Giants¶
Supremely well adapted to harsh environments, giants thrive in extreme conditions. Fire giants build floating cities in the hearts of volcanic calderas, while stone giant villages dot the tallest mountains. Most people often go their entire lives blissfully unaware of the local tribe of giants living atop the nearby mountain range. This is for the best, as few "smallfolk" structures can survive even a handful of sufficiently motivated giants.
Adaptable and Elemental¶
Giants physically resemble the territory they inhabit. A band of frost giants doesn't simply live on a glacial mountain—they're part of that mountain, and it's part of them. Fire giants exude heat like a roaring volcano. Sages have long debated the question, "Does the environment shape a giant, or does the giant shape their environment?"
Distant Cousins¶
Humanoid scholars generally assume that all giants are related, though giants don't view each other as kin by default. When different giant communities interact, the results depend heavily on the individuals involved and the relationships between their cultures. For instance, stone giants rarely get along with hill giants, as hill giants often detest stone artisanship. Meanwhile, frost giants gladly recruit hill giants into raiding parties if they're willing to be in the vanguard.
Fire Giants¶
Hailing from sweltering deserts and deep caverns of roiling magma, fire giants embody the passion and ruthlessness of their namesake element. Though they have a reputation for violent growth and expansion, their lesser-known side is a deeply spiritual one, guided by introspection and understanding.
Fire giants rarely wear armor, as their bodies heat to extreme temperatures while they fight, causing leather to melt and metal to deform. They instead hone their own bodies into perfect weapons of war.
Frost Giants¶
Born of soaring, frigid peaks, frost giants master their environments to rule mountain ranges and build fortresses of unyielding ice. When frost giants march, a blizzard grows overhead, accompanying them like a war banner. To frost giants, battle is a way of life, camaraderie, and glory.
Where frost giants make their homes, a unique form of ice sprouts into flowering crystalline structures. Frost giants harvest this ice, known as issenblau in their dialect, and fashion it into weapons as hard and sharp as steel, which can be used in any environment without melting.
Hill Giants¶
Of all the giant cultures, hill giants are the most likely to interact with humanoids. Hill giants and smallfolk both love to live in places with rolling, fertile fields, and both appreciate the beauty of nature. However, these commonalities can be quickly forgotten if evil hill giants band together to claim the land solely for themselves, or if the smallfolk let fear of the large get the best of them and attempt to drive off their bigger neighbors. Most hill giants want to be left in peace, but when one is pressed, they can demolish a smallfolk village in minutes.
Most hill giants spend so much time in quiet peace that sudden flashy sights and loud noises can draw their attention. In battle, such distractions can draw a hill giant's ire, making them switch from one target to another.
Stone Giants¶
Fascinated by the act of creation, stone giants carve cities out of ancient caverns, mine precious metals and gems, and craft relics worthy of glory. To many a stone giant, artisanship is the highest calling, and all their creations are crafted with an eye to beauty and longevity.
Stone giants are made of the same kinds of rocks that form their homes—sandstone, marble, granite, and even basalt. Their stone bodies not only protect them from attack, but also provide them with an additional outlet for self-expression. They often carve runes into their skin, which serve a wide variety of artistic and cultural purposes.
Giant Languages¶
Most giants speak their kind's dialect of High Kuric. Many hill giants also know Caelian.
Basalt Stone Giant
- Rune-Signed BladeMain actionSignature
- Forked KnifeMain action3 Malice
- Cobblestone ShapeManeuver
- Resonate RuneTriggered action
- Stonebreaker FleshTrait
- Stone StepsTrait
- Stone SwimTrait
Fire Giant Chief
- Roiling FistMain actionSignature
- Burning KickMain action
- Lava PillarManeuver3 Malice
- Fuel the FireTriggered action1 Malice
- Forward!Villain Action 1
- Burning LegionVillain Action 2
- All to CindersVillain Action 3
- Scorching SkinTrait
Fire Giant Fireballer
- Blazing LeapMain actionSignature
- Searing SkinTrait
Fire Giant Lightbearer
- FlamelashMain actionSignature
- Living BlazeMain action3 Malice
- Travel By FireManeuver
- Emergency BeaconTriggered action
- Healing HeatTrait
- Searing SkinTrait
Fire Giant Red Fist
- Flaming PunchMain actionSignature
- CalderaMain action5 Malice
- Blazing LeapManeuver
- Heat and PressureFree triggered action
- Guardian BlockTriggered action
- Searing SkinTrait
Frost Giant Snowblaster
- SlushfallMain actionSignature
- Kingdom of IsolationTrait
Frost Giant Storm Hurler
- Ice JavelinsMain actionSignature
- Flower of FrostMain action3 Malice
- Ice DanceManeuver
- Frozen RetributionTriggered action
- Kingdom of IsolationTrait
Frost Giant Wind Sprinter
- Cold AxeMain actionSignature
- Blizzard SurgeMain action5 Malice
- Ice DanceManeuver
- Begone, Smallfolk!Triggered action
- Crush UnderfootTrait
- Kingdom of IsolationTrait
Granite Stone Giant
- Jagged Stone ClubMain actionSignature
- Crag BurstMain action3 Malice
- Castle Stone ShapeManeuver
- PillarTriggered action
- Stonebreaker FleshTrait
- Stone StepsTrait
- Stone SwimTrait
Hill Giant Clobberer
- Clobberin' ClubMain actionSignature
- StompMain action3 Malice
- Hill QuakeManeuver
- You Ain't Getting AwayTriggered action
- Destructive PathTrait
- DistractedTrait
Hill Giant Mosstooth
- SwingMain actionSignature
- DistractedTrait
Marble Stone Giant
- Marble From a Great SlingMain actionSignature
- Far FlungMain action3 Malice
- Polish Stone ShapeManeuver
- Break ArmorTriggered action1 Malice
- Stonebreaker FleshTrait
- Stone StepsTrait
- Stone SwimTrait