Grolantor (gro-LÆN-tor)
Grolantor was the giant god of hunting and battle, and the primary patron of the hill giants. The most prominent member of the giant pantheon (with the possible exception of Annam), Grolantor was the black sheep of the family, a vainglorious brute that refused any title but his given name and who was dedicated more to his ego than the wellbeing of his followers.
Grolantor was completely dedicated to his own conceit. Despite being one of the most dangerous entities in the planes, with access to abilities that would strike fear in any mortal, the vain deity was too foolish to fully take advantage of his powers. This was not to say that Grolantor was fully stupid, for in fact he could be intelligent if he would only allow himself to be. Rather, Grolantor was idiotic in the sense that he was wilfully ignorant, stubbornly refusing to accept reality and seemingly determined to stay along his course of self-appointed destruction. He insisted on doing things the hard way, trying to use strength where subtlety would have been more effective.
Grolantor absolutely refused to admit that any other being, including his kin, were superior to him and tried to instil that attitude in his followers, believing that Ostoria could never be restored without such pride. He was proud of his strength, but would not respect the greater strength, intellect, or seniority of his siblings, boasting of his own greatness while insulting his peers. These delusions of grandeur repeatedly forced him and his followers into pointless conflicts, sometimes more than they could handle. He sometimes showed this rash impudence when he manifested an avatar, behaving cowardly when faced with a stronger foe until challenged or mocked, at which point he attacked.
Priests of Grolantor had access to the unique spell known as Berserk Fury, where the casting priest entered a rage and would shout strange combinations of encouragements and insults. The ranting might infect other hill giants with a similar rage (although the number affected was limited by the priest's own power) and made them stronger or tougher. However, while under the spell's affects, none would be able to retreat, would stay in melee as long as possible, and would start attacking their allies if no more enemies were around until they could recover from the rage.
Personality
Grolantor was a truly miserable specimen of a god, one who constantly complained about his bottomless hunger, but would sooner snatch food from a family member's plate than hunt for it himself. Though possessed of a certain cunning and skill for ambushes, he constantly undermined himself, the blame for most of his problems laying squarely at his own feet as the result of his own selfish behaviour and sheer hubris. Most giantish breeds portrayed him as a wicked being, but even the evil-tempered deity's own well-being was represented as second in priority compared to sating his pride.Grolantor was completely dedicated to his own conceit. Despite being one of the most dangerous entities in the planes, with access to abilities that would strike fear in any mortal, the vain deity was too foolish to fully take advantage of his powers. This was not to say that Grolantor was fully stupid, for in fact he could be intelligent if he would only allow himself to be. Rather, Grolantor was idiotic in the sense that he was wilfully ignorant, stubbornly refusing to accept reality and seemingly determined to stay along his course of self-appointed destruction. He insisted on doing things the hard way, trying to use strength where subtlety would have been more effective.
Grolantor absolutely refused to admit that any other being, including his kin, were superior to him and tried to instil that attitude in his followers, believing that Ostoria could never be restored without such pride. He was proud of his strength, but would not respect the greater strength, intellect, or seniority of his siblings, boasting of his own greatness while insulting his peers. These delusions of grandeur repeatedly forced him and his followers into pointless conflicts, sometimes more than they could handle. He sometimes showed this rash impudence when he manifested an avatar, behaving cowardly when faced with a stronger foe until challenged or mocked, at which point he attacked.
Worshipers
Grolantor was the deity most revered by the hill giants, who worshiped him both as clerics and shamans. Grolantor occasionally rewarded diligent shamans (around 1 out of 20 shamans had them) with a magic club that was especially affective against dwarves, although such clubs only worked in the hands of a hill giant shaman.Priests of Grolantor had access to the unique spell known as Berserk Fury, where the casting priest entered a rage and would shout strange combinations of encouragements and insults. The ranting might infect other hill giants with a similar rage (although the number affected was limited by the priest's own power) and made them stronger or tougher. However, while under the spell's affects, none would be able to retreat, would stay in melee as long as possible, and would start attacking their allies if no more enemies were around until they could recover from the rage.
Divine Domains
War
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Wooden club
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Grolantor normally appeared as a giant somewhere between 18 to 25 feet (5.5 to 7.6 meters) tall, clad in furs and/or dragon hides. Depending on the breed he was visiting, he was known to resemble a hill giant, frost giant, or ettin.
