Valkyrie

Sisters of war. Also called valkyrja.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: Akhoata

• Alignment: Shebvic

• Energy: D’qiarsea

• Lifespan: 300 years

• Diet: Common mortal fare

• Habitat: Subarctic forests

Origins

Mortal women who tended the dead on the battlefield bonding with the spirit of combat in legends and myths.

Description

The stereotypical valkyrie has pale skin and blonde hair, but in truth, they have the full range of mortal skin tones and hair colors. They appear human and are all assigned female at birth, but their range of appearance is not limited to human skin tones. If their parents are non-humans, they might have skin or hair colors that are outside that range even if they do not have other features of the parental species.

Culturally, they usually wear long gowns with no sleeves. They cover it with a mailed vest, and that is covered by an apron. They knot their hair in ponytails. They are known to bear swords, spears, shields, and drinking horns.

Procreation

Valkyries reproduce with the male-assigned members of any sexual species that has male-assigned members, always producing valkyrie children, except when reproducing with enders.

Powers

Valkyries can fly without need for wings or propulsion. They know the languages of the birds local to where they grow up.

Combat Powers

Valkyries can wrap their weapons in noise, electricity, or fire after their first strike (whether they successfully hit or not - but it must be an earnest attempt to hit) in combat.

Gathering Powers

All valkyries can see the souls of dead warriors, though “warrior” is a complicated thing to define. If the valkyrie perceives someone to be a warrior, they are likely to be able to see the soul of that person after they die.

Valkyries can gather the souls of dead warriors. They can send them along to the afterlife by giving them mead, ale, or beer from their drinking horns.

For every seven souls they send along, they gain a little power, temporarily. The power they gain is not based on the species of the warrior, but the kind of warrior they were:

• Aetherial: warriors who fight in service to the natural world or who primarily wield aetherial powers give valkyries stronger electrical or fire-sheathing for their weapons, resistances to natural conditions (heat, cold, natural poisons, etc.), and/or skin infused with aetherial energies that toughen them (metalskin, barkskin, stoneskin, etc.).

• Ambrosial: warriors who wield ambrosial powers or serve a Divine grant powers to valkyries based on their faith, which often mimic non-ambrosial powers. Oftentimes, they imbue the valkyrie with stronger faith, protections from faith (mortalism), or deeper connections to the afterlife (karma or spirit energy).

• Celestial: warriors who fight in service to the people, to aid or protect others, against oppression, or for the greater good, or warriors who primarily wield celestial energies bring powers of protection, empowerment, healing, inner strength, and resistance to valkyries.

• Infernal: warriors who fight for oppressive powers, selfish gain, cruel tyrants, causes or powers that harm life, or who primarily wield infernal energies grant valkyries powers of dominance, control, manipulation, terror, brutality, and pain.

• Mundane: warriors who do not use any esoteric energy or fit into any role that relates to esoteric energies grant basic improvements to combat skills or abilities.

• Nommic: warriors who fight for their own identity, for their own survival, or who primarily wield nommic energies give valkyries direct improvements to their selves - bodily, mentally, emotionally, metaphysically, or wholly.

• Paradoxical: warriors who primarily wield paradoxical energies or who otherwise fit a paradoxical paradigm give valkyries powers over machines, digital powers, powers that make no sense, powers that cause change, or inexplicable powers.

• Poioumenonic: warriors who fight based on stories, legends, or myths or warriors who primarily wield poioumenonic powers grant valkyries powers drawn from stories, legends, or myths.

• Polyesoteric: warriors whose role or powers meet multiple categories grant powers from multiple categories.

• Shebvic: warriors whose role is for the sake of combat itself or who primarily wield shebvic powers grant improvements to prowess, strength, skill, or other relevant warriors’ skills.

Powers gain from gathered souls last for seven hours. One point per seven souls for seven hours. If they gather 49 souls in quick succession, they gain seven points for seven hours. This is why valkyries often become nigh invincible in the aftermath of a major battle.

Weaknesses

There are special runes used by mortals that will keep valkyries away. They do this because they believe valkyries will steal their souls.

Nations

There is one nation of valkyries, the Stridha, though valkyries have assimilated into many, many other cultures around the world.

Culture

The Stridha are known and feared by the peoples in their homeland on Jorgendheim. As a warrior nation, they are integrated into the broader culture of the Jorgendish peoples. They have a special status among them, considered protectors, heroines, and keepers of wisdom. While most of them are not members of the ruling nobility of the area, they are privileged elites all the same. Those few who are part of the nobility are still warriors.

