Table Of Contentby Ray Winninger
Credits
Design: Ray Winninger
Editing: Karen S. Boomgarden
Cover Illustration: Jeff Easley
Interior Illustrations: Matt Cavotta, Daniel Frazier
Maps: Dori Hein
Electronic Repress Coordination: Tim Coumbe
Typesetting: Nancy J. Kerkstra
Graphic Design: Dee Barnett
Special Thanks: Jeff Grubb, Troy Denning, Julia Martin, and William W. Connors
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, DUNGEON MASTER, FORGOTTEN REALMS, AL-QADIM, and MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM
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2 (cid:149) Credits
The Colossal Kingdom ............. .4 Giant Religion. ................... .41
How to Use This Book............ .5 Priests and Shamans ............ .42
Other Useful Works. ............. .6 Ordning Family Tree ............ .42
An Important Note .............. .6 Giant Deities. .................. .43
Annam(cid:146)s Legacy. .................. .7 Rune Magic. ..................... .58
War with the Dragons ............ .7 Runecasters. ................... .59
Annam Betrayed ................ .8 Using Runes ................... .60
The Fall of Voninheim ............ 10 Rune Descriptions .............. .62
The War of the Hart.. ........... .11 Creating New Runes ............ .69
The Legend of the Twilight Spirit . .12 Runecasters in Jotunbrud Society . .70
Giant Sorcerers ................. .70
The Nature of Giantkind. .......... .13
Ten Myths About Giantkind. ..... .13 The Ice Spires and Their Environs. . . .71
General Physical Features. ........ .19 Geographic Overview. .......... .71
Giant Combat .................. .20 Survival in the Spires. ........... .72
Senses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Natural Illusions. ............... .73
Birth, Growth, and Development . .23 Whiteouts and Fairy Ice ......... .74
Giant Society. .................. .24 Hartsvale. ..................... .75
Lineage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The Eternal Blizzard ............ .83
Clerical Parley. ................. .25 Ogre Caves .................... .83
Language. ..................... .26 The Mist Caves. ................ .84
General Role-playing Tips ....... .29 The Dour Fissure ............... .86
Typical Giant Lairs. ............. .88
TheKin.. ...................... . .31
Firbolgs ....................... .32 Ice Spire Ogres .................. .122
Verbeegs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Shadowhounds. ................. .124
Voadkyn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Krotter ......................... .126
Fomorians ..................... .40
Table of Contents (cid:149) 3
her door voluminous purple robes and produced a thick
reminded Illyra of an ancient elven disk of tarnished gold. The disk was so large
riddle: What is the only gem shat- that it filled his entire hand, fingertip to thumb.
tered as easily as glass? The answer, (cid:147)I need you to examine this amulet.(cid:148)
of course, is silence. Illyra took the heavy disk in her own hand
(cid:147)Come, come! Open this door at once! My and rubbed her fingertips along its surface.
master would speak with you!(cid:148) (cid:147)Where did you get this?(cid:148)
Illyra shouted something unintelligible (cid:147)That scoundrel Varvig owes me two hundred
((cid:147)Nowhere to roam?(cid:148)) and refocused her con- dantars. He assures me that this covers his debt,
centration upon the scroll spread out before her. though I can(cid:146)t believe a single word that passes
(cid:147)If you do not open this door immediately, I through his cursed lips. He says he found the
shall boot it down!(cid:148) thing on one of his insipid adventures.(cid:148)
Illyra(cid:146)s tormentor paused before making Genuinely interested in the strange object,
good on his threat, allowing her to re-immerse Illyra stared and scratched her head as Borabel
herself in the scroll and its secrets. grew evermore impatient. Finally, he could no
(cid:147)Once again, I warn you, madam. If you do longer bear the suspense.
not open up at once, I shall kick this door to (cid:147)Well?(cid:148)
splinters.(cid:148) Another long pause. (cid:147)Give my page 25 dantars and I(cid:146)ll tell you
When the first sharp kick shook her tiny what it is.(cid:148)
library to its foundation, Illyra finally rose from (cid:147)You(cid:146)re a thief! I(cid:146)ve heard talk that you con-
her bench, opened the window beside her long sult with street rabble for a few scant silvers!(cid:148)
reading table, and thrust her head out over the (cid:147)I charge what my patrons can afford to pay
street. From this new vantage, she recognized Perhaps someone else might help you.(cid:148) Illyra
the several men who stood before her doorway held the disk in her outstretched arms, offering
as the merchant Borabel and his bodyguards. to return it to its owner. Again, Borabel scowled.
