Of Dragons and Giants: Brothers to Rivals

In times that followed The exodus of the gods, the mind flayer crisis, the Sins of the Father and the establishment of the planar partition, there were yet still two peoples who were alike in origins, confidence, power, majesty and vanity. And these creatures were the Jotun, or the Giantkin, and the Draconom, better known as Dragons.
Following these series of crisis that happened below their noses, the two races set aside their differences and began to discuss how to resolve these matters in future. What commenced was an age of enlightening, as giants shared their wisdom and understandings of the earth as dragons brought forth their knowledge of arcanum and magics and from it so many wonders were created. Entirely new types of magic were created, and grandiose structures with architecture some would think impossible came from this time that would be known as the first Mysterium era. During this time, the new union of Dragon and Giant would be sharing with their knowledge as their peoples were guided by representatives of their people. The wise and thoughtful platinum brother Korix and the cunning and charming violet sister Akuul represented the Metallic and Chromatic sides respectively, and the giants were represented by the Storm king Stronmaus. This Union pleased the gods of both people who lived in mount Celestia Annam the earth father and Bahmaut the patron of good dragons, and from this union of their people they themselves became fast friends for a time. And from this union a new empire was born, Ostoria which would be ruled by dragon and giants and all others would be their subjects and servants, with the goal of protecting the land from horrors untold.
Perhaps the greatest creation this union would spawn were its many beautiful cities,
Rapture: a city that would fly far above the grounds and mingle with the clouds, its people the cloud and storm giants and Golden and Copper dragons and was seen as the overall capital of the Ostorian Empire.
Atlantis: a city that would grace the oceans with its presence and protect all life from harm and would protect the land from the many horrors of the seas.
Stormount: a city charged by the power of the storm and overseen by the rulers of Blue and Bronze dragons and Storm giants. The city was believed to be the origin of the ancient lost technology of electricity and clockwork technology.
Magmus and Glaciacrus: Cities of Fire and Ice who existed side by side and inhabited by Fire giants and Red dragons and Ice giants and White and Silver dragons. The cities would have a harsh and militaristic air and was home to some of the greatest elementalists of all time
Torgamir: The city of a thousand paths, inhabited by stone giants and Purple and Cobalt dragons. It was crafted with the ancient magics of Stone walking which had doorways to many different places across Bavelion and beyond.
In time this grand empire would require a brave and knowledgeable leader. As both sides were aware of their big personalities at play, the council of giant and dragon decided to relinquish the choice on their subjects. All people under the rule of Ostoria were given a fair vote over who their preferred ruler. As the vote came through, the results were astounding close but the king was chosen as Stronmaus. This choice was openly celebrated by all, but beneath the surface some on the side of the dragons began to feel the tension brew.
For hundreds of years the prosperity would last, but in time a turn would soon come. The exact reasons for the rift were unknown but many theories exist. Some say the whispers of Tiamat came forth from the abyss and began to twist the minds of the dragons who felt they were cheated, others say the rising tension from the mortal races who felt they were being enslaved and overlooked by the dictatorial union of Giant and Dragon, and some even believe that Asmodeus felt jealous seeing an empire he could not control and began to plant seeds of doubt among those who felt the empire was beginning to stagnate.
But the rift in the empire was started by the Violet sister Akuul, who spoke outwardly that the giants were cruel and unworthy leaders whose power paled in comparison to that of the mighty power of the dragon kind. Stronmaus from his new position of power began to attempt to quell the unrest that was rising, but he was beginning to feel as though his subjects were feeling his rule was a weak one. As such in a rash and chaotic display and outraged by what he felt was unhelpful council from the Platinum brother Korix, he announced he would banish the dragons and all of those who support them from the safety of Ostoria.
This move would end up being the beginning of the end of Ostoria. The giants became cruel and slave like over their mortal subjects to force their cooperation, and the dragons began to hoard power and weaponry as they prepared for war. Tensions continued to rise on the material plane as well as on mount celestia. Annam and Bahamut began to argue over how to resolve the conflict, but it soon fell to the two pointing fingers at one another.
Eventually bickering lead to skirmishes, skirmishes lead to battles, battles created warriors and generals, both sides began to use the magics they learned in peace for the purpose of exterminating each other. Dragonborn and Goliaths were created as the frontline soldiers of this conflict from the magics used to create peaceful advancements before. Either side began to converse with an ancient and mysterious creature known as the Weaver to grant them forbidden knowledge on how to create legions of new monsters to fight their bloody war. Where there dragons were superior in their power one to one, the giants showed their prowess through tactics, weaponry and horrific beasts of war the would create from their loyal subjects. Behirs were crafted from serpent and storm, Ogres were spawned from golbins and giants, Rocs were spawned from eagles forcibily expanded by malevolent cloud giant mages.
The dragons responded with armies of their own being the Dragonborn, along with the race who bared the most rage towards the giants, the Dwarves. The Dwarves were promised a side equal to the giants for the works of craftsmanship they contributed but they soon learned the giants had no place for them in their ordening, and thus legions of soldiers donned suits of armour which would match or surpass giant craftsmanship but their metal was infused with malice. Great weaponry was mounted atop dragons and fired by Dwarven marksmen which would tear apart the stone and rend the metal they once helped to make perfect.
