The Chalice of Mystery: A Story of Donothor

By Benjamin Towe

"The Chalice of Mystery" records the deeds of heroes and legends of Donothor. The chronicle occurs three hundred years after the fall of the sorcerer of the Lachinor Morlecainen and his daughter Chalar and seven centuries before the Deathquest to Parallan. The Aivendar family has wisely and justly ruled Donothor, but fantastic creatures roam the land and large areas of Donothor remained unexplored. The Light Sorceress Knarra keeps an uneasy eye toward the Iron Mountains, the imposing eastern border to the growing civilization, and the Lachinor, the great swamp to the south. Attacks by an unlikely alliance of creatures from the Iron Mountains shatter the fragile peace and terrorize Donothor. Knarra enlists the mysterious Dark Sorcerer Roscoe, the dwarves of Hillesdale, a red-haired elf, a legendary dwarfish fighter, and the Rangers of Lyndyn to battle the alliance of red giants, ice giants, ogres, two-headed Ettins, troglodytes, dragons, and stranger ilk. A relic of evil rests in the Iron Mountains. What role does the artifact play in the future of Donothor? What evil unites the denizens of the Iron Mountains?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 5, 2007
• ISBN: 9781425985998

Benjamin Towe

Benjamin Towe is a dedicated Whovian, crafty old Dungeon Master, and lover of all things magic and make believe. Ben is a graduate of Mt. Airy (NC) High School, Davidson College, and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Dr Towe served five years in the US Army Medical Corps and has practiced family medicine. Doctor “T” loves reading and writing science fiction and fantasy novels. The novels of the Donothor and Elfdreams series are Doctor T’s Rx for fantasy. Children of Magick joins his literary family of Justful Deception, the Queen’s Secret, Thirttene Friends, Dawn of Magick, Lost Spellweaver, First Wandmaker, Wandmaker’s Burden, Emerald Islands, Mender’s Tomb, Deathquest to Parallan, Orb of Chalar, Chalice of Mystery, Death of Magick, and Unwonted Spellweavers. Escape to an Elfdream! Happy reading!

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This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.

© 2010 Benjamin Towe. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 3/8/2010

ISBN: 978-1-4259-8599-8 (ebk)

ISBN: 978-1-4259-8597-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4259-8598-1 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2006911305

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1

Pirate’s Tales

CHAPTER 2

Giants

CHAPTER 3

Big Transgressions

CHAPTER 4

The Foothills of Illman

CHAPTER 5

Troglodytes

CHAPTER 6

Ravenna’s Confession

CHAPTER 7

The Ice Giants

CHAPTER 8

Unrewarded Valor

CHAPTER 9

The Ice Prison

CHAPTER 10

Knuth Gainriches

CHAPTER 11

Regrouping

CHAPTER 12

Passage to Saifferd’s Lair

CHAPTER 13

Knuth Gainriches and Brute Leigh

CHAPTER 14

Little Giants

CHAPTER 15

Red Mountain: The First level

CHAPTER 16

Potions! Potions! Potions!

CHAPTER 17

Red Mountain: Level 2

CHAPTER 18

Ombie

CHAPTER 19

Tarheel Ointment and Other Treasures

CHAPTER 20

The Great Hall

CHAPTER 21

Traps

CHAPTER 22

Chimera

CHAPTER 23

Pyrohydra

CHAPTER 24

The Treasure of Saifferd

CHAPTER 25

Red Mountain Level Three

Saifferd’s Domain

CHAPTER 26

The Red Mountain Prison

CHAPTER 27

Brenda Vansant

CHAPTER 28

Knuth’s Story

CHAPTER 29

Wererats

CHAPTER 30

Getting Down

CHAPTER 31

The Altar

CHAPTER 32

Baylexa

CHAPTER 33

Phie, Pheye, Phoe, Phum

CHAPTER 34

Nhugusulla

CHAPTER 35

The Secret Door of Domingo

CHAPTER 36

The Great Battle

CHAPTER 37

The Chalice of Mystery

EPILOGUE

APPENDIX OF MAPS

Prologue

Powerful macabre hands grasped and compressed maroon ore from the depths of the Gray Abyss. Long taloned digits smoothed the molten mass of sizzling metal into a rounded base, thick stem, and bowl. Little by little the demon shaped the vessel to his liking and rested the hot chalice on the palm of his third upper appendage.

