Chapter 3.2: The Giants of Eldoria and Their Wards

While the Aetherians sought wisdom and knowledge, rising above their brute kin, the true Giants of Eldoria—the primordial children of the elements—remained bound to the earth, fire, ice, and storm from which they were born. Towering above all other mortal races, these beings once ruled the world as titanic warlords, shaping mountains with their battles and carving rivers with their footsteps.

Now, they are but remnants of a forgotten age, retreating into the most inhospitable corners of the world, where the lesser races dare not tread. The Giants of Eldoria are reclusive, their might unparalleled, but their influence in the world of men, elves, and dwarves has waned. They do not seek conquest, nor do they bend the knee to kings. Instead, they guard the last remnants of their dominion—the Giant Wards, ancient lands infused with the power of their elemental ancestors.

The Giant Wards – The Last Bastions of the Colossal Lords

Each Ward is a sacred dominion, untouched by time and unreachable by all but the strongest of wanderers. These lands are ruled by the last of the Elder Giants, each one the embodiment of their element, bound to an eternal duty of guardianship.

Jotungard – The Stormward

"Where the Thunder Never Sleeps"

High in the Stormcaller Mountains, where jagged peaks scrape the heavens and tempests rage without end, lies Jotungard, the last bastion of the Storm Giants. This is a land where the sky never knows silence, where lightning scars the stone and the wind howls with voices of forgotten gods.

Ruled by: Thalgrimm the Thunderborn, an ancient titan who wields the hammer Stormwake, a weapon that calls forth the fury of the heavens.Notable Locations:The Skyforge – An anvil struck only by lightning, where weapons of celestial power are crafted.The Tempest Keep – A floating fortress drifting within the heart of an eternal storm, home to the last of the Stormcallers.The Eye of Jotun – A massive, swirling vortex of clouds that pulses with raw storm energy, visible for miles.

Jotungard's giants are the most elusive of their kin, appearing only when the skies are torn by their wrath. Their distrust of the lesser races is absolute, for they remember the war that shattered the heavens, and they hold the remnants of the Aetherians in bitter contempt.

Musgathar – The Fireward

"The Furnace of the World"

In the heart of The Ashen Desolation, where rivers of magma flow like water and the air shimmers with unbearable heat, stands Musgathar, the blazing stronghold of the Fire Giants. Here, mountains spew fire into the heavens, and the ground itself rumbles as if alive with fury.

Ruled by: Vulkran the Ashen Lord, a giant wreathed in eternal flame, who once forged weapons for the gods themselves.Notable Locations:The Molten Crucible – An infernal forge where even dwarves dare not tread, capable of shaping weapons from the bones of the world itself.The Obsidian Spires – Great towers rising from the lava, home to the last of the Fire Giant smiths.The Ember Veins – An underground network of tunnels where rivers of liquid fire feed into the heart of Musgathar.

The Fire Giants are the most warlike of their kin, but they do not seek conquest—only vengeance. Their rage burns eternal, and they have not forgotten the betrayal of the Aetherians, nor have they forgiven the dwarves for stealing their secrets of the forge.

Frostreach – The Iceward

"The Land Where Time Stands Still"

Beyond the borders of mortal lands, deep within the Frozen Expanse, lies Frostreach, the cold and desolate dominion of the Frost Giants. Here, glaciers taller than mountains move like slow rivers, and the ice never melts.

Ruled by: Ymira Iceheart, a queen of frost and sorrow, whose breath can freeze oceans and whose heart is colder than the tundra she rules.Notable Locations:The Everfrost Citadel – A palace sculpted from enchanted ice, said to hold knowledge from the dawn of time.The Valley of the Frozen Dead – A cursed land where fallen warriors remain preserved for eternity, their spirits trapped in the ice.The Glacier Maw – A great chasm where an ancient leviathan of frost is said to slumber, waiting for the end of days.

The Frost Giants care little for the affairs of the world. They remain locked in their frozen exile, indifferent to the struggles of men and elves. But should their Ward be threatened, they will bring a winter that will never end.

Grom'Rath – The Stoneward

"The Unyielding Halls of the Earth"

Deep beneath the Titan's Spine, within a labyrinthine network of colossal tunnels, lies Grom'Rath, the last refuge of the Stone Giants. Unlike their kin who sought power in the sky, fire, or frost, the Stone Giants became one with the mountains, their bodies as unbreakable as the world itself.

Ruled by: Ogrum the Earthshaper, an ancient being who sculpted mountains with his bare hands and whose voice causes avalanches.Notable Locations:The Pillars of Eternity – Monolithic statues carved by the first giants, said to hold the secrets of creation.The Echoing Halls – Caverns so vast that the voices of the past giants still whisper in the darkness.The Heartstone Chamber – A hidden vault containing the Titan's Heart, a legendary relic said to be the source of the Stone Giants' endurance.

The Stone Giants are the most reclusive of their kind, rarely seen by any living being. They are guardians of the old ways, keepers of the deepest secrets of the world, and they have no love for those who would seek to claim what is not theirs.

The Distance Between the Giants and the World

The Giant Wards stand apart from the rest of Eldoria, their inhabitants unconcerned with the petty wars of mortals. To the elves, dwarves, and men, the giants are relics of a forgotten time, their existence more legend than truth.

Yet, the balance of the world shifts.

The Storm Giants feel a disturbance in the sky, a presence they have not sensed since the fall of Skyhold.The Fire Giants sense the embers of war rekindling, their ancient forges yearning to be awakened.The Frost Giants watch the world grow warm, fearing that the ice will soon break forever.The Stone Giants listen to the earth, hearing tremors of something buried deep, waiting to awaken.

For centuries, the giants have remained in their sacred lands, distant and indifferent.

But in Eldoria, nothing remains undisturbed forever.