Jotun
The mighty Giant Vikings of the frozen north
All male race
Base Racial Traits
Ability Score Modifiers: (+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma) Jotun are creatures who trace their roots back to the very birth of the world, and are considered the primal form of life itself. They are very strong, durable, and wise, but their large bodies have a hard time moving nimbly and they are very gruff and violent. Size: Jotun are large sized creatures, and gain the penalties and bonuses from it. Jotun gain no additional bonuses to ability scores due to their size. All ability score bonuses are factored into the race. Type: Jotun are Humanoids with the Giant subtype, and gain all the associated bonuses/penalties. Speed: Jotun begin play with a base land speed of 30ft. Vision: Jotun have low-light vision, and can see twice as far as others in low-light conditions. Languages: Jotun begin play speaking Giant and Common. A Jotun with high INT may choose from (Necril, Maeish, Elven, Gyrvin, Old Dwarven, or Orc) Jotunbody: Jotun are mighty creatures, and gain a racial +2 to their Constitution as well as Cold Resist 10 and Immunity to effects caused by cold weather environments. Ancient Foe, Dwarf: Jotun are the sworn enemy of the Dwarves, who see them as savage murderers, pillagers, and mad barbarians bereft of honor and loyalty. Against any foe with the dwarf subtype, Jotun gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of that type and a +2 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks made to grapple creatures of that type. Ferocity: Jotun fight with a savage ferocity few can endure, and even fewer can see and live to tell the tale. Whenever a Jotun is dropped to 0 HP but is not dead, it gains the staggered condition and begins to lose 1 HP a round until they die. Frenzy: Jotun society is one driven by strength, by combat, and by pillaging and they are often mad, frothing Vikings who raid and pillage their surroundings. Once a day, when a Jotun takes damage, they may fly into a frenzy for 1 minute, gaining a racial +2 to CON and STR, but gaining a -2 penalty to AC. Bladetrained: Jotun are trained from birth in swordplay, and as a result are automatically proficient with swordlike weapons (including bastard swords, daggers, Elven curve blades, falchions, greatswords, kukris, longswords, punching daggers, rapiers, scimitars, short swords, and two-bladed swords). Strength in all forms: Jotun consider ‘true strength' to involve the strengthening of the mind as well as the body, and consider it a disservice and a crime to not better oneself through study and contemplation. As such, they gain any two knowledge skills as class skills, and gain an extra skill point for every level they gain. If they already possess all or all but one knowledge skills, they may instead grant a +2 bonus to one or two knowledge skills. Hlodvi's Concordat: Jotun are said to not only be the primal, original form of life, but are also said to have been the favored race of an ancient Jotun King who once made an agreement with the world itself to grant him passage through stone and structures, despite his immense size. The Jotun are said to have inherited this pact, long forgotten by all but the world itself, and despite their size limitations, are capable of entering any structure or space designed for small or larger creatures as if they were the appropriate size, though cannot enter any such space designed for beings below small sized and do not grow when entering such a location designed for larger creatures. This is an innate supernatural ability and a blessing from the planet itself, and cannot be suppressed or negated in any way, even by an antimagic field.
Race Flavor:
One of the two giant races native to the snow lands of Venau, the Jotun are a race of lumbering titans that are said to have been the original form of humanoid life. Said to have been birthed directly from the innards of the Progenitor god Atlas when he sacrificed himself to birth the cosmos and the planes, the Jotun are the truest, most purest form of Giantkin that exist in the planes yet. Though their might is a bit dwarfed by their sibling race in Venau, the Dai-Yukai, the Jotun are a race of proud, refined savages who raid and pillage across the lands they call home as a means of sustaining themselves and their villages. Vikings who respect nothing but strength, the Jotun are purebred warriors to the core, their massive forms training their entire lives to reach the ever-elusive pinnacle of ‘True Strength’. Though they are ferocious and savage, and thus avoided by most races of Ea that find them in their villages often nestled in the frozen tundras of Venau and elsewhere, they are often misunderstood. Savage scholars who see value in study, in knowledge, and in the betterment of the mind as it falls within their definition of ‘true strength’, the pinnacle all warriors should aspire to, they are easily accepted and often found amidst the cities of Venau, having accepted the ‘strength’ of the lands’ ruler, Barkhan, as the strength of the nation. Though they often submit to the immensely powerful and Matriarchal Dai-Yukai due to their tribal emphasis on strength, frequently serving as vassal tribes to the mighty, towering women, they are perhaps the more numerous of the two, and are much more active in the civilized world.Basic Information
Anatomy
Jotun are creatures defined by their massive, hulking bodies that tower over smaller trees and men alike. As beings descended from Titans of yore, Jotun have a large amount of muscle mass on their hulking frames that are defined by their two legs, two arms, and head placed atop their torso. Jotun have a well-developed circulatory system that pumps the lifeblood of their bodies across their internals and limbs at a pace nearly three times that of smaller races, their hearts thundering at a rapid pace to keep their blood flowing as fast as lightning...a fact which serves to keep them warm even in the most frigid of conditions. They have incredibly durable bones and muscles as strong as bands of iron, and are easily strong enough to nearly snap a tree in half with their bare hands.