(cid:147)Oh, it(cid:146)s you. Why are you still here? I told (cid:147)Very well. Twenty five dantars.(cid:148) On cue, one
you. . . nobody(cid:146)s home !(cid:148) Illyra relatched the of the merchant(cid:146)s bodyguards stepped forward
window and returned to her studies. and presented Illyra(cid:146)s page with a suitably
When the second loud kick clinked and rat- weighty coin purse. (cid:147)Now speak.(cid:148)
tled her collection of Askavarian pottery, she Illyra continued to brush her fingers across
finally relented and ordered her page to fetch the disk(cid:146)s surface. (cid:147)First of all, it(cid:146)s not an amulet
the cretins into the sanctum, where she joined (cid:151)it(cid:146)s a coin.(cid:148)
them a few moments later. (cid:147)A coin? Rubbish! That thing weighs 2
(cid:147)All right, Borabel, you finally have my atten- stone(cid:151)no man could carry more than a few of
tion. Why don(cid:146)t you tell me what coaxed you those. I want my 25 dantars returned, you char-
from your hole?(cid:148) latan!(cid:148) Borabel(cid:146)s guards began murmuring
(cid:147)You should take care, Illyra,(cid:148) Borabel amongst themselves.
sniveled. (cid:147)My brother-in-law personally serves (cid:147)You(cid:146)re right(cid:151)no man could carry an entire
the earl and he . . .(cid:148) purse of such coins. But coins such as this were
(cid:147). . . is a fat, ill-mannered toad, just like your- never carried by men.(cid:148)
self. My time is precious, peddler. Quickly now, Intrigued, Borabel and his guards suddenly
what brings you here?(cid:148) grew silent.
Visibly fuming, Borabel reached beneath his (cid:147)Have you ever heard of Ostoria?(cid:148)
4 (cid:149) The Colossal Kingdom
The unbroken silence from Borabel and his The glory of ancient Ostoria may be gone,
men meant they had not. but the giants themselves live on; the last of
(cid:147)Three thousand years ago, an empire of the ancient tribes maintain scattered strong-
giants stretched across the mountains of Faerßn. holds near the Endless Ice Sea, a lone and tor-
No one knows exactly when, how, or why the mented stone giant carves incredible
colossal kingdom collapsed(cid:151)some say the col- sculptures from the ancient mountains over-
lapse came in the wake of an epic struggle looking the Dragon Coast, and fire giant
against an armada of dragons; others say the shamans dance along the rims of volcanoes
empire fell amidst friction between the giant located amidst the Thunder Peaks. Today, the
tribes themselves.(cid:148) thundering footsteps and ear-splitting taunts
(cid:147)And this empire of giants was named of the Jotunbrud (Joe-tuhn-brood, as giants
Ostoria?(cid:148) refer to themselves in their ancient tongue) are
(cid:147)Yes. This is an Ostorian coin.(cid:148) occasionally heard from the wastes of the Sav-
(cid:147)What(cid:146)s it worth?(cid:148) age North to the plains of the Shining South.
(cid:147)Ostorian coins are very rare. I(cid:146)d say it(cid:145)s Although the last great empire of giants was
worth perhaps five times Varvig(cid:146)s debt(cid:151)to the extinguished more than several thousand
appropriate parties, of course.(cid:148) years ago, the giants continue to flourish and
The flames of greed burned bright in Bora- look ahead to a day when the Colossal King-
bel(cid:146)s eyes. He spent the next several moments dom might rise again.
considering how he might spend a thousand Giants are among the oldest inhabitants of
dantars of unexpected profit. Once he noticed Toril. Their history dates back to long before
his guards staring at him, expecting him to the collapse of the Raurin Empire and the
speak, he violently shook his head and returned beginning of recorded history in the Realms.
his consciousness to its present surroundings. In fact, according to their own ancient lore, the
(cid:147)This is absolute rubbish! Giants! Hah! This giants were the very first creatures to domi-
thing is worth no more than its raw gold value. I nate their environment and gain sentience.
