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The Rockwood Mountains were made in Elder Days. When the world was growing bad, the gods made an effort to separate the combatants, and they did that by making walls of mountains. Opposites cooperated when the mountains were made, and this range was shared by Larnste, god of change, and Acos, god of immobility. Thus the range grew from the soil, stretching many heads to the sky.
Since then the inhospitable range has done its job, making it almost impossible to cross them. Dragon Pass, far distant, is a great break in the mountains, and there are only a few other passages. Humans cannot live there, and instead the peaks are now inhabited by the Elder Races who have fled from mankind. One will find giants, dwarves, or trolls in the mountains, but few others. Some stretches hold sizable populations of these rejected races. Thus the Greatway is a dwarf city south of Balazar and Giant Land is a center of giant population.
Giant Land is a high, mountainous region mostly inhabited by giants and trolls. It is located in the Rockwood Mountains east of the Elder Wilds. Giants Pass stretches through the middle of Giant Land; the pass reaches from the Humble Vale to the Valley of Avalanches.
Deep snow blocks most of Giant Land through four of the five seasons and during this time is passable to none but the hardiest creatures. The mountain peaks themselves are covered by snow throughout the year, while snow fills Giants Pass except during Fire season, late Sea season, and the early part of Earth season.
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Map of Eleven Big Giant Mountains |
The eleven tallest mountains in Giant Land are known as the Eleven Big Giant Mountains. By legend, they are the stoney remains of the ancestors of the first giants in the world. Most giants in the area claim descent from at least one mountain and will point to it with pride. Some giants say that the mountains are not dead but only sleeping and that one day the ancestral giants will rouse to life. This story primarily scares young giants or enemies of older giants. The trolls of Giant land do not believe this story because they live in tunnels cut into many of these mountains (they are smart enough not to directly dispute the matter with giants).
The names of the Eleven Big Giant Mountains are Biz, Skik, Mok, Tarnk, Borg, Thryn, Dolog, Hrak, Tind, and Fork. Skik is the highest of the mountains but Tind is the best known because it can occasionally be seen from Balazar.
Dolog is the only mountain whose specific tale is known on the Prax side of the mountain. The nomads view this ancient giant as something of a friend. Dolog was a friend of Tada, the ancient hero of this land, and fought at his side often. One time Tada was wounded by a chaos monster called Chavgaz the God-gobbler, sometimes called Canis Chaos, Father of the Chaos Wolves. No one could kill this awful thing, so Dolog said farewell and went to fight it alone. He did not kill it, but he did hurt it a lot, and then he sat down upon it, burying the monster under tons of rocky giant, which has not moved since. Sometimes, when times are evil, the head of the titanic monster can be seen barking and snapping at unseen enemies beyond its reach. Wolf's Head is the name of one point of the mountain.
The mountains block travel most of the time to anyone except giants (who ignore climates inhospitable to humans) and the snow trolls. Snow trolls are dark trolls who live in these frigid regions, and they have taken to wearing white furs and camouflage which causes many tales to be told about them.
A long and narrow crevice cuts through the mountains. Some people say that it is a sword wound struck by Orlanth, who was a famous giant cleaver. Whatever its origin it is the only pass through the Rockwood for hundreds of kilometers, and it is impassible much of the year. If the trolls and giants continued in their old ways the pass would be impassible still, for they loved to ambush people or send down rock and snow slides from high above. Such practices were curtailed by Gonn Orta.
Four giants live here, approximately 50-70 trollkin, and about 20 other intelligent inhabitants, the most important of whom are detailed elsewhere. Them are also frequent elf or Praxian nomad visitors. Occasionally others, such as Joh Mith, also come.
The whole castle is squeezed between two steep cliffs and is 30 meters wide at its narrowest and 70 meters wide at its widest. It is approximately 200 meters long from wall to wall.
Approaching from either direction, normal-sized people will see Gonn Orta outlined against the sky, surrounded by seemingly towering walls with a great gaping gate.
The ground within the castle is irregular and broken, littered with rocks and broken stone. Rank weeds spring up during the warm months. Trollkin often build their shanties among the rocks, or dig burrows there, or set up makeshift tents.
Notable are the six silos. Their origin is unknown but probably of dwarf work. Some think that Gonn Orta made them. They average about 4 meters in height and about 2 meters wide. The cylinders are topped with a huge stone but (usually) have no other openings.
These silos are used by the giants as storage areas for their goods. They are the only people capable of easily lifting the massive rocks off the tops of the silos. Possessive of their goods, they will likely kill anyone found tampering with the storage silos.
Gonn Orta's castle is a well-known site for trollball games. Teams from the Elder Wilds and Dagori Inkarth occasionally travel here for championship games. Two of the giants act as referee. The trolls usually dislike Hen Cik to referee, but do not argue if he is appointed to do so.
In broken-down shacks outside the castle lives a clan of trollkin. These trollkin are under the protection of Gonn Orta.
