Valkyrie

"Lumia's gifts grant her warriors a blessing of immense power. Strength, beauty, and the stamina to traverse the oceans without tiring are just some of the benefits. Since the end of the Godswar, these valkyries have been busy in conflicts involving the remnants of the Wraiths and their kin. They act as Lumia's hands in the world, extending her protection to all who need it."
—Chronicle of the Gods of Savarra

Writer Credit

Gardeford
Valkyrie Codex Entry

Codex

Name: Valkyrie (Pl. Valkyries)

Sexes: All valkyries appear as women, though they can have any genital arrangement.

Height: That of the gifted race.

Weight: That of the gifted race.

Skin: While overall shade of fur or skin depends on the valkyrie's race, longer lived valkyries will tend to grow pale or bright silver in the case of scales or fur.

Hair: That of the gifted race, though colors may brighten in some cases.

Eyes: Valkyries retain their eye colors through the blessing's transformation, though when exercising their power they may glow with inner light.

Ears: That of the gifted race.

Wings: Some valkyries have wings like massive birds, dotted with golden feathers. Others manifest wings of light, using the sun's power itself to fly.

Lifespan: Lifespan among the valkyries has been difficult to gauge. Some valkyries live much longer lives than the average of their race, but others live no longer than normal. Most often, this coincides with their retirement from general duties, or to match the lifespan of a lover.

Maturity: Per base race.

Description

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Valkyrie is the title given to any person who has received Lumia's full blessing and been infused with her power. Lumia does not discriminate among races when giving her blessing, so it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish a valkyrie from another of their race. When exercising their power, however, the light of the sun glows in their eyes. Being that such a variety of races are taken in by the goddess of light, it can be hard to give an exact physical description. But regardless of race, Lumia's chosen tend to take on a motherly mien as they age.

Lumia's blessing also bestows a certain level of femininity beyond mere androgyny. Even the strongest of valkyries have a supernatural softness to their features that belies the power beneath. Some valkyries find their breeder's aspects (whether it be the bust, hips, or genitalia) similarly enhanced. Regardless, the valkyrie shines with an inner vitality that marks her as one of Savarra's symbols of hope.

A valkyrie's wings are also often a way to tell them apart from even the other winged races of Savarra. The wings can be feathered, in which case their feathers become speckled with flecks of metallic gold, or they can be formed of pure light, as if hewn from the sun's own rays. Regardless of what form they take, a valkyrie's wings grow to fit the perfect size for their bodies.

To this day, the valkyries fight remnants of those very same Wraiths that tried to devour the known world. Their efforts lead them to the far corners of Savarra, and it's not uncommon to find valkyrie scouts working with Astrida salamanders to root out the corruptive influence of Wraith taint. Beyond the major population centers, however, it's rare to run into more than a few valkyries at once.

Valkyrie efforts abroad aren't limited to only rooting out corruption. In addition to their combat endeavors, valkyries provide local populations with fertility blessings and other similar aid. They give smaller villages and hamlets a connection to the pantheon as a whole that is often otherwise completely unattainable.

Reproduction

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Contrary to what one might expect from those chosen by the goddess of fertility, most valkyries choose to remain childless during their tenure. Instead, they assist others with pregnancy and childbirth in their stead. Retired valkyries often have children of their own, settling down with former wingmates or lovers met during their duties.

Through a godly rite known as Effulgent Transference, Lumia is capable of moving a fertilized egg from one mother's womb to another. Among valkyries, the act of assisting an ailing or fragile mother and carrying her child to term is a great honor. The sun-blessed surrogate will often stay with the mother (and their partner if they have one), providing attention and sharing their experiences as the pregnancy progresses.

When not stationed in a specific place, a valkyrie's duties are rarely imposed upon during this sacred duty. Many even continue to work during the daytime hours. Even the later stages of pregnancy tend to not hinder a valkyrie, with Lumia's blessings protecting the child in their wombs from harm.

