When the Adventurers get to Castlewood, the hill Giants have not yet begun any raiding, but they are preparing to begin.

When the Adventurers get transported back in time through the Ghost Tower, and then transport forward again, they will arrive about three months later than they left. During that time, the Hill Giants have started their attacks.

Many magic-users have left the North Country and gone South, for the Southern forces are being beaten back, and lands are safer there. Lately, in the past decade or so, a kind of creeping, pervasive evil has started descending from the North. People had begun abandoning the Northern territories long ago, as they slowly grew eviler and more desolate.

Now that the Hill Giants feel strong enough to be attacking farms and outlying areas, the mages are thinking, "Why the hell should we stay here, when there are quieter areas to the South? Let someone else fight this evil. We're not up to fighting something when we don't know the scope of what its motivating force is."

Castlewood had been advertising for people to fight the giants. They got a few low level fighters and mages, but nothing very impressive. Their hopes for the Adventurers' return (whose deeds had now become cause for much talk) lessened as the months continued, especially since even the Great Seer could not find them. Dejected, he grew sick, and is on his deathbed. He'll be happy to see the Adventurers, will return any lost souls, and then will die happily.

After the Frost Giants, they'll find a map leading to what was the Fire Giant lair, but whose inhabitants were forced North. When the Adventurers leave the Frost Giants, they'll find the tower, and get transported North to the Fire Giant lair. The Drow are Chaotic. They'll think it fun to suddenly give their cousins in the North something unexpected to deal with (thinking, like the Sorceress, that they'll get wasted fairly quickly).