#The Mists of Niflheim

[dzelonis]

Matt Larkin - Gods of the Ragnarok Era #1-9

[screechthewriter]

the mists of niflheim | a god of war/apex legends crossover

"Aww, I remember when I had lungs and needed equipment to not die." Ashwin leaned back against the doorway. He'd be smiling if he had a mouth. It was actually kind of hilarious, watching everyone strap into the masks, looking like a bunch of scuba divers or Bloodhound cosplayers, depending. "You guys look cute."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, robot supremacy, whatever," Elliott grumbled. "Remind me why we're even fighting here?"

"Syndicate wants more visually interesting matches. Doesn't get more interesting than the endless fog of…whatever this place is called. Horror movie aesthetic, I guess."

That was the thing. Ashwin knew exactly what it was called, or at least he knew what it was called by both sides during the Frontier Wars. Both names were pretty boring, just random designations assigned to planets that hadn't been settled yet (or, in the case of this one, probably never would be). But he also knew what a certain war buddy of his called it—something considerably more interesting. Niflheim. The realm of fog.

He also knew that admitting to being familiar with the place would probably put a target on his back (he would definitely try to take out the guy who was familiar with the area first, just to make sure that knowledge wasn't used against him), so he kept his robot mouth shut about that bit.

"Just be careful where you step," Williams chimed in. Ashwin counted to ten to keep from calling her a mall cop to her face. She hadn't done anything yet; there was no need to get nasty. "Wouldn't want you getting lost and running into the wolf."

...wait.

"Uh, I'm sorry, the what now?" said Elliott nervously. "Listen, Hound's already been rambling about how this place was cursed by the Allfather. I don't need more reasons to be freaked."

Williams laughed. "Relax, Witt. It's nothing. Some guys during the war just breathed too much of the stuff, saw things that weren't there. Just make sure your seal is tight and you'll be fine."

"What did they see?” 

Half the ship turned to stare at the speaker.

Ashwin understood why; the veritable mountain of a man standing in his corner, respirator gear still dangling from his belt and not on his face, rarely spoke before a match. He usually sat in his corner and brooded, doing whatever the hell it was he did to get in the zone. He kept to himself so much that pretty much no one knew his actual name; most people just called him Ghost, or the Ghost, a shortened version of his stage name. The Ghost of Sparta. He was a guy who knew his Greek mythology, but didn’t reveal anything else about himself.

But now, he seemed really interested in whatever Williams was trying to say. Which, in turn, made Ashwin curious, even though he already knew what she was talking about. It would be interesting to hear an outsider’s take on it, and way more interesting to see how Ghost reacted to that.

Williams shrugged and leaned back in her chair. “Well, I wasn’t there. I only heard about this because a buddy of my dad’s was. ARES had sent out a team to survey the planet, see if Milita had already gotten a foothold or not. They called for extraction early, something about unexpected resistance. By the time they were recovered, only three were still left. And by then...” She twirled a finger near her temple. “…they’d lost it. Kept rambling about a giant wolf out in the fog. Said that was what took their buddies.” Williams glanced Ashwin’s way and raised an eyebrow. “They didn’t find evidence of a giant wolf, not that we have wolves in the Outlands, but they did find evidence of mercenary activity. Don’t suppose you know anything about that?”

Oh, he did, but he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of saying so. “The hell are you looking at me for?” Ashwin said. “Could’ve been the 6-4 for all you know. Maybe the Resort.” He turned away from her to focus on Ghost. “So, that’s pretty weird, huh? Giant wolf in the Outlands?”

Ghost didn’t reply. He’d gone all quiet, pensive. Ashwin didn’t think he’d ever seen the guy like that before. It was nagging away at him, but he couldn’t figure out why. “You should get your gear on. We’re dropping soon,” Ashwin added out loud.

I really hope I don’t have to fight that guy... Sure, Ashwin had some potential advance knowledge of the planet, but that wasn’t going to do much if he was up against the powerhouse known as the Ghost of Sparta. He was usually either the winner or one of the first guys to go, because basically everyone put aside their differences to focus on him when he was in play. He was dangerous. Everyone knew it.

(Ashwin kinda wondered sometimes, but he'd stamped those questions down really deep. None of his business. He was just here to get that metaphorical bread and leave. No sense getting involved in anyone else's nonsense.)

Fortunately(ish) for Ashwin, Ghost ended up on his team. Unfortunately for Ashwin, their third was Williams, which meant he was going to have to spend the entire match holding back insults. God grant me patience, because if you grant me strength, I’m gonna be disqualified for friendly fire.

In another twist of fate, Ashwin was distracted from his disgruntlement by watching Ghost. The guy stared down at the planet with this weird expression on his face. Then again, any expression was weird for him. Usually the dude looked like he was chiseled from solid granite, but today there was a bit of a crease in his brow. Like he was struggling to remember something as they flew over the mist and distant structures of the planet.

As they flew over one planet in particular, Ashwin could’ve sworn he saw the guy take a deep breath, like he’d either been punched or was bracing himself for a punch.

Ashwin recognized the building immediately. He remembered how excited Arthur (alias) had been to see the structure. Pippin had the same reaction. They’d talked about the possibility about getting its inner workings up and running, but they’d need something called the light of Alfheim and literally no one had any clue what that meant (even after Arthur explained it twice) or how to get one, so they’d just smuggled out a few components so the IMC wouldn’t be able to use it, either. He was pretty sure the crystals were buried on Cooper’s farm somewhere, waiting to be put back whenever Arthur could re-charge his Bifrost or whatever (seriously, Ashwin still had no idea what he'd been talking about and he'd had years to mull it over). It was a neat structure, even if Ashwin had no idea how the heck it was supposed to work.

But Ghost's reaction wasn't the reaction of a guy who thought something was neat. It was…

Ashwin heard a ping. He glanced at his wrist computer, then slowly up to Williams. She'd passed off jumpmaster to him, and was looking at him expectantly. She really wasn't going to let this go, was she?

Don't call her names, don't call her names, don't call her names…

Ashwin held eye contact and passed jumpmaster off to Ghost. The ping was followed by a heavy sigh from Ghost, who immediately passed it back off to Williams. "Is there a problem?" he asked sternly.

Damn, though. Why did Ashwin feel like he was about to be grounded? Even Williams looked like she felt guilty. "No problem," Ashwin said, and lied. "Where are we landing, jump master?"

Williams glared at him, but didn't pass off jumpmaster again.

She landed them somewhere isolated, which was smart. Get your bearings, see what loot you could find. Ashwin wondered if they'd been able to account for the fact that this place had a bad habit of moving around when you weren't looking. Apparently so, because they were able to find weapons quickly. "At least they gave us threat scopes," Ashwin noted. "Throws off your game, though, Williams."

"We'll make do." Bangalore tilted her head. “Anyone else hear that?”

Ashwin sure did. The awful, grinding sound was immediately familiar, in a way. It actually sounded worse than it had all those years ago. “Sounds worrying, whatever it is,” he said, still trying to act like he had no idea the place was littered with death traps. “We should probably be careful, though. I mean. More careful than usual.”

“Agreed,” said Ghost gruffly. “I will take point.”

Fine by me. Saved Ashwin the trouble of pretending he didn’t know what was up.

They made their way carefully through the fog, Ghost at the front, Ashwin in the middle, Bangalore following up the rear. He was, he had to admit, more nervous than usual; the mists were thicker than he remembered, and even though he was a whole-ass robot, he still felt like he should have a tickle in his throat. “Who makes something like this?” Bangalore muttered.

Again, Ashwin knew a thing or two, but again, he deflected with a joke. “Have you ever seen an Indiana Jones movie? Most likely the Holy Grail is at the center of whatever this is.”

“The what?”

Ghost spoke up: “The cup that Jesus Christ drank from at the last supper. Allegedly.”

Ashwin pointed at him. “See? Someone knows his religious history. Or pop culture history.”

“Arthurian legends,” Kratos corrected quietly.

“Or that. Y’know, an old war buddy of mine was into that...”

Before Ashwin could finish the thought, Ghost held out an arm. Ashwin saw why almost immediately; the wall in front of them was pretty clearly a trap wall, but the pistons or whatever weren’t going. At first, Ashwin was worried that the either the game masters had gotten to them and decided to have some fun with the trap pacing, or the gears that ran this place had decayed and were now running on sheer random luck. But then...

Shit. Wait. I know where we are.

That wasn’t something you could say very often about Niflheim. It was entirely possible Ashwin was getting overconfident, that the second they turned a corner he wouldn’t have any idea where they were again, but for now he knew where they were.

...Which, granted, might cause some issues if Williams caught on, but maybe Ghost’s dad energy would keep her from being annoying about it. Maybe.

“Is there anything stopping us from going that way?” Ashwin asked. “I mean...” He pointed to a part of the wall marked with faded but still visible paint. “Seems promising. Or someone at the games is trying to fuck with us, in which case…"

It was a split second reaction, but Ashwin caught it. Ghost stared at the handprint like he knew it. It was the same bracing himself reaction he'd had to seeing the temple below.