The most famous part of Jotun anatomy, however, is a unique gland that only they are said to possess within their bodies that they refer to as the "Fomorian Furnace", a small gland that only becomes active when Jotun come close to death or when they learn to tap into it...upon its activation, it excretes a massive amount of chemical concoctions, adrenaline, and sheer testosterone into their bodies which often serves to increase their physical prowess manyfold but also sends them spiraling into a frenzy of rage. It is also this "Fomorian Furnace" that allows Jotun to continue living, breathing, and staying conscious so far after they should have fallen into unconsciousness and even death as the chemicals and raw adrenaline booming through their bodies sustain them and keep their souls anchored to their bodies with sheer furious force.
Jotun are almost universally incredibly hairy creatures, and almost all sport thick beards and long, thick hair that cascades from their head and chin in equal splendor. Their hair is also said to grow nearly twenty or thirty times quicker than any other creature present on Ea today...so quickly that Jotun can shave their heads bald and chins bare and return to hair that cascades down to the waist and to a beard that drapes down to the stomach and waist in barely over a week. Many modern scholars assume this freakish hair growth rate of theirs is a result of their Species' adapting to protect themselves from their cold environments.
Biological Traits
Jotun are incredibly hairy, and the color of their hair can vary between individuals but tends to be much darker and thicker in colors such as blacks, dark reds or purples, and so on. The thickness, makeup, and texture of the hair adorning their chins and heads can also vary to a similar degree. Jotun tend to have a large amount of muscle mass, but are capable of gaining more or losing it entirely based on their lifestyles. They can vary wildly in height but are almost never found smaller than twice the size of an adult human male or more.
Jotun are universally a male race, and as such all possess male reproductive organs, testosterone, and other bodily processes. Having no females among their number they often rely on the titanic Dai-Yukai or females of other races to birth new children, though they are just as often used by them for the same purpose. Additionally, Jotun are spoken of at the truest and purest descendants of the ancient Titans and Primordial Giants, and thus not only possess large amounts of muscle mass, but also attribute their varying immense sizes and innate talent for variety in both martial, intellectual, and other pursuits to this heritage.
Genetics and Reproduction
Jotun, like most species on Ea, reproduce through sexual reproduction...however, since they are an all male race they themselves have come to rely on other races to allow them to reproduce.
For the Jotun, their desires burn as hotly as the blood that pumps through their veins, and they very commonly enjoy getting together with other races, particularly the mighty Dai-Yukai or other strong races, to satisfy their massive hedonistic appetites, meaning that though they require other races to reproduce, they rarely stop seeking such creatures out to satisfy these urges, meaning Jotun often maintain a steady population.
As their are no Jotun females, Jotun males only serve to impregnate their mates. They are not as incredibly virile as the Wulven, but are nearly so and can and often do serve to impregnate those they get together with.
Growth Rate & Stages
Jotun children grow to adulthood and full size by the time they hit 25 years of age, but they are not truly considered adults by their peers until they hit age 50 due to Jotun cultural beliefs.
Jotun continue to grow in size as they age, and age slower than most creatures but age incredibly quickly compared to other true giants.
As they hit full maturity around age 25, Jotun are expected and basically required by their tribe to serve time on the coastal raiding parties or, if a village lacks ample access to large bodies of water, to serve time on the raiding parties and fighting force that serves the village to raid nearby settlements or attack those who come near to gather more food and valuables. In this way, Jotun gain large amounts of martial experience as they are pressed into service...it is during this time many Jotun leave on adventures of their own, eager to test their martial might out in the world and develop their skills in exotic locales and with different friends or enemies.
