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The Old Nordic Faith, and the Heroes of Asgarth WIP

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Jokah:
Being a spiritualism venerated through oral tradition means beliefs can change considerably depending on where you are from. There are few nation-wide practises. However, here is what’s most common.

To understand the Nordic Faith of old, one must first consider the nature of Calradia, a world of perpetual war. Lives are lost on the whim of bloated nobles and petulant priests. Those that excel beyond their means are remembered, their names sung through generations. Those that can break the Calradic cycle. Some clans claim ancestry to these heroes of yore, but to most, their deeds are inspiration.

The All-father and Creation

The All-Father said, “First, I shall make a home for our enemies, the giants.” And with a great roar, he sent a freezing wind across the blackness, and a terrible land of ice and frost appeared wrapped in a thick, thick mist. “Udgård,” he called it, “The home of the giants.”

Next, the All-Father breathed gently, and a warm wind blew, and this beautiful green world full of trees and lakes and flowers and rivers appeared. Then, the All-Father took two trees, muttered something into the leaves, and turned them into the first man and the first woman. “Middilgard,” he declared, “A home for man.”

In the blinking of an eye there rose up a shining, dazzling city, full of palaces made of gold and silver. With towers that almost touched the clouds. And the All-Father said, “I shall call it Asgarth! City of heroes! In the day it will glitter in the light of the sun, in the night it will glimmer in the light of the moon. Asgarth!”

And - as a final touch - he joined Asgarth to Middilgard with a fantastic bridge made from a rainbow.

Heroes of Asgarth

Within the many gilded halls of Asgarth, dwell the living incarnations of ancestors. These heroes, once mortal as any man, have ascended to a divine status, given domains tangible and domains not. They are paragons. It is to these divine beings that those who follow this faith give offerings and ask for blessings.

The Lady
The most beautiful woman to ever live, the Lady, bluntly put, represents sex and lust. So fierce was her allure, that even the All-Father bargained for a single night. In exchange, the Lady has her pick of half of those that fall in battle, to join her in the Field of the Host. Her desires are unknown, though it is rumoured she seeks the most virile of men to please her eternal desires.

Lascivious and greedy, assuredly, though she holds great sway over matters of fertility. The Lady is a powerful sorcerer, her hands weave the fabric of fates. She is believed to have taught the art to other paragons in Asgarth. Any couple expecting a child would do well to provide The Lady with good sacrifices and gifts most valuable.

The Lord
Adored by many, respected by some, feared by none, the Lord represented renown and splendour to the nord folk, said to be kind and just but not particularly mighty, nor endowed with great powers like some of the other paragons possess, it is said that wherever he went and with whoever he spent his time with, the encounter was inevitably joyous.

Those who call out to the Lord are often those already in positions of power or those with ambitions for it, who seek guidance on difficult choices ahead. The lord is often called out before a feast or trial by a ruler about to commence such so that he may bear witness and see that a good deed is done.

The Wanderer
The Wanderer, said to be the first mortal to walk the rainbow path from Middilgard to Asgarth. was eagerly awaited for by the Lady, who thought only the bravest of men would take the path before anyone else, to which she bestowed upon him the gifts of flight and the ability to change into any beast the wanderer has seen. It is said from there that the Wanderer spends his time finding new worlds, being sure to seal the way after, eager to see if any others would unlock such mysteries.

Explorers and Travellers are those most likely to seek out the Wanderer's aid, it is said the offerings he enjoys most are things that are most rare and precious in the persons current situation, water in a desert, earth at sea. Many sailors lost at sea claim to have witnessed a lonesome bird, offering the way forth to land, claiming it to be the wanderer's guise.   
The Warrior
The Warrior, strong, stalwart and relentless. The All-father charged him with leading the fight against the giants of Udgård, a endless conflict still persisting to this day. The warrior represents what every fighter wishes to be, fearless and resolute in every instance of danger. It is said that he is able to grow in size to match the giants he fights, though only relying on such in most dire circumstances, eager to prove he does not need such gifts to best these foes.

The warrior is called upon when conflict is apparent, nord folk calling for him to bless them with resolve and strength. Offerings to the warrior come in flesh, blood. steel or gold, in that order, for it is known that he would gladly accept any willing fighters for the endless conflict beyond Middilgard over treasure. It is also known that any nord folk to die sword in hand is welcomed into the Warrior's service.
The Trickster
The Trickster, chaotic, cunning and deceitful, even the paragons are unsure where the Trickster's loyalties lie. A notorious turncoat throughout the eternal conflict with the giants, betraying both sides on many occasions, just as one side catches up to his plots and schemes, another ten layers reveal themselves. The all father demands that the Trickster is here for a purpose, but his motivation have yet to be seen.

Mainly called upon by spies, criminals and other untoward sorts, though on occasion those of higher morality may call upon his aid when committing cunning or deceitful actions. The trickster is said to accept offerings through acts of minor mischief or inconvenience, or causing others shame or embarrassment, though coin can never go amiss, publicly calling for the Trickster's aid is seen as quite taboo, as his relations with the other paragons is not on the best terms.

The Healer
The Healer, the being responsible for nursing all of those wounded in the endless conflict back to health so that they may fight on for eternity. It is said the very air she breaths is capable of bringing a warrior back to his full fighting form. It is the healer who blessed certain herbs with healing properties, an essence of herself within them all, with hopes that she can save those wishing to stay in their home world longer.

It is those on deaths door who often seek the Healer's blessing the most, though those who family is suffering may try call upon her on their behalf, as well as those who's profession it is to heal, such as herbalists and physicians. Incense, herbs and other medical supplies are all acceptable offerings for the Healer, though ultimately the most potent and powerful offering to save a life would be to give one, willingly.

The Beholder
The Beholder is the protector and ruler of the usual afterlife which takes place in her realm. Although for most she is just a form of surveillance, for others they will be haunted by her for all of eternity. In fact for those who aren’t so kind during their time on the mortal plane, they can expect to meet The Beholder almost immediately after arriving in her realm, for she will be following their every move for a myriad of time. She is the paragon of justice, the ultimate decipher of good and bad, the perfect judge.

The Beholder is usually called upon when someone needs to make a major moral decision. Also when one is concerned they have done bad, they go to her for forgiveness. Some call upon her when they near their passing point, or one of a friend or loved one, to ensure that they will pass on with ease. When an individual calls upon the Beholder, she accepts only certain offerings. The bark of a tree over a hundred years old, for her to reminisce. Fine wine aged delicately, for her to cherish, or a bouquet of flowers, for the love she never got to have.

[[ Credit to Guts for the creation story plus a few other bits and bobs, Credit to Sarah for Beholder lore.  ]]

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