#Álfheimr

[heikala]

Álfheimr 🌳✨

[thekeeperofbalance]

ft the fact that i plan on having a combination of rick's design of olympus & everything being in ny, but also keeping the mythology with its people (tho that's a bit nebulous, but whatever)-

aka camp half-blood stays in long island, yeah

camp jupiter? - still in california

but also: the world trade centre holds an entrance to olympus which is still on mt. olympus and the people do not need to leave their home continents to go to a safe place- olympus is still on olympus, the mountain, rome is still rome, etc- it's just the gods are no longer restricted, they are everywhere-

also kinda just like. rick did this for the egyptians and the norse??? why couldn't the greeks and the polytheistic romans (as compared to the christian/catholic romans) have multiple places of existence???

like. i'm also getting rid of the place-specific things, like álfheimr (alfheim) and niðavellir (nidavellir) not resembling boston and shit but also valhǫll (valhalla) and ásgarðr (asgard) being. like where they were modelled after in norse mythology-

also bye-bye bifrost bc that Did Not exist b4 like snorri sturluson-

actual norse mythology is super interesting, like immensely so-

rick did freyr & freyja so dirty- like, yeah, odin and thor were important, but. uhhhh ppl worshipped freyr & freyja as MUCH bc they were the FARMING gods and important

i feel like this post does a bit to establish my love for sociology, psychology, and anthropology- i love learning abt ppl it's amazing-

[broomsick]

A gratitude ritual to the elves

(For the autumn season!)

This is a ritual that I’ve created some two years ago, as a gesture of thanks and acknowledgement to the álfar as land spirits. It acts as the “closing ceremony” for the harvest season, so it could be fun for you to perform it on Samhain if you celebrate, or on your preferred date to perform the Álfablót. It’s made up of three major steps; the offering of drink, the offering of food and the burning of autumn symbols, all of which are separated by invocation and prayer. Without further ado, I will detail the ritual.

The first step? To bake/cook/prepare your offerings of food and drink. I think it’s important to incorporate local seasonal ingredients, as they come directly from the land you live on and therefore, can be considered gifts from the harvest Gods and spirits. Examples of seasonal drinks might be cider (apple juice also does the trick if you’re alcohol-free!), mead, mulled wine, spiced drinks and the like. Seasonal foods might be include apple, pumpkin, corn, squash, etc��

The final offering requires you to go and pick a few good, local symbols of autumn. These can be fallen leaves, helicopter seeds, fallen flowers… Basically anything that you know will burn well and which you won’t have to pluck directly from the tree or plant it comes from. If you grow herbs, fruits and/or veggies, it’s also possible to offer them up as well. I also write down on a piece of paper a few things I’m grateful to the álfar for.

Prepare a ritual bowl or cup in which to pour the offering of drink, a plate in which to place the food offerings, and a fireproof space in which to safely burn the autumn symbols (I use my cauldron).

Optional but fun: I line each plate up in the order drink-food-fire in an outside space and kneel before them to perform the ritual. I then light incense and anoint each plate with ritual rosemary oil, for purification and protection.

Invocation: “I call upon the spirits and guardians of my land. I call to me the people of Yngvi-Frej who dwell in Álfheimr. Come to me Hidden Ones, come and receive that which I humbly choose to give back, in thanks and as to show my gratitude.”

As you pour the offering of drink: “May you accept this libation, symbol of the water which flows under the earth and nourishes the soil. May you look with fondness upon me and those who dwell on your lands.”

As you offer the food: “May you accept this shared meal, symbol of the many gifts of the earth. May you bring forth favorable and plentiful seasons henceforth.”

As you burn the symbols of autumn: “Another harvest has passed, with your blessing and your protection. Noble elves who answer to the Vanir Son, I am grateful for the land that you share so generously with me and my loved ones. Please bless the soils to be bounteous for the coming year.”

I hope you all have a happy autumn season (or spring, if you live in the southern hemisphere!).

[bowldrips]

ALFHEIM | ÁLFHEIMR | WORLD OF THE ELVES 🍂

Big Print version of a panel I made for Verses of the Nine Worlds by Nico Solheim-Davidson (Pre-orders available until October 8th). The poems in it are Homeric and Orphic-inspired; so the panels represent the Nine Realms of Norse cosmo/mythology in a style inspired by Greek red/black-figure ceramics, Viking Age knotwork and petroglyphs.

Prints of these panels are available in my $hops (with free US shipping!)

ETSY | KO-FI | BOOK PRE-ORDER LINK

[teecupangel]

I'm back! Sorry for the long post, but did you know that elves, at one point, existed in the AC Universe. Until the Isu wiped them out. My question is, how would the elves screw over the Isu and their plans for Desmond if some of them survived?

Welcome back!

Uuuhhh, I'm not sure if your ask was eaten since this appears as short to me?

I tried looking into elves in AC wiki and this is the best I found out about them:

The Dökkálfar ("Dark Elves") and Ljósálfar ("Light Elves"), better known collectively as the Ancients by the Isu, are two contrasting types of elves in Norse mythology.

It's noted that:

The elves were a mysterious race which existed ages before the Isu and were immensely more advanced than the Isu themselves. Their race faced extinction when Surtr and his Muspels invaded and massacred all of the elves of Álfheimr.

And I just want to ask the person in Ubisoft in charge of this entire thing why. Just... why???

Adding another ancient civilization over the other ancient civilization is such an easy way to get tripped and fall deeper into a recursive "and then there's another older more advanced civilization after them" and I'm curious how they'd deal with that.

... or ignore it. It's Ubisoft, I won't be surprised. They still haven't answered the Eve thing from Desmond's saga. XD

Anywwaaaayyy...

The best way for the elves to screw the Isus over?

Manipulate the sequence of events necessary to bring Desmond into the world and make him an elf.

Or the nearest to an elf that a 21st century human can be.

In other words, turn him into what is the elf equivalent of a Sage...

A half-elf.

By changing his genetic makeup, they could make it impossible for Desmond to use any of the Isu devices (including the device to save the world). Maybe even make him an actual sage of a specific elf and make him less inclined to do the Isus' bidding.

Their greatest revenge and making everything the Isus worked for be for nothing.

And letting their final brethren live as the world burns.

[talonabraxas]

Nine Worlds of Yggdrasil Garden of Earthly Delights by Talon Abraxas

In ancient Norse mythology and cosmology, Yggdrasil is an immense tree that sprang forth in the primordial void of Ginnungagap, unifying the 9 worlds of Asgard, Álfheimr/Ljósálfheimr, Niðavellir/Svartálfaheimr, Midgard (Earth), Jötunheimr/Útgarðr, Vanaheim, Niflheim, Muspelheim & Hel.

[h3lfaerie]

Im curious if FMC is a fae. Would she have wings like other fae depictions ???

Traditionally, faeries are depicted with a wide variety of features.

