Fantasy Divine Duties: Lore

[BDark]

Lore for the Divine Duties roleplay will be posted here. No format, because I'm too lazy.

 

[Dalamus Ulom]

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Never Allow Indecision to Take Your Heart
Or Else He Will Decide for You


Oridus and the Withered Star

Long ago, in a kingdom forgotten by all and time itself, there lived a young man by the name of Oridus. The son of a minor nobleman, Oridus always craved more from life, some sort of meaning. Though what exactly he craved, be it excitement, love, or even the respect of his father, the boy never really knew. He hated his indecision, and worried that he would never find a reason in life.
That is, until HE came in the night to his bedchamber.

It was unnaturally tall, no less than ten feet from toe to tip that seemed to take up over half the space in the room yet not even an eighth, and garbed in a deep, almost eye-burning scarlet robe that hid everything but the most basic of features, he was a sight to behold. And his face! No matter how close the figure came to Oridus' candle as it stalked forward, the man in red's face still seemed to draw the darkness, the light, the boy's mind, everything within the room unavoidably toward it, into the darkness like the shadows between the stars that was his face.

"What are you?" The young man would ask.
"Don't you remember me, Oridus? It's me. Your best friend." The voice was like the most piercingly cold winter night, and yet like the warmest of hearth fires, the dissonance of it seeming to almost lull the boy into a near state of bliss.
"I have something for you, Oridus. A gift. From me. Your greatest friend," the figure said, as he would hold out the odd little trinket in a gloved hand. "Go on, take it Oridus. You know you want to. The desire to have it is killing you, isn't it? All you need to do is take it!" It said, voice now some inhuman fusion of whale song and the cries of the dying that dragged Oridus forward.
"I-I do w-want it." Oridus stuttered out, before snatching the trinket the man as time would almsot seem to slow, and he would see the shadow of a dark inhman grin spread on the figures face, black on black, before everything fell away.

The next moment, and Oridus found that he was alone, with the morning sun streaming in from the windows, as though nothing in the world were amis.
Was that all just a dream? It had to be. It was just too impossible. And yet, too real at the same time.
As he thought on what he had seemingly just seen, he would realize he was holding something in his hand. Lifting it up would reveal that it was the trinket from the dream, a pendant shaped into the from of a withering star.

And Oridus smiled then, his face contorted into an unnatural grin that would send a spike of cold down any sane mans back.
The boy now knew what he really wanted, what his real purpose in life would be.

Servitude under Dram.​

 

[BDark]

Creation - Part I​

In the beginning, there was nothing but a voice in the void. Formless, this voice sang, and his magic created the world in its rawest form, wild and untamed. It was then ruled by the first creatures: the Adrr. They revelled in the chaos of the world then, but also in what little order it had. Their power was great, and their will unrestrained, and their chaos forged Rikr the Forefather. Fearing the power of the Adrr, and not knowing his own, the Forefather hid himself and left their nameless domain, wandering the cosmos till he came upon a fertile land.

The Forefather then made seeds from his hair, and as he began to plow the land and plant the seeds, the king of the Adrr began to fall sick, for he was made of pure chaos, and the order that was in the Forefather's labour weakened him, despite it being far away, so he sent three of his servants to slay the farmer. When the three came upon him, the Forefather slew them with ease, watering three spots of the field with their blood.

From the first spot grew a pitchfork, which he used for farming and as a weapon. From the second grew a great ox, who was both male and female. From the third grew a great mound of clay, which the Forefather fashioned into three figures in his own image, then he breathed life into them, creating three beings: The first two were Thollr, who was tall and strong and wielded a club, and Vif, who was more feminine and beautiful, and was taken as wife by Thollr. The third was incomplete, for there was not enough clay, and so Vordr was voiceless and had only one eye, but he was stronger than the rest and became the Watcher for he could see farther than the rest, and so was given a horn to sound should the Adrr march against them. And so were the first Gods, and they lived peacefully on the fields for many nights to come in their wooden cottages, made from the trees of Thollr, on the field which they now named Tun.

