de Ulutiu flotte à la dérive auprès de la défunte Othea
dans le mer du plan astrale.
Les premiers enfants de Othea et Annam sont tous immortels. Les enfants de ces
géants pouvaient vivre des milliers d'années mais de générations en générations
leur longévité se raccourcit.

La capitale de Voninheim fut recouverte de glace alors que tous les géants
avaient fuis la région sans pouvoir empêcher son avancée. Le glacier s'étendit
sur l'entièreté du royaume, détruisant tout ce qu'il restait de ville.

Il est dit qu'il ne reste qu'environ 500 géants de chaque race.

Le fameux dernier fils béni par Annam appelé Hartkiller naquit finalement après
la mort de mère qui était sous forme de montagne. Mais c'était un avorton, il ne
faisait que 3m de haut là ou ses frères allait jusqu'à mesurer 7m.

Aucun géant ne le considéra vraiment comme le fameux dernier fils béni de

Annam, le rejetant. Il alla de tribu en tribu, tentant de convaincre ses frères mais
aucun ne le suivit. Il regroupa alors les giant kin et tenta de recréer le royaume
d'Ostoria à l'est de Castle Hartwick. Mais cette fois il n'appartiendrait qu'aux
giant kin. Le lieu s'appelerait Hartsvale.

Mais les vrais géants n'acceptèrent pas cela et le combattirent. Le roi des géant
des tempêtes combattit Hartkiller durant 100 ans. A la fin les deux s'entre-
tuèrent.

C'est à ce moment qu'il déshérita les géants de l'Ordning en punition de la mort

du roi qu'il avait choisi pour eux. De plus ils devraient souffrir des royaumes
Elfiques, Nains et Humains.

Mais un jour, un nouveau jeune roi de la lignée de Hartkiller s'élèvera et les

géants feraient bien de lui jurer allégeance cette fois-ci car selon sa promesse il
n'interférerai plus avec eux tant qu'Ostoria ne serait pas rebâtit.

Ruk géant des collines

Mort, empoisonné par Lanaxis. Régent des collines. Porte une couronne doré
serti de bijoux. Armé d'un gourdin en ébonite. A au moins un fils appelé Morg
qui eut un fils appelé Grom. (pas confondre avec divinité Orc)

Nicias geant des nuages

Mort, empoisonné par Lanaxis. L'un des deux premiers runecaster, enseigné par
Annam grâce à un Haut Modron du plan Mechanus. Plus grand de la fratrie sauf
Lanaxis. Portait une couronne dorée serti de bijoux. Habillé d'un manteau de lin
immaculé. Son arme était une morgenstern nacrée pouvant émettre des jets de
vapeurs intense. Régent du ciel de l'empire. Son premier palais flottait dans le
ciel et avait été gagné dans un pari contre Stronmaus. Son palais est censé s'être
écrasé dans ce qui est le désert d'Anauroch aujourd'hui.

Il fut ramené à la vie par Lanaxis pour le défendre contre Tavis Burdun mais
apprit grâce au pouvoir de Sky Cleaver la trahison de son frère et changea de
camp. Il mourut une seconde fois contre son frère.

Arno et Julian Ettin

Géant à deux têtes. Immortel mais faible en comparaison de leurs frères,
toujours rabaissés par ces derniers. Arno fut tué par Tavis d'une flèche. Julian fut
finalement tué par la princesse Brianna.

Masud géant du feu

Mort empoisonné par Lanaxis. Avait une barbe rouge, son titre était Khan.
Portait une couronne doré serti de bijoux. Son armure était d'acier noirci et une
lance enflammée capable de lancer des jets de feux. Régent des montagnes. Il
fut ramené à la vie par Lanaxis pour le défendre contre Tavis Burdun mais apprit
grâce au pouvoir de Sky Cleaver la trahison de son frère et changea de camp. Il
mourut une seconde fois contre son frère.

Ottar géant du froid

Mort empoisonné par Lanaxis. Jarl des régions froides et nordiques. Portait la
même couronne que ses frères. Il fut ramené à la vie par Lanaxis pour le
défendre contre Tavis Burdun mais apprit grâce au pouvoir de Sky Cleaver la
trahison de son frère et changea de camp. Il mourut une seconde fois contre son
frère.

