Giants in the Sky: A Forest Crawl for Cairn 2E [Text Version]
A Forest Crawl for Cairn 2E by J. Carter for the 2026 Appendix N Jam.
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The Four Giants
Each of the Four Giants each believe themselves to be the last survivor of their species. In truth, only one is active at a time. Roll 1d4 each morning to determine the currently active Giant:
Atlas--The Largest Giant
Bold and statuesque.
Embraces solitude. Wears only a tattered loincloth and an eye patch leaking oily red fluid.
It lives high in the mountains, shaping the landscape and training until the end of time (Location A).
Kronos--The Oldest Giant
Wiley and cruel.Missing a foot. Hobbles about on a cane carved from an elm tree. From its wound, wires feebly spark.
It haunts the Ashpit's dead wood, where it stalks prey to escape eternity's crushing boredom. (Location N)
Gaia--The Wisest Giant
Dignified, mindful, and graceful.
A gown of flora grows from its body. It fiercely believes that the island's previous inhabitants will return. Protects the Island's ecosystem, and ruthlessly prunes whatever it deems an intrusive species.
Its home is in the forest, beside the tallest tree in the world (F)
Prometheus--The Gloomiest Giant
Beheaded, still, and ignored.
Its head lies in a patch of overgrown grass, oily red fluid gathering beneath it. It solemnly accepts its punishment, and if disturbed states that it wishes to be left alone.
Its body does not activate, but could if its head were re-attached and its wires and pipes repaired. Its home is by the crossroads, hoping to hear somebody pass (G) |
How did you come to the Floating Island
| d4 | Hook |
|---|---|
| 1 | A giant bopped you on the head and threw you into a sack. After a long journey, you wake up; your sack having been hung up in a dark place that smells of blood. Location N, Kronos' Cabin |
| 2 | The Professor, a rich eccentric, has built a flying Air Balloon and has hired you to voyage with him to the Floating Island. A close encounter with the giant Atlas caused the Balloon to crash in the mountains. Location B, Atlas' Temple |
| 3 | Through a magical accident, you've been teleported into a haunting, cyclopean ruin. Nearby, an enormous horseshoe waterfall pours into an open field of clouds. Location M, Waterfall Overlook |
| 4 | A staircase made of clouds bridges a tall mountain and the Floating Island. You've made the arduous climb in search of riches. The staircase crumbles behind you as you finally reach the island. Location I, Cloud Staircase |
The Landscape
Ridgeback Mountains
Steep, cold, and snow covered. Unless noted, the paths are gravel paths hemmed in by rock walls. The elevation increases sharply as you go north to the mountains' peaks.
A- Atlas' Temple
An enormous temple is carved into the mountainside's peak. The Giant Atlas squats, if frozen, on a centre plinth holding up the temple's ceiling with his back.
d6 Gnomish Priests pay homage to Atlas, participating in ritualized feats of strength. Impressive shows of strength are rewarded with a solid gold kettle-bell worth 500 g, but which takes up two inventory slots.
B- The Crash site
In a small clearing, the wreckage of The Professor's Air-Balloon lays smoking. Nearby, The Professor has set up a small camp consisting of a tent, a fireplace, and a variety of confounding scientific instruments of indeterminate purposes.
To fix the Air-Balloon, The Professor needs liquid fuel, a patch for the balloon's fabric, and heat enough to weld shut a section of the engine. The Balloon can also be dismantled to grant the party whatever they think to make of the engine's metal or the balloon's fabric.
C- Cliff-side
A small bluff overlooks the rest of the island. With a set of binoculars, one could map the entirety of the island's northeast and south east.
Perched precariously on the bluff's edge is a nest of giant golden eagles. The mother eagle protects a clutch of 1d6 giant golden eggs each worth 100 g. Too much weight on the nest causes the branch to snap. The mother eagle is Gaia's oldest friend, and Gaia repays any harm done to her or her clutch.
D- The Ridge-back Volcano
The smell of sulphur meets those who make their way up to this summit. Inside the crater, bubbling magma leaks out through a vent to the east, forming a small river. With sufficient force, obsidian shards can be flaked from the inside of the crater.
Fertile Sepulchre
Warm, humid, and lush. Giant decomposing bones emerge from loamy soil. Once a graveyard, the bones fertilize abundant groves.
E- Rib-cage Farms
A village flourishes under the shade of an enormous rib-cage. A population of Gnomes live here, farming the fertile soul. They will trade double price for any valuables from the surface--the gnomes have never left the Floating Island. Food is abundant, but all supplies purchased are fashioned for small hands and bodies.
The gnomes have relationships with each of the giants.
- They worship Atlas; its destructive wrath must be appeased.
- They adore Gaia; the bounteous soil is its gift to them.
- They fear Kronos; stories of its cruelty are whispered nightly around fires.
- They mourn Prometheus; they do not realize its head still lives.
Decades ago, Kronos stole the farmers' automated farming tools. Many Gnomes have ventured to Kronos' Cabin (N) in search of those tools. None have ever returned.
