Altan

Altan is a Jotunn of fire. The Jotunn are a rare species, for they are slow to breed and solitary by nature. They are commonly associated with cold and mountainous areas, because their extraordinary physiology can withstand the frigid temperatures. In fact, their tolerance for harsh environments extends to other extreme habitats as well, and Jotunn such as Altan sometimes reside in scorching climes. On the eastern edge of the Krokhan Desert lies the rugged Dawnmounts range, and among its peaks is an active volcano whose flanks are barren slopes of superheated ground, dotted with fumaroles. Known to the Krokhan Nomad clans as ‘Red Grandfather’ for its magma and ruddy, mineral-rich rock and soil, Altan made it his abode long ago: unsure of where to settle, he carved divination runes into a fallen tree-trunk and then hurled it into the air, and decided his course based on where it pointed when it fell, and what runes were visible. Over centuries of life on the volcano’s slopes, Altan’s body adapted to the blistering heat and noxious fumes, his skin becoming as crimson as the mountainside. He would often stare for days on end at the mesmerizing sight of the slow, bubbling flows of lava, searching for mystic insights in the patterns of glowing red molten rock and darker, cooling stone. He raised totems of obsidian daubed with volcanic mud, to honor the fire spirits he felt certain dwelled within the mountain. By these esoteric practices, he cultivated a great magical affinity between himself and the forces of fire and lava. He grew to need food and drink but little, meeting his needs with infrequent expeditions into the desert or the adjacent mountains where wild sheep and yak might sate his hunger. The local Nomad clans only encountered Altan on those rare occasions when the Jotunn ranged from his home, every so often down the generations. Tales of Altan spread, especially at inter-clan moots where Nomads from different regions compared their sightings. In time they recognized that these glimpses of the red giant were clustered near the volcano called Red Grandfather, so the Nomads associated the two. They began to call Altan the Jotunn by the name Red Grandfather as well, and see him as the volcano’s guardian and personification. As knowledge of Altan spread across Krokhan, brave folk attempted to search for his home on the slopes of the Red Grandfather. Many tried and never returned, but the Krokhan Nomads persisted, until eventually Altan came across the ragged remnants of an expedition that had ascended his sulfurous peak in search of him. They were on the verge of death, succumbing to the vicious heat and searing vapors, but they did not die. Old Altan restored them to life, channeling an ancient healing warmth he had gleaned from his long days of meditative communion with the fiery heart of the mountain. He was not so hermetic as to let them die to preserve his solitude, and he was curious as to why they had braved the brutal volcanic conditions. Altan drew a magic circle to protect the Nomads from further suffering in the heat. Conversing with them, he learned that he was known among the Krokhan peoples. He was intrigued and felt a faint, satisfied pleasure learning that he was an object of fascination and mystery. Altan bade the warriors return home and recuperate. He told the Nomads that if they wished to come back and speak again, they should spend more time training and adapting to the harshness of the fumarole-fields, so that they could better tolerate the volcano and thereby begin to understand its power and wisdom as he had. The Nomads returned home and spread the news of their encounter. Within a year, an encampment of warriors, shamans, mystics, and folklorists had formed at the foothills of the Red Grandfather. Seekers of knowledge and wisdom would ascend as high as they could bear, as the heat and number of sulfurous vents increased with altitude. Day after day they trained their lungs to cope with scorching air, and their bodies to shed the terrific heat. They found that the higher up the slopes of the volcano they could climb, the likelier they were to be visited by Altan. The fire-Jotunn would praise the supplicants for their effort and impart some of his wisdom before sending them back to cool down and reflect on their sufferings and their newfound insights. By this ascetic practice of mortifying their bodies with the volcano’s heat, fighters claimed to acquire incredible toughness and stamina, and sages were said to experience visions and strokes of genius. The practice became a local spiritual institution, and Altan a quasi-religious figure, himself the Red Grandfather of the volcano.