Jotunheim

Overview

The Realm
   A brutal, high-altitude environment. Jagged, snow-capped peaks, deep glacial valleys, and sheer cliffs. Exposed rock is mostly dark granite or slate. Permanent ice fields and glaciers dominate the highest elevations. Below the snow line, it's mostly tough, sparse tundra vegetation: lichen, hardy grasses, low shrubs. Blizzards roll in fast and without warning. Avalanches are a constant threat. Breath freezes in the air. Finding flat ground is rare; most settlements cling to mountainsides or nestle in protected valleys. Natural resources are concentrated but hard to reach: veins of ore, geothermal vents, rare mineral deposits in ice caves. Travel between areas is dangerous, relying on narrow, icy passes, rope bridges over deep chasms, or treacherous frozen rivers.

Mountain Alliance
   Dwarves: Focused underground. Their main holds are vast, fortified complexes carved deep into the mountainsides and below the permafrost. They seek precious metals, gems, and geothermal energy. Master miners, stoneworkers, and rune-carvers. Heavily armored infantry is their strength.
   Gnomes: Concentrate in the "middle" layer: rocky valleys, forested lower slopes (where trees exist), and the upper tunnels near the surface. Build clever, camouflaged settlements using rock and timber. Experts in mechanics, alchemy (using mountain herbs/ores), and traps. Operate light artillery, clockwork constructs, and skirmishing units.
   Warforged: Found integrated into both Dwarven holds and Gnomish towns. Act as heavy labor, frontline defenders, and specialized units immune to cold/fatigue. Often modified with ice grips, enhanced optics for blizzards, or integrated mining/gunnery tools.
   Alliance Dynamic: Necessity binds them. Dwarves provide deep shelter and heavy industry. Gnomes provide tech, alchemy, and surface adaptability. Warforged provide tireless strength and resilience. They trade resources (metal, tech, energy) internally. Their primary goal is securing territory, expanding mines, and defending their interconnected settlements. They view the Goliaths as dangerous raiders and the Giants as existential threats to their excavations.

Goliath Tribes
   Nomadic or semi-nomadic. Roam the high, exposed passes, plateaus, and glacial valleys: areas too harsh for the Alliance's fixed settlements. Live in large, hide tents or temporary stone shelters. Follow migrating herds of tough mountain grazers (giant goats, woolly rhino-like beasts). Physically powerful, adapted to the thin air and cold. Wear layered furs and hides. Masters of survival in the extreme high altitude. Value strength, endurance, and hunting prowess. Raid Alliance settlements and caravans for metal tools, captured tech/alchemy, and food stores (especially in deep winter). Use the terrain expertly: ambushes on narrow paths, triggering avalanches, hit-and-run tactics. See the Alliance as invaders stealing their ancestral hunting grounds and mountain spirits' bounty. See Giants as monstrous forces of nature to be avoided or, rarely, challenged for glory.

Wandering Giants
   Massive humanoids, often 20-30 feet tall. Dwell in the absolute highest, most remote peaks, deep glacial crevasses, or vast ice caves. Their "settlements" are crude but immense: piled boulders, ice walls, caves enlarged by brute force. Motivated by basic needs: food (huge quantities), territory, and sometimes simple destruction or sport. They strip entire slopes of vegetation (or trees), smash rock faces for fun or to reach minerals, and drain lakes/fish runs. Their movement is a natural disaster. Crossing a valley can trigger avalanches. Wading through a frozen river smashes the ice for miles. Throwing boulders is like artillery. They attack anything in their path. They smash Alliance tunnels and surface settlements indiscriminately. They crush Goliath hunting parties or steal entire herds. They are the primary reason the Alliance heavily fortifies and the Goliaths stay highly mobile. Fighting a Giant directly requires massive coordination or powerful magic/artillery. They are the apex environmental threat.

Titans
   Titans (sometimes called Scions) exist, but they're incredibly rare across all the realms. Jotunheim has exactly seven. They are the undisputed apex predators of the mountains. Compared to regular giants, Titans are colossal. They dwarf Giants the way Giants dwarf humans. Their exact appearance varies, but common traits include: mountainous size (easily 100+ feet tall), skin like ancient, glacier-scarred rock or thick, frozen earth, and an aura of raw, elemental power (intense cold, tremors, localized blizzards). They move with tectonic slowness across the highest, most remote peaks and deepest glacial rifts, but their strides cover miles. They aren't just big; they radiate an ancient, terrifying presence felt for leagues. Their needs are immense and destructive: they might drain entire underground lakes in a single gulp, rip open mountainsides to access primal earth-energies, or casually flatten a valley forest for no discernible reason. Encounters are catastrophic. A Titan passing near an area forces everyone into immediate, terrified retreat or desperate bunkering. Their territorial ranges are vast, and crossing into one is usually fatal. Fighting one is considered suicidal folly; the very landscape becomes a weapon for them. Their existence shapes the deepest fears and territorial boundaries of every other being in Jotunheim. They are the reason some peaks are simply marked "Scion's Rest" on maps and avoided at all costs. The seven are the ultimate, near-mythical force of nature.