However, unbeknownst to the Forefather, the king of the Adrr was growing weaker and weaker, for the Forefather's fields were affecting the nature of his chaotic world, and so he sent his entire army to slay the Forefather and his three companions, and the Horn of Vordr was blown, and a great battle took place, but the gods were more powerful in their Fields of Tun, and they slew the Adrr, the few survivors escaping to another realm called Helgrind.
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The next part will be about how the gods came to be and the world of mortals in its first form. This is a bit long, sorry.

 

[Cosmo]

Sylvi Myths
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The Great Serpents:
There once was five brothers, great serpents were they
Horen the oldest, strong as ten ox
Yoris the second with scales of iron
Dorin came third, flames were his voice
Roric was next, swifter then the rest
Ahmaric the youngest, keen of mind was he

They yelled, they fought, they got into one great hiss
Over who was the best, better then all the rest
'I am!' would shout Horen, 'For I am the strongest!'
'You?! You are far too slow,' would cry Roric, 'I am quicker so I am the winner!'
'Fast of body, but slow of wit,' Ahmaric would quip, 'I am the smartest, so I am the best, better then all the rest!'
Round and round the brothers would go,
But who was the best? None could agree.
On and on it went till come one morning, a visitor came.
A woman with voice like silk,
Offered a test, a test to find,
Which of the brothers was the best, better then all the rest.

To Horen, a test of strength, to conquer a mountain, reduce it to dust
To Yoris, a journey to the sea to claim a pearl of purity unmatched
To Dorin, to sing a song that'd make others weep
To Roric, to a race to outpace the sun
To Ahmaric, a question asked and answer demanded
So the brothers set off, eager to prove each was better, better then all the rest.

Upon a mountain, lost in the clouds, Horen arrived to complete his challenge,
For three days and three nights, the oldest of the brothers squeezed and clenched the great mountain,
But alas, it would not yield nor bend nor groan, with a head hung low the great serpent did return.
Yoris was next and confident was he, for how could he fail with scales as hard as his?
Into the great sea Yoris did enter to find a pearl of purity unmatched
But his scales, hard as iron, were far too heavy and Yoris did sink.
Fleeing the water, Yoris did return for the sea was something not even his scales could beat!

Next came Dorin, with breath of fire, how could they not weep?
He slithered here and there until he found a young woman,
Before she could flee, Dorin rounded her up for a listener was needed.
Opening his great maw, the serpent sung,
A song of might and speed, of wit and brawn, of being better, better then all the rest.
Surely, such a great song would reduce any to tears! For how could it not?
But when he looked, she had perished! Burned to a crisp leaving nothing but a wisp!
Again and again, the great serpent tried, but to no avail, his breath left nothing behind!
Dismayed, the serpent returned having failed in his quest.

Roric dashed and zipped across the land, eager to show the rest that he was the best,
For how could the sun hope to match the great serpent?
Swifter then the wind and the sun at his back, nothing could catch him!
Ran, Ran and ran some more, but no matter how much he ran, the Sun always seemed to follow.
Soon even a great serpent must rest, but he was Roric! Better then the rest!
He pushed and he pushed, but Roric could never go fast enough, fast enough to outpace the Sun
After a great big nap, Roric too returned like the rest, for no one, not even he, could outpace the Sun.

A question was asked, an answered needed,
For one such as Ahmaric tis but a simple task, for he was the smartest, smarter then all the rest.
He waited and watched as his brothers returned, each with head hung low, failing their quest,
He laughed and he mocked, for how could he not? He was the best, better then the rest.
Before his brothers, defeated and brought low, Ahmaric told the lady that which he thought,
To his surprise, she smiled and shook her head, the answer was wrong and so was he!
Ahmaric shook, roaring in anger, tricked he had been for his answer was true!
The woman but smiled, sweet as poison, and whispered the truth.
Busy watching his brothers fail and too sure of his wit, Ahmaric had fallen to the oldest of tricks,
Having been blinded by pride, he moved alongside his brothers,
For an answer had been demanded, but never given.