Obadai géant de pierre

Empoisonné par Lanaxis. Sa couronne avait le pouvoir de créer des morts-
vivants. Souverain des cavernes de l'Outremonde. Il chargea son second fils
Illsentad de documenté l'histoire tangible et religieuse de leur race en érigeant le
temple de Hotun-Sul. Ce dernier se trouve sous les Pics Gelés dans
l'Outremonde. C'est là qu'on enseignait aux géants l'art des runes parmi d'autres
enseignements. Le temple fut mis à sac par des Torve et élémentaires de la terre
qui tuèrent Illsentad. Son esprit resta bloqué, tourmenté par le fait qu'il n'avait
pas fini de graver une frise dans une des pièces dédiée aux Ettin et Cyclopes. Le
fantôme de Illsentad vint gravé des runes sur la large statue de la rotonde
centrale, la transformant en gardien. Un séisme déterra le temple attirant de
nombreux curieux. Obadai fut ramené à la vie par Lanaxis pour le défendre
contre Tavis Burdun mais apprit grâce au pouvoir de Sky Cleaver la trahison de
son frère et changea de camp. Il mourut une seconde fois contre son frère.

Vilmos géant des tempêtes

Empoisonné par Lanaxis. L'un des deux premiers runecasters. Portait la même
couronne que ses frères. Son arme était une grande épée magique au pouvoir de
foudre. Souverain des lacs et mers. Il fut ramené à la vie par Lanaxis pour le
défendre contre Tavis Burdun mais apprit grâce au pouvoir de Sky Cleaver la
trahison de son frère et changea de camp. Il mourut une seconde fois contre son
frère.

Lanaxis premier Titan

D'abord immortel mais ne peut plus revenir sur Toril au risque de devenir mortel
à cause de la malédiction lancée par sa mère Othea lorsqu'il l'empoisonna pour
sauver son royaume.

A fui en Arborea. Est revenu sous la forme de l'Esprit Crépusculaire, annonçant

le retour d'Annam, grugeant presque tout le monde sauf le Haut prêtre de Annam
et son complice Arno et Julian. Il envoya ces derniers violer Brianna, reine
humaine de Hartsvale et prêtresse de Hiathea. Tavis Burdun, un Firbolg venu la
secourir se maria avec elle. La semence de Tavis et de son violeur se
combinèrent et elle fut enceinte durant 3 ans. Une guerre éclata durant sa
grossesse avec les géants, elle dû fuir et accoucha enfin. A ses yeux l'enfant
ressemblait à Tavis, elle l'appela alors Kaedlaw, qui signifie "beau" dans la
langue des Firbolg. Malheureusement lorsque Tavis vit son enfant, il le vit
moche car tel était la prophétie. Mais il ne lui dit pas avant qu'elle ne l'apprenne
plus tard. Elle refusa à Tavis de l'approcher de peur de réaliser la prophétie
disant que Tavis devrait tuer l'enfant sous peine que celui-ci apporterait la
dévastation aux humains et aux giant-kin.

Leur retraite dans le chateau de Wynn fut assiégée par les giant-kin demandant
la mort de l'enfant par peur de la prophétie. Lanaxis arriva par magie et emmena
la tour dans laquelle ils s'étaient reclus avec lui.

Les giant kin et les humains s'unirent contre leur ennemi commun Lanaxis et le
poursuivirent. Lanaxis se rendit avec Brianna à Bleak Palace dans la Vallée
Crépusculaire où il prévoyait d'élever son "neveu" pour être l'empereur de
Ostoria.

Tavis avec l'aide d'alliés récupéra la hache de Annam Skycleaver qui était resté
bloqué lors du jet de cette dernière par son propriétaire d'origine. Il utilisa son
pouvoir pour vaincre Lanaxis, lui coupant la jambe (gauche ou droite) au-dessus
du genou et utiliser le pouvoir de l'arme pour "fendre la vérité du mensonge" et
ainsi révéler la vraie nature de son fils. Celui-ci se révéla beau, ressemblant à un
bébé humain quoique très grand. Lanaxis quant à lui subit également le pouvoir
de la hache, fendant la folie de Lanaxis, ils furent transportés devant Annam. Ce
dernier sermonna Lanaxis et le renvoya sur Toril. Tavid rendit l'arme à Annam
et fut aussi renvoyé sur Toril auprès de sa femme.

Dunmore géant des bois(en réalité enfant de Othea et

Ulutiu)
Sa progéniture s'autoproclama régente des forêts comme Annam leur avait
refusé ceci dû à leur paternité.