Specialized Equipment
Grolantor was known to wield an oversized club named "Dwarfcrusher", and in some artistic depictions the greatclub he wielded was made of bone. In any case, his avatars wielded an enchanted club that was twice as effective against dwarves as it was against any other being. Grolantor also usually wore several belts of woven dwarf beards.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
The mischief that saw Grolantor and Memnor forbidden from interfering with mortal giants was no mere prank. Their "play" took the form of a plot that would ultimately thrust the giants into a minor war against the ogres. Since their exile was lifted, both incessantly meddled in the affairs of mortal giants (even despite his uncaring behaviour towards his own worshipers). Once free to roam Toril, Grolantor began sending avatars among the Jotunbrud, attempting to persuade other giants to accompany him on his trouble-making outings. He naturally received the warmest response from hill and frost giants.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Grolantor was the child of Annam and the unnamed sky goddess that gave birth to most of the giant pantheon. He was the least of Annam's sons (at the very least those tied to a true giant breed), yet not the youngest. He was part of a third generation of offspring known by other giants as "the runts", with his younger brother being the fomorian deity Karontor.
Grolantor was generally scorned by all his family members, siblings and parents alike, and had been specifically disowned by his brothers for his stupidity and relative weakness. He insisted on being treated as their equal despite their obvious superiority, and had gotten into many fights with them on account of his pride, most of which he lost. Stories regarding Grolantor invariably ended with him getting another scar on his back when he pushed a family member too far and had to escape their wrath.
When they were children, the treacherous shenanigans of Grolantor and Memnor (the wicked cloud giant deity) resulted in Annam banning them from interfering with Jotunbrud affairs. However, after Annam's self-imposed exile, they convinced both Stronmaus (the storm giant deity) and Hiatea (goddess of nature and hunting) that the decree was no longer valid. Though neither Stronmaus nor Hiatea were pleased with Grolantor's behaviour (several times had an angered Hiatea filled his backside with arrows) neither felt empowered enough to stop him, but both the nefarious gods sometimes left them with no other choice but to put an end to their meddling.
Grolantor's reckless behaviour had doubtless made him many enemies, particularly among the dwarven pantheon, most of whom would attack him on sight. Though he hated all the evil giant gods, Marthammor Duin, dwarven god of wanderers and those that travelled beyond their enclaves, had a particular loathing for Grolantor. Similarly, Clangeddin, the dwarven god of battle, held Grolantor and his followers to be his most hated enemies. Grolantor himself had an arbitrary hatred for dwarvenkind.
Grolantor had other enemies among the goblinoid gods (goblinoid in this case including goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, orcs, kobolds and similar creatures). Solonor Thelandira, elven god of hunting and wilderness survival, also considered Grolantor (specifically, rather than simply hating the evil giant gods as a rule) to be his foe. The hill giant deity was often at war with another denizen of Carceri, Crius, the Titan of Weight and Density.
Grolantor had managed to turn several of the shator demodands of Carceri into his servitors, although less out of loyalty and more out of terror regarding him and his army of giant petitioners. They were weak-willed and obsequious, and while some shator ruled areas in Carceri as his vassals, some demodands had taken up residence in his outposts.
Grolantor was generally scorned by all his family members, siblings and parents alike, and had been specifically disowned by his brothers for his stupidity and relative weakness. He insisted on being treated as their equal despite their obvious superiority, and had gotten into many fights with them on account of his pride, most of which he lost. Stories regarding Grolantor invariably ended with him getting another scar on his back when he pushed a family member too far and had to escape their wrath.
When they were children, the treacherous shenanigans of Grolantor and Memnor (the wicked cloud giant deity) resulted in Annam banning them from interfering with Jotunbrud affairs. However, after Annam's self-imposed exile, they convinced both Stronmaus (the storm giant deity) and Hiatea (goddess of nature and hunting) that the decree was no longer valid. Though neither Stronmaus nor Hiatea were pleased with Grolantor's behaviour (several times had an angered Hiatea filled his backside with arrows) neither felt empowered enough to stop him, but both the nefarious gods sometimes left them with no other choice but to put an end to their meddling.
Grolantor's reckless behaviour had doubtless made him many enemies, particularly among the dwarven pantheon, most of whom would attack him on sight. Though he hated all the evil giant gods, Marthammor Duin, dwarven god of wanderers and those that travelled beyond their enclaves, had a particular loathing for Grolantor. Similarly, Clangeddin, the dwarven god of battle, held Grolantor and his followers to be his most hated enemies. Grolantor himself had an arbitrary hatred for dwarvenkind.
Grolantor had other enemies among the goblinoid gods (goblinoid in this case including goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, orcs, kobolds and similar creatures). Solonor Thelandira, elven god of hunting and wilderness survival, also considered Grolantor (specifically, rather than simply hating the evil giant gods as a rule) to be his foe. The hill giant deity was often at war with another denizen of Carceri, Crius, the Titan of Weight and Density.
Grolantor had managed to turn several of the shator demodands of Carceri into his servitors, although less out of loyalty and more out of terror regarding him and his army of giant petitioners. They were weak-willed and obsequious, and while some shator ruled areas in Carceri as his vassals, some demodands had taken up residence in his outposts.
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