Stronmaus

Annam’s eldest child is jovial Stronmaus, whose greatest failing in myth is his inability to see the foolishness, jealousy, and outright evil that festers in the souls of his brothers. His boundless energy, sunny optimism, and zest for life pervade the legends that tell of his many mighty deeds. A few tales, though, describe a dramatic change in Stronmaus after his father’s withdrawal from the Ordning, which left Stronmaus effectively in charge of the pantheon. Since then, Stronmaus has become brooding, aloof, and melancholy, deeply frustrated with his inability to unite the gods of the Ordning—and hurt by his father’s abandonment.

Priests and Rites.

All giants acknowledge Stronmaus’s place on the throne of the gods in Annam’s absence, but to most of them, he is but a steward, an inadequate substitute for the All-Father. They offer the required prayers and sacrifices (a scattering of fragrant herbs and incense on the wind each morning), but their prayers often sound more like a list of grievances than honest worship. His priests are drawn from giants who occupy high positions within the ordning of their kind, including wealthy cloud giants, strong frost giants, and accomplished stone giants. Being a priest of Stronmaus has no effect on a giant’s rank in the ordning; instead, it often makes the giant a target of resentment and complaints from other giants.