Accounts of their appearance greatly vary depending on the region the beliefs have come from.

Keep in mind Irish, Scandinavian, Nordic and Celtic folklore may have common roots but they are all very different.

And in some instances the word 'Fae' can be used interchangeably with the word 'Elf' and/or as an umbrella term used to refer to a group of species belonging to the same family (the same way tigers, lions, and house cats are all objectively different but are also all felines).

-> For example, there are The Huldufólk or The Hidden People who are a race of elves that originate from Icelandic/Faroese Folklore. They behave much like humans and bear a strong resemblance to us, but they are also noteworthy for their natural ability to make themselves invisible at will.

(Engraving of a man jumping after a female elf into a precipice.)

-> In traditional Norse Mythology, you have the Álfar. The Ljósálfar ("Light Elves") and the Dökkálfar ("Dark Elves") who are two contrasting types of elves; the dark elves dwell within the earth and have a dark complexion, while the light elves live in Álfheimr (Alfheim), and are "fairer than the sun to look at". They are both attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in the late Old Norse poem Hrafnagaldr Óðins.

(“Oberon, Titania and Puck with Fairies Dancing” illustration by William Blake, c. 1786)

(“Älvalek” or “Elf Play” although the museum lists it as “Dancing Fairies” - oil painting by August Malmström 1866)

-> In Irish folklore, The Tuatha Dé Danann (meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu") are also known by their earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), because in some beliefs the Fae are Demoted Pagan Deities. They are described as a supernatural race, much like idealized humans, who are immune from ageing and sickness, and bear the ability to wield magic. The powers most often attributed to the Tuath Dé are control over the weather and the elements, and the ability to shapeshift.

(The Tuatha Dé Danann as depicted in John Duncan's Riders of the Sidhe - 1911)

All in all, in folklore, faeries actually rarely have wings, but they are often depicted with them in Victorian and later artworks.

(A portrait of a fairy, by Sophie Gengembre Anderson - 1869. The title of the painting is Take the Fair Face of Woman, and Gently Suspending, With Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending, Thus Your Fairy is Made of Most Beautiful Things – from a verse by Charles Ede.)

What I've noticed is that, in the traditional sense, fairies often fly using magic, or by perching on the backs of birds, ragwort stems, or other mythological creatures like dragons or gryphons.

And some depictions are vague enough to attest a certain attribute (like wings) as a creative liberty to a faerie that, say 'lives in the sky'.

But does that mean the Fae in early folklore do not have wings at all?

Absolutely not.

You see, thus far, I've only listed depictions of the Fae that are most reminiscent of the 'traditional Elf'. But have you ever heard of Leprechauns... Banshees... Changelings...Pixies... Mermaids...

Sprites, Goblins, Gnomes?

The freaking Headless Horseman?

Because they're all also faeries.

There are also faerie animals. Heard of Kelpies, anyone?

And quite frankly, it is not possible for me to summarize the scope, the depth and the richness of the cultures depicting these creatures with all of their variants. There are Eastern cultures, Western cultures, Indigenous cultures; I'm Bulgarian and my own culture has beliefs about faeries and Fae-like beings (the Slavs are a whole different ball game when it comes to that).

People dedicate their entire lives to become Folklorists and will still barely scratch the surface. All in all, there's just not one set of rules for the Fae, we can't amalgamize them into one thing, that's just not how it rolls.

So what can I say about my depiction of the Fae in Path of Alfheim?

Well... I have a ton of variety to play around with. 😁

My understanding is that the Fae all vary from each other depending on their lineage, their upbringing, their alignment, the territories and/or 'realms' that they inhabit. There are so many species out there that every shape and form you can possibly think of likely exists.

And besides the faeries that live on land, there are also lake folk, sea folk, mountain folk, valley folk, air folk, a specific corner of the room at night folk.

They can be spirits, ghosts, animals, monsters, elementals, demons, demoted angels, deities, human... It goes on.

Something that hugely inspired me, and what I think is a beautiful depiction of the Fae, happens to be the Disney Maleficent duology with Angelina Jolie as the main female lead. The production had Holly Black, a New York Times best-selling author of over thirty fantasy novels (The Cruel Prince being one of them) and a Faerie Folklorist, on set.

And, oh, would you look at that?

Maleficent has wings. 😉

So whether the FMC does as well is up to the interpretation.... for now.

Thank you for the Ask, Anon! ❤️

[the-lady-amphitrite]

— A FAIRYTALE BEGINNING | chapter 8

halcyonic mirage

pairing: Loki / f!half-Asgardian!Reader word count: 4,436 summary: there is far more to the soulmate spell than your family has ever told you in this chapter: the rest of the conflagration finally appears on page, more series lore, brief/non-descriptive discussion of blood magic and curses, Odin appearing briefly on page in the beginning, this chapter earns more points for the "idiots in love" tag, and so much hand-holding author notes: hi! hello! how are all of my readers? no this fic is not dead, nor am i. it's just been slowly roasting in the oven the last several months. i finished the first drafts of ch9 to ch22 back in November as part of NaNoWriMo, and have been slowly working my way through editing, rewriting, and finishing the rest of the fic since December. i picked up working on a few other wips along the way too, hence the long silence. my bad. the good news: a few chapters are basically ready to go! i just have to finish working on some stuff with edits and rewrites for this, but for the most part a lot of this fic is written now.

( previous chapter | read on ao3 | series masterlist )

The feast is loud. Cheers, jeers, and the sounds of tankards being tossed to the floor ring across the entire Great Hall as Álfablót truly gets underway this evening.

You’re at a long table with friends and friendly faces, not far from where (hours ago now) the royal family sat to welcome the emissaries from Álfheimr. Now you’re sitting on top of the table, legs tossed over Loki’s lap as she traces shapeless lines on the palm of your hand she holds. You switch between jesting with the others in this mixed company, joking and telling tales with a few of your friends, and speaking quietly with only Loki.

As loud and exuberant as your friends are, and as boastful of their past and future deeds as Baldr and his friends are, you love this. You’re drunk on the bright atmosphere of celebration as you lay your head on Loki’s shoulder, and she continues to trace senseless patterns on your palm while the table laughs.

Somewhere out in the hall, your conflagration wanders and mingles with others. With Álfheimr’s emissaries, with visitors and ambassadors from various other realms, and with Æsir from all across this realm. The most glaring absence for visitors or ambassadors is the lack of Drekasál from Eldgard, Gymirsgard, or any other realm. There are only twelve dragons on Asgard, just as there’s been for as long as you can remember.

Near the head of the room, where the royal family sat, your father and uncle stand with the All-Father and the ambassador of Lakonía, one of the distant realms of Yggdrasil allied with Asgard. You have no idea what the four of them are discussing, nor do you care all that much. It’s likely politics or warfare related, knowing your father. You would rather focus on the revelry around you. On this celebration of Asgard’s peace treaty and alliance with Álfheimr.

