Page 150 - Monster Manual [11th Print]

GIANTS
Ancient empires once cast long shadows over a world
that quaked beneath the giants' feet. In those lost days,
these towering figures were dragon slayers, 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 almost as old as dragons, which were
still young when the giants' 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. No living giant
remembers what started the conflict, but myths and
tales of their race's glorious dawn are still sung in their
steadings and holdfasts, vilifying the primeval wyrms.
Giants and dragons continue to harbor grudges against
one another, and it is seldom that they will meet or
occupy the same area without a fight.
THE 0RDNING

Each of the main giant races-the cloud, fire, frost,
hill, stone, and storm giants-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 fomorians, ettins, and ogres.
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.

" BOU LD ERS ASS AILE D OU R WALLS AN D CAS T
T HEM DO WN, LEAVI N' GA PS THR OUG H W HICH
"
WE APON S IN HAN D.
THE GIA NTS STR ODE, N ADD LEST ON E'S
- CAP TAI N 0 WER
PAR T I A L A CCOU NT OF T HE S 1EGE OF STERN G ATE