The evil spirit held an odd gray stone and felt a surge of power. He smiled wryly, and pushed the Xennic Stone into the soft metal. Faint gray light pulsed from the cup.

The limb supporting the cup gruesomely separated from the hulking form, floated, and carried the prize some distance away from the malevolent creature.

In antiquity Uyrg searched far and wide for Xennic Stones and distributed the rare gray stones to many worlds. The Xennic Stones sparked Magick- which grew like a snowball rolling down a hillside- and enabled the creation of many wonderful enchanted items.

Uyrg laughed smugly, changed to a mauve mist, floated to the hovering chalice. The violet mist penetrated the blazing vessel’s surface, diffused through the molten metal, and infused the cup with his power and evil. Thick lavender smog exited the cup and coalesced to the flaming shape the demon preferred. The floating, dismembered hand folded into the chalice, and the device hovered ominously- surrounded now by deep purple haze.

The demon formed a long pointed appendage and engraved the still soft metals of the chalice. He emblazoned runes of the Chaotic Evil language of the Abyss, the pentagram, and the trefoil. Uyrg then despoiled the figure of the trefoil.

The demon added a final touch to the Cup of Evil- Uyrg meticulously inscribed his cup with an upward pointing triangle.

The downward pointing triangle was sometimes referred to as the chalice. It frequently symbolized water (as it flows downward), the grace of heaven, and the womb. The downward triangle was one of the most ancient symbols of feminine divinity.

The demon inscribed old and vile runes detailing his animosity- his ill will, enmity, hostility, hatred, bitterness, cruelty, viciousness, nastiness, and spite- toward femininity and motherhood.

Uyrg forced pretty gemstones into the malleable metal to catch the eyes of the greedy and weak-minded. The demon sent a foul gust of breath over the torrid cup and bathed the vessel with white hot heat. Finally the fiend inhaled deeply and cooled the metals.

Uyrg marveled at his creation- a contrivance to further his want to defile and ruin all things gentle, kind, good, and above all feminine.

Some called the relic the Demon’s Chalice, the Cup of Evil, the Cup of the Upward Triangle, or the Cup of Dark Magick. The artifact was most often called the Chalice of Mystery.

Through the vessel Uyrg offered riches, power, and dominion to the weak-minded and power hungry- for fealty. The offer of power- albeit brief- seduced such individuals. Greed was reliably consistent from world to world!

The device ultimately helped enslave and destroy many worlds.

Uyrg mischievously formed into the image of his greatest adversary- the Light Sorcerer Gwindor of Sagain. Gwindor and his followers- including the prismatic dragon Eyerthrin- represented the only significant resistance to the demon’s domination of the world of the Sorcerers. Uyrg had plundered many worlds and ruined ancient civilizations, but the Archdemon had never dominated one of the rare worlds of Magick.

As Gwindor’s image Uyrg vowed victory over the old Light Sorcerer. The fiend defiled the air with his harsh laughter.

The demon coveted one prize above all others- the young Light Sorceress with rainbow tresses whom Gwindor and Eyerthrin treasured. The desire to besmirch, taint, and have power over the young sorceress dominated the demon’s thoughts. To do so would harm his greatest adversaries more than their physical injury or even death. Uyrg funneled those obsessive energies into the creation of the Cup of the Upward Triangle.

Uyrg presented the Chalice of Mystery to Boton- a Dark Sorcerer whose avarice and maliciousness surpassed all others. All but Uyrg considered Boton the greatest Dark Sorcerer of this or any generation. To Uyrg, Boton was just another prawn- a little shrimp. Boton kept the forces of the Light Sorcerers busy, and the Cup of Evil augmented his efforts. Boton created many potions- none compared to the significance of those created when Uyrg granted the Dark Sorcerer the prized ichors from its veins. Boton paid the price of never-ending fealty for the dark ichors. Uyrg gave enough to create fifteen elixirs.

The Elixirs of Mastery of Magick were the greatest treasures of the Dark Sorcerers.