The exact number of trollkin varies from time to time as new trollkin arrive and old trollkin occasionally leave. There are between 50-70 present at any one time. Gonn Orta has strong attachment to few of the trollkin but all are under his protection so he will deal harshly with anyone who harms them. In particular, he will kill trolls who come here searching for trollkin who have deserted them.
Upon occasion Priestesses of Xiola Umbar come here to hold prayer services for the trollkin. These Priestesses invariably bless Gonn Orta for what he has done to protect his charges. Boshbisil always thanks them kindly and asks them to leave within the week. Boshbisil wants the trollkin loyal to him and without a permanent Priestess of Xiola Umbar to obey.
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Gonn Orta's Castle |
[1] WEST WALL
This wall is approximately 7 meters tall. It is made of cyclopean stone, often jumbled and
overthrown by the landslides which plague the pass. The way is open, with neither lintel
nor gate to bar its way. The gateway is protected by two Market spells. One lies inside
the other, effectively making it necessary to go through both to pass the gateway. The set
of sticks for the outer market are hidden within the stones of the wall and cannot be
removed. The inner set are visible in the gateway. The spells are normally inactive, but
can be quickly activated by Boshbisil in case of an emergency.
[2] THE SHOVEL
This is Hen Cik's giant snow shovel used to make a passage for Boshbisil every season. It
is large even for Hen, but he figures he will grow into it. It is 5 meters long. It rests
against the side of the mountain.
[3] HEN CIK'S AREA
This region is relatively flat. It is where Hen Cik sits, sleeps, or eats.
[4] HEN CIK'S SILO
This silo has no Lock spell on it, nor traps. Its top is a SIZ 40 stone disc. There is
little of value inside, mostly bits of rotting plants or old meat which Hen Cik secreted.
His proudest possession is there, too, a polished thighbone from a gorgosaur. He keeps his
dice here, sometimes.
[5] DICE DEPRESSION
This is a dip in the ground with a sharp down-slope. At the bottom, the floor is leveled
with many rock chips. The wall at the bottom is chipped and scarred. At the top usually
are a pair of giant six-sided dice. They measure about 2 meters to a side and appear to be
made of green stone. However, their weight is only SIZ 35. They are an ancient artifact.
These are Hen Cik's favorite toy and he often amuses himself by pushing both of them down
the depression and playing craps. He also likes to play craps with strangers and visitors
for stakes. He does have money, but Boshbisil keeps it for him. Boshbisil disapproves of
the gambling but never hesitates to pay as much money as Hen has. He never has more than
1DlOO L though, and Boshbisil won't (and Hen Cik can't) ever pay more than he has.
Hen Cik is dumb but he knows his crap rules. He will play with anyone as long as they do not cheat. Humans and elves and trolls must use levers and fulcrums to roll the dice over the edge and Hen loves to push them back uphill for anyone who plays with him. (If you are unfamiliar with the rules of craps, see any standard game book, such as Hoyle.) Gonn Orta can tell of the origin of the dice. They were made by the gods of Law and Change before Time began. Each god made one at the same time and went about presenting his as moral lesson or empirical truth proving that god's position. The god of Law showed that the average chance of any number coming up was constant. The god of change proved that any number could come up next. In the Golden Age these two gods occasionally met and played with both dice, craps being the only game to which they both agreed about the rules. Joh Mith has been heard to mutter that Gonn Orta may be waiting for these gods to return for another game, but this is unprovable.
[6] SA MITA'S SILO
This is where Sa Mita keeps her personal goods. The top is SIZ 45 but is well-fitted,
making it harder to remove. The inside is clean, by giant standards, and contains a sack
of silver coins worth 238 L, plus a huge bolt of cloth, which Sa Mita has been saving to
make into a bonnet. There is also a bronze long spear with a hole in one end to use as a
needle, 200 meters of heavy rope (very tangled), and a bronze two-handed great sword which
she uses to cut the cloth. There are duo five very wilted giant flowers, which Boshbisil
gave her about 20 years ago. They came from distant Dragon Pass.
[7] SA MITA'S PLACE
This is where the giantess sits, sleeps, and eats. It is flat and fairly smooth, and she
also spends time sweeping and raking it with trees.
[8] GONN ORTA'S SEAT
This is a ledge where Gonn Orta sits. It is about 30 meters off the valley floor and is
mostly occupied by his rump. His head towers another 90 meters over, and on the cliff
behind him is a place where he sometimes rests it.
[9] GONN ORTA'S FEET
The huge giant sometimes moves his feet, but not much. He wears giant leather shoes, by
the way, but they have holes in the bottom and his horney skin can be seen inside.
[10] TROLLKIN SHELTERS
Between Gonn Orta's feet are many hovels and covered holes where trollkin live. They
always gathered there in the cold months, taking shelter from the avalanches by hiding
half under Gonn Orta. They are sometimes driven out, but always return in the winter.
[11] THE MARKET
This market is always active and is where most trading is done. Since the giants are too
big to actually fit inside they always rest one hand flat inside it when dealing. The four
posts are made of ironwood and are extremely handsome.
