Craa'ghoran giants were large humanoids descended from stone giants warped by elemental earth energy.[1]
Description
Craa'ghoran giants stood up to 20 feet (6.1 meters) tall and could weigh 14,000 pounds (6,400 kilograms). Most of this weight was due to the massive chunks of solid rock that grew randomly throughout their bodies.[1]
Abilities
Craa'ghoran giants had the ability to move through stone and dirt as though it were air, leaving no trace of their passage. Additionally, they could shape the stone of their environment to create spikes and walls. They were also skilled stonecarvers.[1]
Personality
Craa'ghoran giants were inherently selfish and cruel, enjoying the distress of those lost within their mazes. They were also incredibly unpredictable, rapidly switching between careful plans and spontaneous actions. A very rare few had a more neutral outlook of the world.[1]
Combat
Craa'ghoran giants were tactical hunters, preferring to separate members of a group they were stalking so that they could be eliminated one by one. This was generally done by luring their targets into the stone maze around the giant's lair, then creating new walls between individuals. The giant (who was able to walk through the walls at will) would then pick off the individuals. When attacking, the giants would use the element of surprise, often rising from the floor or dropping from the ceiling and then attempting to down its prey as quickly as possible.[1]
Society
Craa'ghoran giants were primarily solitary creatures, claiming large territories of mountains or stone mesas as their own. Individuals living in the north were often even more isolated than their southern kin. The exception to this was when small family groups lived and worked together, who claimed even vaster swathes of land as their own. They were fiercely territorial, and those who entered their domain were swiftly hunted down and killed, although some would allow travelers to pay them a toll to pass through their lands. Less scrupulous leaders of other races would sometimes pay tribute to craa'ghoran giants to ensure passage, but the giants would often accept bribes from multiple sources while only truly allowing a few to pass through.[1]
Craa'ghoran giant lairs were surrounded by large and intricate mazes of stone walls, bridges, and other structures they created by both magical and mundane means. They spent most of their free time working on their creations, always working to improve them. They retained their stone giant ancestors' love of artistry, and beautifully carved statues and murals were found throughout their mazes. The mazes themselves were often works of art as well, and craa'ghoran giants ranked each other by the skill put into the structures. Outsiders were often lured into a false sense of security by the beauty found within the mazes, not suspecting that the creator could be dangerous. Many monster-infested dungeons were in reality abandoned craa'ghoran giant lairs, or even just structures they created on a whim to display their skill. Their mazes also served as a food source, since while the giants could survive on rocks and dirt, they particularly loved the taste of worked stone.[1]
Although they had little interest in magical items, in fact viewing them as inferior to their own natural abilities, craa'ghoran giants loved to hoard gems, jewelry, gold, and platinum. This hoard was often used to enhance the art within their lairs, although they also collected it to trade when the need arose.[1]
Craa'ghoran giants usually kept a number of slaves (including orcs, goblins, and ogres) who served as scouts and guardians of the giant's territory. Particularly prized were dwarven slaves, as their love and skill for working metal and stone made them ideal assistants to the giants.[1]
History
Craa'ghoran giants were made by druidic worshipers of Gond by infusing stone giants with the essence of earth elementals as a protective measure against the wizards of Netheril.[1]
Appendix
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel (July 2006). Monster Manual IV. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 60–61. ISBN 0-7869-3920-6.
Connections
Cloud • Ettin • Fire (Fire titan ) • Fog • Frost • Hill (Earth titan • Mouth of Grolantor) • Mountain • Stone • Storm • Titan
True Giant Offshoots
Ash • Craa'ghoran • Maur • Phaerlin
Giant-Kin
Cyclops (Cyclopskin) • Firbolg • Fomorian • Ogre (Oni) • Verbeeg • Voadkyn
Zakharan Giants
Desert • Island • Jungle • Ogre giant • Reef
Other Giants
Abyssal • Eldritch • Fensir • Death • Sand
Goliath • Troll (Fell • Giant troll)