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Gonn Orta is an ancient and well-known giant. He was born in Godtime, a native to this region. During the Darkness he was in Fronela and Ralios, usually seen with dwarves. He was relatively young and small at the Dawning, measuring a puny 12 meters tall.
In the First Age, Gonn Orta lived in Fronela, which then was thinly populated by men. At the end of the First Age, Gonn Orta fought Gbaji, again with co-operation of the dwarves.
Gonn Orta's friendship with the dwarves soured during the Second Age, as did so many inter-species relations. He was instrumental in the famous Giant Revolt during the Second Age which smashed many dwarf strongholds and released the Jolanti class of giant Since that time Gonn Orta has distrusted dwarves, though never holding blind hatred or automatic rude-ness.
Gonn Orta traveled about for a couple centuries before coming to Balazar in the end of the Second Age. He settled in his present home in the year 1042, founding his market and remaining there ever since.
Gonn Orta is the world authority on all giant artifacts, and he is an intelligent observer and knows many facts of history which people find useful in their investigations. He has always been curious about magic items in general and has handled a significant number of them in his centuries of life. He is always interested in trading magic items or other goods, sometimes to simply keep items around until he studies them. All of these are good reasons for people to continue to seek him out over the centuries to speak with him.
In addition, Gonn Orta himself is a wonder to behold. He is 150 meters tall now, a walking mountain when he moves about. But he rarely moves now, at least at a speed which people can recognize. Growing contemplative in his middle age, he often sits for seasons on end without moving at all. Weather means nothing to him. Sometimes his lofty head is as covered by ice as the greater mountains around him.
Gonn Orta seems slow to most people who try to speak with him. Many people think that he has come here to turn into a mountain like his more ancient kin all about. Others think he is here because he is waiting for something. Rumors sometimes say he waits until the new World Age to act, and more rumors remind us that such change in the world is coming soon.
When Gonn Orta does respond to someone, Mindspeech is the best method. His vocal speech is slow and basso, rumbling through the mountain valleys like great moans, causing landslides and scaring trollkin to death. Few beings can get Gonn Orta to respond at all. These few include Boshbisil the Trader, Hen Cik, and Sa Mita, and any Rune Priest of Issaries who wishes to spend a day or two jumping up and down on the giant's knee to get his attention.
Gonn Orta often appears to be looking for someone. In elder days, he had overwhelming curiosity about the little people and he used to spend weeks kneeling over a human city and studying it. When he first made his castle, he arranged it to make it easy for him to bend over the 'miniature quarters' and watch, or simply to pluck the roof off a building and stare curiously down into the revealed rooms. As years passed, this activity lessened, but it has never quite ceased. At odd moments ancient Gonn Orta will stoop over his fortress and pluck off a beam and shingle section to gaze at whatever appears.
Gonn Orta still occasionally has one of the smaller giants pick someone up and put him into his hand for closer scrutiny. For two centuries Gonn Orta stared at every duck that came into town but he never seemed to find the one he wanted, or else got bored and lost interest. Ducks are now treated like everyone else.
Use of Gonn Orta is in the hands of the referee, but there are few reasons he would disturb himself. We suggest that the giant be reserved for mysterious actions, long-term plot developments, and exotic advice or information.
Boshbisil is a young active giant compared to his elderly lord. Boshbisil springs from a race of surly, untrustworthy behemoths, yet paradoxically, he is jovial and friendly and the Priest of peace-stressing, anti-chaotic cult. This is a result of years of contact with Gonn Orta during Boshbisil's youth when they traveled together through Peloria. They parted for years, and Boshbisil became an Issaries initiate, beginning his career as a caravan guard for the Dara Happan Empire.
Boshbisil remained a neutral Issaries during the Carmanian dominance, and was present in Raibanth when that city surrendered to the Lunar Empire. A century after that Boshbisil moved to the Imther Mountains; after a couple centuries there he came to help his old friend Gonn Orta.
Boshbisil is the self-appointed leader of the castle now. No one remembers Gonn Orta saying this, but neither has he protested. The other giants do not complain and the little ones have no choice. Boshbisil speaks freely, using Gonn Orta's name and authority. Everyone will deal directly with this younger merchant who, in turn, reports to the contemplative titan. If Gonn Orta wishes to inquire further he may act himself, or have Boshbisil speak again.
Boshbisil treats the castle as his home and acts precipitously in its defense. The whole compound is called a temple, but only the area currently under the Market spell is protected by magical defenses. When there is trouble, Boshbisil is likely to toss a few huge boulders, squashing indiscriminately, and then ask questions when he has thought of some. If Boshbisil finds anyone inside his private quarters, he will always squash first and ask questions later.
Boshbisil is not a native to this region, hailing from the Yelp Mountains in Peloria. He is currently having a casual (28 years) affair with Sa Mita, the giantess, but he places no special attachment to her.
