The Kalder Ein frost giants were a small society that resided in the Tharmounts.

History

When the Elvish Empire still ruled the lands, a clan of frost giants from the Frostfell settled in the southern reaches of Thar, building a great citadel named Kalder Ein with the aid of elven mages. The giants thrived and lived happily in unison with the elves, becoming experts in the arts of magic.

However, when the empire fell and the elves left the country, things started turning sour for the clan. Their leader Gyralos died, buried by his son Vyralos in a great tomb of pure ice and stone. Vyralos buried his father's great magical artifacts of truly divine power in that same tomb, for he did not feel worthy of them. He then took up leadership of the tribe.

However, the giants noticed that the elven pantheon no longer granted them any power, having abandoned them as soon as the elves had left. The giant gods, as Vyralos turned to the All-Father, refused to grant them powers, for they had abandoned them before in their allegiance to the elves. So, the giants turned to Auril, a mainly human deity of winter and fertility, and he granted them the powers they seeked. However, some of the tribe left for the Frostfell, disgusted at this grovelling for a lesser god.

As time wound on, humans spread across the wild lands now called Mruggenrykz, building settlements such as Maerdooth in the plains. Only dwarves, such as the Thar Kingdom, went to the mountains, and the Thar dwarves left the giants alone.

But eventually, some humans noticed the great power these giants held, and traveled to Thar to be taught by these great entities. They built the village of Mittendale and pilgrimaged regularly to the place, gleaning what they could from the great giants.

One day, the evil white dragon Zaragora came, aiming for the divine power of dead Gyralos' artifacts. She sent hordes of minions against the giants, which fought back with grand might, but her numbers were too great. So the giants called out to the All-Father, calling for his aid in these difficult times. Their call was answered, swearing to kill their enemies if they offered that which they valued most, life.

The minions of Zaragora succumbed to a horrible disease, but the giant's victory came at the promised cost. Augury by Mittendale's priests revealed that the true god that had aided the giants was Zorl, the evil god of death. Upon learning this, half the tribe left Kalder Ein, returning to the distant Frostfell away from this foul place. The remaining frost giants' might faltered, and their numbers dwindled ever more.

Zaragora rebuilt her horde, calling upon new troops of foul creatures to ready an assault on the frost giants from her great lair of Dauder Tomb. Vyralos, in a last attempt at regaining his tribe's honor and vitality, mounted an assault against the tomb.

But at that time, the orcish tribe of Black-Bone orcs moved into Mittendale, with ambitions of claiming the great treasures of Dauder Tomb. To this effect, they demanded knowledge and skills from the frost giants - but those were disgusted at the orc's allegiance to Zorl, perverting life itself. So discord spread between Zaragora's enemies, and the situation devolved into a tense position.

Eventually, through the brave intervention of an adventuring party, Black-Bone was defeated, and Dauder Tomb was liberated. Times improved again, and Kalder Ein once more became an important center of pilgrimage, knowledge and schooling. It never regained its old numbers, however.

Repeatedly, orcish hosts swept Intralu, overrunning the human societies. Despite their pragmatism, the giants rarely dealt with orcs, and twice had to go to war because a warlord tried to take Kalder Ein. Nevertheless, they survived - until an orcish wave more powerful than ever before arrived.

The Bonebreakers took control over Intralu around 140 b. OW, but they dealt little with the Tharmounts - they were very difficult to reach and were of little economic interest. But the Bonebreakers' war took on new dimensions and extended far westwards. The orcs came in contact with Zaragora when trying to make a deal with Dragonloss mercenary armies, and Zaragora gave them her full diplomatic support - in exchange for a thousand loyal soldiers. She enthralled many of them with her draconic-giant magic that she had learned centuries earlier, and returned once more to the Tharmounts. In an elongated siege, she eventually brought Kalder Ein down, destroying all its inhabitants.

Her profits were very short-lived: a 400-strong Gezznyr Tharmount Ranger unit destroyed her troops mere hours after their difficult victory, and the skirmishes thereafter brought her death. The drow, who had had an eye on the frost giants for decades now, looted what there was to be taken, and abandoned Kalder Ein and Dauder Tomb to the eternal snow.