Boton mixed five prized and extraordinarily rare material spell components- components of the Spell of Slowing, Teleportation Spell, Spell of Wisdom, Spell of True Seeing, and Spell of Limited Wish- with Uyrg’s ichors in the Chalice of Mystery.

The Dark Sorcerer subjected the mixtures to powerful Spells of Transformation and created four Elixirs of Longevity, three Elixirs of the Stars, three Elixirs of Enhancement, two Elixirs of the Future, and three Elixirs of True Wishing.

Boton excitedly consumed one of each elixir.

Boton attained longevity, maintained the vigor of youth, and aged slowly. The Elixir of the Stars gave him the skill to transfer to the Astral Plane, cast spells, regulate the flow of Magick, and remain safe from spells cast against him in the plane from whence he came. The Elixir of Enhancement enabled Boton to cast spells of higher difficulty, to cast more quickly, and to fatigue less with spell casting. This ability to cast spells of greater power while maintaining his vigor gave him a tremendous advantage in conflicts with other spell casters. Through the power of the Elixir of the Future Boton envisioned courses of the river of time. Many turns, unpredictable storms, droughts, and tributaries influenced the flow of the great river- the future was not fixed.

The Elixirs of True Wishing were the greatest Magick- each granted a single Wish. Sorcerers of all means and alignment sought to alter reality. Boton gained a Wish. The Dark Sorcerer avariciously consumed a second Elixir of True Wishing. Nothing happened! Too late Boton learned the Magick of the Elixirs only worked once for any individual- the second Wish was lost!

Having no need of the remaining Elixirs, Boton created a simple black box to store the nine Elixirs of Mastery of Magick. A false bottom hid the phials. Only intricate inspection revealed the opening mechanism. A child’s hairpin triggered the latch and opened the bottom of the box. Boton smiled- most sorcerers did not possess a child’s hairpin.

The selfish sorcerer cast a Spell of Hiding upon the box. The powerful spell prevented detection of the Elixirs by Magick- the box had no aura.

Astral travel carried Boton to the shadow of a gray sun. He inexplicably lost power, fell captive, and bartered for his life with two Elixirs of Longevity. As a result the little chest contained seven Elixirs of Mastery of Magick- two Elixirs of the Stars, two Elixirs of Enhancement, two Elixirs of the Future, and a single Elixir of True Wishing.

Boton entrusted the box to the care of the Dark Sorcerers but told no one the box contained the Elixirs. The Dark Sorcerers considered the box a symbolic treasure without bartering or Magick value.

Boton’s new powers did not release him from fealty- he became a minion of a more powerful master. Boton lived beyond all his peers- his greed and evil endured across many generations. His mind remained strong, but eventually his body failed. He finally chose to use the Wish Spell he saved so long. He thought carefully about the wording of the Wish. The Dark Sorcerer knew the more complex the wording the greater the likelihood the desired effect of the Wish would be perverted.

He finally chose, I wish for the return of youth and the retention of the wealth, wisdom, and knowledge that I have attained with age.

Boton awakened upon the sands of the great arid desert of central Sagain. His mind recalled all the Spells he learned. He could not stand or sit up. He opened his mouth to speak but only babbled. His tiny hands held no spell components. He saw the approach of the sand wolf and heard its deep growl. He was an infant- alone in the desert and barely a snack for the large beast.

The enhancements meld with Boton’s essence and passed along his lineage.

Uyrg had no interest in the Elixirs. The demon already possessed the powers they bestowed. Boton’s forces never captured the Light Sorceress for whom Uyrg lusted. Then Gwindor made a grave mistake. Uyrg learned the old Light Sorcerer studied tomes alone in a cave at Awl’s Peak.

Uyrg placed the Chalice of Mystery in the guardianship of his most loyal servant Arachnis. The demon left immediately for the cave to eliminate the Light Sorcerers’ leader and clear the path to the little sorceress he desired.

But Uyrg fell into a trap at Awl’s Peak. Eight legendary Light Sorcerers imprisoned the demon, but their plan was imperfect- Gwindor fell. The young sorceress escaped.

The Chalice of Mystery projected its creator’s will. The Cup of Evil extended his wickedness and vision! But the Chalice of Mastery had free will- ill will! The device acted independently in the absence of the malevolent Uyrg and often chose to appear as a beautiful bejeweled cup- with no other significance.