Boshbisil has distinct eating habits. He eats once per season. In Sea and Earth seasons he travels to the bottom of the Balazaring side of the pass and meets a band of elves who have brought him load upon load of vegetable matter to eat. It does not matter to him that much of it is old and decomposed. In Fire and Storm seasons he descends to the Hidden Greens side where he meets with Praxian nomads who trade him huge numbers of cattle and herd beasts for whatever goods he has. After every meal Boshbisil naps for three days and nights, and every Darkness season he snuggles down under the snow of the pass and sleeps for a solid six weeks.
Boshbisil is seeking the loyal service of someone who can teach his trollkin some militia skills.
Hen Cik is a young, slow-witted giant. Hen is a native to Giant Land and claims descent from the mountains Dolog and Thryn. He befriended Gonn Orta many years ago and has been adamantly loyal ever since. He has not really transferred his loyalty to Boshbisil, a fact the younger Issaries Priest accepts with ginatish resignation.
Hen Cik is enamored of the giantess Sa Mita. He often silently follows her about, squatting and waiting patiently as she does whatever she is doing. He still waits to find out if, after eight years, she has any feelings for him.
Boshbisil treats Hen Cik kindly and puts the eager strength to work. Hen's usual duties are to travel up and down the valley to see what is coming, to climb mountains and peer towards the end of the world for excitement, and to shovel the snow out of the pass every winter when Boshbisil is going down to have his meals. For this purpose, a huge flat shovel leans in a corner of the castle.
Hen Cik always picks up whatever food is left over and carries it up to the castle for himself and Sa Mita. His appetite is erratic. Sometimes he eats nothing for a year or two, and then occasionally gorges himself weekly.
Sa Mita is a young (72 years), impressionable female giant. Like Hen Cik, she joined the cult of Issaries because the two elder giants did so. Intelligent and sensitive in a giantish way, she has deep respect for Boshbisil. Unbeknownst to the older giant, she is now pregnant with his child. Ignored for years at a time by her lover, she is undaunted, waiting with giant patience for his love to grow. She knows Hen Cik's feelings but does not wish to disrupt her long-term future plans with Boshbisil.
Sa Mita is a local giantess who claims descent from the mountains Fork, Borg, Mok, and Ilifagor (from a different group). She firmly believes that the mountains are her sleeping ancestors. She has heard rumors that the local trolls are cruelly digging through them. This worries her, but she does not normally speak of it.
Paneye is the chief trollkin in the castle. He is skilled at his task of repairing the ancient fort each spring and summer. His employer is Boshbisil.
The actual work done each year is questionable, even though Paneye and his crews are always visible, bustling about doing work, carting and cutting stone, and hoisting them about. But unless Paneye is there, the work is as destructive as creative and slow.
Paneye is aware of his responsibilities and does his best to fulfil them, but has also developed a practical point of view. Boshbisil has never been seen to instruct or reprimand Paneye and so his work is considered satisfactory.
Paneye has no notable combat skills or spells useful to a builder. He makes no pretentions about this and is easily cowed by stronger people, but will fall back on his friendship with Boshbisil for defense. Boshbisil likes the miserable wretch.
Glockmoor is a trollkin, the self-appointed policeman of the castle. He is accepted by the natives, most of whom are trollkin. Glockmoor himself is of little note, even in combat skills, but he is in charge of four trained white cave bears. Some people suspect correctly that one of the bears is a bound spirit.
Glockmoor is very intelligent and spent several years outside of the castle before finally finding refuge here. He rarely insults strangers, and looks out for his own interests.
Mr. Greatness is a morokanth, the owner of Greatness Hall (the inn). He is neither exceptionally smart nor clever, and owns the inn only because he managed to win it in a crap game with Hen Cik. Mr. Greatness no longer gambles at all.
Mr. Greatness has a magical Morokanth Thumb (as described most recently in The Book of Drastic Resolutions: Vol. Prax, p91). This is a source of continual amazement and pride to him, and for hours he will sit around and wiggle it, clutching things, and offer to arm wrestle with strangers.
Mr. Greatness considers morokanth the epitome of creation, and himself to be the pinnacle of morokanthdom. He graciously refuses to argue this, but treats everyone with condescending disdain.
Slang is a very odd creature, which is kept by Boshbisil to act as his 'fine manipulation.' That is, whenever there is something too small or too Ane for Boshbisil to sw or pick up, he will have Slang do it. (If there is a lot of this work to be done, Scree also helps sometimes.)
Slang is a medium-sized bear who has blue fur, human hands, and who wears a paper mache mask of a human face. He can waddle about on his hind leg or move very quickly on all fours. He seems to be of low intelligence and is capable of only primitive speech, which is barely indistinguishable from bear talk. He is intractably loyal to Boshbisil who, in return, has an odd affection for the strange creature.
