Shortly after my arrival in this time I found myself beset by a number of giant-sized men. Though it took me some time to learn their language, I also used that time to study their culture and physiology. As the first people I studied, I place these jotunkin, as they call themselves, first in this section of my guide.
Though this is, admittedly, my first time writing an accurate guide to another time, I feel that it is logical to place the physiology of the beings in question first. As readers from my own time are surely aware, it is gross physical attributes from which psychology and society come forth. Most of the jotunkin I met were about half again as tall as I am. A more accurate estimate would place them at about three metres in height. They are naturally broad to match the increase in height. They have fair skin, quite similar to Ai'dreans. Their hair is similarly fair. Their eyes, however, range across metallic shades. All of the jotunkin I initially dealt with had eyes the colour of copper. I've learned since that similar eye colours run through a jotunkin band. As I'd expect from people living in northern climes, they dressed themselves mostly in furs and hides. Metal armour is rare among them, and I never saw anybody wearing a full suit. Many of the jotunkin I saw didn't carry any armaments at all. Apparently their great size and strength make it easy to overpower man-sized opponents bare-handed. Most that I saw with weapons had large staves sized for their height. Others used a pair of clubs, called handstaffs by the giants. A very few had large hammers, similar to the falling star weapons I'm familiar with. I'm told that the jotunkin lifespan is about seventy years at maximum, though the dangers and rigours of the world mean that few last beyond fifty.
Jotunkin society is entirely nomadic. While I heard about (and, in later years, met) a few that settled permanently (mostly in human cities), as a race they don't make permanent settlements. Strangely, though, there are places throughout the continent where empty, giant-sized stone houses sit along common migration paths. I haven't convinced anybody to tell me where they came from. Other than what seems to me like an innate tendency towards wanderlust, the main focus among jotunkin appears to be storytelling. The primary attribute by which these giants rank each other is this skill at wordcraft, as they call it. Wordcraft is a form of poetic storytelling, extending even to the way they use magic.
Seeing as how they mark no national boundaries, my initial impression was that all jotunkin considered themselves a single political unit. This, I found, is not the case. Jotunkin divide themselves into tribal groups called bands, each one led by a prominent storyteller known as the First Poet. Bands tend to be comprised of twenty to thirty individuals. Smaller groups than that don't consider themselves bands (and almost never have a First Poet), while these nomadic giants rarely stay together in larger numbers. The First Poet is, as you have likely surmised, the most skilled storyteller in the band. When this is in question they have a poetic battle to determine the leader, engaged in their unique form of spoken runecraft. I was told that the rules of the challenge permit it to be lethal; though while I observed several, none of them ended in death. Perhaps this ancient time is more civilised than I initially assumed.
The most interesting duty of the First Poet takes place once a year, under a celestial body they call the Wandering Star. I haven't had time to determine whether this is a nearby planet or some artificial body, but it isn't one I recognise from my own time. Still, Ragnarok could have changed quite a bit. Once each year, on the autumn equinox, all the bands of the jotunkin meet under this "star". It is then the duty of each First Poet to tell the stories of his band over the past year. They believe that by doing so they cement their people in history. I was unable to figure out what, exactly, they thought would happen if this ritual went unperformed.
While at one of these giantmoots, several jotunkin who were not present were described as jaeten, a word I was told meant "seeking words". The jaeten are jotunkin who travel alone or in small groups (usually no more than five, and often of mixed racial company) to learn the stories of the rest of the world. Upon their return, which may take many years, they bring these stories back to their people and speak of them as the First Poets speak of their own kind. It is felt that if this did not occur the jotunkin would find themselves adrift from the history of the rest of the world.
Jotunkin legend speaks of divine giants that forged the world at the behest of the demiurges. They took starfire from across the cosmos and bound it together with divine poetry. After other gods of the world created mankind the jotun, as these divine giants were called, found humanity to be a diverse and pleasing species. Through further applications of wordcraft (you see how everything to these people has to do with skilled speech?) they coupled with humans and produced the first jotunkin. Current jotunkin belief speaks of six jotun. I'm not sure if more existed in a previous Age, but it seems to me the intent was that these jotun are a cosmically powerful species, rather than the unique deities revered by other races.