Othea cherchait à avoir un espion parmi la fratrie des fils de Annam sur lequel
elle aurait de l'influence contrairement aux autres vrais fils. Dunmore refusa de
se joindre au plan d'empêcher la glace d'Ulutiu de détruire le royaume ce qui
choqua Lanaxis qui décida d'empoisonner leur mère. Les Dunmore considèrent
que leur vrai père est Annam et que leur soi-disant parenté avec Ulutiu est un
mensonge. On ne sait pas ce qu'est devenu Dunmore.
Géant des collines
Le géant le plus respecté du clan sera le plus gros. Plus tu manges plus tu
grossis.

Les mâles font les raids mais sont stupides et maladroits.

Les femelles font le travail du cuir, les chaussures, l'architecture...elles sont plus
intelligentes et souvent les leadeurs dans l'ombre

Les géants des collines ne savent que faire du métal qu'ils trouvent, il est alors
possible de leur échanger contre de la nourriture. Certaines communautés
humaines, gnomes etc. le font.

Leurs nourritures favorites sont les jeunes dragons vert et les nains.

Empire du nord Jhothûn

Géographie
S'étendant de la Sea of Moving Ice à l'Ouest jusqu'à Great Ice Sea à l'Est(Yal
Tengri).

Les habitants y ont maitrisés grandement la magie ce qui leur a permis de

maintenir le froid dans leurs terres et de connectés leurs 4 villes via des portails.

Capitale: Jhothûn, quelque part en Endless Ice Sea

Trois provinces:

Sea of Moving Ice, capitale Karrfbadh

High Ice, capitale Choshein

Great Glacier, capitale Gharreil

Gouvernement
L'empereur avait un pouvoir suprême et était secondé par des dirigeants dans
chaque provinces appelés Satraps. Des génies des glaces appelés quorrash
servaient de conseillers et avaient pour titre "Princes de Jhothûn".

Histoire
Apparu bien avant les empire elfiques. S'est effondré à cause de rébellion de
Satraps et d'attaques de Dragons blancs profitant de la situation.
Rajout par Ed Greenwood
“All the Realms know” that giants once ruled over large parts of Faerûn,
dominating the continent as much as humans do today. Their kingdoms were
many and powerful, and for a time they vied with dragons for dominion over
Toril, in a series of wars that nigh-exterminated both races and left an enmity
that survives to this day.

OSTORIA
The last great giant kingdom was Ostoria, and it is still revered in tales told by
giant elders, though no giant alive today is old enough to remember that shining
realm. Many smaller successor kingdoms also named “Ostoria” (often in
attempts to recapture the lost glory of the lost realm) rose and fell long after the
original, so sages today (human and giant alike, not to mention elves, dwarves,
and dragons interested in matters historical) are often confused by contradictory
texts, ballads, chants, and records as to when the giants last dwelt in great power
and held sway over large areas.

(In elder times, giants retained lineages and clan histories through slowly-
intoned memorized chants, and many giant elders still recall fragments of these.
Among fire giants, these chants have become marching songs, war ballads, and
laments for the fallen—who are named, with a line about each one, for example
“Garundrar the Great, slayer of many, cut down laughing, died as he wanted
to.”)

To cut through much debate and old lore, to express the history of the giants in
the Realms simply and briefly:

In ancient times Faerûn was warmer, and much of what is now the Spine of the
World and the frozen wastes north of that knife-edged mountain range were
verdant lands where almost all of the giants lived. As the region slowly turned
cold, advancing glaciers literally buried giant settlements and left the giants with
nothing to eat—so they were forced to migrate south.

This brought them into prolonged contact with dragons whose territories
covered what is now the Sword Coast, the Heartlands, and more southerly and
easterly Faerûn, and turned isolated skirmishes between individual giants and
wyrms into prolonged, no-quarter wars of obliteration. Which in turn shattered
the giant clans, ending their large kingdoms and forcing most giants into lives of
nomadic travel or of lurking in remote places to avoid the attention of dragons
(and later, of humans, who were and are just too numerous and persistent to
defeat or share territory with—by contrast, giant successes in crushing orcs is
thought by some sages to be the reason for the years of relative quiet in civilized
lands between orc hordes).

