The Tribes of the Mountains of Ice are a loose confederation of fierce nomadic Half-Giant clans that wander the frozen peaks and glacial valleys of the Mountains of Ice. Towering, battle-hardened, and deeply proud, these clans trace their bloodlines back to the ancient giants said to have been born from the bones of the Primordial Ones. They live as hunters, raiders, and survivalists, following the migration of massive dire beasts and harvesting rare ice-crystal minerals and ancient relics from forgotten ruins buried beneath the permafrost.
Though often divided into rival tribes (such as the Stonebearers, Stonereavers, Thunderwalkers, and Blood of Vael), they share a common brutal culture centered on strength, honor through combat, and reverence for the mountain spirits. They view the “small folk” of Skarnheim with a mix of disdain and amusement, occasionally trading with Frostheim or serving as terrifying mercenaries when the price (or the challenge) is right.
Galab Thul – The City of Bones and Thunder
Once every five years, during the rare alignment known as the Long Night of the Hammer, all major tribes converge in a hidden colossal valley in the heart of the Mountains of Ice. In a matter of days they erect Galab Thul — a temporary city built entirely from the bones of slain megafauna, massive ice blocks, and rune-carved megaliths. For one month this savage metropolis becomes the beating heart of Half-Giant civilization: a place of roaring feasts, intense orgies, shamanic rituals, blood sports, and tense political negotiations between chieftains.
Babban Gasar – The Grand Tournament
The centerpiece of the gathering is Babban Gasar (“The Great Crushing”), a colossal multi-day tournament of brutal trials. Tribes compete in feats of strength, ritual combat, beast hunts, and endurance challenges across deadly glacial terrain. Champions earn legendary status, while defeated tribes must pay tribute or face exile. Many fragments of the Broken Blade and powerful primordial artifacts have changed hands during these gatherings, often triggering bloody feuds that last for years.
In the current year of 1274 AF, the next Babban Gasar is approaching, and rumors speak of strange omens — glowing rifts in the ice and Half-Giant shamans receiving visions of the awakening heart of Vael. Some tribes have begun marching toward Galab Thul earlier than usual…