Jötunn Sons

Jötunn Sons (Jothnarsønir)
The Jötunn Sons are mellifluous, cunning and full of tricks. It is a clan of outcasts, proud of their dissolute lifestyle and openly mocking the Nine Virtues. Their clothes and equipment are usually eccentric, yet functional. They are, in fact, great experts of traps, poisons and other obscure contraptions. Barring some rare accidents, the Jötunn Sons try to keep a neutral facade towards the other Clans: the last thing they want is becoming the common enemy of every other clan of North. When a Jötunn Son goes into battle, she always takes time to find the best way to win without dying and – although considered a dishonorable behavior by many – this is a clear sign of the clan’s superior strategic abilities. These qualities and their vast knowledge of the magical arts makes them very sought after allies for oversea raids, in spite of the outcast status. The Outcasts’ clan Assassins, thieves, traitors and cursed ones, it doesn’t matter why they were cast out from the Clans, those who have the guts to look for the way through the swamps and survive, will find a clearing beyond the bogs and be welcomed among the outcasts known as the Jötunn Sons. The Jotuns are the only clan that does not follow the Nine Virtue and even brags about this freedom. They call themselves Gargan (“snakes”). The clan continues to exist thanks to the constant influx of outcasts, but also the sexual freedom enjoyed by its members. Furthermore, many mothers that dis￾cover the signs of frost giants’ blood or other curses upon they children try, as a last act of motherly love, to give them to the Gargan, to spare the young ones a death sentence. The Way Past the Swamp The main Jötunn’s settlement is an encampment in a dark and accursed clearing, in the heart of a foul swamp. The precise location of Fínnbol (see page 114) is a secret but, even if it wasn’t, it would be hard for other clans to infiltrate it. According to some rumors it should be in the northern part of Fenmark, where the forest becomes a wasted plain. The Jötunn Sons survive thanks to the scarce resources of the swamp and the outcome of their nightly raids in the villages near their encampment. The inhabitants of this region are so terrified that they often leave offerings and necessities along the borders of the swamp, hoping to keep at bay its inhabitants, feared like evil spirits. 30 Journey to Ragnarok 31 Children of the Giant The origins of the Jötunn Sons clan are lost to time and today very few people remember how this pack of outcasts united and has become one of the most important clans. Many believe that the growth of the outcast’s clan is a consequence of the power of its founder, the legendary Hrókr Fjalson, “The Crow Son of the Mountain”. Others claim that Fjalson has been the only leader of the Jotuns since their foundation, over 200 years ago. It’s possible that Hrókr Fjalson is just one of the many lies created by the outcast clan to bolster its reputation and strike fear into the hearts of the Northeners. Very few know the truth: Hrókr Fjalson is real and so are the rumors that he’s the child of an unfortu￾nate encounter between an ice giantess and a mortal. This half-breed has a really unusual look and, also, an incredible longevity, far superior to ordinary humans. Only four people – Hrókr himself and the three Mímaneidhr of the Icy Crows – know the truth about how the Jötunn Sons came to be: Hrórk was a very powerful and respected Mímistafr of the Crows, accord￾ing to many it was written that he would become a Mímaneidhr, but something went wrong. The Jötunn blood pushed the Crow closer and closer to ancient and forbidden rites. His desire for power consumed his sense of honor, making the council more and more worried. When his Rót was found dead, with the body covered in unknown symbols and riddled with terrible malformations, Hrókr was cast out from the Crows. Since that time the rare blue blood, like his, is consid￾ered a terrible curse. The hatred toward the children born with even a hint of ice giant blood is so widespread among the Crows that has spread to all the other Clans. It has become customary to abandon these children, consid￾ered abominations. Hrókr never accepted his exile and remains jealous of his superiors. He passed the last 200 years hiding in the swamp and preparing for a vendetta. After this exile, desperate to escape, he discovered a path through the swamps and, when he reached the clear￾ing, an ancient and magical statue of Loki. Desperate and without anywhere to go, Hrókr put his fate in the hands of the God and Loki answered, through the statue. It has become tradition for Hrókr to pass the same day every year talking to the statue, waiting for instructions. This is an important festivity for the Jötunn Sons and long, wicked celebration follows it. The objectives and aims of the Jötunn Sons are obscure and mysterious. The outcast clan blindly fol￾lows the orders of the half-giant, but these are so unclear and guttural that nobody can understand them. Hrókr Fjalson, “The Crow Son of the Mountain” 30 People of Midgardr: The Clans 31 Another key character of the Jötunn Sons is Kynbani (“Bane of the Kins”) Bergelmirson, who claims to be the son of Belgelmir himself. Kynbani lives on a stilt house along the river that surrounds the encampment. There he welcome the youth of the clan, telling them about the deeds of the Jotuns to fuel their hatred toward the Æsir. L ies Until the End of the World The members of the clan worship Loki above any other deity and believe that the rest of the Æsir are wicked liars: according to their beliefs the Æsir stole the magic from Midgardr because they feared the potential dormant in mankind. All the Jötunn Sons have been waiting for the Great Winter that heralds Ragnarok, as the oracle foreseen, this will be the time of vengeance for the outcasts and glory for the Jotuns. The Jötunn Sons despise all the other Clans, but not openly, considering them lapdogs of the Icy Crows. They reserve a special, unlimited, hatred for the Crows, to the point of organizing schemes and conspiracies to bring down the circle. In the depth of their souls, almost all Jötunn Sons desire vengeance against the other Clans. Being part of the Jotuns means that one was either cast out or, at best, was born among the Gargan and taught to hate everyone else since childhood. Relationships with Other Clans Bear Warriors Upon the mountain of the far North everything continues as the oracle foresaw. It doesn’t matter that the Bears are forming an alliance, the ancient prophecy foretold that a sickness will strike the mountain clans and, thanks to their alliances, spread to the people of the valleys and, eventually, to all the people of the North. Gjallarhorn The oracle showed to the half-giant the fate of the men of Jutland: the chieftain of the Jotuns, as always, revealed only what he needed, but he seem certain that the warriors defending the Danevirke are too busy to participate the upcoming war. Icy Crows The Icy Crows have always been a problem: the Jötunn Sons grew up longing for a vengeance against those who first marked the Gargan as renegades. At the moment the Icy Crows are the only one that might be cunning enough to unveil the lies of the Jotuns, but the circle is weaker and more fractured than ever. This might be the right time to eliminate the current Mímaneidhr and replace them with someone more malleable. Odhinn’s Eye The Odhinn’s Eye clan is one of the greatest threats to the schemes and the survival of the Jötunn Sons. Nothing ever helped the Gargan more than King Asbjørn denying the Æsir. The Wolves of the Shadow are bidding their time, but sooner or later the chieftain would move against the heretics and the Jotuns are waiting just for the blood to smear the snow. Wolves of the Shadow Everybody think that the Jötunn Sons are allied with the Wolves of the Shadow, but the Gargan don’t know the meaning of the word. The Wolves are just a mean to their ends and this is the only reason why they remain nonbelligerent.

Type

Geopolitical, Clan