That said a lot.

"...we have a lot more to be worried about," Ashwin finished. He wasn't thinking about the games, though. He was looking at the Ghost, searching the face for anything familiar. There was something in the profile...the height...how had Arthur described…? "Thoughts, fearless leader?"

Ghost stepped forward and carefully ran a hand over the print. It was such a weirdly careful gesture from the guy, but when he spoke…

"The paint is old. It is unlikely the game masters left this here as a trap. And it does not match the rest of the rest of the maze…perhaps another explorer left it there to mark safe passage."

He sounded businesslike. Rational. But Ashwin had been friends with Robert “Barker” “What’s An Emotion I Don’t Know Her” Taube back in the day. He knew what deflection sounded like. It was burned into his robot brain. And it only made his suspicions stronger.

I have to get us back to that temple.

"I'll take the risk if you guys will?" Ashwin said.

Williams was about to reply; before she could, a ping of a sniper shot just barely missed her. That kind of made the decision for them. They made a run for it, through the disabled trap, deeper into the fog.

The next handprint wasn't too far away, a fact that brought Ashwin an intense amount of relief. Arthur had suspected the "magic" (for lack of a better word) of this place was starting to wear off. He'll be glad to hear he's right, Ashwin thought.

Then, How old did he say his dad looked?

The thing was, Ashwin knew it was probably a long shot. He really did. But he couldn't escape that sticky thought of what if. Especially when he remembered how sad Arthur had looked the one and only time he’d talked about his family.

There were a lot of things Ashwin had come to terms with when it came to his situation. Never really getting to say goodbye to his parents…wasn’t on that list. He didn’t like to think of anyone going through the same thing. Especially not someone who had saved his ass and kept a close mutual friend safe multiple times.

There was a pretty surefire way to test his crack theory, at least, and they were running right for it. The bad news was the place they were running right for happened to be a big open area with plenty of chances to get shot, but maybe they'd get lucky.

Eventually, the trail of faded golden paint lead them to one of the maze’s front areas. Drones were scooping up unconscious bodies, and the place looked pretty picked apart. If Ashwin had to guess, this was where a lot of the early fighting had gone down. "Doesn't look like there's much left," Williams noted.

"I'm gonna look anyways," Ashwin said. "Might be some light ammo left over…" And I need to get Ghost closer to the temple. "...I won't take long, I promise."

Williams looked ready to protest until Ghost cut in: "I will follow."

Oh, buddy, you're really proving this madness right. Ashwin had to shove down the weird giddy feeling jumping around his ones and zeroes and focus on not getting shot. This place could see action again at any time, and on top of that, there was the ring to consider. Gotta love the variables in a war game.

They cleared the hill and the archway, arriving at the road leading up to the temple. It was dead silent, creepily so, and the bodies still lingering in the fog made the whole thing very horror movie. “Can you imagine what this place looks like after dark?” Ashwin whispered. He really was looking for ammo, but also watching a particular spot in the area. “Visibility is shit already. Set up some green spotlights or something and...”

The Ghost had stopped in front of a rock near the archway.

Ashwin knew the rock. He remembered watching Arthur paint it. He’d actually painted two different places, one inside the temple, one out, just in case something happened to one or the other. Aswhin didn’t know what was written on it—the runic letters were nothing he could read, and on top of that, it had seemed rude to ask. It was some kind of message, so he knows I’m okay, but that was all he knew.

Ghost was looking at it like he was seeing a ghost. At the letters. At the handprint. He even crouched down to examine that last part, his fingertips brushing over it. His face remained resolute, but the eyes...

Oh, got you, you son of a bitch, fucking hell this is insane. Hysteria joined the giddy feeling, making Ashwin feel like his body was vibrating. This is the funniest thing to ever happen to me. I have to win. I can’t be in repairs for long. I’ve gotta...

“What’s it say?” Williams asked suddenly.

Ghost froze, but recovered pretty quickly. “I don’t know,” he said. Liar, Ashwin thought, metaphorically biting his tongue to keep from screaming the word. “We should keep moving.”

Don’t say anything. You’ll give it away. I’m so glad I don’t have a human face right now. Fuck. Cooper’s gonna lose his mind. Arthur’s going to lose his mind. Did Ashwin have his number? He didn’t think so. It had been a while since they talked last, and he knew that Arthur liked to change it. I’ll call Cooper. They’re definitely still in touch.

The good news was, they’d lasted this long. Ghost and whatever team he was on tended to go the distance if he made it this far. Nothing was guaranteed, sure, but Ashwin was feeling pretty confident about their chances.

It turned out, he had every right to be confident. They did end up winning, though it was a final ring three-way clusterfuck that definitely had Ashwin feeling a little rattled. (Literally rattled; a grenade had gone off close enough that he felt like some bolts had shaken loose.) Of course, Ashwin was relieved, because another win meant a little less time that he had to spend in this hell hole.

He was also relieved because it meant he could very casually take a quick snapshot of Ghost while they were on the return ship. It was a miracle he was able to get the shot, but Ghost was distracted. He kept flexing his dominant hand, staring down at it as if some paint had come off onto his fingerprints.

Give me five seconds, dude, Ashwin thought as he scrambled to send the message to Cooper. Trust me. I’m about to help you out big time.

He probably could’ve confronted Ghost directly, but the guy could be volatile, and Ashwin didn’t want to risk that he’d gotten it wrong somehow. So he attached the picture to a message for Cooper: Hey, do you still have Arthur’s number? If so, send him this picture and ask if this is the guy he’s been looking for. And also that he can thank me later if I’m right.

It did occur to Ashwin as he sent the message that he was going to have a lot of explaining to do to Cooper, depending. But...well, he’d cross that bridge when he came to it. He’d rather explain to an old war buddy what he was doing in a blood sport than live the rest of his robot existence knowing he’d potentially kept father and son apart. That’d be real shitty of him.

The post-match stuff went down as usual. Ashwin went back to his little apartment when he was finally able to escape, fully prepared to tend to his plants and dodge phone calls from the PR guy who always had something to say about his post-match interviews (just pull my press conference privileges if you’re so worried, damn). But just as he was getting started changing out the moss balls’ water, his phone started buzzing.

Unknown Caller.

It didn’t phase him. A huge chunk of Ashwin’s friend group liked to mask their numbers, use burner phones, that kind of thing. And maybe this was the call he was waiting for. Ashwin played it cool as he answered, though. No point in making assumptions. “もしもし, Ashwin here.”

“Hey, uh...” The person on the other end cleared their throat. “It’s...Arthur? Sorry, I made Cooper give me this number...”

Ashwin froze. “No, shit, don’t apologize...wow, you sound exactly the same.” Even after all those years. It made sense, of course he wouldn’t sound any different, but still. That was a weird thing to happen with someone still flesh and blood. “So, uh, I take it he sent you the picture?”

“Yeah. Yeah, he...”

Arthur’s voice cracked. He had to stop to clear his throat again. And when he spoke...

“Where are you?”

He didn’t sound like a near ageless being with knowledge beyond Ashwin’s scope of comprehending. He sounded like a scared kid who wanted to go home.

Ashwin had been right. And knowing that made any awkward and painful explanations he’d have to give Cooper now worth it.

[hobgobbin]

Niflheims gay and stupid little maze is pissing me off but I don't wanna leave until I do everything bc I don't. Want to fucking come back here

[crisicsgames]

HIRTS & MIST LE VALKIRIE GOD OF WAR RAGTNAROK SURTR L'EVOCAZIONE NIFLHEI...

#godofwarragnarok #levocazione # #Valkirie #HirtseMist 💀 Surtr #Niflheim #Kratos #Atreus #mimir 🎮 #Walkthrough #gameplay #ps5 #youtubegaming >

[an-idyllic-novelist]

Buddha headcanons with Muichiro!fem!reader

warnings: spoilers, ooc, reader is aged up to early or late twenties.

In all honesty if Buddha did not have a love for sweets and cloud gazing, he would not have met his significant other: [First Name] [Last Name], the Mist Hashira.

Most of the gods were unaware that he even had a lover, and he planned to keep it that way. It was not because he doubted the Mist Hashira’s love and devotion towards him, rather he knew that the other deities would try something if he wasn’t around. Right now, they couldn’t afford to have too much attention on them.

By being in a relationship with a Demon Slayer who is sworn to never engage in a relationship with anyone belonging to the divine pantheons, Buddha had to tread carefully when he or both of them weren’t lounging underneath his bodhi tree. He might have Brunhilde’s blessing, but that would not stop Hades from trying to replace the Mist Hashira as soon as word got out that one of his rules had been broken.