Returning some of the automated farming equipment is a dangerous task. Should the party succeed, Gaia grants a single blessing.
| 4 | Blessing from Gaia (Roll d4, or choose) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Treasure--the tree Gaia rests upon grows Golden Apples worth 70 g each. Gaia grants its permission to climb the tree and take as many fruits as can be reached. |
| 2 | Influence--Gaia declares the party the new rulers of the Rib-Cage Farm. The party inherits the manor-house in the village, which is decidedly Gnome sized. |
| 3 | Transport--Gaia can transport the party to any location in the world. If The Professor's Air-Balloon is completely dismantled, the Traveling Museum is powerless, and the Cloud Stairwell has vanished, this may be the only option left for the party to leave the Floating Island |
| 4 | Power--Gaia uses its magical energy to grant the party power. Each member of the party can add 1d4 to an ability score of their choice. |
F- Gaia's Grove
An enormous tree blossoms, shading the surrounding area for miles. The Giant Gaia lays, if frozen, on a bed of flowers. d6 Dryads attend to Gaia and the surrounding grove, as they have for generations.
Overgrown Settlement
The forest has reclaimed this land. Dotted with the ruins of a long dead eleven society, overgrown moss and vines weigh down travellers.
Months ago, a group of bandits climbed the Cloud Stairway to the Floating Island. They have no way way to descend, and now desperately hunt these woods for any chance to escape.
G- Prometheus' Crossroads
The ruins of a small amphitheatre lay near a crossroad. Within rusts Prometheus' headless body. From its neck, wires spark impotently.
Prometheus' head lies in an overgrown bush about 20 feet away. If active, Prometheus will speak of better days. It and its kind were built long ago by an advanced society of magicians who lived on a continent in the sky. However, the Floating Island separated from the rest of the continent. If told that the party knows not of a floating continent, he speculates that it may have crashed somewhere below, or returned to its distant home among the stars. Prometheus mostly wishes to be left alone.
H- Riverside Resort
A large building rots on the banks of the river. This was once a resort destination for the society who once lived on the Floating Island. Within a large iron metal safe in the resort is 200 g, should the party be able to crack it.
I- Cloud Staircase
The forest parts to reveal a vast expanse of sky. A large cloud floats alongside the edge of the Floating Island. Should the Floating Island approach a mountain on the surface, the cloud extends into a staircase leading to that mountain's peak.
If enough water vapour is added to the cloud--such as by diverting a magma flow from the mountains into the river--the cloud could theoretically reach the surface.
J- The Travelling Museum
Deep in the woods, near the edge of the Floating Island, a large structure sits buried under rock--a Museum of Illusion built by a magician who lived in this land before the society on the Flying Island died. The Bandits have found a way in, and have been using the structure as a makeshift base of operations.
For more information about The Travelling Museum, see The Yaksha's Sigil from the 2025 Appendix N Jam!
The Ashpit
At the base of the volcano, the forest withers into a charred land of ash, gnarled stunted trees, and black stone. To the far east, the Floating Island's facade falls entirely, revealing the top of the metallic super-structure upon which the Island rests.
K- Abandoned Supply Station
A door-less metallic shed juts out from the black rock. On the side, a dumb-waiter with three buttons above it--one red, one blue, and one green.
Pressing the red button causes the dumb-waiter to descend and return with a gallon of lamp-oil. The blue button returns a gallon of water. The green button returns a gallon of a green liquid which, if ingested, is completely edible and worth one ration.
L- Magma Factory
The flow of magma from the Ridge-back Volcano ends in a colossal and technologically advanced structure. Investigation reveals that the magma's heat is processed through steam, and stored somewhere beneath the ground.
Should the magma flow be completely disrupted, the Floating Island loses power. After 1d4 days, the Giants stop waking. Within 1d8 days, the Island violently crashes to the surface.
M- Waterfall Overlook.
A haunting cyclopean ruin of unknown use. Nearby is the edge of the Floating Island. The river cascades out into a stunning horse-shoe waterfall, which dissipates into mist as it leaves view.
N- Kronos' Cabin
Deep in a ragged forest of gnarled, dead trees is a cabin of giant proportion. If inactive, Kronos sleeps on a wooden rocking chair made of tree trunks. Within the cabin are rusted automatic farming implements, as well as 1d6 prisoners tied up in the pantry.
Beside the cabin is a stone monument about four feet tall, with a food bowl sized for an enormous animal resting in its shade. Carved in the stone in shaky hands is the word "Agrippa."
Kronos misses him dearly.
Significant Trails
(A-B) Giant's Staircase
Carved into the mountain is a titanic staircase, each step 4 feet in height. Along the mountainside, a cyclopean mosaic shows a map of an entire continent on the back of an impossible flying machine.
This path takes two watches to climb, but only one to descend.
(K/N-M) Metallic Path
The dirt and rocks of The Ashpit gradually give way to rusted metal. This is the surface of the mega-structure the Floating Island rests atop.