Once 10 years have passed with them serving in raiding parties or adventuring, Jotun are expected to return home to their villages to spend the next 10 to 15 years of their life learning a craft from their brothers of the tribe...be it smithing, hunting, foraging, fishing, or sailing, Jotun develop their off-the-battlefield skills during these years, although rare exceptions are sometimes made that allow Jotun to study abroad with "Masters" of a given craft elsewhere in the world. Regardless Jotun are not truly considered adult until they reach age 50 or so, after they have spent nearly 25 years of their life fighting and learning a craft, after which they are free to pursue whatever adventures or traits they desire. Because of this, Jotun are often highly talented beings.
Ecology and Habitats
Jotun can exist in most climates, but their unique physiology means they are most comfortable in cold climates and in places near the ocean or rarely near rivers and lakes...otherwise, they will tend to overheat in warmer climes. Jotun are a deeply spiritual people who believe in "sharpening one's axe and mind in equal measure", and as such live relatively in balance with the natural world around them.
However, Jotun tribes often subsist when resources run scarce or even when the fancy strikes them by sending out raiding parties to hit nearby settlements and pillage essential supplies to ensure the continued existence of their village and tribe. Assuming a Jotun tribe has ample resources and is in a plentiful era, they can often be reasoned with for protection or for some good or commodity, and can even sometimes seek out civilizations and settlements to trade with those who live there instead of raiding them. In this way, Jotun tribes in an area become both a blessing and a curse, as the frenzied giants can just as easily go to market to trade the massive pelts of their prey for food and supplies as they can raid towns and settlements to take them by force.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Jotun are omnivores, and are rarely picky with what they shove down their gullets so long as it is habitable and at least passably tasty.
Biological Cycle
As they grow, Jotun begin to produce less hair, and as they reach old age their hair is said to turn bone white and stop its growth altogether and harden to become nearly unbreakable but remains mostly just as flexible as before. This makes the hair of truly old Jotun an incredibly treasured commodity by Jotun tribes, as it can be woven into incredibly strong armor and used for adornments to remember the fallen by.
As the years pass for Jotun, their muscles and bodies begin to break down and decay and, soon as age begins to claim them they become incredibly infirm and soon incapable of most physical activity, though their minds oddly remain keen as ever no matter how old they become. When they come close to death and feel it draws near, Jotun often rise and embark on one final journey, one final "fight", that ends with their bodies hardening and petrifying into solid stone or sometimes ice, their skin turning stone grey or icy blue and their bodies hardening as they turn into nothing more than lifeless stone statues...in this way, Jotun graveyards are frequently dubbed "Stone Forests" by outsiders, who see the towering statues of Jotun long dead and gape in awe at the beauty and somber silence that hangs about such places.
These Stone Graveyards are highly revered by Jotun, and only the rarest and most esoteric of Jotun forgo this practice and request to have their bodies burned on funeral pyres, or burned on wooden longships. The Jotun themselves believe that the burning or similar destruction of a corpse of their kind will serve the same purpose and ferry them to the afterlife, but will do so painfully, and will cause them undo grief. They instead believe that leaving the bodies of their dead standing as a memorial to the past keeps their history alive, and allows future Jotun to travel to these places to try and commune with the statues of their ancestors for guidance and support.
In tough times, after a long while, or when space become a premium in these Stone Forests, Jotun will begin to somberly burn their solidified dead starting from the oldest to the newest by sending them out upon wooden longships and igniting them aflame with scorching heat of their own concoction that burns hot enough to sunder even stone. This way, they believe, the souls of the dead will be allowed to finally return to the skies and continue their journey onwards.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
Jotun faces are brutish things, and almost all Jotun have a medium to large amount of thick facial hair that adorns their chins and cheeks, hanging off their faces like thick ropes of twine as big as tree trunks or mortal men. Jotun are incredibly hairy creatures, and often have immense manes of hair, thick eyebrows, and large but beady eyes that appear harsh at first glance.