After the Bifrost had been destroyed by the human named Nostradamus, the king of the underworld employed the Demon Slayer Corps to ensure the protection of Valhalla’s denizens. The organization had prided itself on being efficient and possessing powerful humans in their ranks who have gone toe-to-toe against Muzan Kibitsuji’s Twelve Kizuki, but presently they were running thin on available members due to a rise in demon sightings. That was part of the reason why [First Name] traveled frequently or stood guard in Helheim as soon she received a summons via her crow.

Buddha knew the job took a toll on her health, even if her face didn’t show it.

“Is it really a lot…to ask for more days like this?” [First Name] said one sunny afternoon, laying on flat on her back next to the honored one in the grassy field as she gazed up at the misshapen clouds shifting in the blue skies. “Being here on this little island, not worrying if your next assignment isn’t the one that’ll send you to Niflheim for good, or what you could have done but didn’t do?”

“It’s not, petal.” Buddha murmured, his calloused fingers weaving through [Hair Color] tresses before pressing a kiss on her forehead. “It’s not.”

Cuddles and meditation sessions are an absolute must once a mission is completed, no ifs, ands, or but’s. Mental health is important. Braiding each other’s hair won’t happen until much later on in the relationship, but it is definitely worth it.

This bond between two unlikely individuals took a long time to build, but the result is Valhalla’s chaotic power couple who adore each other and only show their vulnerable, softer side when alone. Like a pair of grumpy cats who don’t like anyone except for one person that gives them attention and treats when they want it.

Bonus Content:

Nothing warmed Buddha’s heart more than hearing his Mist Hashira talk shit to any god comes between them and a sweets shop. Especially when if she says ‘shaddup’ with that spaced off look on her face~.

Taglist:

@the-dumber-scaramouche

@deathmetalunicorn1

@thatstrangesheep

@radioactivesweet

@nixes-noxes

@staticradiotv

@myrisan-melodies

@rukia-writes

@kiannas-stuff

@yellow-snark

@nyxthehunterxdblog

@recreationalfanfics

@zodiacs-web

@onecantsimply

[a-d-nox]

hel, goddess of death (asteroids hel (949) & hela (699))

Hel was the third child of Loki and the giantess Angrboða and the sister of Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Sleipnir. It most versions, her looks are the emphasis - half of her skin appeared to be pink and plump like a newborn's, while the other half looked decayed and sickly - nearly green or blackish in appearance. Her face was said to have been in a constant state of gloom. When the other gods heard of her and her siblings' existence, they were alarmed due to the parentage - two troubling/"evil" beings had come together to produce three monstrous children... The gods decided to kidnap the children to better assess them in Asgard. Odin was just as sure as he was about the serpent, Jörmungandr, that Hel had to elsewhere. He hurled her into Niflheim - the world beneath the worlds, where the shadows and mist would become her only true companions. As so she made her hall, Eljudnir, which would become the home of the dead when Odin would task her with looking after them, the dead of all the nine worlds who had died of illness or old age, and cursed her to always have to share her food with whoever came her way. Bitterly, her plate was named Hunger, her knife was Famine, her bed was Sick-Bed, and its hangings Glimmering Misfortune. Only when Ragnarok occurred, did Hel see the light of day again. IN MY OPINION Hel/Hela in your chart can represent a) where a part of you decays, b) where your looks make you seem unapproachable/threatening, c) where/how your parents reputation effects how you get treated by others, d) where you are surrounded by darkness, e) what you have to share but lack yourself, and/or f) where you seek opportunities to get even with those who have done you wrong.

i encourage you to look into the aspects of hel/hela along with the sign, degree, and house placement. for the more advanced astrologers, take a look at the persona chart of hel/hela AND/OR add the other characters involved to see how they support or impede hel/hela!

OTHER RELATED ASTEROIDS: loke (4862), jormungandr (471926), odin (3989), and wodan (2155)!

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[midnightostara]

SPOILERS FOR GOW: Ragnarök!

I've seen fans of GOW doing analogies about the characters and other stuff in GOW. I wanted to do the same of my analysis.

Also this is kinda my first time doing an analysis.

It popped into my mind. And I know it is a late one but I had to gather my thoughts.

Gamers for their thumbnail: "Sif asks Thor to kill Atreus!!!", "Sif tells Thor to kill Kratos & Atreus", and people saying, "Sif told him to kill Atreus."

This is on my mind that I want to talk about. I've been seeing those that play GOW: Ragnarok constantly using this wording when it came to Niflheim after Atreus completed the mask with Thor.

Odin comes gleefully in, since now he has the mask complete to know the secret of the rift and more knowledge. Probably take Atreus to where the Rift is and use him as a guinea pig.

Sif arrives soon after, with Hrist & Mist to arrest Atreus, once gathering evidence with Forseti that Kratos killed Heimdall. Calling Odin out for his supposed promise of no more Aesir blood being spilled.

And after listening to Sif speak to Thor, not once had I heard the word "kill" come from her mouth. Or provoking him to kill Atreus.

Lots of people are misinterpreting her words here.

When she also tells Thor "he's not going to protect us" that applies to Odin. Odin didn't care about protecting anyone, he only cared about his thirst for knowledge & the mask.

If you eavesdrop on her and Thor's conversation. You can hear her tell Thor:

"If that was true, you would stand up to your father for once in your life."

She wanted Thor to question his loyalty to Odin by standing up to him. Wanted him to see that Odin was to blame for everything that happened. That it was no fault of Kratos & Atreus that they killed their sons. That he, Odin, caused their boys' deaths and his brothers deaths by tossing them to his problems.

The only person who is at fault for Magni and Modi's death is Odin.

But Thor really didn't listen to what Sif was really saying. Instead of listening to Sif, he turned around to blame Atreus and Kratos for everything that happened to his family especially hearing that Kratos killed his last living brother, instead of the one that caused the problems in the first place, which is Odin. It was much easier for Thor to attack Atreus than Odin.

It was difficult for Thor to stand up to Odin because of the constant abuse towards him, and he didn't know how to stand up to him until Ragnarök, he finally stood up against Odin.

I'm thinking more people are to say 'Sif told Thor to kill Atreus' is because how Sif treated Atreus when he first arrived to Asgard.

Which I don't blame her for being hostile and cold towards him.

She clearly remembers that Atreus killed Modi. You can tell by her body language when she first laid eyes on him especially her voice. She was barely containing her rage.

Imagine your son's killer comes waltzing in Asgard for 2 days, seeing the all-father treat your son's murderer as if he was someone important to him, being his errand boy, and then sleeping in your son's old room.

That cuts deep. Along with walking around comfortably in their home.

It's justified on why she's actively hostile and cold towards Atreus. Even harboring a hatred for him.

Her hatred for Atreus does dissipates, steadily.

She doesn't want Thrud to be a valkyrie, not because she's directly against it, she knows Thrud would be an amazing Valkyrie. But she doesn't want Thrud to be a valkyrie while Odin is still around since she knows she would end up on the same path like Magni and Modi.

A pawn just for the All-Father to toss at his problems.

True, she really wasn’t mother of the year to Magni & Modi but she has learned from her own mistakes, encourages Thor to stop drinking after she does, and does right for Thrud.

[wanderer-moonchild]

So, here's a crazy theory about the abyss twin, Khaenri'ah and the Alberich Clan...

// 3.2 spoilers

Nahida said in the 3.2 quest that someone is obscuring the fate of the abyss twin, right? I wonder if the one who did that was Irmin, the former king of Khaenri’ah. 

At the beginning of the 3.0 archon quest, we see the Irminsul tree under a red sky, which the traveler associates with Khaenri’ah, an underground nation (although probably not entirely undeground?).

AND the description of the Silver Twig, the item we get after the 3.2 archon quest, says this:

Irmin is another name for Odin, and this is basically Odin’s story, so when I read the item’s description I was like OMGGGG. Odin hanged himself in Yggdrasil to gain knowledge of other worlds and to be able to understand runes. He did this before he exchanged his eye for knowledge too with Mímir, a being that lives beneath Yggdrasil.

Both the Abyss Mages and the Abyss Lectors draw their powers from sacred words, which leads me to believe that Irmin has passed on much of the knowledge he acquired, possibly causing what Nahida called “pollution of forbidden knowledge”.

Since the Irminsul tree is located somewhere underground, this ‘kingdom established along the tree’s roots’ is probably Khaenri’ah. One of the inspirations hyv used for Khaenri’ah could be Niflheim, a land of mist inhabited by the Nibelungs, a race of dwarves or elves, which seems to be another source of inspiration for the people of Khaenri'ah.

So, could Irmin have added information about the abyss twin in the Irminsul tree before he died or whatever happened to him? Could this be the reason they’re so determined to help Khaenri’ah?

Could the Alberich Clan know this?

The title of the abyss sibling is 'princess' or 'prince’, indicating that they aren't at the top of the hierarchy and Nahida’s words sort of confirm this. 

