Cloud Giant
| Species | giant |
| No. Appearing | 1–6 |
| Behaviour | social |
| Range | alpine (high) |
| Size | 18 ft. tall |
| Weight | 4,725 lbs. |
| Intelligence | 10 to 11 |
| Armour Class | 2 |
| Hit Dice | 12 +2-7 |
| Action Points | 5 |
| Max. Stride | 40 |
| THAC0 | 14 |
| Hp/Die | d6+d8 |
| Attack Forms | 1: club |
| Damage | club (6–36)+11 |
| Special Attacks | hurling rocks, levitation, strength (23), surprised only on a 1 |
Cloud giants are a race of enormous humanoids dwelling atop mountain heights, particularly in sub-tropical parts ranging from the Atlas Mountains to Bactria. Originally counted among the less sophisticated mountain giants, their present "cloud" culture was at first influenced by the early Babylonians during the time of Hammurabi. Later, exchanges of knowledge with the Persians led to a close association between these beings and the philosophy, governance and intellectual pursuits of Greek culture during the Hellenistic Age.
Contents
Cloud giants remain few in number, with no more than two to three thousand across the world. Their scattered alpine strongholds serve as centres of learning and governance, modelled after the great forums of the classical world, where discourse, philosophy and the sciences are pursued at the highest levels.
As beacons of knowledge, these places attract not only their own kind but also the wisest of satyrs, centaurs, mages and other highly intelligent beings seeking enlightenment. Academies of philosophy, libraries and laboratories of the highest sort have enabled generations to refine the arts of logic, astronomy, engineering and the natural world.
Those wishing to gain access, and therefore some tiny portion of the cloud giant's knowledge, must demonstrate their worthiness through accomplishments or by virtue of their importance upon the world stage. Monarchs and Sages of all stripes might be invited to visit, but most would never be accorded this opportunity, except in the most unlikely of circumstances.
Behaviour
Cloud giants consider war and combat to be among the highest of their arts. Though intellectual in their pursuits, they do not separate physical mastery from the refinement of skill and technique. Towards this end, they have devised the means to construct enormous martial fields among the clouds, vast arenas and training grounds where their warriors engage in weapon practice, wrestling and Olympic-form games.
These fields are set high in the mountains, sometimes woven into the peaks themselves, other times built upon platforms of engineered cloudstone, allowing their drills and contests to take place in isolation, visible only to those who ascend to their domain. The sound of their training echoes across the valleys below, distant booms of impact and clashing arms rolling like thunder even when the sky is clear.
As such, they are sometimes called upon as mercenaries by the gods to siege or break the will of other beings throughout the Planar Universe. Their strength, discipline and sheer scale make them formidable forces in conflicts that transcend mortal wars. When summoned, they descend as living engines of destruction, their presence alone altering the course of battles waged across the planes. These campaigns may last for years or mere moments, depending on the nature of the conflict, but when cloud giants march to war on behalf of the gods, their names are remembered long after the battle itself has passed into legend.
When at home, they focus upon study and thought, being considered among the wisest of philosophers within the environs of Earth. Their discussions range across all disciplines — ethics, mathematics, the workings of nature, the stars and the unseen forces that govern existence. They hold no rigid divisions between knowledge, treating all fields of study as interconnected. Their arguments are long, methodical and exacting, with every claim tested against reason and experience. For this reason, they are sought after by rulers, scholars and those who shape the course of the world.
Advantages
Best known for their considerable might, cloud giants have a strength score of 23, granting them a +5 to hit bonus to hit bonus and an additional +11 damage with each successful strike. When wielding a long sword, they deal 6-36+11 damage, making them formidable beyond imagining against mortal humanoids. Though they typically forgo armour, preferring the freedom of movement their hardened skin provides, they will don plate mail when entering battle, which improves their armour class to -2.
With their immense physical power, cloud giants can hurl massive stones at their enemies, selecting rocks between 30 and 35 lbs.; Their throwing range extends 4-21 hexes for short range, 22-34 for medium range and 35-48 for long range. Upon impact, these boulders inflict 11-88 damage (11d8) against their enemies, while also dealing siege damage to fortifications and structures, making them formidable adversaries against both armies and settlements alike, while also dealing siege damage to fortifications and structures, making them formidable adversaries against both armies and settlements alike.
Cloud giants are able to levitate themselves, according to the spell of the same name, as an innate ability they can perform at will. This can be done twice a day, for no longer than 120 rounds on each occasion — with an hour's rest between employing this skill. Because even a little bit can be tiring, cloud giants don't like to employ this skill unless it is needed for more than a few rounds. The amount that can be lifted in addition to themselves is 2,000 lbs.
They are surprised only on a 1 in 6.
Instruction
Those who are able to visit and gain benifits from a cloud giant school can advance their knowledge in Martial Discipline, Motivation, Logic & Ethics, Prose, Drama, Natural Astronomy, Oceanography, Geology and Engineering safely and at an elevated rate. For each month of training, a character can increase their number of knowledge points in these studies according to their knowledge or lack thereof. Those without any status gain 3-18 points after this training; amateurs and authorities gain 3-12; while experts and sages gain a mere 1-6. This gradation reflects how much the character can learn in relation to how much they already know compared with cloud giants.
Gaining access to this knowledge is granted only to those who already possess great power in the world — monarchs, religious leaders, military leaders, proven philosophers — along with those who have proved their worthiness through deeds. Often, the individual must have already achieved a sagehood in some field of study. In rare cases, persons may be permitted to enter under the sponsorship of a person of this rank, who is ready to stand by the individual as a retainer or an individual under their mentorship.
Cloud giants are meticulous in their selection, and entrance to their schools might require passing a series of grueling intellectual and physical tests. These could include debates, where candidates must engage fluidly in public discourse; engineering challenges, where the individual would be directed to solve an ongoing, pressing problem in the world; or an act of physical endurance, such as climbing a dangerous mountain or surviving the most extreme of elements. A tribute of 60 lbs. of gold or a comparable amount of platinum, mithril or adamantium, is given for each month of training; this must be pure and cannot be in the form of coins.
See Bestiary