The dark woman looked at each of the brothers in turn, a pout upon her red lips,
Five task, five failures, how could any be better, better then the rest?
If they could not do it, then she would do it, find the best, better then the rest.
The serpents looked to one another and agreed for how could they not,
Test they were given and test they had failed.
With a laugh and a flash, five became one!
The woman laughed, jumping foot to foot, pleased with the result,
The brothers Horen, Yoris, Dorin, Roric and Ahmaric were no more.
The woman opened her arms and called out to it,
'Come to me, come to Mother, my darling Hydra, for you are best, better then all the rest.'

Children of Sylvi
Only noting down some as she has many. If there are any monsters that you wish to include in the story but don't want to have your god have made, you can simply say they are one of her creations.

Spoiler: Children of the Skies

Roc

Rocs are massive birds of prey, able to contend with wyverns and other such masters of the sky and emerge victorious. However, they are extremely rare as they propagate very slowly and their children are often the target of other monsters that sneak into their roost when they are away hunting. They are only found in the highest peaks but are inherently intelligent and noble creatures. They will help mortals, from time to time, saving their lives or caring for them before returning them back to the lowlands, however, they are not fully sentient, so approaching a Roc is always a dangerous experience as should it be hungry... well, a bird has to eat. A special variant does exist known as 'Thunderbirds' who have the ability to spew lightning and create thunderstorms while flying, while larger then normal Rocs, they also have worse tempers.

Wyvern

Wyverns are foul creatures, they are known as 'Lesser Dragons', but never say such a thing to a dragon for it would be an insult of the highest magnitude. Wyverns are cruel, viscous creatures and, while cunning, are not home to true intellect. Unlike Dragons, Wyverns do not have any breath attacks, instead, they have one of the strongest toxins on the planet located in their tail capable of giving immensely powerful stings, of course, against smaller prey such as a mortal, its less 'sting' and more 'impalement'. Outside of their tail and jaws, they have long hairs on their back, when threatened, they can cause them to harden and straighten into powerful iron like spines and they will shake their bodies sending these potent spines in all directions.

Phoenix

Phoenix are one of the rarest of all monsters for they cannot reproduce, instead, when they die they turn into a pile of ash and are reborn. Completely covered in fire, these creatures are fully sentient and their personalities can range from kind to cruel. They are fully capable of breathing, and even controlling, fire. It is a long standing myth that these creatures were made as a gift to Seigr.

Spoiler: Children of the Sea

Sea Geist

Sea Geist are wretched creatures often mistaken for merfolk or sirens from a distance. They lure in their unsuspecting prey before dashing in using their long claws to hold their prey while their tongue is forcibly injected into the flesh pumping a powerful mix of acid and toxin to paralyze the victim and turn their innards into a drinkable liquid. They have no sentience and love to follow ships looking for an easy meal, even Sylvi admits she may have made a mistake with them.

Sea Serpent/Sea Dragon

Sea Serpents are one of the most powerful of her sea children and can vary greatly in size depending on their age. Ancient Sea Serpents are also known as Sea Dragons, a fitting name for their immensely powerful forms. As they grow older, they become more and more sentient and self-aware, by the time they become a 'Sea Dragon' they are fully intelligent and can become cruel or, sometimes, kind and wise. Once they've gained sentience, it is not uncommon for them to begin to worship sea dieties in place of their Mother. Depending on the sea they belong to, their breath can vary from flames, frost or lightning and they possess powerful regenerative capabilities. They are a great foe for any hero for it is said their blood can be used to cure any wound and is the base for the elixir of life [it isn't].