That is, until you hear it.

There’s a sudden low hush that washes across the room in a quick wave. All the sounds of the feast suddenly drop in pitch. You hear the sudden drop-off of the skalds music, and that’s when your table finally turns its attention to the rest of the hall.

She strides through the hall without even a glance at those she passes. Like a goddess on a warpath. Dark in colour, the brightest points on her are the shining beads adorning her half-dozen braids and the bits of shining metal over dark leather. All eyes in the hall are on the stranger as she aims straight for the All-Father.

All three royal children rise slowly, Loki’s boots thudding softly on the bench seat as she drops your hand. The rest of your table tenses, readying for whatever signal they might give next. Your eyes flick quickly from Loki back to the woman, watching for whatever action your best friend chooses to take.

And then the stranger breaks free from the crowds, allowing you your first genuine look at her.

You notice the braids adorned in beads and the flashes of silver metal that protect her as she passes through the crowd. The combination isn’t remarkable. Most of the people here wear something similar, but then you spot the insignia emblazoned across her breastplate.

A down-pointed sword with the silhouette of two dragon-form Drekasál wrapped around the blade. An insignia that declares her to be a full-fledged himingarpr.

It says to you — and to others who know what it means for a Drekasál to become a himingarpr — this drekakona has a deep sense of loyalty to the Burning Crown, that she upholds the will of the Voiceless One, and that she has the desire to protect the lives of other Drekasál.

She is a dragon you can trust without reservation, just as you trust the himingarpar in your conflagration.

Even knowing what the insignia means, the sight of a new dragon in Asgard this evening shocks you. You can’t help but to reach out with your dragon-sense, checking what you’re already so sure of. Even from across the hall, you can feel that faint impression of her dragon. That distinct, irreplicable feeling you feel from every Drekasál in your conflagration. In your family.

Seeing the insignia and feeling her dragon, you relax. You take Loki’s hand, tugging lightly to catch her attention. When she looks down, you say loud enough that your entire table can hear, “She’s a himingarpr. She has the insignia, and I can tell from here she’s a Drekasál.”

At your words, the entire table relaxes, though they’re all still wary. It makes sense they are. For you, the drekakona’s arrival is little more than a curiosity; for them, she’s an unknown, even if she’s not a threat. She’s likely a last-minute ambassador from Eldgard, though you have no idea who she is. Asgard hasn’t seen a visiting Drekasál since the war between Asgard and Jǫtunheimr, so the arrival of an Eldgardian ambassador this year is a surprise.

When the drekakona stops several feet shy of the All-Father, he turns his lone eye on her, his horn of ale raised as if he was about to take a drink. Placing her left fist over her heart and lowering her head, she speaks loudly and clearly enough for her voice to be carried across the Great Hall.

“Hávi, it is an honour to stand before you. I am Helga, daughter of Tryggvi, who is the son of Thýri. I come to your realm this evening to continue my search for my soulmate. With your leave, I would like to begin my search in this hall before searching the city and then the rest of your realm in my quest to find them.”

Curiosity and excitement spark through you at her words. She’s not an ambassador, but (in your opinion) the truth of why she’s here is far more exciting.

Helga Tryggvadóttir has come to Asgard on her Soul Quest, a quest all Drekasál go upon to find their soulmate once they’ve come of age. It could take hours, or it could take centuries. Some might even put the quest on pause for other events in their life, but no dragon truly stops searching until they’ve found their soulmate.

Lady Tryggvadóttir looks up, dropping her hand back to her side. Her words were blunt, carrying all the grace of a dragon on the hunt. You wonder if you will be like that in a decade, when you are wandering Yggdrasil in search of your soulmate.

The silence that grabbed hold of the hall continues to ring through the air, and it feels as if it grows heavier the longer it goes on. You can’t remember a time when any feast has ever been this quiet for quite this long. A few seconds when something interesting catches the attention of the entire hall, but never longer than that.

You hear a goblet being dropped deep from the other side of the Great Hall. Then, finally, the All-Father dips his head at the drekakona and holds his hand out to her.

“Welcome to Asgard, Lady Tryggvadóttir. May your search in my realm be a short but fruitful one,” he says. Lady Tryggvadóttir places her hand in the old god’s, allowing him to give it a partial lift before the touch is broken. When he introduces her to your father, your uncle, and then to the Lakonían ambassador, you know that he’s not the soulmate she’s seeking. Such an occurrence would be subject to far more fanfare, especially considering who he is.

A quick touch of palms quickly establishes that neither your father nor the Lakonían ambassador is her soulmate, and after a few brief minutes of conversation, she excuses herself and slips back into the crowds to continue her search. The sounds of the feast had picked up after the initial introduction, but the volume level rises farther now that she’s slipped away from the spotlight.

Loki sits back down, her hand tucked between yours once more as the conversation at your table picks back up. You find yourself distracted, unable to keep your attention on the conversations around you. Your gaze keeps floating back out to the hall, continuously searching for glimpses of the drekakona as she weaves her way around groups. You watch as, time and again, Lady Tryggvadóttir stops to introduce herself and speak to various beings. She never lingers for more than a few minutes once she’s sure none of them is the soulmate she is seeking.

It fascinates you how so many watch her, even after she excuses herself from their presence. You wish she would drift closer to your table, so you might meet her, but you watch how steadfastly she moves in the opposite direction. She’d locked eyes with you just minutes ago, and you’d straightened up, hoping she would come over so you might meet her. Instead, she had excused herself from the noblewoman she spoke with to move away from your table.

Some part of you wonders if she’s avoiding you, though you can’t fathom why she might. You only want to meet her, to learn about her.

Lady Tryggvadóttir fascinates you in a way no other Drekasál has before. Daughter to a dragon you don’t know the name of, a himingarpr of no renown, and seemingly with no other purpose in visiting the Realm Eternal than to seek out her soulmate. The combination is what fascinates you about her. If she had come from a dragon of great renown or had made a name for herself, you would be far less interested in her. Yet here she is, an unknown dragon wandering the hall and conversing with so many who already have made a name for themselves.

In truth, it’s not her lack of prestige that fascinates you, but why she is here. She’s looking for her soulmate. Most of the Drekasál on Asgard don’t have a soulmate, but none of them ever leave to search for theirs either. They won’t tell you why, and you’d hoped maybe this new dragon would maybe be able to answer you since your conflagration refuses to.

Perhaps after tonight’s feast, you’ll be able to track her down and speak with her before she leaves the city. You have so many other questions for her as well. Your conflagration has lived in Asgard for so long now. What are the other realms like now compared to what your conflagration remembers?

Eventually, you lose sight of her as she wanders farther and farther from your table. You let yourself get lost in the conversations, trying not to dwell on the visiting drekakona. At least, not for the evening. You’ll enlist whoever you can to help find her tomorrow.