Their eyes are often muted and reserved in color, from grey, cool blue, white, or black...though rarely they can have different more vibrant colors and even more rarely, they can have eyes entirely lacking in pupils that are simply solid white or silver that give them appearances similar to the smaller Goliath.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Jotun, being incredibly hairy and are often outcasts from civilized lands, tend to make their homes in the cold and/or desolate locations in the world, far from the lands of civilization where they can herd their beasts of burden and set down their villages without fear of interference. Often, they settle and can be found near the water...be it ocean or river, Jotun often go on coastal raiding missions or simply rely on the water for food and succor, so they can often be found near such places.
Average Intelligence
Jotun are deceptively smart, and though many see them as brutish vikings of the frozen tundra(For good reason, because they often are), their society also means that each Jotun sharpens their mind in unison with their weapons...meaning they are often smart, wise, and learned of the ways of the world. Given time, Jotun can become highly intelligent in many fields and can approach genius-level intellect with sufficient time and dedication to it, though most do not reach this high as they balance martial prowess with wisdom and smarts.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Jotun are creatures with keen eyesight since they are naturally seeing most of the world from a high vantage point, but on top of that their eyes are highly adapted to conditions of light thanks to their Giant heritage, letting them see nearly four times as well as normal creatures in conditions of low light.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Jotun names reflect their untamed, wild, and barbaric nature, primarily drawing from the Norse and Scandinavian lexicons and syllabaries to form their names. Their names are tough, strong, and have flowing and simultaneously biting syllables, yet each name reflects a Jotun’s true nature in the Giant tongue, and few things carry as much weight to the tribal, barbaric Jotun as one’s true name, as it tells them many things about who they are and where they have been. Being the male half of the Giantkin of Venau, the Jotun’s names are exclusively male.
Male: Torrad, Sigemund, Gardar, Bodvar, Hundolfr, Thorhall, Bjorn, Ornolf, Kotkell, Ozur, Ufi, etc…
Beauty Ideals
Jotun find beauty in strength primarily, and all other facets of those they consider beautiful are secondary to this. However, this 'Strength' ideal is as much mental as it is physical. Jotun believe 'Strength' in both mind and body to be beautiful, and favor mates who are intelligent and/or wise but also mighty and strong.
Gender Ideals
The Ideal Jotun is one that not only trains their body and martial prowess to dizzying heights, but also one that strives to better themselves mentally, learning about and understanding the world around them and why things are as they are. They believe that doing this leads to a more perfect existence better in line with a life their ancestors and their gods prefer them to lead. They also believe this balance between body and mind creates, fundamentally, better warriors, better thinkers, and altogether better Jotun that are more equipped to handle the hurdles and struggles life may throw their way than a creature or Jotun who focused only on martial or intellectual pursuits. A Jotun who can throw themselves beneath the mast of a raiding party's longships and assist in the gathering of resources and loot but can return home and deeply muse over the nature of magic or nature or some other topic, who could give deep and profound thought to the words and wisdom of their ancestors and how they might better conduct themselves in the future is one that Jotun as a people consider to be "ideal".
It is also this ideal that allows Jotun to so easily approach and deal with civilized peoples when it is required of them. Being surprisingly learned themselves, they can often speak and understand not only the languages of those they meet but their cultural and ideological beliefs and outlooks as well, understanding that trade or bargains are needed sometimes over pillaging and raiding to ensure the survival of their tribe or people.
Courtship Ideals
Jotun have very simple and primitive beliefs on courtship. When a Jotun desires to court another creature, they will simply loudly proclaim their interest and/or love for them and challenge them to some sort of contest to win them over, but will often also bellow loud bardic songs or sonnets or poems they craft about their loves to show how deeply they care and desire them. If they win, they often demand a night of passion and revelry, but will thus inversely acquiesce to some demand of the other party should they lose. They sometimes struggle to understand that this simplistic notion of courtship is often interpreted by other races as those of barbaric vikings who simply wish to take what they want, and paints them in a somewhat negative light, but they seldom care to address such things and are simply satisfied with their nights of passion should they win or the thrill of a challenge if they lost.
Relationship Ideals
The ideal relationship for a Jotun is one between two strong creatures, and is one that leads both partners to pursue greater heights of strength together, working off one another and bettering each other in a form of romantic rivalry for as long as the relationship can last, although they prefer to forge long-lasting relationships wherever possible to ensure both partners can come to deeply love and become familiar with one another so they can explore even greater feats of strength together.