Sea Witch

Sea Witches are large, powerful mystics and get an unfairly bad reputation. They are often used as villains in myths and stories, seeking out the souls of men or out to enthrall them. This is simply ignorance and oral legends confusing Sea Witches for less kind creatures and giving too much thought to their less then flattering appearance. Sea Witches are incredibly intelligent beings and, more over, tend to be extremely kind. They offer wisdom and guidance to those who find them and it is not uncommon for them to save shipwrecked beings and bring them safely back to land. Much like Sea Dragons, Sea Witches will often worship sea related deities as while they will give lip service to the Dark Lady, they disapprove of her actions.

Black Leviathans

The Black Leviathans are one of the oldest creations of Sylvi and her first true monsters. These great beast predate even many deities and are extraordinarily rare with only a handful in existence, however, this handful has been in existence since their creation for they cannot reproduce but they also do not age nor sicken. So great are these then should they enter an area, all other monsters, even the mighty Sea Dragons, will quickly leave to find new homes for the Black Leviathans are hunger incarnate and will devour anything that they can get their teeth on. Only one Black Leviathan has been known to be slain, and it was slain by [Insert Deity, let me know if you want to be the god that laid the smack down on it]. To mortals, a Black Leviathan is a creature of nightmare that is only ever spoken of by drunken sailors in whispers for it is less a monster and more a force of nature.

Spoiler: Children of the Land

Solar

Solar are immense white lions, however, unlike most other children of Slyvi, they are rather kind. Highly intelligent, but not fully sentient, a Solar will protect sentient beings if they find them in danger, especially, if that danger comes from another, less kind, monster. It is not uncommon to have stories of travelers said from a ravenous troll by a mighty Solar and its roar is held as a good omen in most cultures. Should a Solar find an abandoned child, it will 'bond' with them causing a large tattoo to grow on their foreheads. They will protect this child for the rest of their lives being able to 'feel' and 'understand' one another without speaking. Those that bond to a Solar are said to be touched by destiny and have great fates ahead of them.

Arachyaw

Few monsters are as hated and feared as the Arachyaw. But even that name is rather misleading as there are dozens of different species and variants of the Arachyaw that have spread to every corner of the planet. In general, an Arachyaw is a great spider that, most often, range from the size of a large dog to that of a horse. It is in their variants that their danger becomes known from ones that lay in burrows and pounce upon their prey the second it comes near, dragging them screaming into their nest to ones that hide high up in the tree canopies, springing down on webs and snatching travelers and animals from the forest floor before climbing back up to enjoy their bound, helpless meal. The two most infamous species are known as Drogath and Galgeroth. The Drogath are the only known social Arachyaw. They build massive nest with a great queen at the center and large worker arachyaw that expand their nest and catch prey. When a Drogath nest is near a settlement, it must be eradicated soon else the settlement be overran and added to the hive, and worse still, it is said the Queen of a particularly large nest is fully sentient, their intelligent growing as it expands and, if this is true, they are more cruel as it isn't uncommon to see almost sadistic tendencies in workers of such hives. The Galgeroth, also known as Great Arachyaws, are an incredibly rare species and it is well they are so rare because they grow to colossal proportions making the land tremble when they walk, these massive arachyaws feed upon giants, wyverns and other such great monsters which only enhances how scary they're and the venom they can spit from their tree trunk sized fangs can melt a man to a puddle in moments. However, Galgeroths rarely, if ever, target mortals for they are simply not large enough to prove enough substance to the great beast to make it worthwhile. If a man keeps his cool, he can walk right under a Galgeroth and it will all but ignore his existence just as that man would ignore the existence of an ant crossing his path.

Korva

The Korva are a rare, mostly unknown, monster of the Mother and they are one of her greatest works and are also known as Sandworms or the Great Devourers. They live deep in the deserts of the southern [I assume south, will change if the deserts are elsewhere] realms where men rarely tread. These creatures are highly territorial so it is rare to find more then one in a large swath of land outside mating season [or if a one is looking to take territory away from another]. They are able to dig so fast through the dirt and rock it seems as if they are 'swimming' through the land. Completely blind, these creatures do not have eyes, instead, they 'see' through vibrations in the ground acting as great sharks as they swim to the noise and rise out of the ground, consuming whatever was making the noise in one massive bite. Its not known to mortals just how large these behemoths can become or even how many there are in the desert, but as the saying goes, "If the heat doesn't get you, the Korva will."

