Mirkill Veird (MER kill vear T)

the Grand Hunt

The Mirkill Veird (the Grand Hunt) is a tradition among the Jotunn to descend from their castle and ‘hunt’ for mates among the Eoten. Conducted every fifty years, twelve Jotunn members attend the hunt, each spreading out solo, tracking Eoten looking for the strongest females among them. The 'hunter' tracks and attacks their target hoping to capture a potential mate and return to their castle home. Aware of the Mirkill Veird many Eoten prepare for the coming hunt and several Jotunn are slaying each hunt, with their clan seeing the death of their fellow giant as failure and weakness. An Eoten women that slayers her hunter is showing respect by the other Jotunn, considered untouchable, free to travel to the Mount Arctus' top unmolested to worship the ancestors and gain Jarl Utval blessing. Those captured however have a dark fate ahead of them.

The ultimate goal of these hunts in to keep the population from dwindling, though it often results in more death than births. Many women fight to the death to prevent capture. The greatest hunters bring home multiple 'mates' though this is rare and extremely dangerous. It is hard enough to hold one captive, let alone two or three. Only Jarl Utval is known to have the power to achieve such numbers. It is believed that every frost giant of Arkato is a descendant of Utval in some form or other.

A capture frost giant woman is held in bondage in the Jotunn castle, forced to give birth to a single baby. A "lucky" captives will give birth to a daughter, which will lead to the captive and her child being released back to her people. A woman giving birth to a boy will continue to be held by the Jotunn to suckle the boy until he can survive on solid food. After which the mother is killed, her skull adorning the chamber of her captor. A trophy among the Jotunn, with the number of skulls hanging a sign of virility and honor.