Average Technological Level
Though they can and have explored higher technological levels and have even proven capable of maintaining them, Jotun as a people care little for advanced ways or tech and instead happily live their lives with basic medieval technology such as herding, metalworking, social structures and so on.
Common Etiquette Rules
Jotun show deference and respect to those they view as strong or those who have proven themselves as strong, and generally only afford mercy or conversation to those who they see a benefit in doing so with. Otherwise, they reinforce their commonly held view as being raiding vikings by taking from those too weak to defend themselves and doing what they wish with it. If they are beaten in combat or a challenge of some sort, they will often see their foe in a favorable light provided they didn't use any methods they deem as "underhanded".
Common Dress Code
Jotun dress in thick swathes of fur and leather, and cobble together thick outfits out of the scrap outfits of much smaller races...thus giving their common outfits a very ramshackle appearance. They also favor capes quite heavily, and tend to wear them as proof of their strength and/or deeds.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
A very common Jotun custom is the burning of their long-gone petrified dead or those dead who refused to be placed in Stone Forests by placing such creatures in wooden funeral boats and burning them as they send them out to sea.
Traditionally, Jotun are bound to obey the rule of those who have proven themselves mightier than themselves or their Chieftain or leader, obeying such beings unquestioningly until such a time arises when they feel they can win and thus challenge them to another challenge or fight to attempt to assert dominance once more.
Jotun also believe heavily in the way of the "challenge", which sees them compete against the target of their challenge in various tests of skill, battle, or mettle to settle some dispute or argument.
Common Taboos
Jotun view the desecration of their petrified dead as incredibly taboo, and to toss a dead body into the ocean without giving it fuel to burn is seen as similarly taboo.
History
Jotun believe their history to be a long and storied one that traces its roots back to the beginning of the world when the Titans walked the realms...born from the first dregs of the dying god Atlas after he gave his life to birth reality and thus the gods, The Titans were said to be a race that formed the first and most ancient life on Ea and the Planes. Beings of immense, overwhelming power, these Titans would soon make war on the gods eons later, jealous of their power and desiring to take the Planescape for themselves. The Jotun believe that after the Titans were all killed or were all banished, they were formed from shards of the Titan's divine energies that lingered in the Material Plane long after their chaotic war with the gods had ended, taking form and inheriting the legacy of those once mighty primordials.
In this ancient time the Jotun believe they were born from these ancient sparks of Titankind, growing to a fraction of the size of the Titans and inheriting a portion of their might as well. Jotun believe that they alone inherited the true souls of the Titans, and other True Giants are simply pretenders, fakes, and imitations made long after they in possibly stronger or more durable forms, but fakes nonetheless. They see themselves as the true "Giants", and take pride in this legacy. They are one of the few races that yet possesses a record of history that dates back beyond the Age of High Humanity, and this history tells a tale of a race that has lived in quiet seclusion for eons, slowly growing and adapting to the times, sometimes falling and experiencing setbacks, and that tries to maintain a distance from the rest of the world, who they believe seldom wants them in any fashion.
Jotun have existed in some form or fashion for as long as any can remember, quietly remaining on the sidelines of most events that transpire on Ea and contenting themselves to continue their traditional ways, honor their ancestors who came before them, and raiding and pillage the settlements that rise and fall near their villages. This is perhaps attributable to their ancestry that can supposedly be traced back to the Titans, from whom they have perhaps inherited a bit of the immutability and permanence their ancestors were known for.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Jotun see other species as things to be stayed clear from unless a specific need arises which dictates them get involved with them, such as raiding them for supplies or going to their markets to purchase supplies, or if they go on adventures, or some such reason.
They are equally likely to plant an axe in their heads, ignore them, or deal with them as anything else, and this mostly depends on their given goals and mood at the moment.
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
150 years, though many Jotun die in combat before they reach old age.
Conservation Status
Jotun are somewhat rare compared to other races, but unlike races like the Dai-Yukai they are by no means endangered, simply reclusive and tribal.
Average Height
4.0 - 6.0 Meters, though some Jotun can reach as tall as 8.5 Meters.
Average Weight
600 pounds - 5 tons
Average Physique
Jotun bodies can vary wildly from one Jotun to another but are generally Tall, well-built, and muscular but can be somewhat lanky.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Jotun skin is generally ashen grey or other muted colors and they have few customs that require them to mark or daub their skin beyond war-paints and other simple tribal markings.
Comments