Death Giants are a fearsome and nightmarish race of giants who trace their dark ancestry back to the Revenant Titans, ancient primordial beings of destruction and chaos. These Titans, twisted embodiments of death and decay, were formidable foes during the Second Age: Twilight of Creation. When the elder gods and the Dragon Realms rose to cast down the Elementaris, the Revenant Titans unleashed a blight upon the world that threatened to corrupt and annihilate all life. Though these vile Titans were eventually defeated, their malevolent essence persisted, giving birth to the Death Giants.
Death Giants were not born of natural means but rather as a curse upon the world from the dying throes of the Revenant Titans. These Titans, driven by an insatiable hunger for death and suffering, scattered their corrupt essence across the realms upon their defeat. This essence coalesced in the dark corners of the world, giving rise to the Death Giants, whose very existence is steeped in death and shadow.
Unlike their elemental kin, Death Giants were not permitted to remain in the material plane after the fall of the Titans. Their connection to death and the shadowy forces that birthed them made them an abomination in the eyes of the elder gods. To prevent the spread of their corruption, the Death Giants were banished to The Shadowfell, a dark and desolate plane where the boundaries between life and death are blurred.
In the Shadowfell, the Death Giants found a kindred spirit in the Night Mother Nyx, a deity of curses and change who reveled in the torment and suffering they could inflict. The Death Giants became her chosen servants, spreading her influence across the Shadowfell and beyond. Their banishment to this shadowy realm only served to deepen their connection to death, granting them terrible powers over the souls of the dead.
Death Giants stand at around 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall and weigh approximately 2,000 pounds (910 kilograms). Their appearance is as terrifying as their nature, with dark gray or black skin that seems to absorb light rather than reflect it. Unlike most giants, Death Giants do not grow hair on their heads or bodies, and their eyes glow with a dim, malevolent light. Their ears are pointed, giving them an almost elven appearance, though their sharp teeth and ragged claws leave no doubt about their monstrous origins.
The most horrifying aspect of a Death Giant's appearance, however, is the cloud of tormented souls that swirls around them. These souls, stolen from the dead by the giant's necromantic powers, manifest as a thin fog filled with screaming, anguished faces. The souls are bound to the Death Giant, unable to escape or find peace until the giant is slain. This grim cloud not only adds to the Death Giant's fearsome presence but also serves as a source of power and protection.
Death Giants possess a range of terrifying abilities, all centered around their mastery over death and the souls of the deceased. Any creature that dies within 15 feet (4.6 meters) of a Death Giant is immediately captured by the giant's dark magic, becoming one of the guardian spirits that swirl around it. These captured souls are unable to be resurrected until the Death Giant is slain, at which point they are finally released to find rest. The souls are bound to the giant and cannot be removed or freed by any means, though they can be temporarily subdued by attempts to turn undead.
The souls serve as more than just a grim decoration; they provide the Death Giant with valuable warnings of danger, alerting the giant to threats that may not be immediately visible. The giant can also command the spirits to shriek in a horrifying chorus, driving those who hear it into a blind panic. This supernatural fear can leave even the bravest warriors shaken for an entire day after the sound has ceased.
In addition to their control over souls, Death Giants are healed by negative energy, a trait that sets them apart from other creatures of flesh and blood. This ability allows them to absorb the life force of the living while remaining immune to the effects of positive energy, making them incredibly resilient foes.
In the Shadowfell, Death Giants are feared and revered as the ultimate enforcers of death's will. Under the command of the Night Mother Nyx, they serve as her executioners and guardians, ensuring that the souls of the dead remain trapped within her domain. They are often found in the service of powerful necromancers or dark sorcerers who seek to harness their terrifying power for their own ends.
Despite their banishment to the Shadowfell, Death Giants occasionally find their way back to the material plane, usually through rifts or portals opened by dark magic. When they do, they bring death and despair with them, seeking to claim more souls for their collection and spread the shadow of the Revenant Titans even further.
The Death Giants are a grim reminder of the ancient war between the elder gods and the Titans, and their existence serves as a warning of the dangers that still lurk in the darkest corners of the world. Though they are not as numerous as other giant races, their presence is always felt, casting a long shadow over the realms they inhabit.