Arachnis passed the Chalice to Boton’s followers. The Dark Sorcerers kept the mundane cup for its beauty and history.

Arachnis sensed its master’s entrapment and yearned for his return. Uyrg’s hideous servant created and consumed a Locating Potion specific for the Chalice- it always knew the cup’s resting place.

The Chalice of Mystery fell into the hands of a young Necromancer named Morlecainen. The apprentice of the Dark Sorcerer Clysis was a rather good thief and pilferer in his youth- he stole the Chalice from a wealthy Dark Sorcerer, placed the Cup of Evil with his treasures, and carried the cup without knowing its significance. As head of the order, Clysis was entrusted with the little black box. Fate reunited the Chalice and the Elixirs it created.

Morlecainen conscripted many minions. One was an ogre named Fange who served the Dark Sorcerer at another place and time. The ogre bartered for the alliance of a Red Giant king- the Chalice of Mystery was payment for the giant’s allegiance. Giants were fond of bling. The greatest artifact of Evil became a trinket in the treasures of the Red Giant.

The Chalice waited three hundred years.

Chapter 1

Pirate’s Tales

"Ye must find yer way through a great bluewood door. Fire won’t get ye in. An axe won’t scratch the hard wood. Only a friendly knock gets ye in! Ye must be smart. Ye must be wily. Ye can’t hide yer smell from the keen noses of the giants. They’d as soon eat ya as look at ya.

"But me…I befriended the old red king. Old Saifferd’s got a fiery red beard and long red hair. He carries a wondrous silver axe and has rooms filled with treasure. He has a cup that creates wondrous draughts- best ale I ever drank. Ye wouldn’t think it to look at me, but I’ve seen a hundred and seven winters. I quaffed elixir of youth from the cup of wonder and riled the ole boy up! Yeah, he thought he had me, but I tricked him and sneaked away from old Saifferd. He gnashed angrily and chipped three teeth when I got away. No man is braver than me- Phestus Phagyn. Did I ever tell you guys, I’m wanted by the King of Donothor? ‘Sniffed by the beast’ I’ve been, and I sit here before ya. No man but Phestus Phagyn ever escaped the dungeons of castle Lyndyn. An old dragon smells every poor soul locked up there. The filthy dwarves built them well, but the dungeons and traps weren’t strong enough to hold old Phestus. I’ve escaped from the Red Giants and the King of the West. Nobody in Rancide can say that but me!" The old man gloated.

Knuth Gainriches listened intently to the yarn of the old river pirate at the Do Drop Inn in Rancide, the largest town in the East. He learned of the nightly ramblings of the old man- the old pirate told tales of a bejeweled chalice. The dark-robed man traveled to Rancide, sought the old inn near the River Luumic, took a table near the fire, and sipped his ale quietly as the old man talked. Knuth endured hours of tirade before the old pirate talked of the Red Giants and their treasures. Most patrons dismissed the pirate’s stories. Gainriches did not.

Phestus alleged he had been in the good graces of the Red Giant King Saifferd. Old Saifferd was greedy and coveted shiny things- bling. Phestus provided the giant with such things, and the old king allowed the river pirate to see his treasures - at least Phestus alleged that he had. The Red Giants were so named because they lived in and around the great Red Mountain in the northern range of the Iron Mountains of Donothor- not because they had red beards as Phestus alleged.

Knuth had spent most of his life in the East. He avoided the lands to the west and north. Three centuries ago the Aivendars of Lyndyn had been victorious in a great war against Dark Sorcery. This resulted in a united kingdom with a central government and more importantly- or perhaps more precautionary to those of Knuth Gainriches’ ilk- a regulatory Ranger force. For Knuth was an assassin and a thief- a very good one- the best since the legendary Tigarn Nocerre vanished almost a century ago. Knuth heard stories of the inescapable dungeon beneath Castle Lyndyn and the legend of being sniffed by the beast. Knuth knew no chap had ever escaped the dungeons of Castle Lyndyn. Yet he listened. The ramblings of the old river pirate had some basis in fact!

