| Category | Highlands |
| Continent | Brucrumus |
| Region | Grashakh, Northern Hordelands |
| Alias | Olmi Hjark |
| Map | Giant Steps Mountains |
The Giant Steps comprise a majestic mountain range extending from the evergreen landscapes of Laucentar to the glacial flows of Anzar. During the Horgon Era, the upper reaches of these mountains were dominated by the frost giants of Glangveif, who referred to the region as Olmi Hjark, or the home of the giants.
Today, Giant Steps is home to hills, stone, frost, and fire giants. Most are descendants of the Titan Empires that once ruled northern Brucrumus. Around the Second Epoch, others arrived in these mountains seeking iron, copper, silver, and other resources. The largest of these were the orcs that would become the Orchish Empire, the Bloodbeards of Umahanbad, and the giant-friendly Turkûn-Khâl of Bazandaggûl.
The mountains are home to tens of thousands of ice trolls, alongside goblins and other humanoids. Once considered the lowest echelon of society during the era of Glangveif, these creatures now reside in increasingly dire conditions. They exist in small, quarrelsome tribal units, fragmented and often willing to serve any group that offers them payment.
In the northwestern reaches of the mountains, facing the Shadow Rift, orcs have long been a concern for those around them. These orcs, more chaotic yet equally warlike as their more sophisticated kindred, the Githirmil, descend from those who risked their lives mining around The Deafening. During the age of the Glangveif Monarchy (314 HE - 31), this section of the Shadow Rift was the empire's sole source of salt. In the final years of Glangveif, the salt mines were abandoned, leaving behind the orcs and other slaves. Today, numbering nearly a hundred thousand, the orcs are scattered across warring tribes that spend more time fighting amongst themselves than posing a threat to their neighbors.
In addition to the region's colossal creatures and humanoid entities, there are numerous dragons and other airborne predators. Many of these formidable beings take up residence in abandoned ruins, cavernous caves, and derelict mines. The mine shafts, often the work of the giants, were remarkably spacious.