History

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Tales of Lumia facing down formless terrors and wicked monsters stretch back into infinity, but never her alone. Wherever tales of Lumia's exploits are found, so too are the stories of those whose souls she rescued from the clutch of oblivion. According to the legends, the original valkyries were created when a pilgrimage of Lumia's favored devotees were beset by a wicked, many-headed serpent. Unable to bear the sight of them on the cusp of death, the goddess of life swept in and granted them the strength to overcome their foe.

Rescued from death, these first valkyries joined Lumia in her travels throughout the world. While she focused on creation and the blessings of motherhood, the valkyries assisted her, ensuring her safety when she was vulnerable, and bringing news of what areas in the world needed a helping hand.

During the Godswar, more valkyries were made than during the entire existence of the world before it. Lumia fought side by side with pale elves, humans, lupines, kitsune, minotaurs, siorcana, salamanders, and every other race fighting to protect their livelihoods from the Wraiths. The sun goddess stormed through the battlefields, plucking meals from the very fangs of the Wraiths and restoring them to glorious splendor.

After the war, the valkyries returned to Lumia's palace, and have continued to assist her since then. New would-be valkyries take part in trials to determine the mettle of their souls and whether they're truly ready to join Lumia's service. Most modern members of the order come from the reclusive boreal elf capital of the Winter City, but anyone is welcome to make the pilgrimage.

Society & Culture

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Being without a country or nation to call their own, valkyrie's have more of a camaraderie than a culture. Each valkyrie welcomes newcomers into the mix, and the great diversity of races between them leads to an understanding of culture that would otherwise be impossible. Valkyries adjusted to life in Lumias palace are often surprised to find townsfolk in the marches skittish around kitsune, or even the valkyrie themselves. Their straightforward attitudes about such things can cause consternation.

The valkyries abhor Lumia's name being used in the name of plunder and false ideology. Invaders seeking to "enlighten" civilized races to Lumia's faith by desecrating their lands and destroying their faiths can often find their tents and boats razed and sunk in flashes of radiant light.

The vast majority of valkyries live in Lumia's palace, but it's not uncommon to find them in other parts of the world. At least two valkyries are assigned to each of the world's major population centers at any given time, monitoring for traces of Wraithspawn and ensuring communication with the palace. Other valkyries are often assigned to protect Lumian devotees during their pregnancies, particularly royalty under threat of potential political assassination or jealous vengeance.

Metaphysical Nature

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Much like kitsune and the Astrida to their respective gods, valkyries are the foremost extension of Lumia's will in the world. They strongly resist any effort to change their physical being against their will, and have a measure of resistance to mental change as well. Despite these similarities, valkyries are the least static of any godsworn. They are perfectly capable of changing minor details about themselves using alchemy or other magic.

Valkyries eat food in the same way they did before they received their blessings, and derive full sustenance from it. In times of need, Lumia's chosen can survive through a divine connection to their goddess and each other. This connection allows them to sense fallen comrades in need of aid, and provide magical healing from a greater distance.

Valkyries work their magic with radiant flashes of light. It is not uncommon for even simpler spells cast by more magically inclined valkyries to include a flare of color or a burst of sparkling illumination.

Codex Acquisition

Only one of the conditions below must be met to unlock the Valkyrie Codex entry:

• Met Annika

Transformatives

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• You can become a Valkyrie by binding yourself to Lumia after finishing Shadow Over the Sun and meeting the valkyries in the keep. Your gender will be locked to female, and you will not be able to change it in the future. Transformations that fall into these categories, and sub-categories thereof, will be blocked or limited: wings, breasts.

Characters

Annika (Boreal Elf) Eira (Boreal Elf) Hjorr (Minotaur) Queen Atheldred (Boreal Elf) Thrud (half-Boreal Elf/Jotun) Yolihuali (Harpy)

Shieldmaiden (Boreal Elf) Sky Arrow (Boreal Elf) Valkyrie (Healer) (Boreal Elf) Valkyrie (Tank) (Boreal Elf) Valkyrie (Warrior) (Human)