Editing Alia:Peoples (section)

==Monstrous Civilizations==

===Giants of Estvald===

The western mountains are ruled over by the Giants.  A country they
call Estvald was seized control from the Dwarves nearly 500
years ago.  It is filled with great mountain cities.  It is actually
an eastern extension of a larger giantish kingdom to the west where
the Cloud Giants rule from their floating palaces.

The giants of Estvald rule over, the lesser giantish races of trolls,
ettins, and ogres, and who are served by towns of orcs, half orcs, and
humans.  Estvald is run as a loose alliance of city-states, each city
of giants being claimed by Hill, Stone, Frost, and Fire Giants, ruling
a section of Estvald.

The Hill Giants, control the easternmost mountains along the coast.
The coastal villages of Prolia pays tribute to the Hill Giants, who
live in ten tribes numbering about 30 giants each.

The Frost Giants, of the northern reaches live in and around the
fortress of Zara'dun.  They number 60 and are led by a ruthless 8th
level Blackguard Jarl, called Frondik.  They command a tribe of 100
Ogres led by an Ogre Mage and supported by several dozen winter
wolves.  The bugbears, hobgoblins and goblins of the northern forests
pay tribute to the frost giants.

The Fire Giants of the southern reaches, occupy a newly built
volcano-side stronghold above the ruined dwarven city of Stron'dul.
They number 45 and are joined by a tribe of 30 Trolls and a tribe of
20 Ettins, and command a pack of 30 Hell Hounds.  They are led by a
6th level Cleric of Wikri (Fire).  The rock gnomes pay tribute to the
Fire Giants.

The Stone Giants, live in the inland reaches of Estvald, in the great
fallen Dwarven city, of Quar'firk.  The stone giants number around
200, and rule over no one but themselves.  Thier elder leader is a
10th level Sorcerer. 

All the mountain regions ruled by the giants are inhabited by several
wandering tribes of Ogres, Trolls and Ettins.  These tribes do not
rule, but wander the mountains making their lives by hunting, and by
taking tribute from the weaker humanoid races that inhabit the region.

Orcs, Half Orcs, and Humans are plentiful in the giantish lands,
living in several scattered towns in the valleys of the mountain
kingdom.  They harvest timber, farm the land, and operate the mines.
There is no racial hierarchy among the humanoids.  Each such operation
is run by a humanoids put into power by the ruling giant class.

Dwarves and other outsiders are unwelcome in giantish lands, although
the occasional gnome may be found within the mountain kingdom.
Humans of the giantish kingdom are fully integrated into giantish
culture and have little in common and no sympathy for the human
empires of the east.

The common languages spoken in the mountain kingdom are giantish and
orcish.

===Humanoids of The Northern Forest===

The Northern Forest is far reaching and covers all the area north of
the mountains of the west, west of the northern coastline, and south
of the northern wastes.  The near part of the forest is ruled over by
a kingdom of hobgoblins.  Goblins and kobolds also live in the area
but are subservient to the hobgoblins.  The hobgoblins pay tribute to
the giants of the mountains in exchange for the right to trade with
the giant kingdom.  Most trade is timber going into the mountains and
metal coming north.

There are rumors of a tribe of northern wood elves and of a tribe of
northern humans beyond the hobgoblins, but no one has confirmed this.

===Dragons===

Dragons are not-color coded based on alignment.  Although there is
correspondence between dragon color and ability.  Red dragons are not
more evil or chaotic than gold, in fact dragon scale color is not a
species indicator, but rather a complex genetic trait.  

Dragons are a powerful force in the world and are fairly numerous all
over Alia.  They ignore the politics of the humanoid races, rule
over small fiefdoms (usually everything within a half days flight from
their lair) and socialize, scheme and war mostly among their own kind.
A dragon fiefdom may be found anywhere, is normally ruled by lord and
lady dragon of at least "Old" age, and is inhabited by 5-20 relatives
and liege-dragons.

Dragons commonly allow humanoid towns or villages, and nomadic people
access to their lands for tribute.  Usually tribute is in gold,
sometimes in trade goods or craftwork, occasionally in livestock.

Some dragons are more involved in the affairs of lesser species, but
usually limit their involvement to individuals, such as artists,
crafters, researchers, or adventurers.