Scree is an enlightened chimpanzee, as shown by his high intelligence. He came to this area with Boshbisil and so is getting quite old. This has given him a well developed sense of humor and irony. Because he is from much warmer climates, Scree is taken is wearing warm clothing and furs when it is chilly, and is also trained in herbal remedies to cure himself if he catches cold.
Scree is an employee of Boshbisil's and serves as his 'fine manipulation' when asked. This means he may be chosen to go into a silo to find something which is beyond Boshbisil's sight, or else pick a specific coin or jewel from a chestful.
Scree is also an excellent cook, gained (he will tell you) during his enslavement by a volcano-Priest in Esrolia. He does not discuss his manumission with anyone.
Scree is also in charge of the pillow and keeps it neat. He has his own room there, which is stocked with books that he reads in his spare time.
These unusual creatures are possessed by spirits under the control of Boshbisil or Gonn Orta. They are always kept hidden to outsiders, though the trollkin know of them. They appear only in case of defense, when they get a Mobility spell cast upon them to reach the site quickly, and then will attack when ordered to by Boshbisil. The origin of these oddities is unknown to most of the world who accept them as part of the giant merchant's strange wares.
Hrill is a roc who is a friend of Gonn Orta's. The bird is usually absent but has a long-standing pact with Gonn Orta to watch over and help defend the ancient castle. It will appear in emergencies and can sometimes be seen far overhead in Balazar and Prax. Other than that it rarely bothers with humans. It can perform magical healing, and speaks both Trade and Bird Speech.
There is a 10% chance per week of a caravan showing up at Gonn Orta's castle. They stay for 1D4 weeks to trade and to rest, then depart. The most common visitors are Griffins, Trolls, Elves, other Giants, Balazaring Traders, Dragonewts, Dwarves, Praxian Nomads, and Morokanth. Since Gonn Orta does not allow fighting in his castle then there should be little reason to need statistics.
Gonn Orta welcomes anyone who comes to Giants Castle to trade. He does have two rules which he requires all guests to obey. The first rule is that there will be no fighting. Even trolls and elves are required to behave themselves when at or near Giants Castle. Gonn Orta will pledge to attack and kill all members of a group initiating conflict. His protection applies to the entire Giant Land region, and such is the fear of Gonn Orta that few groups will risk combat even when they know they are safely away from the castle. Gonn Orta will assist in peace-keeping by forbidding mutually-hostile groups from leaving within 24 hours of each other.
The second rule is that no one trades at the castle except with Gonn or Boshbisil. This allows Gonn to make a profit as the middleman on all transactions.
The individual referee will have to determine what Gonn has for sale at any time, but a few examples have been included to give some idea as to what types of groups come here and what they have to sell. Remember that all sales must go through Gonn Orta and that he will take a good profit.
Prices in general are the same as for standard trading caravans. In addition there are special items for sale. The value of the item on the open market is given here. This is the value which a player-character might expect to get when attempting to sell an item. It does not imply that items are for sale for this amount. In fact, it implies that these are half what the player-character might pay in cash for an available item.
Not every item is always available at the castle. The natives make some things and are in an excellent position to trade everything else. Still, some things are rare and only occasionally pass through Gonn Orta's castle.
To find out whether something is available, it is necessary to tell Boshbisil what the character wants. Boshbisil will then determine the price and availability.
Use the following formulae:
Matrices - A spell matrix is worth the cost to learn the spell plus 1000 L additional for labor in making it. There may be a further cost of materials. It is common to increase the worth of an already rare magical item with valuables.
If a matrix is for more than one spell then each point of Divine Intervention needed to make it increases the cost of the magical labor at the rate of 1000 L per point of Divine Intervention.
Thus a Detect Enemies matrix is worth 1300 L, and a Fireblade matrix is worth 3000 L. However, a combined Detect Enemy and Fireblade matrix is worth 5300 L. It would commonly be placed on a broadsword blade, worth at least 50 L, but such a princely treasure would likely be decorated with silver and gems worth another 1500 L. Thus the total is 6850 L for this magical sword.
POW Storage Crystals - Each point of POW capacity is worth 1000 L. There may also be an intrinsic value to the crystals equivalent to their jewel quality. A common 12 point POW storage crystal is, then, worth 12,000 L. However, an emerald which is also a 12 point POW storage crystal, might be worth 24,000 L.
Attuned Crystals - Attuned crystals all have a base value of 2000 L, and an additional value of 5000 L per point capacity. Thus a Healing Focus 4 crystal is worth 22,000 L.
Truestone - Truestone is valued at 100,000 L per point of magic capacity. Each point of Rune magic stored in it is worth an additional 10,000 L as well. Some truestone may further have an intrinsic value as a gem, or be set into something of rare value. This price should indicate how rare truestone is and we caution referees to restrict excessive use of it.
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