So, maybe they work under the Alberich Clan, but without knowing their true plan. Perhaps they're doing the ‘heavy work’, learning more about Celestia and looking for ways to break the curse, while the Alberich Clan waits for the ‘right time’ to act.

I also think that the situation could be the complete opposite: the Alberich Clan knows of the Abyss Order, but they’re doing their own thing and sometimes they might use them to gain intel. I mean, Kaeya seems to do that. 

In this case, I think Dainsleif might be on their side or, at least, know of them. He literally knows every character in the game. Wouldn’t he be aware of Khaenri’ah’s regent clan? 

Still, I think there’s a connection between the abyss twin and the Alberich Clan because Kaeya says this when the traveler talks to him in Jean’s office during the Stormterror’s quest:

Did he mean the abyss twin? Does he have memories of the abyss twin from his early childhood or something? Does this mean the abyss twin and the Alberich Clan know each other? Why would Kaeya say that to a person he just met? This dialogue happens before the traveler received his gliding license from Amber.

It’s very odd.

[notthesomefather]

Niflheim

A realm of mist and potential. The habitable region where Niflheim and Muspelheim meet is called the Ginnungagap.

Muspelheim

Musphelheim is a realm of flames. The ruler of this realm is named Surtr, and he is the one destined to kill Freyr at Ragnarok.

Asgard

The home of the Aesir (including: Odin, Thor, and eventually many members of the Vanir). Asgard is protected by a mighty wall, and the creation of that wall has a fairly interesting myth associated with it.

Midgard

Where humans live; Earth (sometimes called Middle-Earth). The gods have been known to visit Earth and occasionally intervene with human affairs both on large and small scales.

Jotunheim

A realm of nature and home to powerful beings of ice and earth, the Jotuns. Some Aesir occasionally visit Jotunheim for adventures and mischief (commonly Thor and Loki).

Vanaheim

Original home to the Vanir (including Njord, Freyr, and Freyja). Vanaheim and Asgard initially began as enemies, but through a messy series of hostage trades and murders, a truce was eventually reached. The Vanir and Aesir successfully cohabitate and have intermarried on a few occasions.

Alfheim

Little is known about Alfheim, other than that it is home to the "light-elves" (or "fairies"). It is commonly thought to be a beautiful, ethereal realm which holds the Vanir god Freyr as its Lord.

Svartalfheim

Home to the "dark-elves" (or "dwarves"). Loki and Freyja are known to have visited this realm seeking the famous craftsmanship of the dwarves. Freyja sought a gorgeous necklace and Loki sought to offer gifts to the other gods (through this process, Thor's hammer Mjolnir was made).

Helheim

The realm that is home to those who pass away in ways other than battle (many people view dying of certain illnesses constitutes as a metaphorical battle, and would thus grant the individual entry to the other afterlife option: residence in Odin's hall Valhalla. This view is valid to me, with the caveat that I don't view Helheim as a lesser realm, or a realm where exclusively "dishonorable" folks reside). Loki and Angrboda's daughter Hel rules over this realm.

[frumverrfriggjar]

Gods of Death

Hel and Odin

It has been a while since I have posted something, but I have been doing a lot of reading and thinking, particularly about death. In this blog I want to look at Hel and Odin, who share some traits as gods who collect the dead, but who seem to be working in opposition to each other. Hel is an outsider just like her parent Loki. She is a jötunn (“giant, glutton, overeater”) born in Jotunheim, and a force of chaos and destruction, as opposed to the Aesir/Vanir, who mainly seem to be forces of creation and order. Odin, as god of war, however, does not shy away from causing a little chaos and destruction, but then, Odin is also of jötunn parentage.

Hel is described by Snorri as being half a corpse, monstrous like her siblings Fenrir, the giant wolf, and Jormungand, the giant serpent, but unlike them she takes a human form. The gods receive a prophecy (Prose Edda, Gylfaginning) concerning Loki’s monstrous offspring, and Odin has them brought from Jotunheim to Asgard. Jormungand is thrown into the sea, Hel is made ruler of the underworld, but Fenrir is fostered in Asgard. Why does Fenrir get this treatment? Perhaps simply because Odin likes wolves (he already has two pet wolves, Geri and Freki), or perhaps because he thinks the wolf will be an asset to him, as his dead warriors in Valhalla are. Hel is not given a place at Asgard, and she seems to be as much a prisoner of the underworld as she is its ruler, which to me suggests that the other gods see Hel as a danger to them. I think Hel embodies death or death of the gods. She is a harbinger of doom, and omen of Ragnarök. She is the daughter of Loki, after all, and Angrboda (“harm-bidder”, “bringer-of-sorrow”). What with Hel being half a corpse, she is a visible reminder of that which we will all one day become. The Norse gods are not immortal, and I think especially Odin is afraid of death and/or losing his mind, which would mean losing all the knowledge and experience he has gained (in Gylfaginning he says he is afraid of Huginn and Muninn not returning to him). On his wanderings, Odin queries spirits and jötunns about the afterlife and his own and his son’s demise. Is Odin trying to cheat death or to put it off as long as possible? He lets people who have died live on in his hall. These people make up his army that he will use to fight against the forces of death/chaos at Ragnarök. Hel could be a personification of death coming to stop Odin before he discovers the secret to not dying.

Before they are brought to Asgard, Hel and her brothers never harmed the gods, so by taking them from their home and banishing and chaining them, do they not have a hand in fulfilling the prophecy? If Hel is death, she cannot be killed, only temporarily ignored or warded off. Is this why the best thing Odin can do is to make her ruler of the underworld? She does not die and disappear there, but it seems she cannot leave either. She can still influence the other realms, though her influence only extends to taking in the shades of those who have died of old age and sickness.

What is this place Hel is made ruler of? The sources contradict each other. According to some, it is located under Niflheim (“Place of Mists”). In Baldur’s Dreams in the Poetic Edda, Hel is described as being located in Niflhel. In another tale it is said to be located under one of the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree. In any case, Hel in Old Norse means ‘hidden’, so Helheim = Hidden Place. It seems fitting that there is no conclusive answer as to where it is, because it is not for us living people to know.

Niflheim is said to have existed before anything else did. It is a cold, dark and misty place, but it is not a void, it has material, it has rivers. The water running out of Niflheim turns to ice and fills up the Void (water = a source of life). It makes sense to me, therefore, that this is the sort of primordial place where people return to after they die to become material once again. When we think of someone dying, we picture them going somewhere else, but if, like me, you do not believe in any sort of afterlife, they are in fact not going anywhere. Still, they are no longer Here with us, we can’t see them or talk to them, and since Nowhere At All is kind of hard to imagine, we assume they must be Somewhere Else.

It seems to me that Folkvang, Freyja’s meadow where she receives half of those who have died in battle, and Valhalla are just temporary stops on the way to Somewhere Else (a.k.a. Hel, the Hidden Place). Valhalla in particular sounds like some terrible limbo, a Groundhog Day/Russian Doll kind of time loop, where the fallen warriors eat, drink, fight, die and rise again the next day to repeat the same process, until the inevitable end, Ragnarök, comes. Odin keeps his guests in a state of intoxicated forgetfulness.

Like Odin, Hel has an army of dead people, but unlike him she does not seem to have amassed it on purpose. She lends the dead people to her parent Loki, who captains this army at Ragnarök. Perhaps she wasn’t too happy about the fact that she and her brothers were kidnapped and then banished/locked up. Additionally, I think her function is to end everything so the cycle can begin again. Odin and the others need to make way for the next generation of gods.

If gods die, then, do they also go to Niflheim/Niflhel/Hel? It does appear to be the case. A feast is prepared in Hel for Baldur, and he goes there after he is killed by the mistletoe dart. He does not die in battle, but his death is an accident. Niflheim/Niflhel/Hel seems to be a place where ordinary people go, and where there is calm and rest. Snorri calls the being Hel cold, and uncaring about the fate of humankind, but that is just what a mortal person would say about death, isn’t it? Yes, death sometimes may seem cruel and unjust, but I suppose there is equality in death, and as Neil Gaiman wrote, we all get what everybody gets: a lifetime. Hel treats everybody the same, regardless of the life they have lived. They do not have to die honourably or prove themselves in battle to be granted entry to her realm. She also ends the suffering of those who are old and sick. As distressing as it may be to us, life cannot exist without death.

There are different motives that can be attributed to Odin and his thirst for knowledge. It could be a fear of death, wanting to stop the prophecies about Ragnarök becoming true, or a desire to make the most of his time in the face of his inevitable demise, or a bit of both. A relatable guy. I want to end this blog with a quote from Sayings of the High One: “Cheerful and merry every man should be, until he comes to death."

[mythorianum]

Hel, daughter of the trickster Loki and giantess Angrboda is part of a somewhat disturbing family as her brothers Fenrir and Jormungand are both initiators of the calamity known as Ragnarök. Not much is known about the giantess and/or goddess known as Hel, so much is up to interpretation.

