Giants of The Ordning

Giants

Ancient empires once cast long shadows over a world that quaked beneath the giant's feet. In those lost days, these towering figures were slayers of Dragons, Dreamers, Crafters, and Kings, but their kind fell from glory long ago. However, even divided among secluded clans scattered throughout the world, the giants maintain the customs and traditions of old.

Old as Legend

In remote regions of the world, the last remaining plinths, monoliths, and statues of the great giant empires bow their heads in desolate obscurity. Where once those empires sprawled across all lands, now the giants dwell in isolated tribes and clans.
Giants are older than dragons, they were the first creation of the Greater God Azuth 'The High One', created for the purpose of labour during the creation of the world. Giants were the first species to walk upon the created landmasses, their heavy feet first shook the foundations of the world. As they spread across new lands, giants and dragons fought bitter generational wars that nearly brought both sides low. The first dragons were the creation of The Greater God Asharak 'The Dark Lord', see the article on Dragons.
No living giant remembers what started the conflict, but myths and tales of their race's glorious dawn are still sung in their steadings, holdfasts, and strongholds, vilifying the primeval wyrms. Giants and dragons continue to harbour grudges against one another, and it is seldom that they will meet or occupy the same area without a fight.

The Ordning

Each of the main giant races- The Cloud Giant, Fire Giant, Frost Giant, Hill Giant, Stone Giant, and Storm Giant- are related by common elements of history, religion, and culture. They view one another as kindred, keeping any inherent animosity over territory and ambition to a minimum.
Giants belong to a caste structure called the ordning. Based on social class and highly organized, the ordning assigns a social rank to each giant. By understanding its place in the ordning, a giant knows which other giants are inferior or superior to it, since no two giants are equal. Each of the giant races analyzes a different combination of skills or qualities to determine the ordning. Giants make excelling in these qualities the purpose of their lives.
At the highest level of the ordning, the races of the giants are also ranked according to status. Storm giants are the highest in the ordning, followed by Cloud giants, Fire giants, Frost giants, Stone giants, Hill giants, and finally giant kin such as the Fomorian, Ettin, and Thull.
Regardless of a giant's rank among its own race, the chief of a Hill giant tribe is inferior to the most common of Stone giants. The lowest ranked giant of any type is superior to the highest ranked giant of an inferior type. It isn't considered evil to disrespect or even betray a giant of another type, merely rude.

The Ordning

Superior

• Storm Giant,
• Cloud Giant,
• Fire Giant,
• Frost Giant,
• Stone Giant, and
• Hill Giant.

Inferior

• Fomorian,
• Ettin, and
• Thull.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Giant/Giantish/Giant Speech/Giant Tongue

Genetic Descendants

• Cloud Giant
• Fire Giant
• Frost Giant
• Hill Giant
• Stone Giant
• Storm Giant

Origin/Ancestry

Giant