You’re finishing off another goblet of the sweet berry juice you’re so fond of when Loki tugs your hand to get your attention. When you look away from Gauti, and one of the young Einherjar trainees you’ve forgotten the name of, she’s looking at you with wide, gentle eyes, and a soft smile.

“Come dance with me?” Loki asks, tilting her head towards where other feast-goers have started line dancing.

The music has changed from general revelry to songs for dancing. Now that you’re paying attention to the melody, you can feel the urge to clap and dance with those already dancing. And yet, when Loki stands up and holds a hand out to you, you hesitate, goblet at your lips as you stare at her.

That half-second hesitation seems to be a bit much for Thor.

"Go dance with my sister, Firefly!" Thor says, gently — but with plenty of force — pushing against your back. That large, exuberant smile he's known for is on his face, encouraging you on. Gauti and the Einherjar trainees are quick to encourage you to leave and dance with Loki too. You can feel warmth blazing across your face, surprised at the sudden insistence from everyone that you dance with your best friend.

At the other end of the table, Baldr lifts his goblet into the air.

"Here here! Go dance, little dragon! Show my sister what a great dancer you are!" Baldr cheers. Baldr’s friends are quick to joining the cheer.

You laugh, a bit nervous from suddenly having the entire table cheering you on. Still, after a few more moments you place your hand in Loki's and stand from your seat atop the table. A roar of cheers from the table go up, and several tankards and goblets are tossed to the floor. You can't help but smile a bit sheepishly as Loki helps you down.

Your goblet clatters onto the table as Loki pulls you away from it, leading you towards the group of people dancing.

The line dance is one you both know well, so it’s easy for both of you to slip in at the end and join them. With every turn, every clap, every jump, it seems like the world grows brighter. Loki’s face is lit up with a wide grin as the two of you mirror the other dancers. Her joy is contagious as she takes your hands, twirling you around her as she leads the both of you through the steps. So much so that it envelopes your heart, making the room shine ever brighter. Soon enough, you’re laughing too as she spins you away from her, hopping into the air as you twirl around before returning to her side.

In perfect harmony with Loki and the other dancers, you step, twirl, and clap in time to the music. The more the tempo picks up, the more it all blends together. The movements, the sights, the sounds. It’s a moment of freedom, of sheer joy as you dance with Loki, never wanting to look away or let your hands leave hers even when they have to.

There is a sudden jump in noise from the crowd, one that you don’t pay attention to. You’ve been to enough of these feasts that you’ve learnt something will always cause a scandal, and you’d rather enjoy this dance than pay attention to whatever the cause of gossip is tonight. You’ll hear about it tomorrow, you always do.

It’s only when the music slows — and then stops mid-dance — that you take a moment to listen, and realise what everyone is talking about.

Lady Tryggvadóttir has found her soulmate.

Her soulmate is Lord Ivarr, Lady Katla’s heartmate.

You dart off into the crowd without waiting to hear more, pushing your way past and dashing between groups to where you know the conflagration usually gathers during these events. A flurry of words dances in and out of your ears from every group you pass, none of them sticking long enough for you to understand what’s being said. When you finally reach where their table is, you stop.

Lady Katla is sitting alone, looking lost in thought as she stares towards the far doors that lead out of the hall. While Lord Tórbjǫrn stands only a few feet away, he’s speaking with Lady Ásta, though his eyes keep darting back to his sister as he does. Lord Hákon is sitting on the table, much as you were earlier, while your mother, uncle, and Lady Brynja form a half-circle around him. Lord Félagi is nowhere to be seen (though this doesn’t surprise you too much, considering what you know about the drekamaðr). Lord Ivarr and Lady Tryggvadóttir are also absent, which both confuses and surprises you.

Gauti comes from your right, moving right past you and heading towards his mother, Lady Ásta. Loki appears on your left, stopping beside you.

“Where are they?” She asks in a whisper. Like you, she’s looking around, trying to see if she can spot the newly bonded pair.

You can’t help but wonder if you would care as much about who Lady Tryggvadóttir bonded to if it hadn’t been Lord Ivarr. If her soulmate wasn't a beloved part of your family.

“I don’t know. They weren’t here.”

You take Loki’s hand, the two of you closing in the half-circle around Lord Hákon. The four dragons look at Loki, assessing her in a way that (for reasons you can’t put a name to, but that you can feel) annoys you. You glare at them, though Lord Hákon lets out a brief chuckle at your glare.

“Suppose you’re wondering where they are, little dragon?” Lord Hákon asks with a smile.

“We heard, well, everyone talking about it,” you tell him, glare disappearing. You’re wondering if you misunderstood their looks at Loki because of the drekamaðr’s rather relaxed attitude when he speaks.

“Firefly wanted to meet Lady Tryggvadóttir, so we came over to see her now that she’s bonded to Lord Gunnarsson. Where have they gone?” Loki’s voice is firm, with not an ounce of give in her words as she looks around. You can’t help but look at her with a bit of awe at how she stares four dragons down with steel in her spine. Even Thor and Baldr give a little when the conflagration turns their eyes to them, but Loki doesn’t seem bothered at all by having so many dragons staring at her.

“Gone, for the evening at the least,” Lord Hákon tells her with a shrug of his shoulder. “We won’t see them until they’re ready. Could be tomorrow. Could be a week from tonight. All up to them.”

You turn to your mother and uncle, the question on the tip of your tongue. Your mother answers it before you’ve even said a word.

“Newly bonded pairs spend time alone until they’re both ready to be seen together again. This is normal, little starlight.”

“How long was it before you and Uncle Sveinn were seen again?”

“Three and a half days. That’s close to average. Part of the time is spent learning about each other, especially if you don’t know each other before the bond shows itself.” She places a gentle hand on your cheek, smiling at you. “You’ll see, some day.”

You frown, disappointed that you won’t see either dragon for several days at least. Still, if no one else is concerned…

Your eyes look past the other dragons, to Lady Katla. She’s still sitting there, alone and looking almost like she’s longing to be anywhere else but this hall. Is she concerned? Is she worried about Lord Ivarr? He’s one of her heartmates after all; you can’t imagine Lady Katla not being worried for him with all that Lord Ivarr means to her.

Letting go of Loki’s hand, you walk away from the others to where Lady Katla sits. When you stop next to her, she looks up at you, blinking almost like she’s in a mild daze. Something inside you softens, saddens. You sit down next to her, neither of you speaking for several long moments.

“You just looked lonely,” you tell her, softly enough so only she can hear you. “I thought you might want a friend.”

Her eyes widen, and she blinks a few times before she gives a slight smile.

“You are an odd drekabarn, little firefly.”

You can’t help the smile you give her as you say, “I know, Lady Katla.”

“Katla,” she says as she looks away once more. “Just Katla.”

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

“… and that is how the High Lady Auðhild discovered that, in certain cases, blood magic can be used to craft a tracking spell,” Frigga concludes, shutting the tome in her lap. “Are there any questions?”