Hel, goddess of death and the underworld, With skin as pale as snow and eyes that swirl, She reigns in Niflheim, land of mist and cold, Guiding souls of the dead, both young and old.

Niflheim is a place of cold and despair, Where the damned are doomed to suffer, And the living cannot repair.

But Hel is not a cruel goddess, For she rules with fairness and grace, And though her realm is one of hell, She keeps the balance in her place.

So let us not fear death, For Hel will guide us with care, To the underworld, our final rest, Where we'll find peace beyond compare.

[savage-rhi]

Mending Shadows // Chapter 31

Summary:

Y/N was a simple Scavenger of Lucis, until meeting a deadly blow at the hands of an infected creature. At the crossroads of death, they are found by Niflheim’s cryptic Chancellor with his own agenda. Now bonded to Ardyn Izunia, and tossed into the world of Niflheim, Y/N struggles to cope with their new life as an Imperial Icon all the while battling their feelings toward their fate and that of Ardyn’s.

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Crouched upon the edge of a clocktower, Ardyn's eyes followed countless men and women running out from the main chambers of The House of the Courts. As he crept in the shadows--taking in the outbreak of screams and gunfire--he was able to piece together the chain of events via babble from the masses. This dangerous affair had been concocted by the anti-imperialist group who attacked a week prior. He had come to learn that the wedding only infuriated the tensions within the faction, and the leaders decided unanimously to attempt a coup against Madam Secretary and her council. 

Ardyn hadn’t seen such chaos in a long time, and found himself enthralled with what lurked beneath. He considered it somewhat of a travesty none of this was his doing. What he wouldn’t give to knock Camelia down a few pegs via terror and confusion! Alas, he humbled himself. Ardyn had many grievances with her over the years, but Camelia was useful. At the very least compliant with his and the empires overarching goals. She knew better. Ardyn couldn’t say the same for the anti-imperialists who yearned to take her place. Their anger held no bounds from what he gathered after spying about on his lonesome. 

“My, my…choices, choices,” Ardyn sang to himself and frowned. He knew this skirmish wasn’t his circus, and therefore, not his problem. However, he did the math. With how intertwined Accordo and Niflheim’s economies had become, a coup succession would hurt the empires bottom line. An unprecedented event of this making could spur Lucis to take back their lands, and inspire Tenebrae to pull a similar feat. Therefore, Ardyn knew he couldn’t stand back and risk the coups success with overthrowing Camelia. This rival faction didn’t seem the type who could be reasoned with, much less manipulated. 

“Better to keep a tight leash around an old obedient hound than deal with a younger pup who is nothing but bite.” Ardyn bitterly mused. He wanted nothing more than to flee. To be on an airship heading back home with Y/N. The sooner he could nip this fiasco in a bud, the sooner he could do just that. 

Ardyn’s thoughts were interrupted by a commotion coming from the South. He watched with piqued curiosity as a group of Imperial ambassadors fled with some of Madam Secretary's council toward the main entry point. There were two Accordian troopers frantically attempting to seal it shut so neither foe or friend could get inside for shelter. 

“Don’t close the doors! Please, don’t close the doors! Let us in!” One of the women screeched. 

“Then hurry! We can’t afford to let anymore of those bastards get inside!” A trooper screamed back. 

Not far behind, Ardyn witnessed a fleet of fifteen rebels with guns shooting recklessly toward the direction of his fellow Imperials. They were about a hundred feet away, and gaining traction on their targets. If he could get to the ambassadors, and find out where Camelia was, his mission would be halfway done. 

“No better place to start,” Ardyn purred with a dark chuckle. He stood up, concentrating his powers on movement and in a shadowy mist he disappeared and made his descent. 

Reappearing behind a large column, Ardyn turned the corner to observe his surroundings. He didn’t account for there being so many Accordo troopers and anti-imperialists fighting left and right on ground. While he could take advantage of the disarray, and rush to meet with his fellow countrymen, it was too risky of a feat to pull at this point. If he wasn’t so concerned with concealing his true self, Ardyn saw plenty of opportunity where he could’ve used the royal arms to his advantage. 

“Damn it,” Ardyn muttered. He watched the large doors close from afar as the last ambassador managed to jump inside. He began to look around for another point of entry, and zeroed in on a hole in the wall that had been created via an explosive. He made a run for it, using shadow step minimally so he couldn’t be perceived by ally and foe alike. Luckily everyone was so caught up with killing one another, that he made it without surprise. 

Ducking in, Ardyn crawled a little ways before he was on the other side. He motioned with his right hand, summoning his sword Rakshasa, and swiped at the crevice he exited from. Rubble came tumbling down, and covered the spot. Thus ensuring no one else could use the hole to their advantage. 

Gripping the hilt of the sword, Ardyn brought Rakshasa close to his face and began to murmur in an ancient tongue. The blade hummed in return as he felt its energy pulse according to instruction. In a matter of moments, Rakshasa had taken the form of a regular Imperial sword; losing its Lucian touch and signature color. 

“Apologies old friend,” Ardyn frowned. “We can’t afford to make a grand entrance here. I’m afraid you’d tell Madam Secretary far too much.”  

Although the crimson blade by no means had a conscience, there was a life force within that responded to Ardyn’s words. He could practically feel the residue of resentment coming off the weapon as he bounded for the west hall upon following the sound of gunfire. Whether it was his own projection or not didn’t matter. Sword and master would have their pound of flesh. 

The havoc within the central chamber of the House of the Courts had knotted into an onslaught of bullets meeting shield, and skin meeting daggers. Men and women bravely screamed out the names of gods and curses before plunging into a pit of bodies vying for power. Souls soon met their ancestors as gurgled screams and death rattles danced into oblivion. The Imperial soldiers who had come to rescue their representatives were losing ground, and fast. The anti-imperialists were not like Niflheim’s Lucian foes. No. These folks were a different breed, and the way they carved out man after man downright terrified everyone who remained. Across all faces, hope was losing the edge of its flame.

Suddenly--as if the gods themselves had called for a ceasefire--everyone stopped mid attack. The air became dense with a foreboding on par to the crunch before lightning would strike. An Imperial soldier and anti-imperialist who had either blade to throat stared into each others eyes. Both shared the same confusion as they communicated without words their mutual fear. This energy wasn’t a friend to anyone, and both parties found themselves fixating on the west hall as the rhythmic sound of heavy boots drew close.

All eyes fell upon Ardyn as he sauntered out from the shadows of the west hall. He carried himself with a prestigious air that was unbefitting of someone rushing to battle. In his right hand was an imperial sword, already bathed in the warmth of blood. His left hand was illuminated by a dark sphere with bright blue static pulsating within the center. The playful poise of his movement matched the aura that a higher Imperial would ooze at the climax of an extravagant event. 

“I must say that I’m quite dispirited,” Ardyn tutted. The dark sphere in his left hand became more erratic as bolts of electricity zipped between his fingertips. “To think no one invited me to participate in this riveting performance! I just love coups and conspiracies!” 

“The Chancellor?!” One of the rebels exclaimed. 

“Ah, yours truly in the flesh!” Ardyn replied with bravado as he gave a performative bow, never losing balance with weapon nor the ticking time bomb in his left hand. His smile sent shivers down both friend and enemy alike, for it was just as sinister as it was charming. “I so hate to interrupt this little quarrel, but I too would like to dance!” 

As Ardyn hissed, he unleashed the sphere upon the center of the room. Within seconds, the sphere ignited into an explosive black hole. Amidst an outburst of screams, Ardyn used an ability akin to warp strike to quickly usher his fellow Imperials out of the danger zone, and to the next room. In a blink of an eye, every Imperial was teleported and tossed. The anti-imperialists left behind met a fate worse than death. Out from the sphere, electric tendrils manifested and forcibly grabbed everyone it could. Bodies were slurped into a dark void that proceeded to batter and tear limb from limb. Wails hauntingly bounced all throughout the room as some begged the gods to make their suffering cease. It went on for ages it seemed, until a crude silence slipped through the cracks. 

The Imperial soldiers whom Ardyn rescued stared with utter shock at the door as the screams dwindled. Dread didn't hold a torch to the visuals that plagued everyone despite not seeing the conclusion play out. 

“What the hell was that?” One of the men gulped. He was quite startled when Ardyn suddenly patted his shoulder. 

“A daemonic application prototype, courtesy of our esteemed Chief Besithia! I reckon that needs to be tinkered with. I myself felt nauseous watching everything unfold." Ardyn feigned a grimace then smiled. "Nevertheless, it did its job keeping us safe! Wouldn't you agree?" 

The soldier nodded rapidly. “T-thank you for saving us!” 

“Think nothing of it! A pleasure to be of assistance to my fellow man!” Ardyn replied in a jovial fashion. He gave one last pat to the soldier, nearly knocking the man forward unintentionally and cleared his throat, earning the attention of twelve men and women who stood in awe.  