want my purse back!(cid:148) Throughout their many centuries of rise and
Illyra couldn(cid:146)t hide her amusement. (cid:147)I(cid:146)ll fall, of course, the Jotunbrud have acquired
return triple the fee in exchange for the coin.(cid:148) many secrets. Now you have an opportunity
(cid:147)You(cid:146)re a thief!(cid:148) Borabel shouted as he to share them.
snatched the disk from Illyra(cid:146)s hands. He hur- In this sourcebook you(cid:146)ll read about the col-
riedly exited the library with a well-practiced lapse of the Colossal Kingdom and the tragic
sneer, his guards stumbling to keep up. fate of the giant gods, who led their own wor-
(cid:147)Mistress,(cid:148) wondered Illyra(cid:146)s page. (cid:147)Don(cid:146)t shipers into their present state of disarray.
giants assume that humans bearing Ostorian You(cid:146)ll meet the giants and giant-kin them-
coins are tomb robbers? Shouldn(cid:146)t you have selves and explore their varied cultures and
warned the merchant? If he foolishly tries to sell customs. You(cid:146)ll explore ancient secrets of sor-
that coin to a giant, he(cid:146)ll be killed!(cid:148) cery with giant-kin runecasters and man the
Illyra tilted her head skyward and scratched forges alongside legendary fire giant artificers.
her chin in mock surprise. You(cid:146)ll visit important landmarks and explore
(cid:147)Oh! Did I forget to mention all that? My, I ancient ruins.
am getting careless in my old age.(cid:148)
The Colossal Kingdom (cid:149) 5
How To Use This Book
indispensable items, the following works may
Most of the material found in FOR6 Giantcraft prove useful:
fits into one of four categories. Troy Denning(cid:146)s (cid:147)Twilight Trilogy(cid:148) (The Ogre(cid:146)s
(cid:149) Historical information, like the histories of the Pact, The Giant Among Us, and The Titan of Twi-
giant races that compose (cid:147)Annam(cid:146)s Legacy,(cid:148) light) introduced readers to Realmsian giants
continues to elaborate upon the historical back- and giant-kin and their customs, and Mr. Den-
ground of the FORGOTTEN REALMSfi Campaign ning(cid:146)s short story (cid:147)Twilight(cid:148) published in the
Setting. As far as actual play is concerned, his- Realms of Infamy anthology provides further
torical information is best used as inspiration insight.
for original adventures. In other words, if a his- 2128 Monstrous Mythology details some of the
tory speaks of an ancient city that was buried giant gods discussed in this work.
beneath an avalanche long ago, DMs should 2135 The Complete Book of Humanoids origi-
think about crafting an adventure in which the nally presented the various giant-kin as player
city(cid:146)s ruins are discovered. Such adventures character races.
help provide campaigns with a (cid:147)sweeping epic
feel(cid:148) and allow players to explore the rich his-
An Important Note
tory of the Realms for themselves. This sort of
exploration is often half the fun of any AD&Dfi Note that Giantcraft concerns itself only with the
campaign. giants of the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Set-
(cid:149) Rules provide new or expanded game infor- ting. Giants in other settings may vary from the
mation to help DMs integrate giants and their customs and details presented here.
special capabilities into their campaigns. Although the AL-QADIMfi Campaign Setting
(cid:149) Locales are detailed locations (often mapped is an official part of the overall FORGOTTEN
and fully keyed) that can be incorporated into REALMS Campaign Setting, the giants of
adventures with minimal effort. Zakhara are not related to the giants detailed in
(cid:149) Cultural information explores the giants(cid:146) cus- this product in any way. Zakharan giants are
toms, attitudes, and beliefs. Cultural informa- enshrouded in mysteries all their own.
tion is an excellent source of tidbits DMs can
use to effectively role-play giants in their Without further ado, then, let us begin at the
games. beginning. . .
Other Useful Works
This sourcebook assumes DMs are using the
AD&D 2nd Edition game rules, but those who
are still playing under the 1st Edition rules
should experience few problems when convert-
ing this book for their own use.
