Giants

Giants are massive humanoids with elemental influences. The Giants of Thinia came from the elemental planes along with the first Dragons. Both the Giants and Dragons were guided by their respective pantheons to the material plane. Since arriving in Thinia the giants settled in the northeastern isles known as the Isles of Annam. Most giants live in the Isles of Annam and nearby lands. Although the giants could dominate much of Thinia, their Storm Giant rulers have little interest in expanding beyond the Isles of Annam.

Types of Giants:

The following types of Giants exist in Thinia. The order in which they are presented below is the general hierarchy among giants according to their caste system known as the Ordning.

• Storm Giants: Storm Giants come from the plane of water. They were the first Giants to be contacted by the Giant Pantheon before the Migration of the First Children. The Storm Giants were charged with uniting and directing all Giants to travel to the material plane of Thinia and ensure the maintenance of the Ordning. Because the Storm Giants are charged with governing Giants they have little interest in the world beyond Giants. This is the primary reason why Storm Giants have not pushed for the creation of a Giant empire across Thinia because they believe that goes beyond the charge given to them by Annam.
• Cloud Giants: Cloud Giants are second in the Ordning. Cloud Giants came from the plane of elemental air and often serve as advisors to the more aloof Storm Giants. While Cloud Giants are generally regarded as loyal, they are known to engage in intrigue aimed at increasing their wealth and power. Some argue that Cloud Giants are the true rulers of the Giants.
• Fog Giants: Fog Giants came from the elemental plane of air along with Cloud Giants. However, these giants traveled between the planes of air and water before coming to Thinia and found the plane of water more to their liking. Since coming to Thinia, the Fog Giants split from their fellow Giants and searched for wetlands, marshes, and swamps.
• Fire Giants: Fire Giants come from the elemental plane of fire. They are known for their craftsmanship and their discipline. Although Fire Giants often advocate for a higher place in the Ordning, particularly in times of conflict, they also believe an order is necessary. Their rigid beliefs concerning hierarchy are also used to justify the practice of slavery. Fire Giants will enslave any creature beneath them in the Ordning which includes all small folk. The Fire Giants are the ancestral enemies of the Dwarves due to the enslavement of the Khel Faldir Dwarven Stronghold in north Penglai.
• Frost Giants: The Frost Giants came from the elemental plane of water along with the Storm Giants, however, they were always subservient to the Storm Giants due to the smaller size of Frost Giants and their lesser capabilities in magic. Frost Giants are the most rebellious of the Giants. Many Frost Giants openly reject the Ordning and strive to advance the position of Frost Giants above all others. Frost Giants consider themselves to be masters of the waves due to their fine longships. The largest rebel faction of Frost Giants lives in the northwestern continent of Lokkheimer in the nation of Ragvand. Frost Giants engage in the slave trade in Lokkheimer and protect the Bugbears of The Bay of Despair.
• Stone Giants: Stone Giants also come from the elemental plane of Earth along with Mountain and Hill Giants. The Stone Giants despise the destructive tendencies of their Mountain and Hill cousins. Stone Giants are great craftsmen in terms of masonry, architecture, and sculpture. Many of the temples, towers, keeps, and palaces of Giants are crafted in part by Stone Giant stone shapers. Stone Giants rarely concern themselves with the dealings of small folk unless small folk threaten Stone Giants' works.
• Mountain Giants: Mountain Giants are a large group of Hill Giants that likewise migrated from the elemental plane of earth. Mountain Giants are larger and generally more intelligent than their Hill Giant cousins, resulting in their higher placement in the Ordning. Also, as their name suggests, Mountain Giants, tend to live in mountainous regions. They are sometimes found living with Fire Giants, but always as a servant class.
• Hill Giants: Hill Giants come from the elemental plane of earth along with Mountain and Stone Giants. Hill Giants are the lowest "true Giants" in the Ordning. Their position is due to their small size relative to other Giants, limited intelligence, and gluttonous nature. Hill Giants often perform menial tasks and manual labor on behalf of other Giants. Hill Giant Chieftains sometimes rebel against the Ordning and take their clan to live outside the Isles of Annam.
• Ettins: Ettins or Two-Headed Giants are the results of magical experimentation by Cloud Giants upon Hill Giants. While considered more useful than Ogres, Ettins have many of the same issues in terms of cruelty and lack of discipline. Further, a quirk of the experiment left each Ettin head with a distinct personality. This same quirk allows Ettins to reproduce asexually. Though giant scholars dispute whether this process is truly asexual. If the two heads agree they wish to have offspring the Ettin can become pregnant. Ettins mostly live outside of Giant society but some still serve Cloud Giants as guards.
• Giant-kin: Giant-kin includes the humanoids that trace their origins to Giants or share characteristics with giants. The Giant-kin are low in the Ordning because of their small stature. However, they still sit above Ogres due to the intelligence and resourcefulness they show. The two primary examples of Giant-kin are the Goliaths and Firbolg. Goliaths were created through a giant blood magic ritual while Firbolgs are theorized to be Hill Giants that accidentally wandered into the Fey Wilds and were altered by that plane's influence.
• Ogres: Although Ogres are technically Giant-kin they are considered beneath their humanoid counterparts because of their destructive nature, lack of intelligence, and diminutive size compared to other Giants. Ogres were created along with Ettins as part of Cloud Giant experiments on Hill Giants to create foot soldiers. The Ogres were deemed a failure due to their cruelty and lack of discipline. Ogres mostly live outside of Giant society but some serve Hill Giant clans.

There is an additional type of giant known as a Rune Giant. These powerful creatures are feared even by giants as they are larger, stronger, longer lived, and crueler than most other giants. Rune Giants are both hated and feared and are considered to exist outside of the Ordning.

Relgion:

Most Giants worship the Giant Pantheon in one way or another.

Rune Magic and Giants:

The Giants are the original practitioners of Rune Magic. Rune Magic is a gift from the patron god of Giants, Annam All-Father. Run Magic requires the carving, writing, or other creation of glyphs, sigils, signs, and runes that invoke magical effects.
This magic has been learned by a few other ancestries close to Giants including Dwarves and Goliaths. However, Rune Magic is generally a closely guarded secret by its practitioners. It is a great sign of trust and respect for a practitioner of Rune Magic to reveal their methods or teach this magic to another person. Amongst the Giants, the Fire Giants are the most prolific practitioners of Rune Magic as it is used to enhance the quality of their weapons, armor, and other crafts. Although there are a vast variety of runes that provide an equally vast number of benefits the most common are the following;

• Algiz:
• Ansuz:
• Berkanan:
• Dagaz:
• Ehwaz:
• Eiwaz:
• Fehu:
• Gebu:
• Hagalaz:
• Ingwaz:
• Isaz:
• Jera:
• Kaunen:
• Laukaz:
• Mannaz:
• Naudiz:
• Nykoping:
• Otalan:
• Perto:
• Raido:
• Sowilo:
• Tewaz:
• Turisaz:
• Uruz:
• Wunjo:

Genetic Descendants

• Goliath