Jotunheim
Kingdom of the Giants
Home of the Giants, of frozen ancient forests, towering mountains scraping slate skies, and the deep smoke of peat fires on the winds through the valleys.
In the present day, Jotunheim is hidden behind the Wall of Winds from the south, two mountain ranges separated by a massive gorge and a river to the west, cliffs, ice and treacherous seas to the west, and nothing is to twilight frozen north.
But there are ways in and out, if you know them.
Geography
Jotunehim measures 450 miles across, and 175 miles north to south, but takes up far less landmass than those dimensions might imply. The kingdom's size is largely a huge expanse of bay and ocean with a land bridge making up the landmass to the far north.
Climate
Jotunheim's climate was always cold, but there was a time the landscape had seasons and more regional variations. After the Wall of Winds came to be, winter settled in eternally, but some areas are more bearable than others.
The central regions are the most temperate, with the east taking some warmth from the sea, and the west by the relatively warm elven lands, both staying just below freezing year round, and up to 20 degrees colder in the true winter.
The south is battered by the Wall itself, radiating cold and gusts of sharp winds, with yearly temperatures of around 0 degrees, and the far north, especially on Lif's Bridge, the average through most of the year hovers around 20 below zero, getting as low as 80 below on the worst winter days.
The central regions are the most temperate, with the east taking some warmth from the sea, and the west by the relatively warm elven lands, both staying just below freezing year round, and up to 20 degrees colder in the true winter.
The south is battered by the Wall itself, radiating cold and gusts of sharp winds, with yearly temperatures of around 0 degrees, and the far north, especially on Lif's Bridge, the average through most of the year hovers around 20 below zero, getting as low as 80 below on the worst winter days.
Natural Resources
There are plentiful pine forests (the remaining Ironwoods are not to be touched), for wood and the medicine their nettles bring, but not much else grows without the aid of a greenhouse here, and even then only the cold-loving garden crops.
The good stone of the mountains makes wonderful building materials and tools, and those mountains hold iron, silver and other excellent ore, as well as precious stones, but they is sparingly mined.
Large shaggy oxen and extremely fluffy, fatty chickens are some of the few livestock animals in the south, with Star Yak in the far north, but the forests have bear, moose, caribou, and other forest creatures roaming the lands.
The sea is the largest resource of the land, coastline running along the entire eastern edge where seals and walrus can be found. In the bay, fishermen catch massive deepwater fish sufficient to feed a village for a season.
The good stone of the mountains makes wonderful building materials and tools, and those mountains hold iron, silver and other excellent ore, as well as precious stones, but they is sparingly mined.
Large shaggy oxen and extremely fluffy, fatty chickens are some of the few livestock animals in the south, with Star Yak in the far north, but the forests have bear, moose, caribou, and other forest creatures roaming the lands.
The sea is the largest resource of the land, coastline running along the entire eastern edge where seals and walrus can be found. In the bay, fishermen catch massive deepwater fish sufficient to feed a village for a season.
Jotunheim Kingdom Traits
FOR BUILDING YOUR IN-REALM D&D CHARACTERS
Mountain Touched: Proficiency in the Athletics (Str) Intimidation (Cha) or Survival (Wis) skill, and you can speak Giant.Foothill Friend: You have always had a way with animals, especially this one kind. While you cannot speak to or understand the language of them, you have a nonverbal way of communicating thoughts, ideas and concepts with them, gaining advantage on animal handling checks with animals from your chosen group: Snowhoofs (hoofed forest creatures), Clawstalkers (bears), Frostfangs (canines), or Scamperfoots (small creatures). At the 5th level, you CAN speak to them.
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Related Materials
Overlay illustration by Brian Busch Studio
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