Magic Forums
Frost-Thurses
*Keep in mind that all work with the Etin is done on the other planes, through projection and similar means*
Personality/Appearance:
Sometimes called by various names such as rime-thurses. These are the frost-giants. These tend to be what people associate the word jotun with, simply because they tend to get more coverage than the others. They dwell in Niflheim, which suits their demeanor. If you are doing pathwalking, you may go to Niflheim to see them but most would advise you to be wary and careful of this. The land there is not exactly ruled by one particular Frost-thurse, and the other smaller clans take their property very serious. You can easily be seen as a trespasser on certain land, and put yourself in a bad place. Some easier places to meet some of the frost-thurses will be listed later on. On a side note, Raven K came up with a suggestion, should one of them decide you are a trespasser on their land: immediately tell them that you were trying to travel to Helheim, and simply got lost. Due to the fact that Helheim borders their lands, and that the Jotun Hel is the ruler of such a place, they definitely have a deep respect for her and her lands- and often will let you go on your way. Be prepared to actually go to Helheim though, because sometimes they may take you up on that and follow you the rest of the way there. They dislike liars.
They are thought to be the oldest, largest, stoic, territorial, cold-blooded and most frigid (see what I did there?) of the entin-kind. Their disposition towards people who work with them tends to be described as cold, because they do not much care for people. They are territorial, and dislike trespassers. They even dislike most visitors. Heck, sometimes they even dislike each other. In all truth, they are content to be left alone, isolated, and not bothered. They are very decisive about things. If they decide you shouldnt be there, or that you are bothering them, they will immediately take action and you cannot talk your way out of whatever they have decided for you. And often what they decide is not going to give you the warm-fuzzys. They are cold, and calculating, non-emotional in their work. This is not to say that you cannot befriend one, or work with them. Many of them have a good spectrum of emotion and do not mind companionship and working with someone- but you will have to grow accustomed to their quirks.
They tend to be more feared that some of the other types of Etin. I assume this has to do with their nature.. and their size. The frost-thurses tend to be viewed as the largest out of all the jotunfolk, even when they assume smaller forms. In a humanoid type shape they appear as literal giants, standing several feet taller than the tallest human ever could be. But it is not common for them to walk around in this form, quite the opposite. Their natural forms are their most preferred, and the word giant does not even begin to help you comprehend their massive sizes. You may perceive them as literal pillars of snow, hurricane-gusts of ice and cold, giant moving icicles. While they are physically slower while assuming certain shapes, their definition of slow is not the same as ours. They can easily outmaneuver and outrun a traveler. When seen in their humanoid shapes, they are often described as being extremely pale- white as snow, sometimes with a light blue tint to their skin. Their hair varies between white-black and all sorts of grayish colors.
The frost-thurses can be very problematic. Perhaps I should just change that to automatic-problem. They are the least friendly of giants, but they also will ignore you first, until you present a problem. They can smell intent pretty fast. They also dont take kindly to humans in their physical form, so be aware of that when you enter..Actually, if you can think about an avalanche as an entity, you'll see what I mean here. An avalanche zone can be seen or not, but if you so much as make too loud a noise, step in the wrong spot, or don't take heed, it will come crashing down on you. As for offerings, they seem to like milk, tea (green tea and white tea especially), and work. Hard work.. Lyn
Some tips on working with them or building a relationship with them? Be polite, be quiet and reserved, be respectful. Do work for them, or with them. Move things, clean things, as long as you ask them permission to touch it first. Learn to listen more than talk. Learn to stand still and not fidget.
Variations:
Under the category of frost etin you have some variation. Storm giants, for instance, are actually just frost-giants who no longer dwell in Niflheim with the rest. They tend to be more associated with winds and storms related to that than an actually ground-type of storm. The distinction, however, between what makes up a storm-giant and what makes it different from a frost-giant is not always clear. Certainly, there are storm giants who associate with frost-related storms. And due to jotun blood (which I guess I need to explain) there are several throw-backs in their lineage. If a frost-giant takes a mountain-giant as a mate, their offspring could be either almost wholly frost or mountain, or a combination of the two, and somewhere in-between all of that. Genetics to them do not work the same way it does for us. It depends on their environment, and where they choose to live. Anywho, do not be too concerned with trying to tell if something is frost or storm. It matters very little to the jotunfolk anyways.
Why work with a frost-thurse?
People who work with them tend to work with them for a few reasons:
- Learning about the forces of nature
- Learning how to understand winter, and cold
- Learning about surviving in raw nature
- Controlling ones emotions and self
- Controlling ones tongue and thoughts
- Being decisive, and learning to appreciate working hard.
Why avoid a frost-thurse?
- They care very little about human emotion and human affairs
- They do not think twice about hurting you if they are compelled to
- They will not comfort or baby you, they expect you to work
- They can be too overwhelming and powerful
- They may not necessarily give you all the answers and help you want
A few spirit workers tend to be drawn to them because they are very much like isolated hermits, and people who sympathize with that can relate.