Giant, Fog

Cousins to the cloud giants, these large rock-hurlers are more intelligent and stealthy than portrayed in story or song.

Fog giants are huge and husky, with tree-trunk sized legs, and over-developed arms muscled by constant throwing games and exercises. They have milk-white skin which aids their natural ability to blend into fog (80% chance) and gives their foes a -5 penalty to their surprise rolls when attacking in fog or mist. Their hair is silvery white and flowing, with ample hair on the arms, legs, and chest. They grow no facial hair whatsoever. They prefer to wear no armor, counting on their high natural Armor Class. However, they occasionally wear leather armor (AC -2), and at least one band wears armor made from white dragon hides studded with silver. They love massive, ornate clubs made from bleached and polished wood or bone. Fog giants speak their own tongue and Cloud Giant, and 30% speak Common.

Combat: Fog giants generally hunt in groups of 2-5 males, although they sometimes join with a cloud giant or two to form a hunting party of 3-7. They prefer to attack from cover (fog is most preferred). After some ranged rock-hurling to scatter their opponents, they will charge into melee with fists and swords flying. Adult fog giants can hurl rocks up to 3-240 yards, inflicting 2-20 points of damage to anyone struck. They also have a 45% chance of catching hurled weapons of similar size, but cannot catch fired weapons such as arrows, bolts, and sling-stones. In melee they generally fight with clubs and fists, though tales of sword-armed fog giants are common.

Because of their keen hearing and highly-developed sense of smell, fog giants are seldom surprised (+2 on surprise rolls). Access to their caves and regular hunting camps are often protected by deadfalls of rocks or logs, which can be released by a carefully thrown rock at the first sign of an attack against them.

Habitat/Society: Fog giants are proud of their strength and fighting skills, often playing games when on hunting forays in an attempt to best one another. Their favorite such game is called “copsi” and consists of the giants pairing off to toss larger and larger boulders to their partners until one of the pairs misses its throw.

The fog giant families live in caves, canyons, or thickets, in the most inaccessible areas of marsh, swamp, forest, or coast. The men usually hunt in groups, ranging up to a dozen miles from their homes. The groups generally are formed of giants of similar alignment.

By tradition, a young giant may not mate until he has obtained at least one large ornament of silver. Usually, the young giant joins with several others in a quest to find one (or acquire enough treasure to buy one).

Fog giants do not often mix well with other creatures or races, although they can often be persuaded to perform services for a fee, or barter goods with groups of similar alignment. Fog giants will happily barter goods and services for refined silver.

Territorial disputes sometimes flare up between groups, especially in times of bad hunting. Friendly disputes can sometimes be resolved by a game of copsi or an arm-wrestling match. Fog giants fighting amongst themselves will generally throw rocks and fist-fight, rather than use swords.

Fog giants are fond of all sorts of cooked meats, particularly hoofed creatures such as horses, cows, deer, elk, and centaur. They often cook meat by building a large fire, then impaling chunks of meat on their swords and holding them over the open flame. Fog giants prefer fruits and sweets for dessert, and will also down large quantities of spirits if available to them. They do not distill their own spirits or liquors.

They also sometimes smoke fresh milkweed pods in wooden pipes, though the taste is too bitter for humans and demihumans to enjoy.

Ecology: Because of their size, fog giants consume a large quantity of food, and require a considerable territory per hunting group to support themselves. The giants will often place territorial markers of boulders and logs to define the boundaries between their hunting territories. They do not look kindly on anyone who tears down or moves these markers. Their regular pathways are hard to hide, and are instead trapped with deadfalls of rocks and logs to discourage trespassers.