Stronmaus

Stronmaus was a neutral good greater deity of the giant pantheon holding the portfolios of the sun, sky, weather, and seas.

Description
When Stronmaus manifested an avatar, it was as an incredibly tall and muscular giant, standing up to tall. Forever with a smile on his face, he had blue eyes and auburn-red hair that was wavy and flowing. He wore but a simple white robe of silk with golden edges.

Personality
Stronmaus was a god full of life and energy—the very power of life itself flowed strongly through him. He was joyful and laughing, and always smiling because he simply couldn't help it and he displayed his great energy in dramatic ways. He loved to conjure mighty storms across the Beastlands, rejoicing in the rains and lightning and cheering with the thunder he produced with his hammer. But this could be terrifying for those unready for it and his exuberance, Stronmaus could forget his strength and might. Stronmaus was much like his father, Annam, but more good-natured and cheerful, which made the All-Father proud and pleased with his son. However, he shared his fickle lusts also.

Abilities
The avatar of Stronmaus commanded all weather within a radius of, could call lightning every ten minutes or so, and could hurl a powerful lightning bolt up to in length and  in width and a chain lightning–like effect each thrice a day.

Stronmaus's avatar was immune to all death spells and mind-affecting spells, all effects that could blind or deafen, all energy-draining attacks, and all electrical assaults. Furthermore, no avian or aquatic creature of non-evil nature would attack him, even if the creature was charmed, dominated, or similar and commanded to attack him, in which case the effect broken.

Possessions
Stronmaus's avatar fought with a mighty +5 hammer of thunderbolts that slew any evil giant dead with a single hit.

Activities
With Annam's withdrawal into seclusion, Stronmaus took an ever greater interest in the affairs of giants and his fellow giant gods, and he would call out their misdeeds and destructive feuds and so on. Stronmaus often sent avatars to the Prime Material plane for various purposes. He would send them to interfere in the schemes of Memnor, owing to their enmity, or to aid his god friends when their peoples were threatened. He might go in disguise as a typical storm giant to meditate with great storm giant shaman-priests, but they would always know him for who he was. But he also liked to just go for a walk in remote mountain areas, taking in the clean air and the elements, and sometimes visiting storm and cloud giant communities. He was also known to send avatars simply to court and seduce beautiful giantesses who had attracted his interest.

His omens were storms and lightning, clouds of unusual shape that partially hid the sun, and direct warnings of coming evils.

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 was a grand cloud palace built of marble and gold, gems, and platinum. Within was a magical opal pool, potent with healing magics, that appeared only long to those outside it, but endless to those swimming in its waters. Any being whom Stronmaus permitted to swim in it had all injuries healed, all missing parts regenerated, and all health and conditions restored. Stronmaus liked to swim here with Hiatea, Surminare, and Trishina. In the skies above the palace, Stronmaus liked to fly with Aerdrie Faenya and Syranita.

…guided by mortai who shot quick lightning bolts at one another as a form of electric conversation.

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.

Relationships
Stronmaus was the son of Annam All-Father, chief of the giant pantheon. While his mother was unknown with many candidates being put forward, he was almost always regarded as Annam's first-born son. Stronmaus's closest relationship was with his sister (or half-sister) Hiatea, with all the sibling love and rivalry that entailed; the two were commonly seen as a pair, as the oldest and most powerful of Annam's children. His other siblings and half-siblings in the giant pantheon included Diancastra, Grolantor, Karontor (said to be jealous of Stronmaus), Skoraeus Stonebones, Surtr, and Thrym. Iallanis, Memnor, and Vaprak were also sometimes named as his relatives. Stronmaus despised Memnor above all others.

He maintained friendly relations with the good gods of sky and sea, including the asathalfinare. He counted many as friends and he enjoyed spending time with them—particularly the ladies, like Aerdrie Faenya, the elven goddess; Syranita, goddess of aarakocra; Surminare, queen of selkies; and Trishina, goddess of dolphins. He was also a friend of the eagle deity Remnis, who frequently visited and flew with him.

History
It was said that when Stronmaus learned of the arrival of his sister Hiatea, he was elated and celebrated her with epic storms that flooded worlds and washed away enormous evils.

Very rarely, Stronmaus was credited with destroying the massive, near-mindless, world-eating monster from whose carcass was born the god Memnor, but this honor was more often given to his father, Annam.

Worshipers
Stronmaus was the patron deity of goodhearted storm giants and cloud giants, and he was much loved by them. 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. Some aarakocra in the North were known to worship him.

Symbol
His holy symbol was a forked lightning bolt falling from a silver-lined cloud that partly obscured a sun.

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.

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.

Rituals
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.

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 mild physically punishing rites.