When a valkyrie is born, she is taken care of by her entire extended family. Her matrilineal line will have the first say in her life, but the men in the family are welcome to be involved if they wish. They are encouraged to play rough sports from a young age and trained in combat as soon as they are capable of holding a weapon. By the time they are seven, they will have already been in fights with other children, which is encouraged as a form of training. By the time they are thirteen, they will have begun intensive lessons. They learn swordplay, spear use, riding, flight combat, war singing, taunts and war cries, and archery.

At sixteen, they begin special training for the various funerary rituals of their people. There are many rituals, among them the burial mounds specially used for valkyries who do not die in battle, and the process of creating the drinks that help them send dead warriors onward to the afterlife. They also learn how to spin linen and make their own clothing using looms made from the bodies and armor of men.

They are considered adults at any point after the age of sixteen after they have survived a battle. Those who die before this are said to be reincarnated as a valkyrie almost immediately. Those who become adults are given a feast after the battle.

Valkyries keep ravens, swans, and horses in their communities. Ravens are kept as pets and for reconnaissance work. Swans are kept as livestock, for meat and down (including for making swan-down capes). Horses are ridden as steeds. They keep pigs, cattle, and sheep for meat and skins or wool as well. They keep cats as pets and pest control.

As children, valkyries are given a simple, descriptive name, usually war-related. As adults, they are given kennings, descriptive, poetic names that are more metaphorical. For example, they will be referred to as “Thunderous Clamour” to refer to their war cries.

For recreation, valkyries enjoy riding sports, flytes (insult contests in verse), poetry, and feasting. They are fond of gift giving and do it often, even without any special occasion.

Esoterica

As beings of d’qiarsea, valkyries are excellent warriors. They can wield it inherently and are great weaponmasters and war mages. They can and often do use any shebvic energy. They also commonly use mijjit, blood energy, various poioumenonic energies, ambrosia or spirit energy, and ancestral memory. They can use infernal, celestial, or aetherial energies, but this is less common.

Religion

Valkyries worship Herknungr, the WAR GOD, a legendary one-eyed warrior who they send all great warriors to. He hosts all fallen warriors in long halls for eternal feasting, and in the end times, he will call all these warriors to a great army to fight alongside him. The gyðja are valkyrie priestesses who dedicate battles to Herknungr. They lead valkyrie communities in blood sacrifices.

Gender

All valkyries are assigned female at birth. If they assert a different gender when they are older, their gender will be respected if they are capable of backing it up in combat. Same-sex relationships are common among them, and bi/pansexuality is even more common.

When they meet someone they like, they will give them a name, usually a descriptive name, as a form of flirtation. If the person accepts the name, it’s taken as a good sign, and they pursue the relationship. Marriage is not common among them unless they wish to use it for purposes of property ownership among the Jorgendish. Mostly, they are casual about relationships, though they are known for their deep loves.

Economy

Jorgendish economies are a mix of slave-based and feudal.

Military

As a warrior nation, their entire culture is their military. Every community is essentially a militia. There is a hierarchical structure within the community wherein the best strategists and fighters are the leaders. They split themselves into units of nine valkyries, each with a leader, and each unit is part of a group of nine units led by a council of nine valkyries (one from each unit).

Language

Their language is Old Norse.

Occupations

Common occupations among them include the following:

• Aldrnarisetja: explosives-makers and masters.

• Berserker: bear-warrior.

• Forstjóri: war leader.

• Fróðleikr: war mage.

• Glazbenik: musician.

• Gyðja: priestess.

• Lægæ dōm: war medic.

• Lulya: war mages who craft weapons.

• Skáld: bards.

• Skóðspakr: weaponmaster.

• Strīthdanzer: wardancer.

• Vitandi: teacher.

Outside View

Valkyries are feared and respected as omens of death, invincible warriors, and terrifying women. They are often stereotyped as lesbians, loose women, and witches.

Notables

• Drifa, Legendary Shieldmaiden, Aeonian

• Hjǫrramma, Valkyrie Manifest, Aeonian

• Ilse, legendary planar lulya, deceased

• Jana, legendary scout and captain, deceased

• Jodis, war-leader, deceased

• Morana, ancient valkyrie queen

• Runa, scout, deceased

• Salmei, legendary planar guide, deceased

• Soma, legendary gyðja, deceased

• Tarn, legendary rider, deceased

• Valtid, Chosen of the Gates, Aeonian

Estimated Populations

• The Stridha: 3 million

• Other: 5 million

Sample Stats

PRO 14
ATH 11
STR 12
AWA 9
WIL 9
PRS 9
STH 9