Fog Giant

The place of cloud giants in the ordning—the set of values and expectations that determines their rank in giant society—is driven by wealth. Those cloud giants foolish or unlucky enough to have their treasure plundered fall to the bottom of the ordning, becoming outcasts known as fog giants. Cut off from their proper place in society, they become raiders and marauders who seek to reclaim their treasure or start a new hoard—by any means possible.

Beleaguered Moguls: Though they live as ruthless raiders, fog giants remain tasteful and refined in their desires. They remember their former wealth and power with a bitter mix of longing, regret, and shame, seeking always to replace the grandest treasures they once possessed. Simple coins, gems, or trade goods do nothing to satisfy the giant's desires. Instead, they seek out grand works of art, wondrous jewelry, and beautiful sculptures.

Reasonable Offers: Fog giants are powerful warriors, but they prefer to use threats and intimidation to get their way. A fog giant seeks out news and rumors of treasures that appeal to its sense of refinement, then tracks down and treats owners of those treasures to a show of force. Kicking down the gate of a backwater duke's castle, slaying a dozen or more guards, then calling for parley is a typical fog giant strategy—followed by an offer to leave the duke alive in return for a treasure or two.

Bandit Kings: Forced to dwell in exile in the lands of the small folk, many fog giants develop an interest in those folk. Using a combination of threats and the promise of vast reward once they return to their proper station, a fog giant lures desperate criminals, cunning bandits, and other raiders into their service in the dismal wilds they inhabit. These giants prefer to work with ambitious humans, renegade elves, and greedy dwarves—all folk they see as properly civilized. They treat orcs, goblinoids, and other "barbarian" types as pesky vermin, best killed or driven away.

Calculating Masters: When a fog giant accumulates followers, it sets them to the task of rebuilding the giant's collection of wondrous, expensive treasures. Its favored servants are civilized folk who can mingle among the rich and refined. These agents take note of treasures that might interest the fog giant, who then plots heists, raids, and other stratagems to seize the chosen prize. A giant might undertake a carefully planned robbery, making extensive use of magic to cover their presence. Or it might engage in a brute-force raid that involves tearing off the roof of a merchant's home, seizing what they seek, and stalking away before the town watch can rally.

Intricate Networks: Clever, ambitious, and greedy, many fog giants build up whole networks of bandits, raiders, spies, and criminals. In some cases, such a network might grow large enough that minions in the lower ranks are ignorant of their leader's true nature. Fog giants who amass such organizations think of themselves as exiled nobles, and often take on such fanciful titles as Duke of Robbery, Baron of Bandits, or Lord of Larceny.