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Work In Progress Children of the All-Father

Major Faction

Thurion Heavenshield

The Lion King
Thurion Heavenshield
Character Bio
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From left to right: All-Father Odiir, King of Beornskald, and his three children: Helm the Warrior, Huntress Éar, and Velkar the Trickster.​

OUT-OF-CHARACTER INFORMATION
GENERAL INFORMATION
  • Religion Name: Children of the All-Father
  • Religion Type: Polytheist
  • Influence: Planetary
  • Influence Area: Midvinter
  • Symbol: Though there are many symbols used, such as the Spear of Odiir, the Sword of Helm, or the Hammer of Teign, these all connect to one specific god within the pantheon. The symbol for the religion as a whole is the Golden Gates of Beornskald, depicting the fabled entrance to the afterlife where those deemed worthy go upon death to feast and fight with heroes past in the company of the gods.

  • Description: Children of the All-Father is the most prominent religion found on planet Midvinter, intrinsic to Valkyri society and culture. It is founded on the belief that the High God Odiir, Father-of-All, alongside a pantheon of fellow deities, created the world and all its inhabitants. Based on ancient tales passed down from one generation to the next, depictions and interpretations evolve over the centuries along with the Valkyri species. It places heavy emphasis on leading a life of honour and glory, centred around being accepted into Beornskald - the Realm of the Gods - as one passes from this life into the next. Displaying valour in battle and achieving great deeds are in the heart of every practitioner.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
  • Founder: Valkyri religion is based on stories told around the campfire. Stories about great warriors and terrible monsters, of gods and giants, and their ultimate demise. There are no written records on when exactly these stories turned first started being told, but it is safe to assume it was somewhere within the first few generations of the Valkyri following the species' adoption by the already established Beorni people. There was no named prophet or wise man, but it can be assumed their beliefs did not blossom into a full-fledged religion until the events of the Great Sundering when the belligerent Valkyri took up arms and ousted the pacifist Beorni as undisputed masters of the land, citing religious differences as their reason why.

  • Membership: Simply believing in the gods' existence is enough to be considered a member, however, as an outsider many natives would likely doubt one's devotion. Children are raised from birth by their parents through the retelling of old tales, shaping their perceptions that the seemingly divine acts really took place, thus the gods themselves must be real.

  • Sacred: There are no physical places or items considered sacred by this religion, save for the likenesses of the gods. Statues, carvings, paintings, or any similar work of art depicting a god or a legendary hero is considered sacred; however, it is worth mentioning there are no actual laws prohibiting the destruction of said works of art other than the disapproval of one's peers. It is instead believed that the god in question will incur their wrath upon the perpetrator, be it through some curse or unfortunate accident. The worst punishment of all is being denied access to Beornskald, the Valkyri afterlife, upon death, as one's soul is left to wander eternally without the hope of finding peace.

  • Dogma: In the early days of the Valkyri, following their violent rise to power and the tragic banishment of the Beorni, religion was much more prevalent in shaping the culture of its practitioners. Human sacrifices and thralls (slaves) were commonplace, and indeed religiously motivated, for it was believed that the gods would only accept blood and that exerting power over others was a sure way to reach Beornskald upon death. It would take many centuries and millennia for thralldom to be abandoned as a practice, and for human sacrifices to be considered abominable.

    Depictions of the gods themselves would come to change over time as well, going from ruthless, bloodthirsty tyrants to a far more benevolent force as the species and society evolved, maturing into something far more presentable. Since their religion is based on storytelling, the people have the power to bestow traits on the gods as they see fit; as enough people retell these stories and interpretations spread, these new traits eventually become the standard depiction.

    Today's Valkyri place much more emphasis on personal bravery, the duty to king and country, and respectful conduct. Society is much more secular than it once was, with religious tenets serving more as a guideline than actual law. Since the coming of Thrand Dawnbringer and his sons ushering in the Age of the Three Fathers, virtues such as honour, humility, and personal sacrifice have risen to prominence as the people are drawn to emulate their sovereign's demeanour.

