Jotens
The Jotens are a rugged and forbidding range of high mountains and rock-strewn hills that form the southern reach of the Crystalmist Mountains, marking a stark natural border between the realms of Sterich, the Yeomanry, and the Hold of the Sea Princes. These highlands are named for the giants who have long made their homes among the jagged peaks and wind-blasted passes.
The Jotens are a land of towering stone and ancient wrath, where the winds echo with the roars of giants and the screeches of winged beasts. Though perilous, they are also steeped in legend and laden with forgotten treasure. For some, the Jotens represent only danger—but for others, they offer a chance to test strength, courage, and cunning against the mightiest foes the mountains can muster.
Geography
The Jotens are a landscape of sheer cliffs, steep valleys, and cold, high ridges often cloaked in mist or snow. The terrain is harsh and largely untamed, with few safe paths and many sudden drops or rockslides.
- Crumbling stone trails lead to ancient cairns, hidden caves, and giant-made ruins.
- Springs and glacial melt form fast-moving streams that cut through narrow gorges.
- The higher elevations are bitterly cold year-round, while the lower slopes are cloaked in pine forests, scrub, and dense fog.
Travel is difficult even in the best conditions, and most locals give the mountains a wide berth.
Fauna & Flora
True to their name, the Jotens are best known as the domain of giants, especially:
- Hill giants, the most common and chaotic of their kind, roam the foothills in hunting bands or crude war parties.
- Stone giants dwell in the deeper canyons and caverns, keeping largely to themselves unless provoked.
- Occasional fire giants or frost giants are rumored to maintain remote strongholds, though their presence is rarer and more terrifying.
In addition to giants, the Jotens harbor a host of other dangerous creatures:
- Manticores and wyverns nest in the cliffs and crags, descending to raid livestock or travelers.
- Ogres, trolls, and goblinoid tribes infest the lower passes.
- Some say giant eagles and griffons also make their homes here, occasionally allying with mountaineers or druids.
- The region is rich in ancient dwarven ruins, some reclaimed, others infested with monsters or cursed.
Natural Resources
The Jotens are a constant source of tension for nearby human realms:
- Sterich and the Yeomanry maintain garrisons at mountain outposts and pass-forts to deter raiders.
- Giant incursions—especially from hill giants—have plagued border villages for generations.
- After the Giant Troubles, several organized campaigns were launched to drive hostile forces back into the Jotens, with mixed results.
- The dwarves of the Stark Mounds and scattered highland clans watch the Jotens closely, some mounting expeditions to reclaim lost halls or confront old foes.
Despite the danger, bold adventurers, prospectors, and explorers often brave the Jotens seeking:
- Hidden wealth in long-abandoned mines.
- Relics of ancient battles between giants and dragons.
- Forgotten shrines to elemental or giantish powers.
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