Stronmaus

Stronmaus was the giant deity of the sun, sky, weather, seas, and joy.

Symbol
His symbol was a forked lightning bolt descending from a cloud that partly obscured the sun.

Description
Stronmaus's avatar appeared as an enormous (up to 80' tall) giant with blue eyes and wavy flowing auburn-red hair, and wearing a simple gold-edged white robe. He was far more youthful and carefree than his father Annam.

Personality
He was normally depicted smiling and reveling. He couldn't help but smile, for the energy of life flowed through him so strongly that it was hard not for him to express his continual exuberance. He reveled in the storms he called up and in the thunder that boomed from his magical hammer.

Stronmaus inherited some of his father's fickle lusts, and might send avatars simply to woo and seduce beautiful female giants.

Relationships
Stronmaus was the eldest son of Annam and thus the default leader of the giant pantheon since Annam's withdrawal, though he did not covet his father's power. He would happily defer to Annam the moment the creator god returned. Stronmaus' closest relationship was with his sister Hiatea; the two were commonly seen as a pair, the oldest and most powerful of Annam's children. His other siblings and half-siblings included Diancastra, Grolantor, Iallanis, Karontor, Skoraeus Stonebones, Surtr, and Thrym. Memnor and Vaprak were also sometimes named as his relatives.

Stronmaus often flew the skies of the Beastlands with Aerdrie Faenya and Remnis as companions. He was well-disposed toward the gods of the asathalfinare, who included Syranita, Surminare, and Trishina, and might send avatars to help them in times of need. He was also an ally of his fellow god of lightning Muamman Duathal.

Stronmaus despised Memnor above all others, and would send avatars to restrict the evil cloud giant god's activities.

Realm
Stronmaus lived in the realm of Stormhold, which could be found in the Beastlands in the midnight layer of Karasuthra, though it was believed by some to be attached to Gudheim, Annam's former realm in Ysgard. Stronmaus traveled the layers of the Beastlands freely, but kept his fortress in Karasuthra because he appreciated the way the moon of the Beastlands, Noctos, reflected off his gold-adorned marble battlements.

Stronmaus, the sole greater deity known to inhabit the Beastlands, delighted in soaring above the forests and savannas of the plane with his companions, the laughing, cloudlike mortai, booming his own laughter in time with theirs and creating powerful storms in celebration of life.

Stormhold itself was a mighty palace of marble adorned with gold, platinum, and gemstones rising from a storm cloud, guided by mortai who shot quick lightning bolts at one another as a form of electric conversation. Within was a magical opal pool where Hiatea and Surminare often visited. This pool, potent with healing magics, appeared only 100 feet long to those outside it, but infinite to those swimming in its waters. Communities of those souls who worshiped Stronmaus in life dwelled throughout the cloud, forming camps and congregations and spending most of their existences in the open air.

Dogma
Stronmaus's faith stressed the cleansing and redeeming effects of rain, and the joys of freedom. Cloud giants stressed the epicurean merriment of the deity, while storm giants were a fatalistic, though passionate, folk who believed life was a test of will and that most actions were futile in the face of the great elemental forces.

Worshipers
Stronmaus was the patron of storm giants and non-evil cloud giants, but he was worshiped as a sky and weather deity by giants of all races. To hill giants, he was a mighty fisherman, to frost giants he was a bold sailor and explorer, and to the cloud giants he was a thundering god of storms.

Clergy
Stronmaus's cloud giant clerics were skilled in the arts and music. They wore fine jewelry and kept large personal fortunes; the quality of jewelry and dress was a sign of rank. They were proud and organized, and believed in ridding the skies of evil creatures.

His storm giant shaman-priests were shabbily dressed and ascetic. They had to sit atop a cold, deserted peak for 100 days without food before they were accepted into the priesthood, and they remained solitary, dealing with the creatures of the sky or sea. They were visionaries, mystics, and meditators who treated each other as equals.

Priests of Stronmaus, regardless of their breed, always stopped to pray during or immediately after a rainstorm or thunderstorm. They were forbidden to build fires, though they might warm themselves by fires built by others. Stronmaus's favored weapon was the warhammer.

Rituals
Cloud giants who worshiped Stronmaus scattered handfuls of incense and spices to the winds every morning as soon as they woke. Twice every year or so, they declared a sacred sky hunt (omjag in the giant language) to battle evil sky creatures such as chimeras, wyverns, and chromatic dragons. The slain beast was then ritually offered to Stronmaus.

Storm giant worshipers of Stronmaus organized ceremonies designed to demonstrate their ability to overcome earthly obstacles, testing their limits and placing them in great mortal danger. They also atoned for their sins through such punishing rites as flagellation.