Cults of the Mother

Unlike most other deities, Sylvi has no center of belief, no grand temples, instead the worship of her is done in caves, in the deepest, darkest parts of a forest or in a murky swamp for her children are the monster, the savage, the unwanted. Sometimes, crude shrines will be created of her, but never will they depict the Goddess, herself, for to show the Mother in such a crude manner is to invite destruction upon the creator. However, it is not just the monsters or more bestial creations that worship the Dark Lady for more civilized races will also turn to her in their darkest hours. It may seem odd, why would a noble matron in a city on the forefront of culture and knowledge pray to the Mother? Because she is the Mother of the unwanted. When a man, or woman, has no one else to turn to, when the Gods do not answer their pleas, they always have their Mother. But her love is so very fickle that while they may ask for a boon, what they get might not have been what they wanted, but never does she ignore her lovelies. These cults can vary in size and aggression. Many are simple havens for the destitute, the crippled and the unwanted, places for them to gather, to feel safe, to feel loved, to feel wanted. Others are more.. aggressive, seeing civilization, itself, as an insult to the mother and actively try to undermine it through espionage and chaos, showing their love for the Mother through steel and flame. Whichever the case, the worship of the Dark Lady is usually frowned upon, and often, outright illegal.

Notable Cults:
The Sisterhood

The most infamous of all the Mother's Cults, the Sisterhood is an immensely powerful, and secretive, cult that has spread to nearly every corner of the known world. This cult is rumored to have been started by a demigod of the Mother, herself, if this is true or not is known only to the Sisters but if it is true, their progenitor would have been the only demigod of the Mother to have existed. The Sisterhood is unique in that it is out to create the 'perfect being', a true Daughter of Sylvi, one whom will shepherd the unwanted and lead the great beast of the lands on a glorious campaign to curb civilization's rampant destruction and bring balance back to the world. This is done through an extensive breeding program, a program that stretches back centuries. The eldest of the Sisterhood plan out each coupling with the utmost care to ensure only the strongest, wisest, fastest prospects are chosen and the purity of the bloodline preserved. When a target has been selected, and the ideal Sister chosen, the man will be approached by a masked woman who will offer them a simple deal. In return for his... services, they will grant him a boon, perhaps they desire power? Wealth? Information? The removal of a key rival, it matters not to the Sisterhood, all that matters is that they get what they want, and should they not wish to make a deal, well, the Sisterhood has ways of getting what they want. Once they have gotten an arrangement, the sister will use a mixture of sorcery and alchemy to ensure she conceives and, more importantly, that the child is a girl. A new sister and a new chain in the link to their messiah. Dark rumors have begun to circulate that the Sisterhood is nearing their goal, that soon the Daughter will be among them.​

 

[BDark]

Creation - Part II​

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After the defeat of the Adrr, the field grew lush and green, and Thollr grew three great trees with golden leaves and silver branches, and they bore not fruit, but sapphire flowers, and these trees gave beauty to the field. But one day, whilst Thollr and Vif were in their cottage, the Forefather grew lustful, so he breathed life into the middle one of Thollr's silver trees, creating a woman whom he then took as wife, and her name was Svaenni. Upon discovering this, Thollr grew angry, for the Forefather had taken one of his trees as his, and so the Forefather promised him his first daughter.​

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With Svaenni, the Forefather had two children first, who were twins: Strinnr and Striddr, who were remarkably strong and wielded an axe and a hammer respectively. Then came Veddr, who was the lord of the winds and whose blade could cut through anything, then fourth came Sylvi, who was his first daughter and his favourite, then he had Bragda, whose herbs had potent magical properties, then the fair but fierce Meidmar, and finally Faegir, who crafted the most captivating of sculptures and buildings with his hammer and chisel. Then the Forefather and Svaenni raised their children on the Fields of Tun, under the great trees of Thollr and the watchful eye of Vordr, and they named themselves the Tunslid--the people of Tun.​