You look up from your holotablet, where you’ve been taking notes and doodling along the way. You’re relaxed against a few of the myriad of pillows decorating the almost black-looking divan. There’s a thick chill in the air on this early winter morning, even with the warming spell that Frigga has placed on the room for the duration of winter. The cold makes itself at home in the room as the three of you finish up your last blood magic lesson. A large, warm blanket lays across your lap, stretched across the length of the divan to cover Loki as well. Loki’s legs are intertwined with yours at an angle, their weight warm and comforting.

You shake your head, shutting off the screen of your holotablet as you lay it in your lap. The lesson itself had been rather straightforward in how limited tracking spells with blood magic are, even if they’re the most accurate of any tracking spell branch. Item-essence tracking spells (tracking spells used on items owned by a person long enough that they’ve left an imprint on the item) are far more common for a reason, despite having a lower location accuracy and less reliability.

“I have a question,” Loki says, leaning forward and tossing her holotablet next to her legs. When Frigga looks over at her daughter, Loki says, “The Drekasál call it a soulmate spell, but that doesn't quite make sense when looking at it as a whole. So I wondered, is it actually a blood curse?”

You whip your head to your left to look at your friend, eyes widening at her question. A blood curse? Does Loki truly think that the soulmate spell might be a blood curse? On an entire species?

You can barely comprehend how many components a spell like that would need. You only know a fraction of what comes with the soulmate spell. The bits and pieces that you’ve seen or been told about. There are parts that you don’t know anything about, parts that you barely know anything about from the others who have brushed over them when speaking of their bond. The recent bonding of Lord Ivarr and Lady Tryggvadóttir has reminded you of how much you still have to learn before you come of age.

The true breadth and complexity that the soulmate spell might encapsulate begins to overwhelm you as you remember all that you know of it already. You feel a little light-headed the more you think about it.

Frigga is quiet as she rubs her thumb against the palm of her other hand. You know that gesture well. It’s a nervous, anxious gesture Frigga makes sometimes, one that Loki has picked up from her mother. Frigga is collecting the words necessary to answer Loki’s question. The sight of the gesture makes you uneasy because it means that Loki is on the right track. Loki has put together pieces you hadn’t thought of, hadn’t even seen until she pointed it out.

“The true origin of the soulmate spell is as shrouded today as it was the day it was cast. Both of you know this. Even I am in the dark about its truth,” Frigga confesses. You know that she has some capacity for clairvoyance, but it also doesn’t surprise you that the seiðkona doesn’t know the spell’s origin.

Whoever cast the spell, they cast it long before Frigga was born. The spell was studied intensely in the first decades after it was cast, and then practically discarded after a few centuries passed with no genuine answer as to its cause. Even with her ability, Frigga wouldn’t have been able to see who had cast it or why.

Frigga tilts her head, folding her hands in her lap as she casts her eyes towards her garden. “From what I know about the spell, it’s known that blood magic was a component of the larger spell that was cast. Whether that component was a blood curse or a blood spell is harder to determine.”

“What do you know about it?” you ask. “About its origin and how it works?”

“I know a little more about the spell’s origin than our scholars and archivists, and only because I understand seiðr and magic in a way most do not,” Frigga begins. She gets more comfortable on her divan by tucking her feet in and readjusting her blanket. It’s a signal to both of you that she expects this to be a longer discussion, and to get more comfortable if you’re not already.

You sit up, tucking your legs close so that they face away from Loki. You tuck the blanket around your shoulders, laying your hands across your lap beneath the blanket to keep them warm. Loki stretches her legs over the divan’s edge, legs tangled up in the blanket while she leans against you. Once the three of you are situated and comfortable, Frigga continues speaking.

“I’ve taught you that mixing the different branches of magic can be difficult, if not dangerous. Few branches mix well with others,” she says. Her words are measured and careful, emphasising a lesson that she’s repeated time and again over your training. Never mix magic branches unless you know they’re compatible, or risk the high probability of weaving together a hazardous spell. “We don’t know the origin of the spell, and we only have guesses on many of the components used to cast such a massive spell. But anyone well-trained in seiðr and magic can tell you this: the spell was cast combining blood magic and soul magic.”

An uneasy, almost fearful feeling skitters down your spine, raising the hairs on your neck and leaving goosebumps down your arms.

Blood and soul. Two branches of magic that mesh so well but whose mixtures can result in the most horrific of outcomes if done wrong. Your mind begs you to wonder if what happened to your people was an accident, or if it was the desired outcome. Both are possibilities, and both are equally chilling.

“Only Drekasál were affected by the spell. No other group was. Like they were the only ones the caster targeted,” Loki says softly. You can practically see her mind running the combinations and probabilities as she tries to shred apart the facts in her mind in search of the truth. “It affected all of them. Young and old, born and unborn, full-blooded dragon or not. Every Drekasál in Yggdrasil and beyond was affected. Even now, everyone with Drekasál blood is cursed.”

Cursed.

Before today, you’d never heard the word be applied to the spell that leaves your world in monochrome. It fits perfectly, though, for it to be called a curse instead of a spell. To be cursed is to be afflicted by something; monochromacy afflicts all Drekasál until they’ve reached maturity and touched the skin of their soulmate.

Your view of the universe shifts ever so slightly as you realise this. Even this slight shift is nothing short of violent and jarring. Your people — you yourself — were not simply bespelled accidentally by some ancient magic that was cast.

All of you were cursed.

( next chapter )

@ladydracona @huntress-artemiss @sarahscribbles @mischief2sarawr

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[leagueofgardens]

Legion Álfheimr, Past and Present

The nine headliners of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr

Two legions at Yurigaoka Girls' Academy have borne the name of Álfheimr, one of which is still active, and both in their time have been believed the strongest legion in the world. Though most Assault Lily stories focus on different and less mighty legions, within the setting as a whole, none are more important than Álfheimr.

The influence of the first Álfheimr was so great that it set the standard of other legions, on average, having 13 members. They are also considered to be the originators of Neunwelt Tactic-focused battle strategy as it exists today.

Let's review the stories of both Álfheimarnir, past and present.

The First Legion Álfheimr

Legion Álfheimr began as one of Yurigaoka's reserve teams, composed mostly of third-year junior high school students with a few first-year high schoolers among them. Reserve teams like these are generally kept away from live combat and not considered "legions" at all. At Yurigaoka, the purpose of forming these teams is first and foremost that of preparing the younger girls to stand on the front lines later, after they enter high school (and also to take part in some inter-Garden competitions like firepower reviews.)

In Álfheimr's case, the battlefield found them before they were ready.

In 2050, two years before the events of Assault Lily Bouquet, Álfheimr was in Koshu for a training camp when the Huge invaded in force, seeking to build a Nest and establish a new foothold. The local Gardens failed to mobilize in time to push them back, and soon enough, the Lilies present found themselves not defending Koshu but leading the evacuation of its civilian population.