“I know you all must be exhausted, but would one of you happen to know the whereabouts of dear Madam Secretary and our fellow associates?” 

“Last we heard, Madam Secretary was barricaded in her office. The rest are hiding in the lower basements." 

That was quick… Ardyn thought as his eyes narrowed to the woman who responded. “Do you have a body count of how many anti-imperialists remain in the House of the Courts?” 

“Fiffty-two sir,” She nodded. “That’s not counting the sixty-five that were allegedly on Madam Secretary’s tail before we showed up.”

“We can work with that,” Ardyn hummed as he contemplated. 

“Sir?” 

“I’d greatly appreciate it if you distinguished braves would follow my lead from this point forward,” Ardyn smiled big as he began to dictate his commands. “I have a plan to fetch us out of this terrible ordeal!” 

--------------------------------------------

“Madam Secretary, I don’t think we can hold them back for much longer!” 

“If the doors fail, we all die! Keep trying!” Camelia bellowed. She and several Accordo and Imperial councilmen were aiding soldiers in a desperate tug of war. Everyone pressed their bodies into furniture and whatever else was heavy in front of her office doors. The high pitched taunts of the anti-imperialists from the other side was deafening. The noise crushing morale and hope. 

While Camelia hadn't the unfortunate pleasure of encountering a daemon in her long life, she imagined her adversaries awaiting her on the other side had the same bloodthirsty nature. She lost count how many times she tried to reason with them. To try and be civil, but nothing had been gained. Camelia's heart ached for her country, for she sympathized with each and every man who was gunning for her execution. The people were tired of Niflheim. Tired of being under the boots of tyrannical men while watching their government grow more subservient. Tired of playing the middle ground between Lucis and the empire. Tired of it all. 

"A hundred years of war is long enough!" many had shouted, and Camelia knew the people were right. Alas there wasn’t a damned thing she could do. Not when at the end of the day, Niflheim had enough weaponry to destroy Eos a hundred times over. How could these rebels see that their actions were futile? Even if they killed her out of retribution, and taken over the country, did they truly expect Niflheim would turn the other cheek toward their transgression? Camelia’s eyes began to water as she visualized it. Her country which she loved with all her might, being swallowed by whatever horrors that hid in the lands of the empire. She couldn’t believe it was going to end like this. 

The horde continued to strike with one blow after another. Camelia could only guess they were using a battering ram at this point given the sudden power behind the hits. The soldiers who were manning the barricade wouldn’t be able to keep up. Another six strikes and everyone in the office was fair game. Camelia began to sweat as she felt her body lurch forward from another impact. 

“Keep holding!” Camelia commanded with utter ferocity. 

As soon as the words were shouted, suddenly--like ghosts returning to the land of the dead--all became silent on the other side of the door. Not one war cry nor the mighty echo of of a gun going off could be heard. It was an eerie silence. Like one that would arrive after somebody took their last breath. Camelia’s mind was rushing fast. She didn’t know if she should’ve been terrified, relieved, or both. 

Slowly one by one, Camelia, the soldiers, councilmen, and ambassadors moved away from the barricade. Each cautiously eyed the tables, shelves, and other items they had used at the last second. Nothing moved, nor gave indication that pressure was coming from the opposing faction. 

“Madam Secretary,” One of the councilmen spoke up. “What should we do now--” 

Boom. 

An explosive barge swung the doors wide open. Pieces of wood and debris splintered off as the barricade had become a chaotic mess. Camelia threw up her arms to shield her face. There was a split second during the commotion where she had the epiphany perhaps this wasn’t the wisest choice. Gods, she envisioned how it would go down: the rebels would crawl through, and she’d meet her end by a sword to the stomach or to the throat. The rebels weren't feeling mercy's justice to put a bullet through her skull, that was certain.

A minute later, when neither came, Camelia cautiously lowered her arms. To her bewilderment, she saw Imperial soldiers running through and securing the area. To her left she watched as the wounded were tended to. To the right, the Imperial ambassadors were preparing for escort. 

“What in the six hells…?” 

“Your valiant heroes have arrived to your aid!” Ardyn exclaimed with his arms gestured out in a grandiose display of dominance. He smirked knowingly at the fact he interrupted Camelia mid thought while he stood where the doors once were. 

“Chancellor!” Camelia exclaimed. 

“At your service as always, Madam Secretary!” He lowered his arms and grimaced while side stepping out of the way of a corpse that was near his feet. “A word of caution, you may want to tip your servicemen handsomely for the clean up later. There's quite a bloodbath to be reckoned with!” 

Camelia glared. “Is this really the time to be meandering, Chancellor?” 

Ardyn looked up and smiled as he made himself at home. “My sincerest apologies! It’s not everyday people in power like ourselves are handling the strife of the common people taking up arms. By the way, you’re quite welcome for the impeccable timing on my part. Your humble adversaries were inches away from tumbling through your little fortress.” 

“You have the gratitude of everyone in this room I’m sure, Chancellor,” Camelia sighed as she began to compose herself. While the immediate danger was more or less purged, she still had her guard up around Ardyn naturally so. For all she knew, he could take advantage of this calamity for his own gains. “After the last attack it was discussed all Imperials and associates were to evacuate Altissa. How did you end up getting caught in the quarrel?” 

“As wise folk once said, plans change.” Ardyn sighed. He glanced around the chambers, making note of the damages and wounded every so often. After accounting for the necessaries he hummed before responding further. “I couldn’t very well leave my fellow countrymen behind to a gruesome fate! That wouldn’t bear well on my conscience, and I strongly felt running off would’ve soiled the relations we painstakingly built with the marriage ceremony.” 

“I’d argue your reasoning was beyond reckless,” Camelia was about to issue a counter response, but alas relented. Accusing Ardyn of only serving his best interests wouldn’t help the current situation. Especially not when he validated it himself. 

“In any case,” Camelia began. “It’s good you’re alive and well.” 

Ardyn grinned momentarily, basking at hearing Camelia confess such a beautiful lie. “And likewise to you! Would it be too much trouble to ask at this moment, how history repeated itself today?”

Camelia furrowed her brows. “Beg pardon?” 

“Allow me to rephrase, how did this all come to pass with the same group that attacked earlier this week?" 

“Well,” Camelia rubbed her head while she ruminated. She was finding it difficult to retrace her steps. Her mind still disturbed at how it all transpired so quick that not even her personal attendants could react fast enough. “I was in chamber two officiating the documents you had sent over by phone, and shortly received word there was a brawl happening in the main courtyard. Next thing I knew, my men were commanding a lockdown, and here we are."

Ardyn frowned while he tutted. The disdain on Camelia’s face from his action didn’t go unnoticed as he let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, flicking out pieces of debris and gods knew what else he collected during battle. 

“It seems I have more cards in my hand,” Ardyn mused to himself. He gestured before Camelia could interject. “This little stunt by the anti-imperialists was a staged coup to usurp your powers and that of the councils.”

Camelia’s eyes widened as she felt her blood run cold. She knew he was telling the truth. Even if the rebels hadn't outright stated their intentions, Camelia and everyone in this room felt it. “Are you absolutely certain?" 

“I’d hold my tongue if I were not.” Ardyn admitted. 

“Where did you gather this information?” 

“I eavesdropped of course, while finding a way to reach you!” Ardyn said as if it were painfully obvious, but with a charismatic jive that lessened the blow. “Angered men surprisingly love the art of conversation. I’m sure you can validate my claim after interrogating the survivors who are left. I’d stake my life on it, Madam Secretary.” 

“That explains it then…”

“Hmm?” Ardyn studied Camelia for a time, noting how unsettled she was growing by the second. Whatever clicked into place unnerved her a great deal. Daresay she seemed reluctant to share the revelation that arrived. However, Ardyn knew she wouldn’t be so bold to deny sensitive information that could compromise both parties. Not even if she loathed him. It was a matter of when not if she would say something. 

“There was a group of people who allegedly stormed into the House of the Courts while the brawl was being tended to.” Camelia clarified. 

“A small group?” Ardyn asked. He was quite surprised at how forthcoming she was.

Camelia nodded. “I was reported a headcount between five and eleven unknown bodies before our communication systems were destroyed. They bore red emblems on their shoulders, black uniforms. I don’t think they were part of main show. That's my guess anyhow.”

“Madam Secretary, a word if you’d please!” One of the councilmen called out, garnering Camelia’s attention.

“Excuse me for one moment, Chancellor.” 

Ardyn couldn’t have been more relieved than now to see Camelia venture off, for he felt dread tip toe down his spine. Of course it had to be MedZin. Of course their presence was no mere coincidence the first time nor second, and of course he should’ve been more attentive to the threat.

Ardyn made a fist while mentally begrudging himself. By being so caught up in personal affairs, and considering the anti-imperialist fiasco more or less Camelia’s problem, he neglected to truly consider how dangerous even a small handful of these people were. As Adagium, he had to give credit where it was due: the folk who worked for MedZin were cunning like the very daemons that ran amok in his head, but as a man, his pride was beyond wounded. For a moment, Ardyn felt like he was losing his touch. 