The merchant Auvenice- one of the richest men in the East- contacted Knuth. Carthman Auvenice demanded others respect his authority. Bad things happened to those who crossed the wealthy man. But time was the enemy of even the wealthy. Auvenice heard legends of a cup that created fabulous potions- potions that might restore his youth- and hired many to seek the device. All had been unsuccessful. Auvenice offered ten thousand Dakin to anyone who told him the device’s location, guaranteed a hundred thousand Dakin to any that brought him the device, and promised death to any that kept the artifact away from his greedy hands. Some of Auvenice’s hirelings passed through Rancide and listened to the old pirate but none took his ramblings seriously. Not Gainriches- Knuth believed the old pirate.

Knuth quietly chuckled. The hazardous path to the giant’s lair wouldn’t be as difficult as evading the clutches of a female. Knuth had never been with a woman long enough for his boots to get old. There was but one who almost captured his heart- Brenda Vansant. He stayed with her until both had to be resoled. Ah, but she now would not give him air if he were trapped in a jug. He really didn’t blame her. He was a scoundrel.

His mind returned to the stories of the old pirate. While most of the tavern broke into laughter, Knuth took notes. He beckoned to the barkeep.

Give the old man another round. Send him to my table before last call, Knuth said as he slipped the barkeep three Dakin.

Three Dakin was a day’s wages for most in the East. Slowly the embers died and one by one the patrons went their way. Phestus staggered over to his benefactor.

Good sir, to whom do I owe thanks for my ale? the old pirate asked.

Suffice it to say that what your story interests me. If what you say is true, I’ll reward you with enough Dakin to buy all the ale you desire, old one, Knuth somberly said.

It’s all true, sir. I am the pirate Phestus. I sailed with Mott Dylan, Galen Adams, Dodge Blake, Doc Russell, John B. Goode, Ole O’Brian, Jim Lochness, Peter Arness, James Arnett, and Captain Phelps- the pirates of Prudance. We bartered with the big beings. I still have a map but no one believes me. I could show you, Phestus said.

Finish your ale and I’ll allow you to do just that, Knuth answered.

Phestus downed the last drop and motioned for Knuth to follow him. The wily assassin allowed the old man to leave before him and tipped the barkeep another five Dakin.

I was not here, Knuth said.

Never saw you, the barkeep replied.

Knuth followed the old pirate to his humble abode and allowed the old man to reveal his prized possession- a map to the lair of the Ice Giants in the Iron Mountains.

Knuth took the map.

Knuth then took the old pirate’s life.

Then he returned to the bar, knocked upon the door, and took the barkeep’s life when he answered. He slew the barkeep’s mate when she investigated the disturbance. He took eight Dakin from the dead man’s pocket.

Chapter 2

Giants

The people of Donothor feared Giants but rarely encountered the huge beasts. Giants usually remained in the mountainous regions of the world.

The priestess Knarra established the Fane of the Setting Sun three days ride east of Lyndyn. The Aivendar family provided leadership, consolidated government, and improved security in the lands north of the Lachinor and west of the mountains. The foothills of the Iron Mountains were sources of rich veins of ore and raw materials. Hardy settlers created small communities and farms in the area and found security in numbers from the wild beasts. The growing Ranger force from Lyndyn reinforced the Curates from the Fane. The Curates watched the gap leading into the Iron Mountains.

The Ice Giants had a history of rambunctious behavior. The chieftain Rogertha fomented trouble many years before, but Knarra’s followers crushed his attacks. Rare skirmishes occurred since the defeat of the Sorcerer of the Lachinor almost three hundred years earlier. No organized threats emerged from the Mountains.

The war caused by the Sorcerer of the Lachinor decimated the population of goblins, hobgoblins, and black dragons. Wise queen Businda ruled The Dark Elves in the Lachinor after the death of her father Cellexa. Businda reestablished the isolation of the Dark Elves and concentrated on securing her domain in the central Lachinor. No organized assaults emerged from the south.