Álfheimr joined in, dividing their thirteen members into several smaller groups so that they could save more people. One of their number—Kawazoe Misuzu—died during this battle, but they did succeed in rescuing people, including a certain girl named Hitotsuyanagi Riri and her friend Kayu.

After that, Álfheimr became a formal legion and was sent on more missions. Of the roughly 30 combat missions they took part in, every one was a victory. Their final mission was the Odaiba Counteroffensive, in which not a single person died despite the overwhelmingly hostile odds, leading to it being considered a miracle.

The Odaiba Counteroffensive happened in early 2051, and shortly after that, the first Legion Álfheimr disbanded. In the typical Assault Lily fashion, we have multiple contradictory reasons for why this happened:

According to the defunct Assault Lily blog in an entry from 2016, Takegoshi Chihana lost a power struggle in the student council, and as she was captain of Álfheimr, the legion was forcibly disbanded.

In the early novels, Álfheimr fell apart as a direct result of Hasebe Touka being put into a vegetative state by an experimental mind-coupled CHARM she was testing on Mashima Moyu's request.

In Bouquet and more recent stories, the legion is said to have broken up due to regrets its members felt ever since the Koshu Withdrawal.

Later in 2051, one of Álfheimr's former members, Akashi Manaka, disappeared during a battle and has not been seen since; most people believe she's dead, but a few like her Schild candidate Ban Kaya are still hoping to discover her alive and well some day. The other members of Álfheimr eventually joined new legions.

Takegoshi Chihana, captain of the first Álfheimr

The members of the first-generation Legion Álfheimr were:

Hayashi Kaoru, currently a 3rd-year Lily, the Schutzengel of Takegoshi Chihana, and a reserve member of Legion Lohengrin. She was the original captain of the first Álfheimr. It's unknown when or why she stepped aside in Chihana's favor.

Takegoshi Chihana, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Lohengrin. In addition to being the captain of the first Álfheimr after Kaoru vacated that position, she's well-known for taking command during the Odaiba Counteroffensive and leading the Lilies there to victory. She was also, at one time, the Sigrún.

Akashi Manaka, who has been missing in action for a year. If she hadn't disappeared, she'd be a 2nd-year Lily.

Amano Soraha, currently a 2nd-year Lily and the captain of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr. She was vice-captain of the first Álfheimr.

Aoki Kaho, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Lohengrin.

Banshoya Ena, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr.

Hasebe Touka, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Sanngriðr.

Kawazoe Misuzu, Yuyu's Schutzengel, who died during the Koshu Withdrawal. If she were alive, she'd be a 3rd-year Lily.

Niinomi Nodoka, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Reginleif.

Shirai Yuyu, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Ráðgríðr (Team Hitotsuyanagi).

Taniguchi Hijiri, currently a 2rd-year Lily, the Schutzengel of Rokkaku Shiori, and a member of Legion Reginleif.

Yoshimura Thi Mai, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Ráðgríðr (Team Hitotsuyanagi).

Watanabe Akane, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr.

The Second Legion Álfheimr

The current Legion Álfheimr owes its existence to Tanaka Ichi, one of its 1st-year members. She's attended Yurigaoka since kindergarten and has a group of childhood friends known as the "Gang of Five." Along with her, this group includes Egawa Kusumi, Kanabako Misora, Takasuga Tsukushi, and Watanabe Akane.

When Ichi and the other first-years in the Gang of Five entered high school, the five of them decided to form a legion of their own, which received the official name of Legion Skuld. As Ichi was the captain, it was also popularly known as "Team Ichiban."

The reason Legion Skuld became Legion Álfheimr relates to Egawa Kusumi. An incident in junior high school, which we know few specifics about, nearly shattered Kusumi's friendship with the rest of the Gang of Five (though they later reconciled with her) and made her so depressed that she wasn't sure if she could continue being a Lily. Because of this, Yurigaoka temporarily moved Kusumi into the "special dormitory", a place for those Yurigaoka Lilies who need extra accommodations in their living arrangements (either because of their mental health, or for other reasons, like because they are Boosted Lilies.)

After the first Legion Álfheimr dissolved, Amano Soraha became disillusioned with being a Lily and planned to retire. She was moved to the special dormitory for similar reasons to Kusumi, and there, the two of them found themselves neighbors. They soon became close with one another. According to Soraha, she thought it would be a shame for all of Kusumi's ability to amount to nothing, decided "I want to be a Lily together with this girl," and changed her mind about retiring. The two of them, Soraha and Kusumi, then became Schutzengel and Schild.

Soraha using her Rare Skill, Heliosphere

Soraha decided to join the legion that her Schild was in, and she was followed by her roommate; Banshoya Ena, another veteran of the first Álfheimr.

Although not part of the Gang of Five, Endo Araya has also attended Yurigaoka since elementary school and joined the legion because she was interested in Ichi and Kusumi. She turned down an invitation from Shinobu, the Brynhildr herself, to join the elite Legion Brynhildr Line in favor of joining Legion Skuld.

Mori Tatsuki, the final headliner, likely joined because she was friends with Araya and Misora, though this hasn't been stated as fact anywhere. Tatsuki is also Araya's roommate.

After they proved their strength, Yurigaoka offered to let Legion Skuld change their name to Legion Álfheimr on the condition that Ichi stepped down as the captain and Soraha took over. They accepted the offer, and are now commonly known as simply Álfheimr, sometimes "the second-generation Álfheimr", and sometimes "Team Ichiban" as they were at the start.

Currently, Legion Álfheimr is one of Yurigaoka's four SSS-ranked legions—the strongest legions at the Garden and perhaps in the entire world. One of their major accomplishments was the liberation of Niigata, carried out after Sado Island was invaded by an incredibly powerful Ultra-type Huge given the name of "Fafnir", and Ryuto Girls' Academy in Niigata sent a request for aid to Yurigaoka. Álfheimr mounted an expedition to Niigata and played a key role in the defeat of Fafnir, though they were aided by several other elite legions.

Left to right: Tatsuki, Tsukushi, Misora

The headliners of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr are:

Amano Soraha, a 2nd-year Lily and the captain. She is also known as the "Wielder of the Blue Moon." Her Rare Skill, Heliosphere, allows her to create a powerful defensive barrier to shield herself and her allies. She is known for her friendly demeanor and large appetite.

Watanabe Akane, a 2nd-year Lily and the vice-captain. Nicknamed the "Conductor", her Rare Skill is Testament, which expands the range of other Rare Skills. Lilies with Testament normally have weak defenses, but Akane has mastered a technique called "Just Guard" to shield herself from attacks. She also plays the flute beautifully. She is Tsukushi's Schutzengel.

Banshoya Ena, a 2nd-year Lily and the commander. Her Rare Skill is Circlet Bless, allowing her to wield two CHARMs at once, and she is titled the "Princesse." She likes keeping aquariums and terrariums, and has a pet African lungfish named "Nyoro." It is a widespread rumor that she'll become Ichi's Schutzengel someday, though neither of them have proposed the oath to one another yet.