The original realm of Ostoria lies beneath the Great Glacier, its ice-shattered
ruins now lost forever save to a handful of the boldest delvers among the stone
giants. Giants of all sorts, and their more numerous lesser kin (fomorians, ettins,
and ogres) are now spread across Faerûn in small, scattered groups. Though
some may style themselves “kings” and claim to rule “kingdoms,” in most cases
their real rule extends to no more than a mountain valley or two, or a pair of
mountain peaks and the clefts between.
In the Sword Coast and the North of Faerûn, the giants are today and over the
last century (the 1400s DR) disposed thus:

GIANT-KIN AND HILL GIANTS

In general, these stupid foraging and hunting brutes roam alone or in pairs, trios,
or families, ruling at most small groupings of their kind, by force and fear. They
can be found just about anywhere humans and elves don’t dwell in large
settlements, and—as they breed often, often birthing twins or triplets—are
surprisingly numerous. Except in dealings with more powerful giants or with
dragons, they rarely consider consequences; the escaping humans of today aren’t
equated with the vengeful human armies of tomorrow. (However, there’s one
notable exception: zulkirs of Thay and later Szass Tam enslaved or slew and
made undead many hill giants and giant-kin, causing other sorts of giants to flee
Thay and its vicinity, including the Sunrise Mountains and Copper Mountains.)

Hill giants can have just about any sort of simple, easily pronounced name
(monosyllabic names like “Garr” and “Bror” are popular).

The most powerful currently active hill giants are Haur “the Mighty”
(pronounced “Har;” a wily, experienced hill giant who leads a warband of five
to eleven hill giants based in caverns in the Sword Mountains just north of
Waterdeep, and has become adept at swooping down on peddlers, isolated
travelers, and flocks or herds unguarded or lightly attended, then fleeing back
into hiding) and Loagurr (“LOW-grr;” a bald, one-eyed, and noticeably large-
headed hill giant who leads his family of three in judicious night raids on herds
and caravan beasts and livestock in and around Elversult, from several bases in
the Giant’s Run Mountains that he travels between, leaving stone deadfall traps
for would-be pursuers; he takes just what is needed for food and no more,
preferring stealth to open confrontation and battle).

There are also many hill giants throughout the Frost Hills and the Shaddan Hills,
but they are disorganized, living and hunting in trios at most.
FIRE GIANTS
These master forgers and metalworkers are trained, organized warriors, and
dwell in volcanically active mountains (above and below ground). They are
numerous deep beneath the Alamir, Omlarandin, Marching, and Cloven
Mountains, and in handfuls can be found deep beneath the Stormhorns, the
Sword Mountains, and the North Sword Mountains.

Some fire giants believe, as a result of visions recently experienced by the fire
giant elder Roharr of Deepfires (a fire giant hold of Deepfires within the heart of
the central and highest peaks of the Marching Mountains), that their kind has
been charged by the god Surtur to seek out the Flame Undying, a rock that burns
with unfailing flames yet is never consumed. Whoever possesses it shall enjoy
the deity’s favor, shall be healed when sorely wounded, and even rise from
death, and shall lead all fire giants to greatness, founding an empire of ruled
human lands.

Thanks to Roharr’s visions, this floating rock is thought to be as large as a large

adult giant, and believed by those fire giants who revere the idea of the Flame
Undying to be somewhere beneath a Sword Coast city, presumably in cellars,
sewers, or deeper natural passages and caverns. (It should be noted that some
fire giants believe Roharr is mad, and the entire notion of the Flame Undying is
foolishness that will lead the race astray). Those who revere the Flame seek it—
and at the same time plunder human stores for metal and finished weapons,
whenever they can do so without leaving survivors who can raise the alarm
among humans. They’re doing this both to deprive humans of weapons, and to
gain the metals for themselves, to be reforged into tools and weapons useful to
fire giants. They are also eyeing the large herds of edible livestock kept by
humans in the vicinity of large coastal cities like Waterdeep, and brought to such
cities for sale—and prey upon such foodstores whenever they can.

Fire giant names often end in “ur” or “ar” and often have two or three syllables.
It’s the height of blasphemy to have a name that sounds too close to that of the
god Surtur.
MRALVRANDUR
The fire giant Mralvrandur commands the small fire giant hold of Rorohv
(“ROAR-oh-vh”) deep under the North Sword Mountains, using the title “War
Prince.” He sends or leads frequent warbands of 12-20 fire giants through the
Underdark under Kryptgarden and Westwood, patrolling and scouring out the
deepest areas near volcanic rifts, to maintain control over this area south and
southeast of the North Swords—and increasingly, in response to recent cult
activities in and under the Sumber Hills, has begun to raid east into areas of the
Underdark deep under those hills, not to mention mounting surreptitious spying
forays into the Kryptgarden, to find dragon lairs so they can be raided and the
wyrms slain or driven out. Mralvrandur sees ever-expanding Waterdeep as both
a threat and rich pickings to be raided, to keep humans fearful and to hamper
their endless expansion. He is not above capturing monsters and unleashing
them on human outposts and settlements, but wants human pack animals and
livestock as food for Rorohv. He regards the Flame Undying belief as a test set
by Surtur, to separate the weaklings among fire giants who can be distracted by
such nonsense from the “strong and true” who shall lead fire giants to power and
prominence in the surface realms once more.

