Valkyrie
Upon the top-most of Iggdrissil lies the heavenly plane of Valhalla. Within it’s frozen tundras and craggy fjords the life-giving rain of Iggdrissil is frozen. The mountainous plane is home to many of the ‘gods’ and creatures known to Nordic peoples of earth. Among them, imbued with the very angelic essence of the heavens, are the Valkyrie.
The Valkyrie are enhanced humanoids, the equivalent of the Shining City’s legions of ‘guardians’ and treated with tremendous disdain by ‘proper angels’. Unlike Guardians,humans infused with holy fire upon swearing an oath of fealty to the heavens, Valkyrie are created in a different manner.
Within the halls of Vahalla, warriors are gathered upon their death,or ‘retirement’ in the case of angels. Humanoids, Draconics, Angels, and even the occasional Demon are allowed to live an after-life of raucous laughter, tests of strength, boasting, and even some modest debauchery. Sometimes, the hosts of valhalla are even mustered for war, eager, ages-old kings and champions taking to the field for one more brawl to add to their belts of stories and heroism.
Some of these warriors, purely women who have proven themselves the equal or better of those around them in life, are given the opportunity to serve as an elite, special class in Valhalla. The aspirants are put through trials, tribulations, combat provings, and quests upon the battlefronts of the eternal war.
These women, upon inevitably completing their tasks or reaching an honorable second death, return to Valhalla upon the wings of Valkyrie. They are guided into a special spring by the caretakers of Valhalla, beings known as Odin, Thor, or any of their pantheon. The aspirant is then baptised in the spring at the hands of titans. The rolling, boiling hotspring of Iggdrissil infusing them with the heavenly power of Valhalla.
These Valkyrie become a simulacrum of the Angels of the shining city. Their bodies tempered in holy magic into the peak of warrior-bred strength, their wings formed of magic barely visible every present. Once born again, they serve as scouts, warriors, and the vanguard of any Vahallan contribution to a heavenly war effort. A Valkyrie is a warrior, a guide to valhalla’s fallen back home, and a herald of Valhalla’s might, an inspiring battle-standard personified.
Most importantly, every Valkyrie seeks to continually further their legend. Valkyrie seek to save many, to slay more, and to rescue those in need. Valkyrie are often brash, aggressive shock-troops that seek glory and victory at the expense of their own lives. All to become ‘twice-born’ and gain the Eyes of Judgement.
For when a Valkyrie proves themselves especially worthy, the truest of meters to judge valor and strength against, they become the judges of Valhalla. Taken a second time to the pool, they are laid atop the water, imbued with ever more power. Their patron titan of valhalla gently taking Iggdrissil’s waters in their hands and pouring them slowly over the head of the Valkyrie. The water flows over their face, pooling in their eyes, and the titans thumb gently rub the mystical waters into their herald’s eyes. This continues as long as it takes for the Valkyrie to become second-born, their eyes transformed into weapons of terror and judgement, to be hidden by their helmets till it is time for them to judge one worthy or not.
Every warrior soul brought to valhalla must at one point meet the gaze of the ‘greater valkyries’ or ‘twice-born’. For underneath their mask lie eyes none can describe. Magical oculi capable of staring into ones soul and past, gauging worthiness and power and faults. This, while not a highly guarded secret, is rarely offered up willingly by the Valkyrie. For judgement is a solemn duty, and no valkyrie wishes to judge friends not of valhalla unworthy.
Or worse, to judge them worthy and curse them to an early, violent end. Their soul clamoring for it’s heavenly destination, inspiring the person to feats of heroism and insanity in their soul’s blind desire to rectify being judged but alive.
Beware the valkyrie. For they are beauty, they are strength, and they are warriors of well-deserved renown. It is especially advised to not anger or do battle with them. For the full might of Valhalla is ever growing at the hands of the Valkyrie, and never is the full might martialled lest the valkyrie’s horns blow.
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