The dwarves solidified the lands north of the River Luumic and west of the Misty Forest. Their fortress Hillesdale was strategically situated at the gap entering the western mountain range. A series of walls extended across the narrow gap and protected the citadel from the south. Roscoe, the mysterious sorcerer of the Northwest Castle, augmented the defenses with Magick- Roscoe had proven a great ally in the war against the Dark Sorcerer Morlecainen. King Travan of Hillesdale led the dwarves in the conflict, but the little warrior relinquished authority to Eigren Aivendar of Lyndyn- the first monarch of a united Donothor. The Council of the Seven Clans attended the dwarves’ internal affairs, and emissaries represented the little people at Lyndyn. Dwarves comprised ten per cent of the population of the city of Lyndyn and served in the Ranger force. Dwarves were masters of stone work and construction. Their skills at creating weapons and armor were second only to that of the Gray Elves.

The great range of Mountains north of Lyndyn, dominated by the peak resting within the city and bearing the same name, created a natural barrier.

The Gray Elves suffered at the lands of the Sorcerer of the Lachinor and his minions, including Lexx, the brother of the sorcerer’s Dark Elfish life mate Alluna- the twin sister of the Dark Elf Queen Businda. The remnant of Gray Elfish society allied with the Aivendars. Gray Elves and Dark Elves differed mainly in eye color. Contrary to common belief, elves did not have pointed ears- hobgoblins, ogres, and goblins had pointed ears.

Most of Donothor remained wild and lawless.

Just and powerful leaders- Knarra, Roscoe, Travan, and the Aivendars- guided the people.

The great River Luumic coursed from its source in the mountains north of Lyndyn, flowed to the south, and divided into three branches. A growing settlement called logically Three Forks formed at the trifurcation of the Luumic. The branches of the river turned to a gap in the Southern range of the Iron Mountains and went to the lands of the East, entered the great swamp the Lachinor, and turned west and eventually reached the great Western Sea. The branches of the river effectively created a natural barrier to the south. The dwarves constructed a permanent fort on the river- Fort Luumic- and built the first permanent bridge across the river there. A few stalwart settlers created homesteads in the shadow of the fort. Walled communities sprang up along the river.

Many fantastic beasts prowled the Misty Forest- an extremely dangerous area west of the Luumic between Lyndyn and Hillesdale. Danger lurked outside the walls of the settlements. Travelers faced peril with every step and risked being the next meal for denizens of the Misty Forest- shape changers, invisibears, baxcats, leicats, wailers, birdmen, adherers, lycanthropes, fire snakes, auditoors, allocators, approvales, rare dragons, and many other beasts.

Giants.

Giants were not the sharpest knives in the drawer. People of Donothor feared the great beasts and rightfully so. Stories of flesh eating giants rampaging through the countryside increased fear and trepidation. Giants were ordinarily solitary creatures but communities of the great creatures existed in the great expanses of the Iron Mountains. Giants didn’t usually care for other giants- rivalries between tribes and individuals of the same tribe prevented cooperation. The Iron Mountains provided the perfect habitat for the great beings. Many beasts inhabited the mountains. Diverse creatures thrived in the wide variation of climacteric conditions. Thermal belts warmed by volcanic favored plant growth.

Red Giants, the most aggressive of the tribes of giants, favored warm stamping grounds- they enjoyed heat! Their great forges created immense weapons and armors. They were fond of flesh and treasure- treasure to a Red Giant might be a pretty but worthless rock, a priceless diamond, or a bejeweled chalice. Red Giants gathered items of Magick but understood nothing of Magick- Red Giants were as un-Magick as a people could be. The tribal leader Karrl accepted barter from the assassins and nervously coexisted with the assassin’s guild for generations- no rational Ranger or constable pursued an assassin into the Iron Mountains.

The Red Giants preyed on the great gap in the northern range of the Iron Mountains. Only giants, large groups of ogres, and the foolhardy risked the perilous journey through the pap connecting the lands of the East and Donothor, which lay to the west of the mountains – rarely a Light Sorceress or a dragon traversed the gap.

Red Giants came by the name because they lived in Red Mountain. Red Giants were taller than the Ice Giants and had dark hides and hair. The Red Giants gained strength because Saifferd’s son Nhugusulla organized the usually chaotic behemoths. Nhugusulla earned the moniker Nugget. The son of King Saifferd was only fifteen feet tall- much shorter then the twenty foot average height of the Red Giants. Nugget made up for his small stature with tenacious nature and unusual intelligence- he bit, fought, scratched, growled, snarled, and hunkered down like blue blazes!