Egawa Kusumi, the "Child of the Gods", a 1st-year Lily. Her Rare Skill is Phantasm, giving her the ability to simulate countless futures and choose the one she desires (also, she is thus far the youngest ever Lily to have awakened Phantasm.) Her combat style is sometimes called the "Fairy Step," as she tends to look at her feet rather than her surroundings and twirl around like she's dancing. She is one of Yurigaoka's best cooks.

Endo Araya, the "Fenomeno", a 1st-year Lily. She has the same amount of magie as the average Boosted Lily, despite not being one herself. Her Rare Skill, Phase Transcendence, is familiar to anyone who watched Bouquet; unlike Miriam, however, Araya can keep fighting even after using it. She's well known for aggressively hitting on other Lilies at Yurigaoka, but people of every gender have been known to catch her eye.

Kanabako Misora, the "Little Alchemist", a 1st-year Lily. She is an Arsenal with a deep knowledge of both CHARMs and Lilies. Her Rare Skill is Regista, which boosts the magie available to her allies. She shares this Rare Skill with Kaede Johan Nouvel, but she has strong opinions on legion tactics and is viciously critical of Kaede's defensive command style, calling it "anti-Neunwelt."

Mori Tatsuki, the "One Who Hears", a 1st-year Lily. Tatsuki is a Boosted Lily who was rescued by Yurigaoka, and can understand the voices of the Huge, including their battlefield orders. This unique power doesn't make her less eager to fight and kill the Huge in the slightest. Her Rare Skill, Lunatic Trancer, is familiar to anyone who watched Bouquet. She is also an Arsenal who specializes in building and tuning CHARMs.

Takasuga Tsukushi, the "Wildschwein", a 1st-year Lily. Like Ena, her Rare Skill is Circlet Bless, allowing her to wield two CHARMs at once. She is a talented frontline fighter who is especially good at working together with Kusumi, and is one of her closest friends off the battlefield. She is also Akane's Schild. Unfortunately for Akane, who is afraid of the supernatural, Tsukushi loves stories about ghosts and other paranormal phenomena.

Tanaka Ichi, the "Heavenly Wolf", a 1st-year Lily. Her Rare Skill is The Way of the World, allowing her to perceive the movement vectors of allies and enemies alike and predict their future positions. As the president of Yurigaoka's Camellia class, she is strict with many people, but is kind and indulging towards her friends, especially Kusumi. She likes to play the piano and sing.

The reserve members are:

Maki Wakana, a 3rd-year Lily. She is Soraha's Schutzengel. Her Rare Skill is Regista. Uncommonly for a 3rd-year Lily, she has a good understanding of the Neunwelt Tactic and is an excellent commander. She, Soraha, and Kusumi are often said to be the strongest trio of Norns* at Yurigaoka.

Okada Kisara, a 3rd-year Boosted Lily. She is Ena's Schutzengel. Her Rare Skill is Zenon Paradoxa, an ability often described as a combination of Shukuchi and The Way of the World which makes unbelievably swift attacks possible. In contrast to Wakana, she prefers one-on-one dueling to the Neunwelt Tactic, though she can handle both. Because of her pale appearance and sadistic nature, Kisara is nicknamed the "Vampire".

Mozuna Noa, a 2nd-year Lily. Her Rare Skill, Charisma, is familiar to anyone who watched Bouquet. Noa's fighting style is unique, and Kusumi modeled hers after it. Off the battlefield, she's said to be very sweet.

*When a Yurigaoka Lily's Schild has her own Schild, the three of them are known as "Norns".

Final Notes

You might have noticed that Assault Lily has a lot of football (or soccer, if you're an American) references. This article contains three such references. Can you spot them all?

Hint: They're all in the final list of second-generation Legion Álfheimr members.

Edit: After I first made this blog post, Akashi Aika's name was changed to Akashi Manaka by official sources, so I've changed it here too.

[heikala]

Process of Álfheimr ✍️

Music composed by Ryan Camus http://www.ryancamus.com/

[tachvintlogic]

There was a book on Norse mythology that I read and barely remember, but one thing I do remember was a story where Odin (pretty sure it was Odin) and Loki were taking a scroll and happened upon some guy’s farm. Loki, who is described as the god of good and evil by the book, just randomly kills one of this guy’s prized livestock (I think it was a goat). When Odin asks Loki why the fuck he did that, Loki said (and I’m paraphrasing) “the evil in me made me do it.” Odin then spends the rest of the story trying to make up for what Loki did.

This moment cemented my impression of Loki, that as the god of good and evil, he has to be perfectly balanced in the dumbest way possible. For every good deed he does he has to follow it up with a bad deed.

I imagine something like this happens really often:

"Loki, what have you done?"

"Whatever do you mean, father?"

"Don’t be coy. You’ve been nice to your brother, you helped Freya plant flowers, and you’re been an absolute delight to be around for the past week. I know you’re done something."

"I haven’t done anything. You mistake me for some sort of scoundrel."

"Loki..."

"...But on an unrelated note, I wouldn’t visit Álfheimr any time soon if I were you."

"Loki what did you do???"

[myrkrlokison]

"You’ll be the most handsome groom" Eva smiled at Myrkr, praying he did not notice the tears in her eyes. She smiled bravely as her heart broke. He was a prince and she had no royal blood.

Royal sentence starters

Duty.

Myrkr inherited a lot from his father. Nobody knew who was his mother - in fact, he did not have one, Loki was his one and only parent, as he was a magical child. He'd been raised and taught as a Prince of Asgard. Duty and honour, above all else, was his most important lesson throughout his whole life. Most of the time, he listened to his father.

Not in this.

He had to marry a ljósálfar, a light elf, to sustain peace between Asgard and Álfheimr. The princess in question was fairer than the sun to look at; a stunning, tall, lithe beauty with golden hair and pointy ears. Nothing stirred in Myrkr at the sight of her, as his heart belonged to someone else.

He took a breath to soothe her. To try and comfort her. But instead, something else left his lips.

"Let's run away."

[broomsick]

10 simple steps to celebrating Álfablót!

Autumn is almost upon us! I hope you guys are as excited for it as I am. I have a whole bunch of fun little posts prepared concerning all things pagan and/or heathen that are of interest, this season. Álfablót is one of my personal favorites when it comes to harvest celebrations! It can pretty much be viewed as the culmination of the harvest season cycle. If, like me, you scatter offerings to the álfar and the Vanir across the summer, then this will most probably be your last harvest offering for the year (quite like Samhain, though the two are entirely different celebrations). Might as well make it count!

