The Magic of Asgard

The Power of the Nine Worlds:

The Great Rune or Asgardian Pattern

  • The Asgardian Pattern is the fabric that binds the nine worlds together and empowers them.  It stretches throughout those lands, and, unlike many other worlds across Creation, its power is not constrained to only those descended from the royal families of Chaos.  All of the rulers of the Nine Worlds have access to it in one form or another and many powerful creatures (such as the dragons and some trolls) draw upon it as well.
  • The Asgardian Pattern is the source of magical strength in the form of the seidr sorceries and the Runes of Power.  Without an understanding of these powers, framed within the paths defined by the Asgardian Sign, any who attempt to perform magical Workings find their efforts weak and ineffectual.
  • The Great Rune of Asgard is the personification of the Yggdrassil concept.  It is omni-present throughout the worlds and has reflections within each.  The primary races of each world are tied to this power and draw influence and abilities from it, much the same as members of the Family.  As local Shadow creatures, however, these abilities tend to be heavily restricted to those Shadows where the Asgardian Pattern holds sway.  That said, particularly strong individuals may be able to surpass that limitation.  As Asgard grows in strength, the likelihood of this happening grows.
  • Characters and NPCs used to flaunting their abilities over more common inhabitants of Shadow should take note that the denizens of these lands are very capable of meeting them on even footing, if not defeating them outright.

Balance

 The concept of Balance exists in Asgard as a real thing.  The very nature of the Nine Worlds actively resists efforts to subdue the native peoples and forcing the Worlds into some overly civilized existence.  In the beginning, Oberon created the Worlds to be rough lands, living in and through conflict, and constantly in a cycle of birth/death/rebirth.  Those who seek to change this will find Asgard itself rising up to deal with them.  In Asgard, everyone exists at the whim and in the service of the Great Rune.  Those who forget that do so at their very great peril.

Magic

The Source of Magic

Magic in Asgard springs from the Pattern.  Mages attempting to tap into this power within Asgard are made successful at the whim of the Great Rune, and, in keeping with its efforts to support the Balance, this access may or may not be granted.  In general, however, the greater one’s relationship with Asgard’s Pattern, the stronger the ability to channel its power.  Those without such a relationship (i.e. having walked the Asgardian Pattern) will find their magical abilities seriously weakened.  Power words will be little more than fireworks, and even the most powerful mages will find their spells able to be countered by those significantly weaker than them.

Types of Magic

All magics in Asgard are powered through the cycle of Creation and Destruction embodied by the Great Rune. Closer attunement to the Rune grants the ability to draw upon greater levels of power and more impressive capabiliities.  Similarly, those who attempt to draw power from the Great Rune do so using a series of methods of varying effectiveness. These include:
Runes The 24 runes of the Elder Futhark
Ritual Formal, often time consuming, ceremonies leveraging belief and often containing elements of sacrifice and natural powers/locations.  Most effective when tied to the runes.
Sacrifice The dedicated destruction of resources used to forge a connection to the Great Rune.  The strength of the connection is directly tied to the value of the sacrifice.
Tapping into Natural Power Sources  Leveraging power provided (willingly or otherwise) by channeling the proxied power of external sources of mystical energy.  This may include Ley Lines, Places of Power, and vaettir.

Magics within Asgard most often tend to fall into one of four common forms:

Type of Magic Description Notes
Galdr – Noble Magic The magic of the learned rune master.  True wizardry that accesses the Great Rune through the 24 symbols given by Odin. Available for PC use.  Mechanics still being developed as we go.
Seiðr – The Way of the Goði A form of mentalism that focuses upon mind reading, control, and communication.  It accesses the power of the Great Rune using ritual and sacrifice. Available for limited PC use and still being developed.
Gremja – Grudge Magic This “grudge” magic deals in the casting of blessings and curses. Available for limited PC use and still being developed.
Hringir – The Witted Way A form of naming magic that uses True Names to influence others.  The effects of this form of magic are tied to the wielder’s knowledge of True Names. Available for limited PC use and still being developed.

The Runes of Odin

If the Pattern is the battery that powers Asgardian magic, the Runes of Odin are the instructions for its use.  Even the greatest users of magic must understand and accept this.  Those without an ability to work the runic magics of the Nine Worlds will face an insurmountable wall that will never be climbed.  For all but the most magical of creatures, the runes are the language of power.

Known Magical Items of Asgard

  • The Grove – The Grove is a magically grown area of thick forest surrounding a massive, sprawling oak.  It is upon this tree that those coming to try their fate in gaining access to Asgard’s Great Rune are “Hanged.”

 

  • Runestones – Magical stones, each bearing engraved runes and swirling segments that could be aspects of the Great Rune itself, placed throughout the Iron Ring.

  • Ward Stones – Magical focal fetishes used by Rune Masters to aid in the forming and casting of spells.

  • Weapons – Many named weapons have been created in Asgard, including:
    • Gungnir
    • Mjolnir
    • Skofnung
    • Dainslief
    • Angurvadal
    • Skidbaldnir
    • Hofund
    • Gjallarhorn

 

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