“Chancellor,” Camelia spoke out, snapping Ardyn out of his thoughts. 

“Yes?”

“The bride from our arrangement has been transported to the hospital with her husband, our good Senator Rodrick. They were caught in the crossfire while on their way to their honeymoon.” 

“What’s their respective statuses?” 

“Critical condition for the bride, and minor injuries for the senator.” 

Ardyn briefly recalled spying in on the conversation Y/N had with the bride last night. Mixed feelings churned while the gentle exchange between the two ran through his mind. For the moment, he was at odds with himself before arriving at a decision. 

“I’ll personally see to it that their medical expenses are paid for. You have my word.”

Camelia huffed. “And I assume you wish for something in turn?” 

Ardyn shrugged. “Consider it an act of goodwill, courtesy of the empire.”

“Charity then?” 

“The bride was one of our own,” Ardyn countered. He made a face and muttered. “And to have such tragedy befall on what was supposed to be an enchanting day perhaps tugged at a heartstring.”

“Whatever your reasons, I’m sure the Senator will be most grateful.” Camelia assured. She was about to ask Ardyn how he managed to storm the House of the Courts with so few men, until an Accordo trooper beckoned interruption. 

“A pardon Madam Secretary, Chancellor Izunia--” He was near out of breath and swallowed when Camelia gestured to compose himself. “We just received a piece of vital information concerning how the anti-imperialists bypassed security. The group of men in black who were aiding them have been caught on camera exploiting the clearances.”

Camelia let out a breath, feeling her nerves quake. “They could’ve easily killed us then in one go had they proceeded further.” 

“But they didn’t,” The trooper reassured. “Sources are reporting they made retreat soon as they cracked our defenses, and let the anti-imperialists through. Apparently, we weren’t their target.”

Ardyn remained composed, however, inside he was falling apart at the seams. The word target repeated over and over until the very shell of his right ear twitched from aggravation. Like a bell going off, he realized the target had been either Y/N or himself. Before his concern for Y/N grew any further, a dull ache started to coil in his chest. It slithered like a serpent, and with each touch of its scales, burned all that lay upon its path. His right hand trembled as he brought it to his chest, all the while attempting to keep up appearances. 

“Chancellor Izunia?” 

“I’m alright,” Ardyn lied. He turned his back to Camelia and the trooper. “It must be a minor wound I sustained.” 

While he tried to soothe himself, Ardyn looked up. From afar outside the doors, he saw Loqui accompanying one of the battalion captains. He excused himself rather quick, and approached the men. Before the captain or Loqui could conduct pleasantry, Ardyn gestured for them to withhold as his eyes bore into the younger man. 

“Did you to tend to Y/N? Did you see them?”

“Yeah, I did.” Loqui nodded. He worriedly glanced over Ardyn, noticing his brow was sweating. “Chancellor, are you okay?”

“Never mind that,” Ardyn replied firmly. “Is Y/N on an airship as we speak?" 

“Y/N and Tuti went to the ports together,” Loqui began. He felt so nervous suddenly that he almost stumbled on his words. “The hotel, everything was on fire. We had been attacked. We evacuated everybody that we could to--”

“Attacked?” Ardyn interrupted. “What do you mean the hotel was attacked?” 

“This morning,” Loqui stated. “It was attacked shortly after word spread about what was happening at the House of the Courts. As soon as Tuti and I found Y/N, I had them follow the evacuation caravan to the ports.” 

“And knowing all this, you saw fit to leave them both to fate?!” Ardyn yelled. 

“They were in no danger!”  

“How would you know that, you aren’t with them?!” 

“Sir, Tummelt was summoned to join the battalion as soon as everybody had been evacuated from the lodging--”

Ardyn held up a finger to the captain. “Not another word!” 

“Yes sir, er--sorry sir!” 

Ardyn felt his patience running thin, as a deep rage that didn’t belong to himself began to manifest more as the pain increased. The scourge itself was screeching with potent fear. Y/N was in a losing battle with their body, and Ardyn felt each and every stab that came with it. He quickly brushed aside Loqui and the captain, walking fast through one of the main corridors and ignored the sudden pleads of Camelia and the others for him to remain. 

"Chancellor!" Loqui shouted as he sprinted after after him. "If I didn't think for one moment Y/N was capable of making it to the airships, I would've gladly abandoned my post and--!"

“Shut up!” Ardyn yelled as he turned his head to the side. He didn't bother to address the shocked faces left behind from his outburst. All he could focus on was this profound sense of anguish that called out to him like a siren luring a man to his fate at the bottom of the sea. He couldn't resist the melancholic sound even if he tried. Not when he knew, no--not when he felt that Y/N was slipping away. Little by little, he could feel it. Their consciousness being consumed by the miasma that highjacked their body for it's own devices; a fate worse than death. He felt the grips of a panic attack breach his defenses as he sprinted without pause. 

Y/N was becoming one with the daemonic hivemind, and he was running out of time. 

[ithinkthiswasabadidea]

I am not God (of War)'s strongest soldier, I don't think I'll be able to 100% everything I want to get to because the Valkyrie fights make me want to hurl my controller out the window, and Niflheim is mindnumbing 😭😭 bro I am NOT up for grinding 70 fucking thousand mist echoes 😭💀💀💀

Gonna finish the story and maybe try and complete Midgard's objectives 👍

[krankittoeleven]

Niflheim // The Nine Realms // God of War Ragnarök

It was many ages before the earth was shaped that the Mist-World was made; and midmost within it lies the well that is called Hvergelmir from which spring many rivers. - Gylfaginning

[magnusmodig]

— on the nine realms ; a general study of asgard .

aka vi's world-building reference .

The following details are what I consider to be canon for the Nine Realms. This is primarily based on what we know from the MCU, some minor spinoffs (the thor video game comes to mind), concept art + screenplays and some inspirations pulled from the marvel comics (no particular runs just in general)

It's what I'll be referencing when Thor speaks of the Nine Realms, specific planets within them, and Asgard.

THE NINE REALMS (general.)

The following are all the known realms under Asgardian Protection (pulled from the MCU.) Technically there are 10 realms but only 9 if you don't count Asgard.

Asgard || A flat planet also known as 'the realm eternal' . Home of the Asgardians . Asgard resides in its own pocket dimension in deep space and can only be accessed by wormholes. The center of Yggdrasil .

Vanaheim || Sister planet to Asgard . Where the Vanir (sister species) live . Also where skraelings, some breeds of trolls, and mire giants live . (hc : frigga's homeland.) Where hogun is from.

Alfheim || Home of the Light Elves . Highly magically inclined . To the north live the Falligrians and Falligar the Behemoth .

Svartalflheim/Harudheen || Home of the Dark Elves . Once prosperous, Svartalfheim and its surrounding planets have been completely corrupted by Dark Matter . The Dark Elves (and all other life) are now extinct, with a barren land destroyed by war and the Aether (reality stone) .

Muspelheim || Realm of fire. Where Surtur lives. Various Infernir live here . (Infernir also known as Fire Demons and Fire Giants.) Home to The Infernal Forge and a material called "Scabrite" . Scabrite makes up all Muspelheim's armor and weapons . It can absorb incredible amounts of heat .

Niflheim || A realm of the mists and cold . Helheim exists within the depths of Niflheim . Notoriously, Niflheim's legends say that the spirits of the dishonorable dead and the damned travel the dense fogs there . Hela was banished to Helheim, sealed in the Cave of Ages .

Jotunheim || Realm of the Frost Giants and eternal ice and snow . Led by King Laufey . A portion of Jotunheim was destroyed by Loki during the events of "Thor" (2011) .

Nidavellir || A small planet built around a neutron star . Where King Eitri and the dwarves live. The birthplace of urdu metal and its enchanted objects and weapons, including the Infinity Gauntlet, Gungnir, Mjolnir and Stormbreaker .

Midgard || A realm surrounded by its own solar system with 8 other planets. The main inhabitants of Midgard reside on Earth . Home of the Avengers and Jane Foster. A known host of a wellspring of the 'water of sights' that is connected to the Nornns.

Nornheim/Urðarbrunnr || Presumably: a realm connected to the nornns/water of sights, that is inhabited by other beings beyond the nornns , such as rock trolls. (it's implied the nornns themselves are kept to the waters and are semi-supernatural beings.) Filled with forests , swamps , and large mountains .

ASGARD (overview.)

A flat planet with a top side and a bottom side. Topside features various biomes including but not limited to: forests, mountains and cliffs, deep mines and cave systems, jungles, beaches, and small deserts. The bottom plane of Asgard is host to large crystal structures. (hc: mined and utilized as energy sources and magic storage for spells, weapons, and various other mechanisms throughout Asgard.)

