A World of Scale and Survival
Niflheimar is a world locked in a beautiful, brutal, and perpetual winter. The defining feature of life is scale. After the Great Growing, a fraction of the population became Giants—colossal, 25-to-50-foot-tall versions of the standard races. The rest remained the Lítillfólk (the "Little Folk").
This is a world of Power versus Responsibility. Giants are the rulers and protectors. The Lítillfólk are the foundation—the farmers and engineers. The central theme is the Burden of Power: what does a being of immense power owe to those who are inherently fragile?
1. The Environment: Fire and Ice
A land of stunning contrasts: glacial ice sheets, volcanic geothermal vents, and wind-swept tundra. Civilization huddles in the oases where these forces meet, sheltered by the Giants themselves.
2. The Societies: The Five Nations
Giants are divided into five nations, each with a different philosophy on rule and survival:
Stone-Shield Commonwealth: Order through structure and duty.
Sun-Splinter Throne: Elitism where only the "worthy" prosper.
Frost-Fang Clans: Might makes right.
Free-Soul Collective: Freedom through cooperation.
Ashen Crest Dynasty: Ambition and progress at any cost.
3. The Central Conflict: The Price of Power
Collateral Damage: A Giant's casual movement can kill. Every action carries the weight of potential tragedy.
Calculated Rebellion: Lítillfólk rebel not against tyrants they fear, but against kind rulers they believe won't crush them. Hope, not despair, fuels revolt.
Catastrophic Combat: Giant battles are destructive, earth-shaking events fought with massive, Lítillfólk-crafted weapons.
A Giant's gear is not magical by nature—it is simply massive.
Weapons and Armor:
A Giant's longsword is a meticulously forged slab of steel the size of a small tree, but balanced and functional like its smaller counterpart.
Their plate armor consists of the same articulated plates as a knight's, but each piece is the size of a door, requiring an entire forge-workshop of Lítillfólk to maintain.
A warhammer's head is a boulder, meticulously shaped and fixed to a tree-trunk haft.
Acquisition:
Giants do not craft their own gear alone. They acquire it through:
Tribute: Their Lítillfólk subjects labor in massive forges to produce arms and armor as part of their service.
Giant Forges: Specialized settlements located near volcanic vents or massive mines, where Giant smiths and their Lítillfólk apprentices work together on an epic scale. Here, giants trade resources or services for newly crafted gear.
Scavenging: Taking weapons and armor from fallen rivals or ancient battlefields.
This system reinforces the Giants' dependence on the Lítillfólk. A Giant is nothing without the civilization they protect—a stark reminder that true power lies not just in strength, but in the ability to inspire, command, or compel the labor of thousands.