GIANTS
Ancient empires once cast long shadows over a world
that quaked beneath the giants' feet. In those lost days,
these towering figures were dragon slayers, dreamers,
crafte rs, and kings, but their kind fell from glory long
a go. However, even divided among secluded clans
scattered throughout the world, the giants maintain the
customs and traditions of old.
Old as Legend. In remote regions of the world,
the last r emaining plinths, monoliths, and statues of
the great giant empires bow their heads in desolate
obscurity. Whe re once those empires sprawled
across all lands, now the giants dwell in isolate d
tribes and clans.
Giants are almost as old as dragons, which were
still young whe n the giants' heavy feet first shook the
foundations of the world. As they spread across new
lands, giants and dragons fought bitter generational
wars that nearly brought both sides low. No living giant
remembers what started the conflict, but myths and
tales of their race's glorious dawn are still sung in their
steadings and holdfasts, vilifying the primeval wyrms.
Giants and dragons continue to harbor grudges against
one another, and it is seldom that they will meet or
occupy the same area without a fight.THE 0RDNING
Each of the main giant races- the cloud, fire , frost,
hill, stone, and storm giants- a r e rela ted by common
elements of history, religion, and culture .. They view one
another as kindred, keeping any inhe rent animosity over
territory and ambition to a minimum.
Giants belong to a caste structure called the ordning.
Based on social class and highly orga nized, the ordning
assigns a social rank to each giant. By understanding
its place in the ordning, a giant knows which other
giants are inferior or superior to it, since no two giants
are equal. Each of the giant races a nalyzes a different
combination of skills or qualities to de termine the
ordning. Giants make excelling in these qualities the
purpose of their lives.
At the highest level of the ordning, the races of the
giants are also ranked according to status. Storm giants
a re the highest in the ordning, followe d by cloud giants,
fire giants, frost giants, stone giants, hill giants, and
finally giant kin such as fomorians, e ttins, and ogres.
Regardless of a giant's rank among its own race, the
chief of a hill giant tribe is inferior to the most common
of stone giants. The lowest ranked giant of any type is
superior to the highest ranked giant of an inferior type.
It isn't considered evil to dis respect or even betray a
giant of another type, merely rude.