ILIGAR
The fire giant Iligar styles himself “The King Under Sunset,” and rules a large
fire giant hold clustered around deep volcanic flows beneath the southernmost
Sunset Mountains. A quiet, ruthless, calculating leader, Iligar (who possesses a
black beard that flows like a carpet down his front, reaching almost to his
ankles, and who is rarely seen not wearing his armor) believes when fire giants
bluster and brawl and make much noise, burning when they raid and otherwise
attracting attention to themselves, they are being weaklings who are harming
their own causes and ventures. He also believes that attempts to seize the nearby
ancient giant fortress of Darkhold are the sort of mistakes that have kept fire
giants low in rank among giants, when their metalworking and martial skills and
energetic lives should have made them far more highly regarded. Iligar seeks to
forge alliances with dwarves and humans, and gain holds over individuals of
those races who can then serve him as spies and saboteurs—agents who are
never, ever trusted, but always themselves watched and covertly and repeatedly
tested—all to increase his hidden influence in the Heartlands south of the Sunset
Mountains, to east and west—in other words, the southern ports of the Sea of
Fallen Stars, and all along the overland caravan routes that link that inner ocean
with the Sword Coast. Raid and demonstrate force whenever necessary, but
make your reputation and your threats work for you just as effectively, so
herders and drovers think themselves fortunate to leave a quarter of their
animals penned up for the taking of the fire giants, and in return be allowed to
keep their own lives and the other three quarters of their stock.

STONE GIANTS
These reclusive, quiet, peaceful giants are devoted to ongoing work on elaborate
carvings, and dwell in the Underdark and the caverns within mountains. They
are numerous beneath the Nether Mountains and the Greypeak Mountains, and
can also be found under the Sword Mountains, the Crags, the Cloud Peaks, and
the Giant’s Run Mountains.

Stone giant names often end in “old” or “uld,” but span a wide variety of naming
styles due to various individuals adopting “echoes of the Underdark” sounds
(which were sometimes the distorted-over-distances speech of other races, such
as orcs, dwarves, and humans) that appealed to them.

GORBOLD
The stone giant Gorbold is a calm, easygoing “hanark” (war-leader) who dwells
under the Cloud Peaks. A giant among his kind, he stands half a body taller than
the average adult male stone giant, and has huge broad shoulders and is of
prodigious strength. Like many of the Sword Coast stone giant holds, Gorbold’s
home of Tauglorm (“T-OW-glor-mm”) is ruled by a ring of inner elder
matriarchs dominating a larger council of male and female elders, and Gorbold
himself is entirely under the sway of his mother Yarratha and his sisters Claefla
(“CLAY-ffff-lah”) and Durduree; Yarratha holds a veto over all decisions, the
three females discuss what the obedient and placid Gorbold is to do in any given
situation, and at least one of the two sisters is always at his side “to decide and
to guide.” Officially, Gorbold is just one of eight patrol or warband leaders in
Tauglorm, but in practice, his size and strength and the cunning and rank of his
three guiding kin make him the effective battlefield leader of Tauglorm. What
they want him to do is to severely punish all swindling and deception among the
dwarves, humans, and Underdark races the giants of Tauglorm are tentatively
and carefully starting to trade with, so everyone will learn never to cross a stone
giant. The trading is the Tauglar’s slow, patient way of learning more about the
dominant races above and below ground in Amn and in the lands east of the
Cloud Peaks to the far eastern edge of the Giant’s Run Mountains, and north of
the Cloud Peaks as far as Waterdeep. Once they truly understand these fast,
numerous, bustling peoples, the Tauglar can start to sway them to respect and
even revere stone giants, and defer to stone giants. Leading to better lives for all,
and real power behind the scenes for the stone giants of Tauglorm.

RORILD
The stone giant Rorild leads a warband of almost twenty adult stone giants
(twelve females and eight males) who roam the caverns of the Greypeak
Mountains, raiding often down the Delimbiyr and hunting in the Fallen Lands,
the Far Forest, Weathercote Wood, and betimes even into the westernmost
verges of Anauroch and the Talons. They raid and hunt when their territory is
invaded by orcs or humans (or anything else that’s numerous) or when hunger
demands, and the rest of the time devote themselves to carving the walls of the
Dawn Pass with the brooding faces of their ancestors. Whom they do not want
to shame by going down to defeat anywhere the faces can see. Rorild and his
band trust greatly in the dreams sent to them by their ancestors (that is, what
they can remember of dreams in which they saw their ancestors), and try to
follow and obey their interpretations of these dreams—several of which have
recently shown most band members Rorild on an ornately-carved stone throne,
with humans bowing low to him, bringing him gifts, and obeying his commands
to go elsewhere and do certain things. So Rorild and his band are now
embarking on the first tentative, uncertain, not-fully-worked-out steps toward
founding a kingdom in which he will rule humans.

