Jotun is an average moon covered with endless mountain ranges. In between the high mountain peaks are long, winding lowland vales with dense forests of pine and other evergreen giants. The whole moon is very rugged and harsh, making movement of any sort difficult.
This moon can be found anywhere, but is best placed far enough a fire body to facilitate a cold temperate/sub-arctic climate. Ideally it is found near a world with limited spelljammer activity and a number of other moons.
It is always raining on most of Jotun. Hard rain is a frequent daily occurrence during the day, while thick fog blanket the land at night. At higher altitudes, constant snowfall feed vast glaciers. The ground does not easily absorb the moisture; despite unrelenting rainfall, mud is not thick nor deep.
Jotun is a cool world. In the lowlands, the days can be warm enough for light clothing. At night, temperatures become quite cold and thick furs are required. The higher elevations are rarely warm enough to melt the snow.
Jotun is a dirty-white sphere when seen from afar. Cloud cover is quite high, at almost 80% cover. Gray mountains peak through the cloud cover while gaps in the cloud cover give fleeting glimpses of the green forest vales and gray granite hills.
None. The whole of Jotun is one unbroken land of mountains and hills.
Wild animals roaming Jotun include several species of mountain goat, sheep, and elk. These creatures grow very large, in upwards of 12' at the shoulder. They are hunted by dire wolves, winter wolves, cave bears, owlbears, and alpine polar bears. There are rumors of white-furred displacer beasts that haunt the upper slopes of the mountains. Thick-furred carnivorous apes are rare but not unknown.
Pine and evergreen trees are the only plants that can grow in the cold climate of Jotun. Leaf-baring trees cannot take root, and if imported, their growth will be stunted.
By far the dominant creatures on Jotun are giants. There are several hundred small clans of giants and a dozen or so larger tribes that have united under a strong leader. Hill, frost, mountain, and stone giants are all found on Jotun, with hill giants being the most common and stone giants being the least common. A typical clan of giants numbers 4-16 members, including women and children.
Serving the giants are scattered tribes of ogres, bugbears, and orcs. These creatures are servants of the giants (in the case of ogres and bugbears) or slaves (orcs). The giants use their great strength to keep these creatures in line. Orcs are viewed as less than animals, even by the ogres and bugbears. The ogres and bugbears are viewed as (barely) above animals, only because they are useful for keeping the numerous orcs in line.
A few dragons, mostly green and white dragons, dwell on Jotun. These creatures are very small, barely larger than typical wrynns, and not overly bright. The giants keep these creatures as pets and guard animals. A handful of red dragons claim the highest peaks and are greatly feared by even the giants. Fortunately, these great beasts sleep for years, stirring only to terrorize a few giants, devour some livestock, and then return to their slumber.
There are few, if any, mines on Jotun. Metal comes from elsewhere, traded for with passing spelljammers. Timber is plentiful and cheap on Jotun, so long as one settles for pine wood. Jotun wood does not burn well; it must be dried over a period of several days before it will burn well.
The giants offer surprisingly high-value goods, such as winter wolf pelts, spell components, and ivory. They desire all manner of silver, weapons, gold, and tools. Oddly, the giants highly value dangerous creatures, so that they can hunt the monsters for sport. The giants are on friendly terms with neutral or evilly aligned individuals, using their superior strength to gain favorable conditions in trade negotiations.
Perhaps surprisingly, the giants are not only spelljamming aware, but also maintain their own port for spelljammers. Along the shores of the largest lake is Virheim, a collection of two dozen stone and timber structures sized for giants. The town is ruled by Brede, a mountain giant mayor, a shrewd and skilled trader. Brede uses the "dumb giant" stereotype to his advantage, playing "dumb" until some critical negotiation point, and then reveal his intelligence. This is usually enough to put the merchant off-guard enough to put the terms fully in favor of the giants.
Virheim has an enormous lighthouse-like structure to lead tradesmen to the shores of the lake. It has a sandy beach for ships to land via beaching, and a field for ground-landing ships to put down. All buildings have piles of throwing stones nearby in case of attack. Of course, few beings are bold (or insane!) enough to attack a town of over one hundred giants!
It is unknown how long ago giants came to Jotun. They have been there for many generations, and since they do not keep detailed records, their origins have passed into myth and legend. The legends vary from tribe to tribe, so attempting to piece together a reliable history from these myths is almost impossible. The legends do carry a common theme of the giants being descendants of some greater giant and his family, who discovered and settled this world long ago.
The ogres, bugbears, and orcs are much more recent settlers on Jotun. They arrived in the years leading up to the Unhuman Wars, perhaps seeking loot and blood. The giants proved much more capable than the humanoids anticipated, and enslaved the would-be invaders. Over the course of a century or so, dozens of humanoid ships were destroyed by the giants and their crews enslaved. The helms became treasure in the hordes of giant chiefs.
None.
