This post will detail the Fire Giant Dukes, the leaders of fire giant society.
A quick note, as I will be traveling for Christmas, there will be a short hiatus in uploading new giants until the middle of next week or so.
Fire Giant Duke
Of all the types of giants, fire giants are the most regimented. Their society consists of a strict hierarchy, with each giant fulfilling a certain role based on his or her place in the ordning. Each individual's status is dependent on its skill at the forge - those who can do little more than shovel fuel and run the bellows are among the lowest levels of society, while the more talented artisans rank above, with their standing based on the skill of their craftsmanship. At the pinnacle of this society are the dukes and duchesses, whose skill at the forge is so beyond reproach that Sutur himself has seemingly blessed them with souls of flame.
Family Traditions
For the most part, the political system for each type of giant is some form of meritocracy, based on each race's view of the ordning - whoever is best at doing what each race thinks is ideal self-evidently should be the leader and, as a result, is virtually always considered to be so. From an outside perspective, fire giants seem to be the exception to this rule, since at first glance they seem to have something near a hereditary form of succession. Upon closer examination, however, this seeming paradox can be easily explained - fire giants base their status on craftsmanship at the forge, which is something that can be taught and securely passed down from one generation to the next, unlike, say, gluttony for hill giants or prowess in battle for frost giants. Upper-caste fire giants "game" the ordning, so to speak, by keeping certain crafting secrets within the family. As a result, families that have a large collection of such secrets gain significant advantage when it comes to being ranked in fire giant society. A typical fire giant duke or duchess will have a great amount of such proprietary knowledge, and will usually pass these secrets on to the most promising member of their family, so that the succession to the throne is secured from generation to generation. The downside to this is that the early death of a fire giant duke before such information can be transmitted to the designated heir will often mean the downfall of the dynasty, usually resulting in a short succession crisis until the new duke can be determined and raised. Sometimes this period passes relatively peacefully, with a simple contest of craftsmanship to determine the next duke. Sometimes, however, more violent means, ranging from murders and "accidents" to cull the field of potential candidates a bit, to outright civil war, are certainly not unheard of.
Souls of Fire
Showing skill at the forge pleases Surtur, and none please him more than the fire giant dukes and duchesses. As a result, they are blessed with powers well above that of ordinary fire giants. The very spirit of fire seems to infuse them, making their armor and weapons (usually great mauls in imitation of the hammers they wield at the forge) glow dull red with heat. While this causes no discomfort for their fire-tolerant subjects, outsiders often find that even being in the same room as a fire giant duke to be uncomfortably hot, even above the normal blazing heat of a fire giant settlement. Those foolish enough to draw too close or, worse, to actually come in contact with a duke or duchess often suffer horrific burns as a reward for their carelessness. Furthermore, if fire giant dukes feel personally threatened (a rare occurrence, given their usual bodyguard of dreadnoughts and pyromancers), they can channel this innate heat into a deadly concussive shockwave, knocking back foes in an outburst of heat and force. Should any enemies still survive after this fiery blast, the duke's maul often finishes them off as they lie stunned on the ground.
Fire Giant Duke
Huge giant (fire giant), lawful evil
Armor Class 18 (plate)
Hit Points 216 (16d12 + 112)
Speed 40 ft.
STR 27 (+8) DEX 12 (+1) CON 25 (+7) INT 13 (+1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 13 (+1)
Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +12, Cha +6
Skills Athletics +13, Perception +7
Damage Immunities fire
Senses passive Perception 17
Languages Giant
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)
Fire Aura A creature that touches the giant or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 7 (2d6) fire damage
Concussive Blast (Recharge 5 - 6). As a bonus action, the giant can focus its fire aura as a 30 foot cone blast. All creatures in that area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) fire and 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Creatures of Large size or smaller who fail their save are pushed 10 feet further away from the giant and are knocked prone. Using a concussive blast temporarily cools the giant's fire aura, causing it to do no damage until the giant's next turn.
Actions
Multiattack. The giant makes two maul attacks.
Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 29 (6d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.
Next, after my Christmas hiatus, we'll head up (both figuratively and literally) in the ordning, and detail the cloud giant shaman.