  • Reputation: The Valkyri pantheon is not a widely spread system of beliefs outside of the world of Midvinter; rare occurrences exist where a group of Valkyri have broken off from the homeworld and sought their future among the stars, settling on some remote world but maintaining their devotion to the gods. The most prolific member of the Valkyri as a species is undoubtedly Thurion Heavenshield, whose name carried weight on a galactic scale long before he was even made aware of his heritage, and as such is likely the most well-known practitioner of the religion of his ancestors, while also adhering to the Code of the Jedi.
MEMBERS
All Valkyri born on Midvinter are raised into believing in the All-Father, and should therefore be considered members. Since there are no religious titles or hierarchies, every man is merely considered a practitioner of the religion. A few actively roleplayed characters (PC or NPC) worth mentioning are:
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
According to the ancient tales, the first Valkyri are said to have dwelled in caves, hewn from stone and shaped into the likeness of the gods before being brought to life following the creation of the world. It is said that as long as there have been Valkyri, the All-Father has been there to shepherd them, even though historically the worship of the gods likely did not turn into a proper religion until after the Beorni were defeated and exiled, leaving Mankind as the supposed rulers of the land. It is also likely that the very first mention of divine beings capable of superhuman feats served chiefly as entertainment for the first few generations, before later being spoken of as undeniable truth and subsequently turned into a set of beliefs.

As the Valkyri rose to power, so did their religious beliefs. While citing "religious differences" as justification for their uprising against the peaceful Beorni, the actual reasons for the bloodshed were more likely political in nature, or perhaps done out of something as simple as jealousy. Their belligerent nature, tempered by their beliefs and poisoned by greed and ambition, drove them to take up arms to fulfil their base desire for power.

For the next few millennia, the Valkyri would fight among themselves, clan against clan, urged on by the old tales stating that only those with the biggest body count were allowed to sit at the All-Father's side in the afterlife. During these dark times, the gods were portrayed as ruthless and bloodthirsty, said to require human sacrifices in order to receive their blessings. Surviving members of a defeated clan were taken as war loot and turned into thralls whose lives had no longer had any worth to free Valkyri and were treated worse than rats. A free man could freely kill thralls without repercussions, as it only added to their body count.

Slowly but surely, as Mankind matured as a species, perceptions of the gods began to change. Stories moved away from detailing their lust for blood or tyrannical tendencies and instead depicted these beings as a more benevolent force, with the All-Father becoming more of a wise old man whose actions are centred around protecting His children. As these interpretations spread, eventually becoming the norm, so too did Valkyri culture change. Slavery was abolished, and human sacrifices became animal sacrifices. Later still even this practice was fully abolished.

Gradually, Valkyri society turned more and more secular. What had once been law instead became tradition; encouraged but not enforced. The worship of the All-Father and the pantheon of gods took on a more personal nature, where each man is allowed to give praise and worship in their own way so long as it wasn't illegal. Instead of actively seeking the gods' approval, it was the everyday actions that dictated whether one was deserving of their goodwill; quality of character, rather than quantity of spilt blood. Valour in battle was still chief among the tenets, however, the way in which one fought and showed respect to one's foes was just as important.

These virtues would evolve further still as Thrand Dawnbringer fought his rebellion against the Usurper King, winning back the crown that was his by right. His reign would go on to place honour and duty to Midvinter as a whole ahead of the petty squabbles that had impaired the Valkyri for so long, and as such these same virtues would become part of their beliefs. Following the King's sacrificial death, Thrand was elevated to the status of godhood, appearing in stories as the Lord of Sunlight - the first time a mortal man ascended to divinity.

With the Dawnbringer's passing and subsequent memorialisation through the creation of a statue, ancestral worship became common practice. In the past, even High Kings were not immortalised by depicting their likenesses - only the gods were granted that honour. Seeing how Thand's family mourned their great patriarch so openly and with such heartfelt emotion, it inspired the people to honour their own ancestors in a similar fashion. Shrines devoted to past family members sprung up everywhere, in every household. While not an enforced practice by any means, to sully one's family name or speak ill of an honoured ancestor is nowadays culturally shunned by one's peers.

The reigns of Thyrian Hearthfire and Thurion Heavenshield respectively would build on their esteemed father's legacy, advocating unity and loyalty to each other as well as the other races of Midvinter. Today the Children of the All-Father are stronger than ever; sins of the past are forgiven but not forgotten, serving as a dark reminder that they can, should, and need to be better than their ancestors. It is a rare example where culture influences religion, rather than the opposite.

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From left to right: Queen Runa, Teign the Blacksmith, Sun-Lord Thrand, and the fallen Gríma.​
 
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