Strangely, jotunkin do not view the jotun as having physical form. Every time I asked for a description I received adjectives and other non-physical attributes. It's not clear to me if jotun are incorporeal entities or if this is merely a quirk of the faith. Subsequently, jotunkin don't use gendered pronouns to refer to their gods. Instead of "he" or "she" a jotunkin will always use the giant's divine sobriquet. Unlike human religions, the jotun apparently don't have suggested codes of conduct, either. It seems to me that individual jotunkin will have different attributes they believe a jotun personifies. Those traits are then considered ideal for a person who reveres that deity. While this seems like a code of conduct to me, the individual interpretation of a jotun is deemed paramount.
Vosnor, the Architect is the giant who designed the world and the things in it. The Architect doesn't actually craft anything, however. Vosnor is typically revered by architects and engineers - anybody who designs new things. The Architect is often viewed as patient, diligent, creative, and intelligent.
Zimilan, the Harvester is the giant who ends lives. It was made clear to me that Zimilan's plans do not excuse mortals who engage in murder, however. I get the impression this was a problem for them, once. The Harvester is typically revered by hunters and gatherers - anybody who ends life so that further life may prevail. The Harvester is often viewed as pragmatic, sympathetic, calculating, and nourishing.
Hilier, the Gardener is the giant who creates life. The Gardener is typically revered by artisans and the rare jotunkin gardener - anybody who brings new things into the world. The Gardener is often viewed as caring, nourishing, patient, and placid.
Koliv, the Stonemason is the giant who creates the things Vosnor designed. The Stonemason is typically revered by those who work in stone or metal - some of whom, I suspect, may be secretly responsible for those mysterious giant-sized buildings. The Stonemason is often viewed as stoic, strong, settled, and brash. Of all the jotun, Koliv seems most commonly viewed in a more negative light.
Atas, the Poet is the giant who creates new poetics and wordcraft. The Poet is revered to some degree by almost all jotunkin, but especially by First Poets and jotunkin on jaeten. The Poet is given all manner of attributes, the only restriction being that it is something the jotunkin in question aspires to be.
Dukil, the Roadwarden is the giant who protects the world from the Outer Realms. The Roadwarden is typically revered by warriors - anyone responsible for protecting jotunkin from others. The Roadwarden is often viewed as vigilant, potent, quick, and canny.
The calendar used by jotunkin is most unusual. Six bands are designated timekeepers. Unlike the others, a timekeeper band follows a set route at a set pace, so as to determine the rate of time for other jotunkin. The six bands have interlinked routes across the continent, so one or more of them meet at regularly scheduled intervals. Naturally, they all come together under the wandering star each autumn equinox. For reasons which I was unable to determine, it is taboo to meet with timekeeper jotunkin unless regulated by their wandering cycles. It was a bit too complicated for me to determine precisely in the time I had, but the layout is roughly as follows. The first band is called Utmaer, and is said to be taken upon alternatingly by different jotun. This is equivalent to one day, with the sun being representative of the jotun's journey. The Atfalgr band is nonstatic in membership, due to its cycle being only four days long. The Kjrdöv band follows a cycle about a month long, meeting with the Atfalgr every seven of their cycles. The Vordnur band follows a cycle three months long, meeting with the Kjrdöv every three of their cycles. Mjnjn band is about a year, meeting the Vordnur every four of their cycles. The sixth timekeeper clan is almost a legend, as nobody has seen them in living memory. This clan is called Übenthane, and their cycle is one hundred years long. Every storymoot they are spoken of in vague terms as maintainers of a great cycle, something which they apparently don't explain to outsiders.
Jotunkin units of time are named by the timekeeper band that governs it. So one day is called an utmaer. Four utmaer equal an atfalgr. Seven atfalgr equal a kjrdöv. Three kjrdöv equal a vordnur. Four vordnur equal a mjnjn. And, finally, one hundred mjnjn equal an übenthane. Due to the cyclical nature of jotunkin timekeeping, they don't have a calender of the sort you or I could appreciate. The best I could determine is that it's been eighty-seven mjnjn since the Übenthane were last seen. It's unclear how many übenthane have passed since the sea cataclysm that I interpret as being the start of the Mythic Age.
The jotunkin language is called Kogin. The script is similar to the Hervardr's Javen language, although it has a couple extra vowels. The jotunkin are interested in precision words, even in writing.