In the Company of Giants Revised Credits Titan (Designer): Steven D

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Rite Publishing Presents: In The Company Of Giants Revised Credits Titan (Designer): Steven D. Russell Rock Thrower (5e Conversion): Brandes Stoddard Ettin Prince (Developer): Dan Dillon Fire Giant King (Editor): Robert N. Emerson Frost Giant Jarl (Cover Artist): Joe Calkins Hill Giant Chieftains (Interior Artists): Joe Calkins, Thomas Morten, and Arthur Rackham Stone Giant ElderSample (Proofreading): file Bill Collins Jotun Whisperer (Layout): Lj Stephens Dedication: To Gary Gygax In honored memory of the battles against the giants

Special Thanks to Wolfgang Baur, David “Zeb” Cook, Monte Cook, Bruce Cordell, Scott Greene, Jeff Grubb, Sean K. Reynolds, Ian Sturrock, and Ray Winninger for all the battles that came after. “If each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.” - David Ogilvy

1 Owain Northway, You have asked for a “description” of my people, the Jotunnar, but this is a saga to be told by skald over a fortnight, not some small brevity to be put down on the impermanence of parchment. However, we have shared the giant’s brew together, you have given me the tale of your need, and you have shown Vird to my people. So I, a Jotun of the Kingdom Colossal, shall attempt to convey too short a story. -Aevarr “Grinsaga” Valisson