[121 GLOCKMOOR'S HOUSE
This is a very handsome house made by an Orlanthi nobleman long ago. It is much broken now
and unrepaired. Inside it is a shambles, but perfectly suited for Glockmoor and his bears.
[13] PANEYES HOUSE
This house actually has workable locks, Paneye has seen the interior of the Pillow and
Greatness Hall, and done his best to imitate his betters with makeshift furniture. Most of
it is nomadic in origin and often is thrown in a heap. In addition to Paneye, his personal
bodyguards also stay here.
[14] GREATNESS HALL
This is the only inn in town. It is run by Mr. Greatness, who is explained elsewhere. As a
Morokanth, the doors are suited for his shambling gait, too low for humans to enter
without bending over. Whenever anyone enters a room that way, Mr. Greatness will say
"No need to bow," and continue with his work. His work usually consists of
admiring his thumb, as mentioned elsewhere. The inn is considered a safe establishment,
protected fairly well by Mr. Greatness and his employees However, no food or drinks are
served here, and when anyone eats, Mr. Greatness will insist upon joining the meal. Rates
are standard.
[15] TEMPLE TO RENT
This is a simple box-like structure rentable from Boshbisil by almost anyone. The Priest
will bless it with his Create Neutral Ground spell and allow any non-Chaotic worship
there. Cost is 100 L per day or night, with no reduced rates for longer service.
[16] WATER SILO
There is no water source here in the summer. This is filled with snow every winter, which
melts. Several workable spigots, evidently of dwarf work, adorn the sides of the silo.
[17] BOSHBISIL'S FIRST SILO
This contains Boshbisil's personal goods, including his spare set of clothing, and his
huge flute.
[18] BOSHBISIL'S OTHER SILO
This one holds many of his trade goods,
[19] BOSHBISIL'S PLACE
This is where the boss giant sits, sleeps, eats, and entertains others. This area is
specially contoured for comfort while sleeping.
[20] THE PILLOW
This is a hollowed rock whose interior has been designed for the safety and comfort of
human-sized beings, It has several rooms of different size and a large eating/cooking room
where Scree lives and works. People who are favorites of Boshbisil are invited to stay
here at his expense. This is reserved only for a select few, such as great or rich
chieftains from Prax or men like Joh Mith. The pillow is the safest place to be in the
winter, when the castle is sometimes inundated by avalanches. There is one discomfort:
Boshbisil snores when he sleeps.
[21] BOSHBISIL'S THIRD SILO
This one actually has a door at its bottom to allow access by Scree, for here are kept the
majority of the household goods needed for the pillow. There are also several pieces of
furniture kept in here, which are changed according to the preferences of the visitors. It
has a finely worked metal chair from the dwarves, exquisite elvish wooden furniture, and a
set of sturdy bird-perches capable of supporting human sized creatures, though this race
is unknown here.
[22] A CAVE
This is another cave full of Boshbisil's trade goods. It can be reached with considerable
difficulty by climbing up the cliff. Slang and Scree are occasionally sent to do that, or
are lifted up to this cave by Boshbisil.
[23] ANOTHER CAVE
This is another cave with trade goods. It is impossible to reach by climbing, even by the
most experienced. The rock around the mouth of the cliff is polished slick and smooth to
discourage climbing. There is also a SIZ 82 rock plug jammed into the opening. This cave
contains many of the more exotic items which Boshbisil and Gonn Orta have collected.
Neither of Boshbisil's servants are allowed to enter this cave. Rumor says that it is
guarded by a multiplicity of Warding spells, traps, and a couple of unknown monsters whose
stirrings are sometimes heard, and whose vapory breath occasionally steams from the cave
when it is opened. No one other Boshbisil and Gonn Orta know why this is and they are not
telling.
[24] TENT AREA
This area has been roughly cleared and flattened enough to allow visiting Praxian nomads
to set up their tents. There are usually a few Praxians here during the summer season, but
they almost always leave when it gets cold.
[25] CORRAL
A stone fence with wooden gates holds the private riding mounts of the nomadic visitors
and merchants. The giants all know they are not allowed to eat the animals kept there.
[26] WALL AND GATE
This is a two-meter stone wall, which spans the climbable area of the cliff face. There is
a wooden gate there. It was made to keep the animals penned at one end.
[27] THE CLIFF FACE
This is a 3 meter high cliff, climbable by humans with one Climbing roll, but impassable
to hoofed animals. It is a natural formation.
[28] THE ANIMAL PENS
This area is where herd beasts are stored which the nomads plan to sell to Gonn Orta. They
are considered food, and creatures here are available for snacking by the giants.
[29] EAST WALL
This wall is about 5 meters tall, but is usually in a poor state of repair. It usually
suffers worse from the annual landslides than does the western gate. There are usually
trollkin working on the stones and repairing the wall. The gateway has a wooden gate,
which the nomads swing closed to keep their animals in. The wood is often broken and
repaired and is quite ragged. The gateway is protected like the West Gate with two Market
spells.
See also:
Personalities and Trading at Gonn Orta's Castle
Balazar Gazetteer
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