In response to this perceived betrayal, the giants turned to the Gnomes who always felt their technological prowess was overlooked because of the beauty and tradition associated in dwarven designs and thus were eager to prove themselves far superior. The Gnomes crafted alive machines and suits of armour that required no wearer but could strike with the rage of any giant. Many of these designs would later be unearthed by house cannith and refined into the Warforged and golems we know today.
The Gnomish Innovation combined with the vanity of the dragons began to turn the tide of the conflict from what seemed like an easy win for the Draconum into a war that lasted so long it was said near its end that heaven and hell were overfull. Korix felt a heavy toll come across him for the pain this war had caused and approached Akuul and begged her to surrender. However she dissuaded his advice she saw as treason, and announced they simply needed one final advantage. And she believed this advantage would come in the form of an ancient and buried evil she believed she could control, as she revealed her plans to unearth the Tarrasque, a malevolent entity who was created only to destroy the world so it could be born again from the ashen waste it would leave in its wake.
Korix begged and pleaded for Akuul to cease her mad war, but she had been almost entirely consumed by it now and was steadfast in continuing it. She set out with scrolls of unbinding and with the help of many mages, the Beast was free. With its malevolent intelligence, the Tarrasque acted along like it was a willing and obeying lapdog, and it led the assault on the final city not fully ravaged by the conflict, Rapture. Dwarven ballistas fired adamantine chains that dragged the city to the surface, where the beast eviscerated innocent and soldier alike, smiling all the while. Eventually it reached the palace of Stronmaus. He elected to face the beast while his family fled. The gods watched in terror as the monster they had helped to bury tore the storm king apart as he attempted to face it. As the storm king fell his body became one with the storm and continued to strike the behemoth with bolts of lightning, which would barely singe its ancient hide. The beast turned to the king’s son, Erebus and with its maw of sword like teeth each the size of a giant alone, began to play with his prey. He tore his arm from his socket and moved to end the prince, before in a flash Korix appeared in a flash of platinum light and grabbed the prince before carrying him to safety.
Korix brought Erebus far from the ruins of rapture, and there the two discussed how to bring a swift end to this conflict. Together along with the help of the greatest surviving smiths who were also wracked by the conflict. Together, Dragon and giant in one final act of cooperation created a weapon that would end the conflict swiftly. Korix offered to replace Erebuses arm but he refused and chose to keep the arm as a reminder to always maintain patience and wisdom or suffer the same fate as his father. Together with all their might, and Korix sacrificing almost all of his near divine power they created a weapon forged with all of their hate and pain, bonded with the sentience of much of Korixs soul, they created the legendary blade
MaugSverd: Or the Steel that hates, was borne on that day. After this blade was created Korix left the group deeply weakened for places unknown. Erebus took the blade and lead the combined army to face the now maddened Akuul. The army fought valiantly against the forces still loyal to Akuul, and after a long fight with many loses on both sides, until eventually Maugsverd was sunk into Akuuls chest, as she flew away never to be seen again as the blackened blade tore her mind and body asunder.
Then what was left was the tarrasque, in a final action from the gods, Bahamut and Annam took the divinity from each of their children weakening their forms and granted it to select individuals known as the Icons, or known as the Progenitors in some colloquialised versions, who together managed to bind the tarrasque a final time deep in the far off wastes.
Thus ended the war, as dragons and giants parted ways still bearing much tension and malice for their fallen empire but unwilling to continue the conflict that had consumed them for so long, and at long last the kingdoms of mortals were allowed to rule themselves for their first times.
The effects of this event can still be felt till this day, some of the notable ones are as follows:
· Many dragons were disgusted that Bahamut took their divinity were appalled at the betrayal they felt, and many began to worship Tiamat in rebellion, making her become of equal power to her platinum nemesis.
·Korix went off into the wilds and was said to have revoked his draconic form, forever trying to make up for the sins he felt were his fault. Many scholars and ealdormen decree that he is the being known as “The man in grey” who wanders the world helping those in dire need, but no evidence has presented itself thus far.
· Akuul is said to forever be bound by the blade that still lies in her chest, wandering the underdark calling out to mortals who desire magical power in exchange for service.

· The Icons, or Progenitors, scattered across the plane waiting for the one day they might yet be needed again, but that is a tale for another time.
·Many of the creations of both sides of the conflict scattered to the winds. The dragonborn settled in the area now known as the Vetarin Covenant, where tensions and conflict continued with the dwarves in that area and began with the goblinoids who first called that region home. A half giant half man race made for infiltration and to defend the farms of the giants wandered far from the ruins of ostoria and came across the fleeing elves from the Feywild and became the Firbolgs and many gnomes became the forest gnomes. Behirs and other horrific monstrosities joined the wilds as monsters among many other creations of ambitious mages.
· Erebus studied his father’s ascension and created the way of the quintessant from how his father passed on. He is said to now take his position as Icon of the storm very seriously as he waits for another event to shake the planes.