The party cannot hunt, fish, or forage for food along these paths.
(D-L) Magma Riverbank
From the peak of the volcano, magma cuts a jagged path through the impassable mountain range.
Climbing gear is required to pass this way, or risk falling into the flowing magma below.
(C-G) Steep Scramble
Overlooking Prometheus' Crossroads is a steep gravel scramble. Descending is possible with preparation--200 feet of rope should avoid a painful tumble.
Climbing is next to impossible without gear from a prior descent.
Appendix
Random Encounters
All monsters can be found in the Cairn 2E Warden's Guide
| d4 | Ridgeback Mountains |
|---|---|
| 1 | The currently active Giant arrives in the area. |
| 2 | 1d4 Ogres lifting rocks in imitation of Atlas. |
| 3 | The Professor searches for useful materials to repair his broken Flying-Baloon. |
| 4 | A pilgrimage of 1d4 Gnomish priests, burdened by ritual lifting gear. |
| 5 | A precariously placed boulder, long ago left by Atlas, rolls down the mountainside. |
| 6 | A large bird's nest, containing 1d4 shells of hatched golden eggs worth 10g each. |
| d4 | Fertile Sepulchre |
|---|---|
| 1 | The currently active Giant arrives in the area. |
| 2 | A group of Gnomes fend off a Shambling Mound who has come to eat their crops. |
| 3 | 1d4 Bandit Deserters have started peacefully farming a small plot of land--their weapons burn as an offering to Gaia. |
| 4 | 1d4 Dryads tend to nearby fields on Gaia's behalf. |
| 5 | A pile of leaves hide a rusted beartrap set by Kronos long ago. |
| 6 | Gaia's tree blooms, releasing an early spring across the fields. |
| d4 | Overgrown Settlement |
|---|---|
| 1 | The currently active Giant arrives in the area. |
| 2 | An Owlbear and 1d4 cubs dig through an ancient garbage pile. |
| 3 | 1d6 Bandits sit around a fire arguing about how to return to the surface. |
| 4 | 1d4 Gnome Priests fruitlessly search for Prometheus' missing head. |
| 5 | 4 Bandits who have recently encountered the currently active Giant. |
| 6 | The Yaksha (see The Yaksha's Sigil from the 2025 Appendix N Jam.) |
| d4 | The Ashpit |
|---|---|
| 1 | The currently active Giant arrives in the area. |
| 2 | A starved Owlbear desperately combs the Ashpit for food or water. |
| 3 | The Professor marveling at the technologically impressive ruins. |
| 4 | 1d4 Dryads try to start an oasis. Their plants withered; the soil too shallow to support life. |
| 5 | On a tree trunk, Kronos has hung a large leather sack containing a captured victim. |
| 6 | 1d6 Rust Monster prowl the ruins. |
The Four Giants
Atlas
18 HP, 4 Armour, 18 STR, 14 DEX, 17 WIL, club (d10).
- Boulder Toss: Rips stone from the earth and tosses at great distance. Save DEX or d8+d8, blast.
- Critical Damage: Grabs the target by the throat. STR save or asphyxiate in minutes.
- Construct: Immune to charms and magical sleep.
Kronos
18 HP, 3 Armour, 18 STR, 19 DEX, 15 WIL, rusted scythe (d12)
- Hunter: An exceptional tracker. Sets cruel traps of rusted metal. DEX save or lose a limb.
- Critical Damage: Bites the victim for an additional d6 damage, causing the target to bleed out.
- Construct: Immune to charms and magical sleep.
Gaia
18 HP, 3 Armour, 15 STR, 17 DEX, 18 WIL, pruning blade (d8)
- Knows the following spells: Anthropomorphize, Control Plants, and Thicket.
- Critical Damage: spreads spores; save WIL or be charmed, transforming into a Dryad after a month.
- Construct: Immune to charms and magical sleep.
Prometheus
8 HP, 2 Armour, 1 STR, 1 DEX, 20 WIL
Knows the following spells: Anchor, Read Mind, Telepathy
Construct: Immune to charms and magical sleep.
If re-attached to body, Armor, STR, and DEX are as Sky Giant from the Cairn 2E Warden's Guide.
Others
The Professor
3 HP, 1 Armour, 8 STR, 10 DEX, 14 WIL, musket (d8, slow)
- Has on hand: spyglass, specialized archaeology tools, lantern, parchment
- Knows the following spells: Comprehend, Detect Magic, Flare.
Giant Golden Eagle
7 HP, 13 STR, 15 DEX, 10 WIL, talons (d6+d6, sharp) Fling--Opponent must save DEX, or be clutched in the eagle's talons. Unless broken free within d4 rounds, the opponent is tossed away.
Gnomish Farmer
2 HP, 8 STR, 9 DEX, 10 WIL, farming tool (d4)
Gnomish Priest
4 HP, 11 STR, 8 DEX, 11 WIL, muscular strike (d8)