The All-Father's Call

Summary

The All-Father's horn was sounded in a great storm, calling forth the Storm Giants. They emerged from the oceans, naked and bare to stand before the All-Father. The All-Father bade them, "Go forth, this land is new and untamed. You will guide your cousins in taming it."
Then the storm abated, but the clouds remained and the All-Father sounded his horn once more, calling down the Cloud Giants. When they arose from their beds of cloud the All-Father bade them, "Aid your cousins, tell their stories and share your magic with them."
The earth then shook, and a great explosion of fire and ash erupted from a mountain nearby. Unaffected, the All-Father sounded his horn again, calling up from the flowing lava the Fire Giants. Hair red as fire and skin of ash they stood proud before the All-Father. The All-Father bade them, "Craft for your cousins, ensure they have what they need to tame this world."
The season changed, and with it the mountain was covered in snow and ice. The All-Father climbed the mountain, unbothered by the cold. He sounded his horn, calling forth the Frost Giants. Rising from the snow, they stood before the All-Father, strong and ready. The All-Father bade them, "Protect your cousins as they go forth into this world and tame it."
Then the All-Father followed a cleft in the mountain, till the sun could no longer shine. When the All-Father came upon a cavern, he sounded the horn. From the rock about the All-Father came the Stone Giants, strong of mind. The All-Father bade them, "Build for your cousins, give them the spaces they need to tame this world."
When the All-Father emerged from the caves of the world he found the foothills of the mountains. It was here he sounded his horn for the last time, calling forth the Hill Giants. He bade them, "Help and serve your cousins, keep their animals and their crops as they tame this world."
It is in this way that the castes of the true giants came to be.