From Introduction:
Jiao Ba is a black giant from the shadow plane, who was conjured by a luckless sorcerer who had little idea about the level of ambition found among these evil outsiders. His bones are now Jiao's favourite necklace.
After slaying his master, the black giant set out to scout the area and stumbled upon the home of a clan of pebble spirits. Using his charm ability, the giant enslaved several spirits and used them to lure their chieftain into a trap. Holding him as a prisoner, the shadow creature forced the spirits to build him an impressive castle and do his foul bidding. The poor earth creatures are now his henchmen and have to collect tribute from the nearby villages. One of these villages was protected by a river spirit which the giant has captured and imprisoned in a special cage he stole from the sorcerer he slew.