The little Red Giant never lost a fight. The pygmy gray dragon Muffin usually accompanied him- Muffin was tiny but very charismatic. She charmed most of the dimwitted giants. Her breath weapon wasn’t very powerful- she produced smoke that gave advantage to Nugget and his cronies. Her keen hearing and sight augmented the Nugget’s sense of smell. Legend held gray pygmy dragons attained powers of illusory Magick that increased as they aged- Muffin was very old. Nugget organized the Red Giants into bands. The bands of Red Giants encroached on the territories of other tribes. It spelled trouble!

Phreezyn the Fierce led the Ice Giants. Phreezyn was strong, ruled by strength, and stood nineteen feet tall- two feet taller than most of his fellows. He had a long axe but no dragon. Ice Giants preferred cold but tolerated more temperate areas. Ice Giants had bluish hide, gray beards, and body hair. Their favorite prey was the mastoangus herds of the icy Iron Mountain plateau. The mastoangus ate plants that preferred cold and flourished on the icy plateau. The white grasses contained phlouride and clearosyll- phlouride and clearosyll aided by the sun’s rays and nutrients from the icy turf sustained plant life. Creatures that ate the white grasses had very strong teeth and clear skin!

Ice Giants also preyed on enormous giant ice slugs that were numerous throughout the mountain ranges. Ice slugs averaged twenty-five feet in length and survived by digesting stone and the iron that gave the mountains their name. They resembled their relatives that resided in the deep dark places of the world. Ice Giants located and followed the slugs by locating their excrement. The boneless slugs squeezed into crevices, reached the ore deposits, digested the iron, and passed the iron as gold. Rumors existed that gold was valuable in other lands- in the Iron Mountains of Donothor the metal was just slug droppings and had no value. The digestive juices of the great slugs were highly acidic and corrosive- many a giant suffered burns and lost weapons due to the saliva of the slugs. Giant ice slugs spat saliva up to one hundred feet. The slugs scored hits about ten per cent of the time. Giant ice slug was good eating- if you were an Ice Giant!

Ettins were two headed giants of low intelligence and living embodiment of the old adage that two heads were not better than one! One head was always alert. Ettins did not have a right mind. They were rare, usually solitary, nocturnal, chaotic, evil, and fourteen feet tall. Ettins had excellent night vision, inhabited dungeons and caves, roamed the mountains, and cooperated with red, ice, and other giants. Ettins attacked with both arms and preferred spiked clubs and flails- the right head controlled the left arm and the left head controlled the right arm. Ettins associated with bugbears and often domesticated and rode mastoangus.

Bugbears were very large goblin-like beasts with wide ranging habitat. They were vicious, resided mostly in caves, stood ten feet tall, and preferred biting and clawing to wielding weapons. Giantesses used them as laborers in the kitchens and toilets of giant’s lairs.

Stone Giants weren’t made of rock- they were masters of working stone. Some described Stone Giants as giant dwarves. Stone Giants had a nasty disposition, but other giants valued them because of their abilities to work with tools. They preferred keeping to themselves and demanded high wages for their work. Stone Giants usually stood fourteen feet in height.

Storm Giants and Cloud Giants were extraordinarily rare and evasive. Little was known of them.

Jeannies had light brown hair and often found their way into the dreams of those lusting for power. Jeannies were extremely rare, twelve feet tall, and neutral in outlook. A Jeannie served for one thousand and one days or granted three Limited Wishes if caught in a compromising position. Jeannies served unwillingly and distorted their orders whenever possible. Some called them Flame Giants- a wispy red glow surrounded them and augmented the redness of their hide. Jeannies were very strong, resistant to Fire Magick, created illusion, and disappeared by snapping their fingers.

Rockweilers were curious boulder-like creatures capable of blending into rock walls where they were undetectable. They were ten to twelve feet tall, had appendages that served as hands and feet, were highly intelligent and slow moving, and lived in rocky or mountainous areas. Rockweilers commanded boulders as a treemaster did trees. Rockweilers had powers of Magick and were resistant to multiple spells.

Treemasters were enormous. The great mobile evergreens were not found in the Iron Mountains- they inhabited the Misty Forest and the Lachinor.

There was the ginat- the giant gnat. A real mote in the eye…

Ogres lived in