Frost Giants are the towering descendants of the Ice Elementari, ancient elemental titans who once shaped the Prime Plane during the Second Age. Formed from the shattered essence of these primordial beings, they now roam the world as living embodiments of winter's relentless power.
During the Second Age: The Twilight of Creation, the Elementari ruled unchecked, their vast forms shaping mountains, freezing oceans, and calling forth storms of ice and thunder. Among them, Skald, was a towering colossus of pure ice, his very presence able to reshape entire continents beneath his glacial grasp.
However, the Unknown, the True Dragon, and the Mytharil Empire waged war against the Elementari, seeking to impose order upon the chaos of creation. This conflict—known as The Aeonic Struggle—led to the fall of many of the great titans, including Skald. Their destruction was not absolute; as their frozen bodies shattered, their frozen essence scattered across the world, giving birth to the first Frost Giants—beings of elemental might, forever tied to the cold.
Appearance & Traits
Frost Giants remain among the tallest and most fearsome of Giant-kin, standing over 21 feet (6.4 meters) tall and weighing around 8,000 pounds (3,600 kilograms). Their physical traits reflect their elemental ancestry, with bodies sculpted by the ice and storms of the north.
- Their flesh glows with the hues of frozen waters, ranging from deep glacial blue to icy pale white.
- Their piercing blue or yellow eyes shimmer with an unnatural chill, exuding the unyielding will of winter.
- Their long, snow-white beards and icy blue hair often freeze into jagged strands, accumulating frost and rime in the harsh tundra winds.
- Their bodies are immensely durable, hardened against the coldest environments in existence.
In battle, they wear armor of blackened iron and chainmail, layered with the furs and pelts of the great tundra beasts they have slain. Their weapons are immense, often made of pure, enchanted ice, reforged from ancient Elementari ruins or scavenged from the corpses of fallen frost titans.
Edict of the Elementari
The first Frost Giants, born of the elementari's broken power, were far greater than their modern kin, towering behemoths of pure ice and storm. They wielded the power of the deep frost and walked as remnants of a lost age, carving their dominion into the icy wastes.
But as the ages passed, their forms changed. No longer were they true Elementari, but beings of flesh and ice, their elemental heritage diluted with each passing century. Though diminished, they remained colossal, each one a monument to the lost titans of old.
Seeking to understand their nature, the Frost Giants turned to the remnants of their fallen ancestor. They revered Skald as their progenitor, calling him the Shattered Father, the one who had granted them form from the wreckage of the war against the gods.
Borealis, the Warden of Winter
Over time, however, their devotion to Skald waned. A new power emerged—Borealis, the God of Winter, a being of cold dominion who challenged Skald’s supremacy over the frost. In an epoch-defining battle, Borealis imprisoned Skald within an icy tomb of his own making, solidifying his own place as the divine patron of frost and cold (see: Skald, The Shattered).
Many Frost Giants accepted Borealis as their new god, forsaking Skald in favor of one they believed could guide them into the new age of dominion. Through rituals of ice and blood, they bound themselves to Borealis, offering him worship in exchange for his blessings. The most devoted among them became his chosen, known as the Wards of Winter, Frost Giants whose bodies burned with unnatural cold, their veins flowing with the ice of their god.
Yet not all Frost Giants accepted this new order. Some still revere Skald, believing that one day, his bindings will shatter, and he will return to claim his vengeance against Borealis and the gods who destroyed the Elementari.
Society & Culture
Frost Giant society is built upon strength, endurance, and the rule of winter. Unlike Fire Giants, who forge their power through smithing and conquest, Frost Giants rule through survival—only the strongest endure, and only the most ruthless lead.
Hierarchy of the Frostlords
- Jarl of the Endless Winter – The highest ruler of the Frost Giants, chosen through brutal combat and divine favor from Borealis himself.
- Frostlords – Warlords who lead hunting bands and control glacial strongholds, often competing for dominance over territory.
- The Wards of Winter – The most fanatical worshippers of Borealis, infused with divine cold, their bodies partially transformed into living ice.
- The Shattered – Frost Giants who still revere Skald, existing as exiles and wanderers, seeking a way to awaken their fallen progenitor.
Power & Abilities
Frost Giants are monstrous warriors, their brute strength and mastery of ice making them among the most feared foes of the frozen wastes.
- Their immense size allows them to crush enemies beneath their weapons, shattering armor and bone with terrifying ease.
- Many Frost Giants can call upon the ancient power of winter, summoning blizzards, freezing winds, and jagged ice spikes in battle.
- They can endure the most extreme cold, thriving in environments where no other creatures can survive.
- Some Frost Giants still practice the old rites of Skald, sacrificing enemies upon glacial altars to absorb the strength of the fallen.
Their greatest foes remain the Fire Giants, their eternal rivals, with whom they have fought for dominance since the earliest days of the giants.
Legacy
The Frost Giants remain scattered, their power waning in the face of a changing world. Borealis’s dominion holds firm, but whispers of Skald’s return grow louder. The Shattered, those who still worship the old ways, search for a means to unbind Skald from his prison, believing that when he rises, he will lead them into a new age of ice and retribution.
Though diminished, they remain a force to be reckoned with, their raiding parties striking deep into Norska, The Vale of Everwinter, and the Spine of the World.
One thing, however, is certain:
The frost endures.