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Then, after many years, the Adrr king Dungrr opened the gates of Helgrind, and sent forth his army once more, whom he led himself, for although he was sick, Dungrr was still quite powerful. As the battle raged on, and the Tunslid slew more and more Adrr, the Rikr and Dungrr were engaged in an intense battle, each parrying and blocking and evading the other's strikes, before finally, Dungrr stabbed the Forefather and cast him aside, but before he could deliver the killing blow with his blade, Veddr commanded the winds, and he shifted the king's arm so that his sword fell from his hand, before decapitating him with his wind-blade, saving his father and gaining his favour. With the death of their king, the Adrr ran away, for now they saw the might of the Tunslid, and they hid once more in their fiery realm of Helgrind.​

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After the battle, Thollr saw that Sylvi was now grown and quite beautiful, and so he demanded her, and they were wed beneath his silver trees. On the same night, Faegir and Bragda were wed as well, and so were Veddr and Lady Meidmar, and on that night, the Tunslid drank the brew that Bragda and Faegir made, which healed the wounds of the gods and made them merry.​

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Hopefully one more left.

 

[BDark]

Creation - Part III​

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After the first gods were wed, they begat many children with each other, who in turn begat more children, some with other Tunslid and some with Adrr who hadn't left for Helgrind, and the Tunslid became many. The Forefather, invigored by his children's children*, left the Fields of Tun, searching the cosmos, but for what he did not know, till he came upon a distant well guarded by a hooded figure, who said that the well contained great power but it came at a price. The Forefather drank from its mist, and his eyes became filled with stars, his view of the world changed, and he built himself a cosmic throne by the well, atop which he is seated for eternity, seeing prophecies and visions of what is to come and what once was.

After the Forefather left, the Tunslid took a new king and queen for themselves, Veddr and his wife Meidmar, who built a kingdom on the Fields of Tun, which they named Tunsgardr. Of his several sons and daughters, the most well-reputed of Veddr’s children was Aegnar, who was strong and fair, and so he became his father’s right hand and herald, for, like his father, his fury was quite unbearable, and he commanded the winds just as well, but it was not he who spied from atop king Veddr’s throne a world beneath the Fields of Tun and Tunsgardr of nothing but water, and in this world were many horrific monsters that roamed beneath the roaring waves, yet despite this, that world was suitable to host life and civilization similar to that of the Tunslid themselves, so they set out to tame it.

Unbeknownst to them, many of these monsters were created by Sylvi, who made them long before the Forefather took a new home, and she released them upon this world to feast upon each other before the others found them, yet not all of them were her children, and they began shaping the world to their will. However, the worst of these monsters was the Black Leviathan, a creature so great and powerful that even the gods themselves feared it, so the Tunslid sought to slay the greatest of these beasts. First went two, the sons of Strinnr and Striddr, an inseparable and powerful pair, not unlike their fathers, but they failed, and though they fought valiantly, they were devoured by the beast. This greatly disheartened the Tunslid and they feared the beast even more, till Aegnar decided to slay it himself, but he had not the power to fight it, for he had seen with what ease the monster had slain two of his kin.

Feeling lost, Aegnar took Dungrr’s severed head, for his eyes lit the darkness, and went to the Forefather’s throne by the mist-well, and he asked him for guidance. In a distant and otherworldly voice, the Forefather told him to strip the head of its flesh and drop it into the well, and from the mist that came he would forge a weapon powerful enough to conquer the beast, and so he did. He then took the mist to Faegir, who worked in his forges for many nights with every metal known to him and many an enchantment, and he produced a great blade, a broadsword fit for a king, and in it, he trapped the most violent of storms and winds.