FROST GIANTS
These raiding warriors dwell in the high peaks and glacial rifts of the Reghed
Glacier, the Great Glacier, the High Ice, the Ice Mountains, the Ice Spires, and
other peaks east and northeast of the Spine of the World. Handfuls of them can
also be found in the deepest valleys of the Frost Hills, the Rauvin Mountains,
and the Sunset Mountains.

Frost giant names often end in hard consonants (such as “och” and “aukh,” both
pronounced AWK), or in “tun,” and often contain an “oh” (long “O”) sound
(often spell “oa”). Variants on “oroch” (Boroch, Horoch, Koroch, Moroch) are
common, as is the name “Hoatun.”
HOROCH
The frost giant Horoch dwells in a deep east-west rift in the Reghed Glacier,
near its western end (due north of the Ice Lakes, across the mountains known as
Barakmornolor or “the Wall”). Old and readily recognizable for the misshapen,
battered appearance of his head (his skull has been broken several times in
battle, down the years) and for his jutting lower law with its tusk-like
upthrusting lower teeth (also a result of ill-healed breakage), Horoch hates
humans almost as much as he hates orcs.

As a result, he sends the young giants (of both genders) of the large frost giant
hold he rules (and Horoch styles himself “the Arking” of “Arklarn,” which is
what the frost giants who dwell there call both the rift and the hold—which fills
the rift, comprising both passages hewn through the ice, and the caverns in the
bedrock beneath it those passages lead to) south in frequent raids to hunt for
food and slaughter all the humans they encounter.

The depredations of the Arklarn warbands have kept the Uthgardt barbarians
hardy and few in number, have made overland travel perilous near Luskan and
Mirabar, and have made exploring the Crags increasingly dangerous. The valley
of the River Mirar, and the headwaters of the River Surbrin far to the east along
the Spine of the World range, are the favorite hunting grounds of the Arklarn,
who have never attacked Ten Towns, Ironmaster, or Fireshear (the Arklarn
range south, never west). They have standing orders to slay any orc or human
they catch sight of and can reach, but to hunt beasts for food only as necessary
(there’s no truth to the rumor among Uthgardt and dwarves that frost giants
willingly kill and eat orcs and humans for food).

Horoch dreams of sacking Mirabar, but not to conquer and destroy it; he’s
cunning enough to plunder it and then wait for it to be reoccupied and rebuilt, so
he can sack it again. On rare occasions, he orders his foraging bands to leave
human miners and prospectors alone, because he knows that fresh discoveries
and new mines will bring more humans within reach to slay, and more pack
beasts to eat.
MRAUKH
The frost giant Mraukh is a smart, strong, and handsome jarl who rules a
dwindling hold, Sarkheld, that was formerly located in the High Ice where the
combined rivers of Icespire and Clear drains into that glacier. Lack of food
forced the Sarkh giants to relocate west to the easternmost Ice Mountains three
decades ago, and Mraukh is seeing the same dwindling of the food supply that
drove his people out of the High Ice—and increasing activity out of Citadel
Adbar. So he has taken the bold decision to lead them on stealthy forays
throughout the Rauvin and Nether mountain ranges, to hunt where they can but
as much as possible avoid open confrontations with the humans, orcs, dwarves,
and others who inhabit Everlund, Silverymoon, Sundabar, and all of the other
settlements in the Silver Marches—unless they can leave no survivors as
witnesses to carry tales back of raiding frost giants.