Use of the Player(cid:146)s Handbook, the DUNGEON
MASTERfi Guide, and (especially) the MONSTROUS
MANUAL(cid:153) (or the appropriate MONSTROUS
COMENDIUMfi sheets) is necessary for complete
enjoyment of this product. In addition to these
6 (cid:149) The Colossal Kingdom
dynasties begins and Othea, claimed the cold, vast plains as his
long before the Realms(cid:146) recorded his- own and was accepted as a natural leader by
tory, with the great giant god Annam the others due to his great size and strength.
All-Father. According to the giants Shortly after the kingdom was subdivided,
themselves, Annam was one of the Lanaxis constructed Voninheim (also known
very first gods to take an interest in Toril. The as the (cid:147)Bleak Palace(cid:148)), a sturdy citadel that
validity of this claim, of course, will remain served as the Ostorian capital for the next
forever shrouded in the mists of time, though thousand years.
it is undeniable that Annam(cid:146)s progeny(cid:151)the Over the course of the next several centuries,
giants themselves(cid:151)strode across Toril(cid:146)s dusty Annam(cid:146)s sons founded the dynasties that
steppes centuries before humans, elves, became the hill giants (Ruk), stone giants
dwarves, or any other humanoid or demihu- (Obadai), frost giants (Ottar), fire giants
man race. (Masud), cloud giants (Nicias), storm giants
Shortly after he was attracted to Toril, (Vilmos), wood giants (Dunmore) and titans
Annam married a lesser demigoddess who (Lanaxis). The twisted brood of Annam(cid:146)s two-
manifested herself as a vast mountain located headed son, Arno/Julian, were ultimately
on the edge of the region now known as The known as ettin ((cid:147)runt(cid:148) in the ancient form of the
Cold Lands. Known variously as Sonnhild (in giant tongue).
ancient Thorass), Deronain (in Auld
Dwarvish), and Othea (in the common tongue
War With the Dragons
of the giants), the demigoddess soon bore
Annam several sons. Although he had already At almost the same time Ostoria was founded(cid:151)
sired several immortals (most of whom are or so say the giants(cid:151)the first dragons started
still worshiped by giants and giant-kin), Oth- hatching all across Faerßn. Of course, no one
ea(cid:146)s sons were Annam(cid:146)s first terrestrial chil- knows the exact origins of dragonkind, but the
dren, and for that reason he was particularly venerable legends of the giants speak of dragon
enthralled by them. eggs raining down upon Toril like meteors. To
When the last of his terrestrial sons came of this day, some of the less enlightened giant
age, Annam favored them all by establishing a tribes believe the stars in the sky are dragon
great kingdom in their honor. This kingdom, queens preparing to scatter their eggs across the
ultimately known as Ostoria ((cid:147)father(cid:146)s seat(cid:148) in heavens.
the language of the giants), stretched across At first, the giants paid little attention to the
Faerßn from the Cold Lands to the Vilhon few drakelings they discovered in icy caverns
Reach. and secluded valleys. But within a few cen-
As Ostoria grew, Annam subdivided the turies, after some of the dragons reached
kingdom into several regions, one for each of maturity, the giants recognized the great rep-
his favorite sons: Vilmos claimed dominion tiles as powerful and cunning interlopers who
over the seas and lakes, Nicias was ceded the threatened Ostoria(cid:146)s very existence. Soon,
skies, Ruk claimed the kingdom(cid:146)s rolling hills, open warfare raged between giants and drag-
Ottar was granted the cold wastes to the north, onkind with the rich resources of Faerßn
Masud received the fiery peaks to the south, awaiting the victor. These epic clashes are well
and Obadai claimed the cold caverns of the documented in the classical ballads of
Underdark. Lanaxis, the eldest son of Annam dwarves, elves, and the giants themselves.
