Stronmaus

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Stronmaus (STRAWN-mawz) is the giant deity of sun, sky, weather, and joy. His symbol is a forked lightning bolt descending from a cloud that partly obscures the sun.

Publication history

Stronmaus was first detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about his priesthood.^[1] His role in the giant pantheon of the Forgotten Realms setting is detailed in Giantcraft (1995).^[2] His role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).^[3]

Stronmaus appears in 3rd edition in Defenders of the Faith (2000).^[4] His priesthood is detailed for this edition in Complete Divine (2004).^[5]

Description

Stronmaus' avatar appears as an enormous (up to 80' tall) giant with blue eyes and flowing auburn-red, wavy hair, wearing a simple gold-edged white robe. He is far more youthful and carefree than his father Annam. He is normally depicted smiling and reveling. He cannot help but smile, for the energy of life flows through him so strongly that it is hard not for him to express his continual exuberance. He revels in the storms he calls up and in the thunder that booms from his magical hammer.

Stronmaus has inherited some of his father's fickle lusts, and may send avatars simply to woo and seduce beautiful female giants.

Relationships

In many campaign settings, the giantish pantheon of gods consists of the leader Annam, as well as Grolantor, Hiatea, Iallanis, Karontor, Memnor, Skoraeus Stonebones, and Stronmaus. Other powers worshipped by giants or giant-type creatures include Baphomet, Kostchtchie, and Vaprak.

Stronmaus is the eldest son of Annam and thus the default leader of the giantish pantheon since Annam's withdrawal, though he does not covet his father's power. He will happily defer to Annam the moment the creator god returns. Stronmaus' closest relationship is with his sister Hiatea; the two are commonly seen as a pair, the oldest and most powerful of Annam's children. His other siblings and half-siblings include Diancastra, Grolantor, Iallanis, Karontor, Skoraeus Stonebones, Surtr, and Thrym. Memnor and Vaprak are also sometimes named as his relatives.

Stronmaus often flies the skies of the Beastlands with Aerdrie Faenya and Remnis as companions. He is well-disposed toward the gods of the asathalfinare, who include Syranita, Surminare, and Trishina, and may send avatars to help them in times of need. He is also an ally of his fellow god of lightning Muamman Duathal. Stronmaus despises Memnor above all others, and will send avatars to restrict the evil cloud giant god's activities.

Realm

Stronmaus lives in the realm of Stormhold, which can be found in the Beastlands in the midnight layer of Karasuthra, though it is believed by some to be attached to Gudheim, Annam's former realm in Ysgard. Stronmaus travels the layers of the Beastlands freely, but keeps his fortress in Karasuthra because he appreciates the way the moon of the Beastlands, Noctos, reflects off his gold-adorned marble battlements.

Stronmaus, the sole greater deity known to inhabit the Beastlands, delights in soaring above the forests and savannas of the plane with his companions, the laughing, cloudlike mortai, booming his own laughter in time with theirs and creating powerful storms in celebration of life.

Stormhold itself is a mighty palace of marble adorned with gold, platinum, and gemstones rising from a truly storm cloud, guided by mortai who shoot quick lightning bolts at one another as a form of electric conversation. Within is a magical opal pool where Hiatea and Surminare often visit. This pool, potent with healing magics, appears only 100 feet long to those outside it, but infinite to those swimming in its waters. Communities of those souls who worshipped Stronmaus in life dwell throughout the cloud, forming camps and congregations and spending most of their existences in the open air.

Dogma

Stronmaus's faith stresses the cleansing and redeeming effects of rain, and the joys of freedom. Cloud giants stress the epicurean merriment of the deity, while storm giants are a fatalistic, though passionate, folk who believe life is a test of will and that most actions are futile in the face of the great elemental forces.

Worshippers

Stronmaus is the patron of storm giants and non-evil cloud giants, but he is worshipped as a sky and weather deity by giants of all races. To hill giants he is a mighty fisherman, to frost giants he is a bold sailor and explorer, and to the cloud giants he is a thundering god of storms.

Clergy

Stronmaus's cloud giant clerics are skilled in the arts and music. They wear fine jewelry and keep large personal fortunes; the quality of jewelry and dress is a sign of rank. They are proud and organized, and believe in ridding the skies of evil creatures.

His storm giant shaman-priests are shabbily-dressed and ascetic. They must sit atop a cold, deserted peak for 100 days without food before they are accepted into the priesthood, and they remain solitary, dealing with the creatures of the sky or sea. They are visionaries, mystics, and meditators who treat each other as equals.

Priests of Stronmaus, regardless of their breed, always stop to pray during or immediately after a rainstorm or thunderstorm. They are forbidden to build fires, though they may warm themselves by fires built by others. Stronmaus's favored weapon is the warhammer.

Rituals

Cloud giants who worship Stronmaus scatter handfuls of incense and spices to the winds every morning as soon as they wake. Twice every year or so, they declare a sacred sky hunt (omjag in the giant tongue) to battle evil sky creatures such as chimeras, wyverns, and chromatic dragons. The slain beast is then ritually offered to Stronmaus.

Storm giant worshippers of Stronmaus organize ceremonies designed to demonstrate their ability to overcome earthly obstacles, testing their limits and placing them in great mortal danger. They also atone for their sins through such punishing rites as flagellation.

References

Additional reading

• Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online:
• McComb, Colin, Dale Donovan, and Monte Cook. Planes of Conflict. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.