HOATUN
The frost giant Hoatun “Cloaksnows” (so dubbed by frost giants to distinguish
him from the five other Hoatuns who lead or have led warbands in the Sword
Coast North) is a short-tempered, grudge-holding, relentless foe of a warrior, the
leader of a hardy nomadic band of some forty frost giants who followed him
south from the High Ice down the western verges of Anauroch to the
northernmost Sunset Mountains (nigh the River Reaching). From the highest
mountain valleys there, they now raid down into Tunland, the Stonelands, the
trade-roads that link Corm Orp and Hluthvar with Iriaebor, and even into
western Cormyr. Hoatun is smart enough to capture herd animals alive when his
giants can, to be taken and penned up in remote high meadows and mountain
valleys to serve as later meals. When blizzards and ice storms come to this
region, however, he leads his giants in bold forays right into settlements on the
trade roads, cloaking themselves in the severe weather, as they snatch beasts for
food and slaughter anyone who offers resistance. If he could be sure of finding
cold mountain rifts to dwell in further south, Hoatun would go there, following
the more abundant food on the hoof—so he orders his giants to capture alive
peddlers, prospectors, and other travelers who seem to know where they’re
going, for questioning. If he ever finds one with a good map, he might be
merciful enough to just break their limbs and leave them alive to try to crawl to
aid, rather than killing them outright the moment he’s learned all they seem
willing to impart.
CLOUD GIANTS
These lofty controllers of lesser giants dwell in castles on high mountain peaks
—such as the Lost Peaks and the Star Mounts at the heart of the High Forest,
and the Taglorlar in the High Ice, all of which they customarily keep shrouded
in mists. In smaller family groupings, they can also be found atop the Cloud
Peaks, the Icepeak, and the Scimitar Spires.

Cloud giant names vary widely in style and sound, and in contrast to the hard
sounds of some other giant names, contain the most liquid or soft sounds. They
are often polysyllabic, and individual cloud giants like to adopt self-styled
honorifics (such as “of the Seven Promises” or “the Fist of Doom”). Some
sample cloud giant names: Gulgarl, Harglaen, Maranvrove, Sansur, Srond, and
Vaureld.

FAERN
The cloud giant Faern rules a peaktop castle in the Snowflake Mountains (at the
eastern end of Amn) that is actually a rebuilt and repurposed ancient Netherese
flying city. Once the city of Velarveirel, it is now known as to the forty-odd
cloud giants that dwell therein as Mordraunt. Grounded at the moment, it can be
taken aloft quite rapidly if the need ever arises; fully half of its inhabitants know
how to control the enchantments that move it. They keep it shrouded in drifting
clouds to keep it from being spotted from afar, and keep wyverns on nearby
ledges in the mountains to hunt the lands around, and so dissuade humans from
approaching or climbing those peaks in the Snowflake range. Faern’s citizens
prefer to keep to themselves, magically farscrying events all over Faerûn and
making wagers on what will happen in this or that land, but Faern himself likes
to travel to bargain with beholders, and give orders to lesser giants and giant-
kin, to keep rulers in the vicinity of the Snowflakes weak, so Amn doesn’t rise
to great power, Calimshan and Cormyr don’t expand, Sembia remains in every-
wealthy-citizen-for-themselves turmoil, and the Vilhon doesn’t spawn any
spreading kingdoms. (His fellow Velarven cloud giants are aware of his
dealings, and don’t make large bets about any of these nearby places.)

ARAUVURR
The cloud giant Arauvurr dwells alone on Stormprow, northernmost of the
Mintarn Islands, a desolate and otherwise deserted sharp-edged peak rising out
of the sea. Arauvurr is something of an outcast, considered mad after the loss of
all his kin in a war among cloud giants who dwelt east and south of Ulgarth half
a century ago. He isn’t as crazed as other cloud giants believe him to be, but is
obsessed with preventing wars among humans, and unbeknownst to almost
everyone (aside from Elminster and the other Chosen of Mystra closest to him),
uses his spells to meddle with the minds of specific inhabitants of Waterdeep,
from guildmasters to thieves to elder nobles and Masked Lords, to try to head
off open strife—and the sponsoring of mercenaries to fight (as opposed to guard
or escort). On nights when sea-mists cloak much of the City of Splendors, and
the mood takes him, Arauvurr has even been known to visit the city personally,
magically posing as one of the Walking Statues of Waterdeep, come to life—so
as to awe, scare, or alarm certain citizens into doing certain things to maintain
the peace rather than endanger it. He’s also beginning to regard certain noble
families as his favorites, and detest others, and is increasingly meddling in their
feuds, rivalries, and business dealings to harm those he dislikes and advance
those he favors.

RELIATH
The cloud giant Reliath dwells alone (or with a seldom-seen family or lovers;
reports differ) in the easternmost Scimitar Spires. Wisp-bearded and jovial, he
delights in the company of humans—lone humans or small groups, not crowds
or armies or the citizens of a settlement. More precisely, he takes glee in
meddling with the politics of the Dales and Sembia (which in turn affects
matters in Cormyr) by appearing to specific humans and making promises and
bargains he has no intention at all of ever keeping. He’s not malicious, but cares
little for the fates of humans (though he has been known to grow very fond of
“prize pawns” who serve his schemes well). Reliath doesn’t reveal the full and
true extent of his aims to anyone, and observers such as Elminster can’t even be
sure that his meddlings have a coherent direction—as opposed to changing
often, or at whim—but he seems to be trying to arrange matters so the Dales rise
in prosperity and power, Sembia gets increasingly disorganized and fragmented,
and Cormyr’s nobles have their hands full of small troubles so they can spare
neither time nor coin for sponsoring or leading rebellions or backing this royal
over that one.

