Alter Aeon The Great Library

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AABN:  26576
Title: a book entitled 'The Sundering of Giants'

 The Sundering of Giants

Giants ruled over the eastern half of the continent early in the Age of
Creation.  Their empire was ruled by four brothers: Tutankhaten, Sulinar,
Putahihumen, and Freheghemri.  Each was an accomplished spellcaster.

The giants of this time were a single, unified race.  These giants built
the giant pyramids that have survived until this day.

Despite their immense power, many challengers rose up in attempt to
de-throne the quartet.  One of the most devastating attacks came in the
form of an undead army that ravaged the land late in the kings' reign. 
Tutankhaten fell ill and was absent for most of the campaign, leaving the
remaining three brothers to deal with the menace.

By that time, the giants were growing quite old, so each king took upon
himself an element to increase his strength and longevity.  Tutankhaten
used his druid powers and took hold of the very earth itself.  Sulinar the
sorcerer subdued and harnessed the power of lightning.  Putahihumen took
upon himself the element of fire, and Freheghemri that of ice.  The
children which they sired from this point on retained some of the elemental
powers of their fathers, and so element-touched giants began to be
circulated amongst the population.

After a time, Putahihumen called a meeting of Sulinar and Freheghemri.  He
confessed to them that he had learned necromancy from the fire god
Pyrenius, and that he had been teaching necromancy to Tutankhaten for some
time in secret.  He presented recently-discovered evidence that Tutankhaten
had been behind the undead uprising that had nearly proved their undoing. 
Putahihumen believed that Tutankhaten was now an even more powerful
necromancer than he was, and that Tutankhaten would soon make his move to
remove them.  They decided to act first.  Sulinar, Putahihumen, and
Freheghemri massed their armies and attacked Tutankhaten and giants loyal
to him.

Tutankhaten's magic proved to be too much for them.  The three kings were
defeated.  When confronted by Tutankhaten at their last stand, the
necromancer king tore their spirits free from their bodies and cast them
into the Realm of Mists, leaving their bodies behind.

What happened next is unclear. Many believe that Tutankhaten performed a
powerful necromantic ritual using the life force of his fallen brothers.
Others believe he invoked an unprecedented druidic rite. It is said that
the light rained down from the night sky to scorch the lands. This event is
known as Skyfall. Both the Great Desert and the Ash Desert may be scars
from Skyfall.

After Skyfall, the leaders of the giant empire were gone. In the absence of
any king to rule them, the giants seperated into their current races,
reinforcing their elemental forms by selectively breeding with those of
like element.

The descendants of Tutankhaten became the stone giants.  With their leader
gone, they became reclusive and withdrawn.  Some stone giants chose to live
in the deserts, becoming the desert giants of today.

The children of Sulinar became the storm giants.  The storm giants
attempted to follow in their father's footsteps, and storm giants have the
reputation of being the most kind-hearted and altruistic of giantkind.  A
branch of storm giants took to the seas to live and became reef giants. 
Another branch of storm giants retreated to the astral plane of air to
become fog giants and cloud giants.

The descendants of Putahihumen are now fire giants.  The ancient fire
giants, seeking a world more hospitible to their fiery bodies, discovered
the distant desert planet of Khinzhai.  There, they made contact with a
race of giants of similar appearance and evil disposition, with whom they
have mingled freely ever since.

The spawn of Freheghemri became the frost giants.  They became a cruel and
savage race.

Giants untouched by any element remain, as well.  It is said that the
mountain giants best represent what the ancient giants would have look
liked prior to their sundering.  Other races of giants originally arose by
mountain giants crossbreeding with one of the smaller races: firbolgs from
dwarves, voadkyn from elves, verbeegs from humans, and hill giants from
ogres.