Annam(cid:146)s Legacy (cid:149) 7
One such ballad still heard in the mead halls of Jarl of the northern wind-teeth4,
giant steadings was composed by Hrotun, son son of grand Annam,
of Ottar and the first of the frost giant skalds. It All Seeing, All Knowing, All Quelling,
dramatizes the saga of Hjurnur Wyrmrever, a All Father5(cid:151)
notorious giant hero. Fireheart6,
Mighty reaver of the wyrm(cid:146)s core7,
The Opening Stanza1 of the (cid:147)Saga of the He who howled at the sun8,
Dragon Queller(cid:148) ((cid:147)Sal Hotun Wyrmrever(cid:148)), as He of the quenched heart9,
interpreted and annotated by Learned Rundi- He who drowned in the river of swords10, . . .
gast, Sage of Waterdeep:
1This fragment beautifully illustrates the clas-
I pour mead2 to the All-Father for sical construction of the Jotunbrud saga. The
Hrjurnur, son of Hjurgen, first stanza always establishes the identity and
leveler of Ranauroch3, lineage of the hero before moving on to a sum-
son of Ottar, mary of the work to follow.
8 (cid:149) Annam(cid:146)s Legacy
2(cid:148)pour mead(cid:148): frost giant skalds describe saga, after losing a contest of riddles, Hrotun is
their sagas as the (cid:147)mead (or drink) of Annam.(cid:148) forced to allow the Queen of Dragons to devour
Here, the skald is announcing that Hrotun is the his own child.
subject of the saga. 10(cid:148)the river of swords(cid:148): blood. At the saga(cid:146)s
conclusion, Hrotun strikes down a dragon king
3From contextual clues, it seems that and drowns in its spilt blood.
(cid:147)Ranauroch(cid:148) was an ancient kingdom or
citadel. So far, to the best of my knowledge, no After more than a thousand years of warfare,
one has uncovered the ruins of such a city. For Ostoria finally reached a truce with dragonkind.
obvious reasons, many scholars theorize that Accounts of the truce and its origins vary.
these ruins lie somewhere beneath the desert of According to ancient dwarven manuscripts, the
Anauroch. dragons sued for peace in order to prepare for a
great civil war that led to the separation of the
4(cid:148)wind teeth(cid:148): mountains chromatic and metallic orders. According to the
texts and ballads of the giants, on the other
5These first eight lines establish the lineage of hand, Annam and the dragon god played a
Hjurnur. Each line describes the figure most game of wah-ree to settle the war, the game end-
recently introduced. Thus, Hjurgen is the (cid:147)lev- ing in stalemate.
eler of Ranauroch,(cid:148) Ottar is the (cid:147)Jarl of the By the time the war against dragonkind con-
northern wind teeth,(cid:148) and Annam is the (cid:147)All cluded, Ostoria had shrunk to only a shadow
Seeing, All Knowing, All Quelling, All Father.(cid:148) of its former self. On the day the truce was
The lineage is separated from the summary of declared, the nation of giants occupied only
the saga by a distinctive musical cue, depicted the northernmost edge of Faerßn(cid:151)the areas
here as a dash. now known as the Savage North and the Cold
Lands.
6(cid:147)Fireheart(cid:148): brave warrior
Annam Betrayed
7(cid:147)the wyrm(cid:146)s core(cid:148): the dragon(cid:146)s backbone.
Later in the saga, Hrotun demonstrates his Shortly before the giants(cid:146) war with drag-
strength by snapping a dragon(cid:146)s backbone over onkind came to its bitter conclusion, Othea,
his knee. Annam(cid:146)s wife, developed an interest in a
As an unrelated matter of interest, it now minor sea god known as Ulutiu. (This was
appears likely that the word (cid:147)wyrm(cid:148)(cid:151)used as hardly her first adulterous foray; long before
a synonym for (cid:147)dragon(cid:148) in a wide variety of this, she had betrayed Annam with Vaprak(cid:151)
languages spoken throughout the Realms(cid:151)was resulting in the creation of the ogre race.) Dur-
originally derived from Jotun, the tongue of the ing the last few years of the war, while Annam
ancient giants. was preoccupied, the pair carried on a pas-
sionate affair they hoped to conceal from the
8According to ancient giant legends, the sun jealous All-Father. Ultimately, the union of
is home to a great fiery dragon god that led Othea and Ulutiu produced four sons, who
dragonkind in the war against the giants. later founded the four giant-kin dynasties: fir-
bolg, verbeeg, voadkyn, and fomorian. (Actu-
9(cid:148)quenched heart(cid:148): broken heart. Later in the ally, there is some dispute about whether the
Annam(cid:146)s Legacy (cid:149) 9
Description:GIANTCRAFTFORGOTTEN REALMSOFFICIAL GAME ACCESSORY