STORM GIANTS
These solitary, contemplative seers keep to areas remote from civilization. They
are most numerous in the mountains around Sossal, the Icerim Mountains
(where they are the reason frost giants are so rare there), and Mount Skyfell.
They do not tolerate interruptions by other giants well, and in particular like to
keep the warlike activities of fire giants at a distance, and to remind cloud giants
that storm giants are the pinnacle of giantkind, “closest to the gods, and
deservedly so,” not cloud giants.

To human ears, storm giant names tend to sound emphatic, and often end in
“ak,” “yk” (pronounced “ick”) and “or.”

GARTHRAK
The storm giant Garthrak dwells atop two of the highest peaks south of
Armridge and west of Sossal (he has abodes on two neighboring nameless
mountains, where he commands three small families of storm giants who
collectively refer to their settlements, on surrounding peaks, as “Windvault”).
Although Garthrak’s avid avocation is a study of the heavens visible from Toril,
he has a practical side, seeing it as his duty to influence affairs in “civilized”
Toril (a term he considers overblown, as what he’s seen of human society thus
far he considers far less than civilized). Garthrak has taken to working with a
select handful of (human) Harpers in secret, to learn of events in the human
Heartlands and Sword Coast, and to locate and identify the lairs of dragons.
Garthrak uses what he learns of dragons to send expeditions from Windvault to
ruthlessly exterminate the wyrms. He also leads occasional raids into human
territory, cloaking his raiding bands in severe storm weather, with the aim of
preventing the spread of humans north toward Windvault. In particular, Garthrak
is interested in distracting the humans of Rashemen from any such thoughts
—“distracting” rather than fighting, as he respects the power of the witches and
wants to direct their energies elsewhere rather than making them his foes—and
in sharply curbing the power of Thay so territorial expansion will be far from its
strivings.

KOLNOR
The storm giant Kolnor dwells atop Mount Skyfell (in northwestern Anauroch,
between the Far Forest and the High Ice), where he is the head of his family of
sixteen storm giants. All are reclusive, but Kolnor regards the Sword Coast
North as his source of entertainment, and wants the Silver Marches to survive
but not to flourish and grow in size and expand in his direction—so he
manipulates weather across the Sword Coast North to batter the incursions of
trolls, lesser giants, and orcs against the Silver Marches, but also to hamper
those in the Marches prospecting and exploring eastwards. Kolnor is not above
making personal jaunts to negotiate with adventurers, threaten dwarves or
sentient monsters, and “deal with” dragons (usually by manipulating or coercing
adventurers or others into conflict with them). Kolnor probably knows more
about the recent unfolding history of the Sword Coast North—from a largely
passive observer’s point of view—than any other being alive today. His kin all
sense he’s becoming increasingly restless, so the question arises: what will he
soon do with what he knows?

TAURYK
The storm giant Tauryk dwells in the southeasternmost Icerim Mountains (south
of Sossal and northeast of Rashemen). This is far indeed from the Sword Coast
and the Heartlands, but Tauryk is an unusual storm giant—he sees himself as an
adventurer, traveling the lands from his home westwards to the Sea of Swords,
and south as far as the Vilhon battling dragons, hunting down dragons and
dragon eggs and dragon lairs, fomenting feuds among dragons, and stirring up
fear and hatred of dragons in others. For personal amusement, he takes an
interest in the deeds of adventurers, from halflings and humans to ogres—aiding
and befriending some, and thwarting or even challenging others. Tauryk wields
a greatsword that’s enchanted to look like a gigantic scythe or axe until it’s
swung in anger (and whenever it’s not being wielded in battle, it flickers back
into its disguised appearance). Tauryk walks alone, but Elminster says he lost
his beloved years ago through his own reclusive inaction, which is why the Lone
Giant now adventures (seeking any trace of her, and wanting to impress her with
his changed ways). Her name is Ulorra, but her whereabouts—and even if she
still lives—is unknown to Elminster and to Tauryk (she wielded powerful magic
and liked to cloak herself in magical disguises, so finding her may not be easy).