YGGDRASIL'S RACES IV: Of Giants and Beasts

Part four of the races that exist in Yggdrasil, in all of its twelve kingdoms, which will be described later. Part Three here >>diamondheadman.deviantart.com/…<< Here they are:

* Jotunheim's Risi (Stone Giant): Powerful lords of Jotunheim, the Risar or Stone Giants were born of primordial caves and mountains of the Great Land before covered in ice and snow. When Jotnar left these lands due to the global warming, the Risar saw their chance to leave their shelter in the rocks to reign over the earth. Despite their majestic strength and incredible ability to cover the skin of a nearly indestructible armor stone - an inheritance coming from the mountains where they originated - the greatest virtue for them is not Strength, Malice and Courage, but Humility and Hospitality. Even being great and feared warriors, Risar are extremely humble and benevolent - with rare exceptions of course - with their king himself - The Great Thjazi - preferring to share his wealth with the people than to have an army or any beast to guard it. The Stone Giantesses are extremely beautiful, being slightly taller than the Giants. With the majestic capital in Utgard, a huge city with simple constructions, where the smell of mead Risar wields over every street, The Risar were able to ally with almost all the creatures of Jotunheim, from Bären to Trädets. The Jötnar recognize Risar as the owners of the kingdom, rarely trying to catch it back.

* Niflheim's Jötun (Frost Giant): Lords of the Ice and Cold, the Jötnar or Frost Giants have a turbulent origin. Born of massive glaciers that covered Jotunheim in ancient times, these blue or gray skin creatures, extremely strong and resistant to attacks formed a powerful kingdom into the mountains of the Great Land's East coast, the lands that are now belonging to the Liath Bären. Even being powerful shamans and warriors, the Jötnar were already doomed to the ruin since Bergelmir, the Genitor and Supreme Ice Lord, stopped the Great Blizzard that was falling eternally in Jotunheim, shortly after his people arise from the glaciers. With the absence of snow, which migrated to the the far north and south regions of the Great Land - the Nörrut Bären's current lands - the imense vertical towers of the Jötnar Realm began to melt, with the gradual warming of the world. Thrym, the son of Bergelmir, led those who have not had the tragic fate of his parents and most of the Frost Giants (Death by long and painful melting) to Niflheim, where ice and snow are eternal. Like the Risar - that consider as heirs and younger siblings - the Frost giantesses are slightly bigger than males and very beautiful, with bright eyes and mysterious. In Niflheim, with the help of the Hvalros and the Ulven, the few Jötnar led by the son of Bergelmir settled in the Jotun Gorama - The Giant Mountains in the Ulven language - where they rebuilt their lands and culture, but never being as great as they were in ancient times. This is a fate that the Frost Giants carry until today, but never wanting their land in Jotunheim back or letting this shake their of courage and honor spirits, knowing that now are the Risar who rule there.

* Muspelheim's Balrrûg (Fire Ogre): Powerful Masters of Fire and Magma, the Balrrûgs or Fire Ogres are the only allied beings found in the caustic and hostile Muspelheim, the Kingdom of the Eternal Fire. Forged lava and scalding waters from The Primeval Swamps', Farbati - The Oldest; The Ethereal Flame Craftsman - arose amid the water, taking life possible by a mystical force in this Kingdom of Fire: The The Ethereal Flame of Muspilli, regarded as the source of all power Balrrûgs and Muspelheim. Shaping their compatriots in the same lava that formed him, Farbati became the first king of the Fire Ogres, with the beautiful Laufey as consort and the sweet Sinmara as daughter - who would conquer the heart of a certain blacksmith who was to become the future king. Even the females being much more graceful than males, this still does not take away the power contained in the hardened magma covered bodies of these monsters, known and feared by all as the most dangerous and violent opponents on the battlefield, always using their fists or weapons soaked in heavy fire and lava. Even being mostly honored and proud, was a powerful coup initiated by a Balrrûg traitor who moved the Archangel Michael himself and his selcted warriors throughout Yggdrasil to the Crusade of Light, which free the Fire Ogres from the tyranny of fear and bring the rightful king back on the throne. Balrrûgs are some of the few creatures that can confront and defeat the Formorians, great enemies of the peoples of the Council of Twenty-Three Swords.