Aegnar took the blade and sought out the beast. Upon encountering it, the Black Leviathan swallowed him whole, but Aegnar knew that its hide was impenetrable so he had to slay it from the inside, and so he brandished his sword, which glowed with a ghostly shimmer, as he made his way through its body, tearing with his sword through the beast’s flesh till he found its heart, which he stabbed, ending its life. The monster’s body fell, and as it touched the seafloor, Aegnar emerged, followed by the drowned ghosts of his two kin, but he could not stay in the Fields of Tun for long, for he had been swallowed by a sea beast, and had thus become bonded with the sea, and so he was named the King of The Drowned, and of the beast’s body he built his hall, and from one of its teeth he built his throne.

And so the Tunslid pushed the Leviathans deeper into the waters and were at last able to pull land from the sea, which they shaped as they willed, raising mountains and hills and levelling fields and plains as they saw fit, and then they made life.

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[BDark]

Tales of Aegnar​

Of Ship-Rats​

One of the many plights that sailors must endure is the presence of rats on their ships, for rats raid their pantries and carry with them disease. This is for they are servants of the Sea-King Aegnar, whose halls were being filled with the souls of the dead, and many sailors and widows prayed to him to rid them of their plight, the sea-thieves, pirates, and so Aegnar created a breed of rats that live on coastal cities and board ships, specifically the ships of pirates, to bring them death and disease, and the spirits of their victims were at last put to rest, while the pirates were condemned to a cursed afterlife in the Underworld. For this reason rats are welcome in his sea-halls and ever present there.

Aegnar's Heralds​

After the killing of the Leviathan and the building of his halls, Aegnar saw the two spirits of his kin, the brave men who had ventured forth to fell this great beast yet had fallen to its might, and he valued their strength and bravery, and so he made them his heralds. One was Bardi, who beat a drum made from the creature's hide to make thunder, striking fear into the enemy's heart and shaking the air itself, and the other was Gjallar, who blew a horn made from the creature's bone, summoning forth a powerful wind but also making a most wonderful yet horrible music. He is also the god of the gales. The two heralds of Aegnar go before him in battle, announcing his arrival. It is said that the greatest of sea-storms are brewed by the two warriors themselves.

The Creation of Snakes​

One day, as Aegnar sat on his throne and drank his mead, he felt a strange power not too distant from where he was and unlike any he’s ever witnessed before. As three of his ghostly warriors disappeared, he put on his armour and on his boat of ebony set out to find that Necromancer who took his men. It took him several nights, but he finally arrived at the shore of a small seaside town, and immediately noticed that the town reeked of seaweed and decay, and as he came upon the townsmen, he noticed that they were all spirits of the dead, roaming this town of the mortal world instead of the Underworld to which they belonged.

All but for one, a young and beautiful woman who immediately captured his heart, for she was more beautiful than any of the Tunslid or the mortal folk. Her name was Vesa, and she was the most powerful necromancer the world had yet seen, and she’d been keeping the souls of her townspeople in the mortal realm to keep her company. And so, seeing her great power, Aegnar made her a throne of stone and named her the Queen of the Dead, allowing her to rule over the Underworld and the souls of the dead and bring them order as she wished. However, since he was bound to the sea, Aegnar couldn’t visit her very often, and he often took the form of a snake so that he could slither through the gaps in the walls and earth to get to her, and from his serpentine form came forth the other snakes, making him the father of all snakes. Eventually, the two were engaged, and Vesa would stay in his watery halls during the Winter, and he'd stay with her during the Spring, as he could not leave the sea for very long.

As she arrived in his sea-halls on the first day of Winter, his heralds would welcome her with a most captivating song, summoning a storm in their celebrations, and Aegnar would host a great feast in her honour each night, with foods and wines otherwise unserved, and his halls glow every brighter while she stays in them. One the last day of winter, Gjallar and Bardi would summon a violent storm as they played their sad tunes, for Vesa is to leave the realm.

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very shitty i know