Has day and night cycles, an atmosphere, and various weather patterns. Yearly consists of two (and a half) seasons. Its primary two are summer and spring. (Summer has warm days and evenings/nights that result in easily-melting flingsnö , or a light and powdery falling snow.) Spring (Asgard's longest season), is most hallmarked by its near-perpetual twilight hours. Asgard also exhibits some signs of the beginning of fall, which presumably a farmer's season of rest, but Asgard itself does not experience cold snaps or winters.

Asgard boasts a vast series of waterfalls, rivers, and fjords, though all ultimately lead to, and end in, the Sea of Space. The central city is built around and above these waterways.

The Bifrost spans from the Palace of Valskjalf to Himinbjorg, the Bifrost's observatory. This bridge spans the broad length of the Sea of Space, and reveals the cosmos of space the farther out towards the observatory one travels.

Asgard has 1 sun (that orbits around Asgard perpendicularly), 2 (stationary) moons that can be seen during the day.

Asgard's main colors are red and gold. Its main symbol is the celtic triquetra (sometimes also referred to as the trinity knot.)

Asgard uses all forms of viking art styles, but its main three consist of: Jellinge Style, Mammen Style, and especially Urnes Style .

ASGARD (places.)

Locations in Asgard (based on the 1960s comics - present comics. Not comic or mcu accurate obvsly but i'm taking liberties and referencing what I can within reason.)

Valaskjalf - (hc'd) name of the city of Asgard. It houses the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf where Thor + co live. The palace gardens are run by the Queen of Asgard (currently: Frigga) and are called Fólkvangr. Within the great city of Valaskjalf is the Hall of Science, within which is a great ash tree representing Yggdrasil, and acting as an observatory of the Nine Realms.

Himinbjorg - Heimdall's observatory, which can only work upon use of Hofund, an uru-made sword wielded by Heimdall.

The Sea of Space - the name of the sea that stretches from the Asgardian fjords and out into the void of space (also synonymous with "the void of Yggdrasil".)

Gundershelm - the mining region of Asgard. From here can be found the descent into the crystal caves beneath Asgard, known as the Glade of Crystals. A series of waterfalls and great fjord surrounds this place. The crystals begin to form even outside of the mouth of the mining caves descending down. Hence the name 'glade' of crystals, as the fjord looks something like an open patch in a field of snow from above and afar. Therein also lies the Amethyst Cavern and Boulder Road (which is said to span all the way past Varinheim into Skornheim. The trek can be dangerous due to how long it is, and its intense heat.) One of the more popular mines, the "Mines of Andvari" also is here in Gundershelm.

Varinheim - the mountainous area of Asgard, where the asgardian wolves dwell, amongst other hazardous beasts. Varinheim is where the Trials of Virtue (an Asgardian 'coming of age' trial) is held. It is often filled with mists from the snowy peaks far overhead, and the more uncommonly traveled lands are referred to by commoners as the 'land of the lost'. Hreidmar's Hol is deep within the land of the lost, which is a mysterious valley Asgardians dare not pass into for long. Here there is a strange old man called Hardol who is an ancient healer.

Ringsfjord - a merchant town nestled in one of Valakjalf's fjords. It's a place where the finest smithies and weapons makers make their shops, as well as magical enchanters. Legends have it that four enchanter brothers named Brona, Enrakt, Forsung and Magnir lived in Ringsjford, and that Brona was one of the first Asgardians to discover the rifts between realms. (One of which was named 'Brona's Barrier'.) But Brona's discoveries had long since been lost to time, especially after the creation of the Bifrost (until Loki, an equally adept sorcerer, was able to rediscover the passageways between realms for himself). Their forge is called "Forge of the Sons of Ivaldi" and boasts some of the finest asgardian-made weapons in the city.

Skornheim - another old and magic-rife land that's filled to the brim with danger. Including but not limited to; dense swamp-woods, quicksand, spiny plants (called 'nightmare plants'). The most important point of interest here is Skornheim's Stronghold which is a surviving ruin from the first battles against Surtur.

Gymirsgard - west of Skornheim. To reach Gymirsgard, one would have to traverse through the dense forest/swamps and brave the threat of unusually large water-dragons the likes of the fabled Jormangundir.

[experimentjr]

Ok, for a long long time I've been wanting to draw the map of realms from my AU and this drawing took me so long to finish that I dropped it halfway through BUT I finally picked it up again and finished!!! I present to you: 

Yggdrasil and its realms

In my AU, there are 14 known realms and among them, we have:

Sólmani, the realm of Sun and Moon and the kingdom of Dellingr, deity of day/night;

Viðbláinn, the new place for the remaining humans and gods after Ragnarök;

Andlangr, the “bunker” for all humans when Ragnarök happens;

Asgard, realm of the Æsir gods. Here we have Valhalla, Valaskjálf and Hliðskjálf, Þrúðvangr and Bilskirnir, Fensalir AKA Sökkvabekkr, Breiðablik, Glitnir, Himinbjörg, Belivalr mountain and Ýdalir, Iðavöllr and Glaðsheimr and Vingólf, Hvergelmir river, Lanvidi, Nóatún, Hildarvangr.

Vanaheim of the Vanir gods. A place full of magic and where the first witches came. Here you can find Fólkvangr and Sessrúmnir just to name a few. It’s the place of rest of a giant who fell in the hands of Lilith, turning into Vanaheim upon his death. The Ylgr river flows through Vanaheim and bathes the giant skeleton of the realm.

Midgard is Earth, where most of “Hilda and The Allmother” characters came from. Among thousands upon thousands of known places, few stand out. They are: Trolberg, Toføten, Vanæsvalr AKA Hexental, Gnipahellir, Húnaland, Hreiðgotaland, Gästrikland, Bjarmaland, mountain Rerir, mountain Hár, mountain Halldór, Munnin’s peak, Járnviðr forest, Myrkviðr forest, Nótt forest, Huldraforest, Steinnharr and Jötunnstone, Björgfjord and Björd lake and Liten, the ruins of Whiteridge castle, Byrstrfossen, Towe's tower, the Highwood, Philosopher's Watch, The Signalhan's barrow, Possegrim, Fjörm, Fimbulþul and Sylgr triplet rivers just to name a few.

Jötunheim, the realm of giants of old. Hnitbjörg, Útgarðar, Fjällenótt, Þrymheimr, Vimur AKA Við and Hríð river are few of the most famous locations on the realm. When the giants left Midgard, they went to Jötunnheim.

Muspelheim, is the realm of fire and magma and where Surtr lives. Vígríðr and Eldrhellir are two of the most famous places of the realm. The river of molten metal, Leiptr, flows through Muspelheim and leads to Svartalfheim, where the dwarves can use the metal to forge.

Helheim is the realm of the dead and where the ship of the dead Naglfari sails. Niflheim is located here and the entrance to Niflheim. The Gjöll river cuts the land of the living from the land of the dead and where the Gjallarbrú bridge stands above, protected by Angrboða and Garmr. There’s another river, the Sliðr and lastly, the Svöl river from where the Náströnd is born. The Éljúðnir hall, home of Helgeisten and his daughters is the last known place.

Ránarheim is the realm of the drowned. This is where all drown people go to rest and the kingdom of Rán. Hríð rive from Jötunnheim leads to this realm. Gunnþrá is the second river from where the drown can use to go to Ránarheim.

Gefheim, the immense fields where Gef uses to plow the dirt with her oxen children. All of those who died virgin go to Gefheim to become he oxen. She’s the responsible for rowing giants portions of land for humans to settle. The river that flows through Gefheim and nourishes all plants and gardens is Vimur river, that flows through Jötunheim

Svartalfheim is the second darkest realm to live. There you will find the dwarves, where they can mine from the caves to forge all of their itens. It’s connects Niflheim to Muspelheim by a hidden entrance. Its most famous kingdom is Niðavellir and where the molten metal river Leiptr ends.

Niflheim, the realm of mist and darkness and the prison of Lilith and Níðhöggr, alongside other monstrous dragons who gnaws on the roots of Yggdrasil. There, móðguðr and the three nornir Valkyries Skuld, Svipul AKA Urðr and Verðandi fight with the dragons. There you will find the Náströnd river, the Mímisbrunnr, Urðarbrunnr and Hvergelmir wells protected by the nornir and Níðhöggr’s lair: Niðafjöll.

At last, Ginnungagap, where Yggdrasail and Svartrfligr, “the eternal black” live. A neverending space that leads to nowhere and from where the Éligávar river was born. Frozen by Niflheim’s coldness and evaporated by Muspelheim heat, all life began at this river and this river runs through all of Yggdrasil, flooding the realms with life. From Éligávar, tons of rives flow, among them we have: Hvergelmir, Sliðr, Vimur, Ylgr, Hríð, Gunnþrá, Fjörm, Fimbulþul, Sylgr, Leiptr, Svöl.

I really hope you people like it and I’m so sorry it took me this long to post. Hope the next doesn’t take as long.