* Jotunheim's Trädet (Tree Folk): Shepherds of the Trees, the Trädet are some of the most ancient races of all Yggdrasill, having emerged shortly after the end of the Great Blizzard of Jotunheim, amidst the before rare forests of the Kingdom of the Giants. No one knows exactly out how they arose, but most agree with the theory that they were always there, just waiting for the right time to wake up and walk among the trees. Of various sizes, from as short a birch tree up to huge as a sequoia differ in shape and size depending on the region where they live, from rare and sparse coastal rainforests to the vast Rhíteä, the Trädet Forest, where they share space with Sadhu Bären monks. Owners of knowledge of ages and a prodigious strength and endurance, these creatures tend to be pacifists, always trying to be impartial about battles and wars. However, know very well how to defend themselves, enemies being very respected. Unlike many of the races of Yggdrasil, do not have a very strong shamanic tradition, and present and not even build cities or capitals, keeping Rhíteä as the meeting point of all Trädet at different times of the year.

* Jotunheim's Mountain Maseuton: Inhabitants of snow-capped mountains most of the year, the Mountain Maseuton are large humanoids covered with thick hair, generally brown, white or gray in color, which protects them from the winds that plague the highlands of the Great Land. Powerful shamans, these Maseuton live in nomadic clans, always dodging the maximum that can from the stricter blizzards. Despite being generally friendly and peaceful, these beings are staunch opponents when they adhere to some cause, using weapons like axes and spears or even their mighty curved and sharp tusks as weapons in combat. Very strong, these creatures provide a distant relationship with Risar, Bärens or Trädet due to its secluded from the rest of the world, even if it is generally friendly.

* Jotunheim's Steppe Maseuton: Slightly larger than its highlader relatives, the Steppe Maseuton inhabit the sumptuous Ghamâ Island, crowded with shops of various items - from spices to luxury prostitutes - ruled by the sultan and the royal family. With little hair, these Maseuton are more adapted to the island's harsh climate, covered with dry steppes and deserts, with rare spots of lush green oasis, where many poor competing for a place under the shelter of huge palm trees. With smaller tusks and sharper than their hairy relatives, these creatures are generally more slender, enabling the use of weapons such as swords and scimitars. Isolated from the rest of the world on the island protected by the Metaghak - large robotic snakes which sink stranger ships by order of the sultan - aroused the interest of the King Thjazi, a born explorer, who has never been in the West, sending a team to explore the Werstern Seas in search what was there. The Pride and Honor of these Maseuton often betrays them, causing them to reject help when needed.

* Niflheim's Hvalros: Lords of ice fishing, the Hvalros are a generally peaceful people, which inhabits the cold Niflheim Shores for sustenance of fish, crustaceans and Hoggeren - native whales. Of strong shamanic tradition, the Hvalros are easily identifiable by their large rotund bodies, flat legs and strong faces, with large tusks coming out of the corners of their big mouths. Subject to wind and salt spray, these friendly-looking creatures live in large tents buil from Hoggeren's leather and bones forming villages of circular shape, with large totems also carved in bones from the giant sea creatures. During the exploration of Kvasir - the Grand Patriarch - to the interior of the Snowed Lands, they have become allied to the Ulven - the wolf people - they call The Ölen Hunters - Ölen are massive deer, native of the Kingdom of Eternal Ice, of the size of bison - helping them to face the strange visitors - the Jötnar, who later became their allies - with spears and axes. Among the fishermen, the great virtues of Hospitality, Courage and Reliability are the most prized.

* Niflheim's Ulven: Relatives of the Hvalros by genetic inheritance from a common ancestor, the Ulven - wrongly called Werewolves or Lycanthropes - are masters of Interior Snowed Lands, living both in large villages in valleys or protected inside caves, where the villages are even greater. Always commanded by an Alpha, are the primary line of defense of the Kingdom of Ice, with their warriors - the Faoladh of which Vironsúr the Magnificent, was chief before becoming Alpha - being some of the most skilled of the Great Tree, knowing with almost elven skills how to shoot arrows without using vision. Males are usually larger than females, developing a kind of mane around their necks, while females replace them by for a long human or orc-like hair on their heads. Honor and Loyalty are the most prized virtues for these creatures, and the lack of Honor causes isolation for the Ulven, especially if he does not repent or usurps the position of Alpha.

* Ljusalfheim's Sylph: Relative to the Elves, the Sylphs - or Fairies - are tiny creatures, usually appearing as spheres of light in front of the creatures that can not see them clearly - Elves, Drekkans, Trolls, Dwarves and Drows sre able to see them as physical beings. About the size of mice, these fairies live in rainforests or near streams with high grass, always building a sort of hive in hollow trees, which become bright due to the ethereal dust that they release when flap their membranous wings. Exclusively female, all hives have a queen, but the Supreme Sylph Lady is Astriid, who revealed to the elf Wodanaz his fate. Their magic goes beyond shamanism, being almost incomprehensible even for the Asgard's Immortals and coveted by Vanaheim's Adlet of and other Chaos servants.