Seidrkin

Artist - Avant Choi Artstation.com

The Seidrkin

The Seidrkin are those who have abandon the life they were born into and wed themselves to magic. The name seidrkin literally means wed to magic, the titles they give themselves are of Volvi(male) and Volva(female). Seidrkin is the name of their kind, as a whole.
Portrait of a Volva named Yen

Artist - ABacco - Artstation.com

The Call

Around the age of the devotions(the age at which children of Skandia and Valsgard devote themselves and their fate to one particular god), the chosen children will experience "the call".
The call arrives in the form of a dream, one that is nearly identical for each child that experiences it. The child will be dreaming as normal, when they begin to hear their name being whispered from some where in the distance.
Immediately the dream changes and they have no choice but to follow the sound of the voice. Eventually they find themselves entering the forest to find a great brown bear, beckoning them to get onto its shaggy brown back. Once atop the bear, it runs deeper into the forest, the child clinging for dear life, all the while singing resounds in their ears. Eventually the bear comes to a stop in a clearing, to find a maiden dancing in the rays of the twin suns cutting through the opening in the canopy.
The maiden stops dancing, and the song stops in the child's ears, and turns into a crone cloaked in grey woolen robes. The crone turns to face the child, and is immediately in front of them, face painted in red paint that looks too much like blood.
Her gaunt hands, and long pale fingers clasp the sides of the child's head, and she kisses them on the forehead. She whispers into their ear "Come, find me. Accept your fate and begin your training."
Once a child has received the call, they find it impossible to ignore. Despite the laws, the punishment that comes with breaking the laws, and the dangers of the forest, the child leaves in the dark of the night, embarking off on a divine journey.
With no direction the children wander the world, listening to their intuition, heeding the messages they receive in their dreams, or decipher from the forest itself. They become self reliant, and grow to truly understand the forest and its creatures.
Eventually, if they have satisfied Flari, and proven themselves worthy, they will find their way to her temple, Kunska. It is there that their education will begin. They learn the ways of Seidr(magic). They learn herblore, healing, divination, and most importantly they learn patience and resilience. Once their education is complete, they perform the sacred rituals, and they become Volvi(seer) or Volva(seeress).

Public Agenda

The Volvi and Volva are the educators, healers, and counselors of the Valsgardi realm. They hold high status in the culture, being the conduits of the gods. Due to their "divine choosing" they are offered true freedom. The Emperor himself dare not to question the motivations or decisions of a Volvi/a. That would be the same a questioning the will of the gods. The laws of Humankind are of no concern to those blessed individuals that have followed the call.

History

As long as there have been humans, there have also been Seidrkin. The Goddess Flari choses her conduits from among the children of Skandia. This includes those who are decended from the brave travellers that founded and still live in Valsgard. Flari is the goddess of spiritual energy and wisdom, those who have been chosen by Flari are gifted with the sight beyond sight, as well as the wisdom of the gods. The Seidrkin leave the Valsgardi cities to find the temple Kunska and train to eventually become Volvi or Volva (seer or seeress). Upon completion of their training, they follow the direction of Flari. Their roles in society are to guide rulers, educate the young, provide healing spells, potions, and techniques, interpret the will of the gods, and provide the gift of foresight to those who require it.