The Tents of Rusheme

Named for one of the first giants to peacefully deal with the Stormreach pirates, the Tents of Rushemé are home to a shifting assortment of nomadic giants who come to trade with the settlers of the modern city. The giants are generally peaceful, and their tents are outside the city grounds, so the Stormreach Guard does not interfere in anything that transpires there. While it is imperative to keep a civil tongue while in Rushemé, those willing to deal with the giants can acquire inexpensive trade goods, strange relics, and useful information.

The Tents of Rushemé stand a short distance from the mutually agreed-upon border of Stormreach. Amid the tents, nomadic tribes of giants come together to trade with one another and the people of Stormreach, to be close to their ancestral city, to perform their rites, and to hire on as guides into the continent’s interior.

Gaulronak (N male hill giant druid 6) is the oldest and most respected giant residing in the encampment. An herbalist, he often sells jungle herbs and plants to cooks and healers. He serves as the main liaison between the giants of the tents and the Storm Lords. Of late, he has become more and more preoccupied with the city’s vision circles. Many see him as a simple wanderer, but he is an important spiritual leader among his people; see page 111 for more information.

Although Hular and the other half-giants at Black Iron have some of the closest relationships with the giants, others have managed to forge relationships with them. The giants make the rules among the tents, but the Stormreach Guard keeps a close watch on them; Rushemé is largely peaceful, but the physical might of the giants is enough to make the Storm Lords nervous.

Faiths of the Giants

The giants of Rushemé are a loose coalition of nomadic tribes. They are united in their worship of Rushemé, the all-encompassing spirit of the land. However, they believe in gods that stand above Rushemé, mighty beings who laid the foundations of the world using the bones of bound fiends. The Guardians of Rushemé focus on the spirits of the earth, but a few priests among the giants still seek to placate the gods above. Many lesser spirits feature in the giant pantheons, but four stand out.

Ouralon Lawbringer, who gave up his shadow in exchange for knowledge of magic and who shared that knowledge with the titans of Xen’drik. In the present day, the Guardians of Rushemé claim that Ouralon was in fact consumed by his shadow and that those who work arcane magic are equally doomed.

Rowa of the Jungle Leaves, the goddess of life and nature. Rowa is much beloved, but she is given to fits of passion that can drive her into a rage. As a result, storms, wildfires, and other natural disasters are attributed to “Rowa’s wrath.”

Banor the Bloody Spear, the god of the hunt and of the role of the giant within the natural world. Ouralon is the lord of law and magic. Rowa is the goddess of the wild. Banor is the bridge between the two, the guide who shows civilized people how to live in harmony with nature. When giant fights giant, Banor takes on the aspect of war, but it is a role he plays with great sorrow.

Karrak the Final Guardian, the Keeper of the Dead. The giants say that Karrak measures each life at the moment of death, considering past deeds and the unfulfilled destiny of the soul. He saves the worthy souls from disappearing into the greater whole of Rushemé, preserving them in his realm until they are needed on Eberron once again.

The missionaries of the Sovereign Host claim that these are just different names for Aureon, Arawai, Balinor, and the Keeper, with aspects of Dol Dorn, the Shadow, and the Devourer woven in. And indeed, giant priests can choose from the domains and favored weapons of these deities, though priests of Rowa and Banor often become druids. Regardless of this, the giants of Rushemé point out that their traditions are older than human civilization, and that if anyone is confused about the nature of the divinity, it’s more likely to be humanity than giantkind.

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The Titans

Although the faith of the Four and the path of the Guardians are common religions among the giants, another tradition often goes unnoticed by strangers. The giants frequently make burnt offerings of food and precious substances. Visitors assume that these gifts are intended for one of the four deities, but this is a mistake; these offerings are gifts for the titans.

According to myth, the titans were the first giants of Xen’drik. They were beings of tremendous power and wisdom, and the first to master Ouralon’s gift of magic. Despite their power, the titans weren’t immortal. In time they grew old and death loomed, and because of their cruel and wicked ways, they knew Karrak wouldn’t preserve them and Rushemé would destroy them. Using fearsome magic, they escaped their doom, projecting their spirits to a realm beyond life and death. There they wait, searching for a way to return. The giants of Rushemé believe that the titans will destroy their stunted descendants if they return, and the sacrifices are intended to keep the titans content in their distant realm. It’s rumored that some among the giants can actually contact the titans and make bargains with them; if true, this claim could be the basis for pact magic from Tome of Magic, with the titans as the vestiges bound beyond life and death.

September 14th, 2019