Name: The Norther Consociation
Region: The Consolidation covers a vast area in the north of the world. It includes vast cold boreal forests of giant trees, volcanic prairies, super sized mountain ranges, and wide expanses of permafrost and ice sheets.
Races:
Giants: A collection of giants represents the first third of the Consociation. From the massive frost giants (50ft) which herd giant bison across the permafrost, to the earth giants building massive underground halls deeper in the earth than any of the small races could ever reach (60ft), the forest giants which tend to the far reaching boreal forests (40ft), and lastly the High Giants (20ft) which live in massive cities which connect the different giant clans and their mortal allies. Of these, the majority of giants in the cities are High Giants, though the others are not uncommon.
Orikai: These white skinned hulks stand as tall as the High Giants, but boast two sets of pointed ears, four strong arms, and tusks protruding from their mouths. Like frost giants, they are immune to cold, and spend much of their time swimming in the artic waters, hunting whales in their natural habitat. They can hold their breath for over an hour. When they arrived from distant lands, the Giants acknowledged their strength and distant relation, encorporating them into the Consociation. Like the High Giants, they live mostly in cities. While many who have never met a giant think them to be slow, one would be surprised that they are, on average, more intelligent than humans.
Dwarikai: The final race in the Consociation is the Dwarikai. These are ten foot tall humanoids of fire, flesh, and stone. In ancient history, these giants delved too deep and we're trapped in hell. Thir magic was not enough to hold back the demons, sp they built a bastion of mechanical might, powered by the lava and their control over fire. For a thousand years they held the line, but eventually they we're overwhelmed and forced to abandon their city. They built a massive ship and sailed the magma sea to the surface, flooding their ancestral home, killing demons and those still inside alike. They were taken in by their distant kin. Their arrival has led to a huge change in giant society, the introduction of machinery. Their control over fire has allowed them to forge and power their machines as they attempt to adapt to this new strange world near and above the surface.
Arkroad (Capitol):
A giant caldera. Three of its broken peaks reach the sky, and the bowl shape protects the city within from the elements. In the center is a magma pit which reaches to the magma sea. It is said that the frost giants descended from the heaven, and the Dwarikai climbed up from hell, meeting here. That connection is the Arkroad. It is a city of welcomeness. Much of the inner city is mechanized and metallic, descending far into the earth. Dwarikai and Mountain Giants tend to live in the center, while frost giant, Orakai and forest giants live around the rim and the exterior in the great plains and forests nearby. High Giants are not uncommon here, but not nearly as prevalent as in other cities.
Iceport
A large port on an icy penensal peninsula. The ice and rocks here exhibit purplish streaks which glow during the long winter months. This made it an idea port year round. This is the main Orikai city, and they compose nearly seventy percent of the population. The rest is is mostly Frosst and High Giants. Massive ships frequent here, and it is the major way that goods are brought into the Giant realms from the outside world. Here whale wrestlers often gather to hunt the beasts beneath the waves.
Wide Reach:
A massive city in the edgr of the wild volcanic prairies and endless boreal forests. Most of the population is Forest Giants and High giants. It is surrounded by farms for miles and miles, and the forest giants have built massive wood and stone buildings here and in the surrounding area. It is less technologically advanced than the other cities, mostly being devoted to food and lumber production.
New Zarakai
The main Dwarikai settlement, it is the smallest of the Giant settlements. Located near the southern border of their lands, this mechanical fortress rests atop a mountain looking over the lands of the small races. It contains the gates which lead into the lands of the giants. A massive door built in the valley between two mountains. It is a technologically advanced city composed of stone, metal, and machinery. It is the safest way into giant lands, for those who are allowed past the guards. Most of its population is Dwarikai, Mountain Giants, and High Giants.
Culture:
Giant culture is one of harsh principals. They are a philosophical and generally reclusive people. Rarely do they leave their lands and journey into the world of the small folk. This spawns rumors in the lands of men which are mostly untrue. The Giants are rather intelligent, yet their harsh conditions prevent many from pursuing education. Still, they have a great appreciation for the arts, especially painting, theater, and poetry. They can often be heard talking philosophy and morals. Of course, the Dwarikai are often the exception to this. They have less of an emphasis on philosophy and tradition, and are much more interested in science and technology, though they carry on many traditions of their homeland. The High Giants care the most about culture, art and philosophy. They are also much more socialable and merchantile than the others of their race. They are often the only giants who will venture south, except in times of war when the Giant horses ride south like a blizzard of ice and fire.
Magic: Elemental Spirit Magic
The Giants are an ancient race and they still remember the days when the great spirits roamed the lands. Now the most powerful spirits have been slain or slumber. The Giants are deeply in tune with these sleeping or dead spirits, as well as those which still live about the earth. Long ago the giants devoured the spirits and gained their powers over the elements. Fire, earth, water, air and nature each belong to one of the five races of giants, with each of them having control of their element. The mountain giants use theirs to mine the earth and build their giant cities. The Dwarikai use theirs to forge their weapons and fuel their machines. The Orakai use theirs to move with ease through the water, while the Frost giants use their power over water to keep their crops alive. The High Giants use their power over wind to sail the seas and lastly the forest giants tend to the trees with their power over plants.