ou name us Nephilim, Anakim, Brobdingnagian, YComoran Emim, and Rephaim. We name ourselves, with exultation, the Jotunnar. The Jotunnar are kith and kin to what you christen “giants.” We are to them in the same manner that the giants of the hills are relations of the giants of the storms; we find both joy and humor in these familial relations, dysfunctional though they may be. My people are newer to this world than our fellow giants; we were not here during our kith’s war with the dragons, which shattered the Colossal Empire. We were not here when Cynmark, the Dark Emperor, made slaves of the giants of hill, stone, frost, fire, cloud, and storm. It was during the two thousand years of slavery, under the first and last emperor of the Cynmark Dynasty, that we were created through the Imperium’s mystical theurgies and our own lustful breeding. We became an exemplarSample of the Jotunnar file Aevarr “Grinsaga” Valisson and his wife elemental forces and the might found within Dyrfinna “Brightlaugh” Ymirdottir speaking with the all giants. We, the Jotunnar, served as the shock human Owain Northway troops of the Dynasty, often led by our bastard kin, the Wyrd. Yet my ancestors, being filled with Today many of us still live in the city of bravado, chafed under the reign of Cynmark. Questhaven, enjoying the Questor’s Society life of Finally, when his rule would have forced us to battle, alcoholic brews, and the living and telling descend into Osoem, we found hope. Instead of of still greater legends. slaughtering the last remnant of the Kingdom Colossal at Mount Jotunheim, we rebelled. In our Physical Description rebellion, we secured the hope of ascending into My people, the Jotunnar, at the conclusion of our the Vird. Many were the battles, deserving of much first step in development, are usually about 7 feet longer telling than these few words you require tall. There are two additional development steps, me to convey. Yet know that many of us joined the though a rare few of my kind choose another path, Questor’s Society, while others reunited with the and are ever after dismissed as “Stunted Ones.” giants of the Kingdom Colossal. Eventually the Those who do advance embrace their elemental High King of the Giants ascended, by Vird, from might, tying into their lineage and taking on the amongst the Jotunnar, to rule all the Kingdom physical traits of a giant of the hills, stones, frosts, Colossal from his high seat at Mount Jotunheim. fires, clouds, or storms, to such a point that even He joined the Protectorate of Questhaven, The I cannot tell the difference between a jotun and, Evocative City. say, a storm giant. Those who do not awaken a 2 lineage allow their hair to grow long, with women wearing their hair in two long braids. Males tend to grow long beards. We are a vain people, especially those, such as myself, who follow the way of Vird. We want to awe everyone with the magnificence of our presence, more so if there are potential mates in attendance! You will not find what you humans call a “gentleman’s discretion” or modesty in our approach to our appearance; we express our sexuality, vigor, and might in lavish, even savage displays. Those who have embraced the Osoem, however, are so debased in appearance that brushes, let alone a bath, are forgotten. Their noses grow overly large and their ears grow pointed. They decorate their rough garments and their rude dwellings with the remains of their When it comes to attire, some adopt the clothing of the lineage we embrace, while others enjoy “loud” colors that mark them as followers of Vird. Those who embrace our baser natures often wear only animal skins. Society The concepts of Vird and Osoem hold Jotunheim, the Kingdom Colossal, together. First you must understand Vird, though its customs seem Ragnar a jotun who has embraced his Osoem nature strange to you: our women formed their own soldier society known as the “Choosers of the example, when I confronted a foul villain who Slain,” we have no taboo against nudity, and we preyed upon helpless children, I exclaimed, also stress the importance of size. Sample“Verily, file it is time for righteous smiting!” When Vird starts with the proper veneration of the I was confronted with a foe that was sure to slay giantish gods. In Questhaven and Jotunheim, this me, I said, “This will be a great challenge to sing means both Our Pantheon of the Great Church songs of! Would that one of us were going to live, and Our Lord of Laughter. It means more than so the skalds could learn of it.” My father, after simple worship; we show respect for gods humans being stabbed in the heart by a spear head, pulled would deem evil or contrary to our principles. For it out, looked at the new-made spear head and example, I thank Our Dark Brother of Gluttony, for said, “They made them broad this year,” as he allowing me to sate my hungers. I honor a worthy died. Bravery for a jotun means that you do not foe who venerated Our Dark Brother of Gluttony act based on fear, that you do not leave a comrade by seeing to his proper burial, and asking the behind, and you face up to personal challenges god’s forgiveness as battle forced me to destroy that you have a chance of overcoming. Failure parts of his temple. Additionally, I avoid doing is no disgrace, but an unwillingness to try, for more destruction to the temple than was necessary fear of failure, is. Bravado requires both praise to complete my mission. and insults to one’s enemies. Not giving proper Vird also embraces Joy, Bravery, and Bravado. praise and insults to a foe is like unto failure to We Jotunnar express joy even when confronted give praise to your own god. with the greatest of tragedies. In the same way Vird demands courtesy, mercy, and charity to that a frightened jotun overcomes fear to meet other giants, even a sworn enemy. Giants fight his enemy bravely, a despairing jotun meets their one another, but those that extend mercy often fate with a broad grin, a jest, and laughter. For earn the loyalty and fealty of a defeated foe. 3 If I had embraced a fire giant lineage and joined the Fire Giant Tribes, then an unknown Fire Giant would have a greater standing than would my closest non-fire giant friend. This has caused many a rift with non-giants, who do not understand the Vird, and even with giants who do not embrace it. The final and perhaps most important aspect of the Vird is its domain. A giant is expected to never give up in the defense of their home, even if they flee only so that they can regroup and renew the assault. A follower of the Vird who retreats from their home has become debased into Osoem. Osoem is an even more difficult concept for non- giants to understand. It could be best summarized as a giant ignoring his mystical connections and embracing his baser nature, though it is far more complex than that. These traits are most closely related to what humans call gluttony, avarice, and pride. Osoem is a part of being a giant. Acting on it, while earning no honor, is not disgraceful. It is expected. Followers of the Vird rise above it, Vestarr a jotun paragon who has embraced the ways while followers of Osoem embrace it. of the Vird Followers of Osoem don’t simply blaspheme against a deity, they deny the gods and revel in their own power. They don’t just raid another This only extends between giants, however. A giant’s home, they kill the host in his sleep after jotun who follows the Vird shows no such mercy to the most honorable dwarf, gnome, or dragon. being invited in as a guest. They don’t simply Courtesies between giants are often long and disobey the king, but seek to subvert his work. drawn out processes, which involve ritualsSample and They file ignore courtesies, stealing and murdering a formal exchanging of names: your given name, members of their own tribe, clan and family. the name of your father or mother with a –son They keep silent when it comes time to boast of or –dottir suffix denoting relationship, followed their accomplishments, and hold their tongues by the name of your clan, tribe, and the ruler when it is time to mock or praise a foe. They you owe allegiance. For example, I am Aevarr would exile a giant from his home, rather than Valisson, Clan Aesgir, of the Jotun Tribe, Legate give him a glorious death and proper burial. of High King Ymir of Jotunheim to the Council of They would spill any secret given to them in Heroes in Questhaven. Other courtesies include confidence. an exchange of tales. In addition, there is a sacred Killing a giantish foe in battle from ambush, relationship between guest and host; even the or even under the crushing weight of a rock poorest of giants will offer his last crumb to a dropped upon his head, and taking the spoils of giantish guest. war from his body is a Vird act, unless he was When it comes to the Vird of our society, King from the same tribe, which would be an Osoem stands taller than Tribe, Tribe stands taller than act. Refusing to grant quarter to this giant when Clan, Clan stands taller than Family, Family the option is possible would be an Osoem act; stands taller than Friend, Friend stands taller if he was a gnome, dwarf or dragon, then Vird than Foe, and Foes stand taller than strangers. demands that we grant no quarter. If an attack In this way, my companions in the fellowship came from the same giantish foe after you spared of adventurers in the Questor’s Society have a him, that would be an Osoem act, unless you higher standing than a fire giant who is unknown tried to drive him from his home. Such are the to me. complexities of Vird and Osoem. 4