Depending on your beliefs and personal preferences, you may want to make your offerings to the álfar, your dísir, the landvættir or any other land spirit of your choosing for that matter, the Vanir, and even all of the above. What matters most is your gratitude! It’s the main point of this ultimate harvest offering: a last “thank you” to the deities and spirits who grant us prosperity of the land. The way I see it, however, gratitude comes in many, many shapes! For example, if you’re someone like me who likes to garden and grow your own veggies and herbs, you can express during Álfablót your gratitude for a plentiful summer, and ask for another good harvest for the next year. If you’re someone who works with a specific spirit (or spirits), you can choose to take a much more personal approach and personally thank them for their guidance throughout the year. This can also be done if you feel close to this or that Vanir deity!

The second most important aspect of the celebration to keep in mind for Álfablót is sacrifice! Scary word, I know. But it’s crucial to the very idea of blót. I’d go as far as to say that one is pretty much synonymous to the other. But it’s nothing to feel nervous about: sacrifice in the context of a mordern-day blót is really quite simple! A sacrifice is the offering of something that’s yours and which you willfully let go of in honor of this or that deity/spirit! This can be a piece of food, a drink, an object and the like. Either something you already own or something you bought for the occasion! During harvest season celebrations, my sacrifices usually consist of a few veggies or bundles of herbs harvested in my garden. It’s also possible for those who don’t garden to offer something similar, by offering seasonal products bought from local farmers! If such sacrifices are not in the cards for you, it’s also possible to save part of your dinner as an offering for the blót. It serves to represent your appreciation of the gifts of the earth! As you were given good food by the harvest spirits, you are also ready to give back to them in thanks!

But enough with the chatter, let’s jump straight to the practicalities! Once more, I’d like to say that these are all ideas and activities I personally enjoy engaging in for an Álfablót. So please feel free to custom any of these to your needs or just to use this sort of template as simple inspiration!

1. Before the sacrifice and the celebration, I usually like taking a moment to meditate on the upcoming event! I sit still and put on some music which reminds me of the season, or the Gods I will offer to. Then I close my eyes and take a quick moment to gather my thoughts concerning the blót: who am I honoring? What am I grateful to them for? What do I wish for in the upcoming seasons? Etc! It’ll clear your mind and put you in the autumn spirit for sure!

2. If you celebrate with friends or family, every one can contribute a meal or a piece of food, such as corn, soup, bread, a dessert, some beer, etc etc… Homemade and/or seasonal will further honor the gifts of the land! If you celebrate alone, why not try to prepare one such meal and save some of it for offering!

3. Before the sacrifice, put some music on, sip a drink, have some fun, get into the celebration spirit in honor of Álfheimr and of Freyr!

4. When the sun is close to setting, light a bonfire. If you don’t have access to a safe outside space in which to start a fire, lighting a hearth or a simple candle are also options.

5. Effigies or representations of the Gods/spirits honored (for example a statue, a phallic symbol, a picture or even just a symbolic object) may be anointed using your preferred method of cleansing, such as incense or ritual oil. The Gods and spirits can then be formally invited to join the celebration, for example, using an invocation.

6. In a group setting, everyone then recites something for the honored deities: something they’re grateful to them for, a prayer, a poem, a song, etc… The same can be done if you’re alone (with the option of reciting more than one of these, of course).

7. Offerings of harvested greens, flowers, written prayers and the like are cast into the fire one by one to be received by the Gods of harvest! I think I don’t need to mention how offerings of alcohol shouldn’t be cast into the fire, for obvious reasons. I usually prepare a ritual bowl and place it upon my hörgr so that libations may be poured in it instead!

8. Time to feast! A toast and a blessing are made in honor of the álfar before eating starts.

9. Seasonal foods I enjoy during Álfablót celebrations: meat pies, roasted veggies, squash, boar meat in honor of Yngvi-Freyr, spicy or creamy soups, craft beers, cold pasta salads, red and white wines, garlic buttered bread, anything pumpkin or apple, ginger flavored sodas or alcohols…

10. Bonus! If you’re a fan of journaling, it’d be fun to note down your impressions of the celebration and ideas for the next!

[faroreswinds]

It just occurred to me, but Ragnorok... Might actually just be us. Since Book II, we have either been killing gods or gods are dying for us left and right:

Midgard, the mortal realm which contains the kingdoms of Askr and Embla.

(In the original Norse lore, Askr and Embla are the first two humans created by the gods and are the progenitors of the human race. In FEH, though, they are Gods.)

Niflheimr, the ice realm

(Nifl isn’t a realm god in Norse lore but who cares, lol)

Múspellheimr the flame realm

(Same with Muspell as Nifl)

Helheimr, the dead realm

(I’m actually not sure if Ganglot is considered a god but she was Hel’s hand-maiden in the original lore. Hel was the daughter of Loki).

Álfheimr, the subconscious elf realm which contains the dream kingdom of Ljosálfheimr and the nightmare kingdom Dökkálfheimr

(Freyr and Freyja are actually from Vanaheimr, which is realm of the gods t are populated by gods as known the Vanir)

Nidavellir, the dwarf realm

No gods for this realm

Jötunheimr, the giant realm

No gods for this realm

Asgard, the god’s realm

(Thorr and Loki are gods known as Aesir, whom in the original lore went to war with the gods from Vanaheimr)

FEH also mentioned the Allfather, who is likely from this realm in FEH. (It’s just Odin, btw, the Allfather is Odin). 

Vanaheimr, the realm of light

There was also a green-haired girl god but since I’m pretty sure she got turned into the bad guy, I’m not including her here. Notice how the pink goddess looks a loooooot like Freyr and Freyja, our goat Vanir gods!

(Seidr isn’t a real god, but a type of magic in Norse lore). 

Ymirheimr, the realm of life

(So this one is weird because Ymirheimr is a tenth realm. Some Norse mythos does include a tenth realm, and Asgard and Vanaheimr are known to have combined into one. But most people just know the NINE realms instead of ten. Also, Ymirheimr is never a realm in Norse lore, and is not actually called Ymirheimr in FEH, but I’m calling it that to keep in theme with the other realms. Ymir is also not a god in original mythos, technically, but rather a primordial being that was the origin of all of the giants. Idk, it’s weird stuff. It would make sense if Ymir was actually the god of Jötunheimr but I guess she’s not). 

[queenmothermp]

A few days before the LNY feast, a beautiful box of red velvet adorned with golden dragons will be delivered to the Golden Palace by a messenger from Álfheimr. A gift for the Jade Empress.

Inside, Xiwangmu will find a gorgeous brooch representing a stylized dragon of white gold with brown and white diamonds. It was made by the most talented Elven jewelers. A small card will be joined to the box.

‘My dear Xiwangmu,

What to offer to someone as amazing as you, as royal as you ?

This brooch was made especially for you in the forges of Álfheimr. I hope that it will bring you joy and luck for the next year.

Happy Lunar New Year !

With all my friendship, Skadi’

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        Teaming up with the Norse goddess had been an absolute dream; they had worked so well together to bring the Lunar New Year festival to life and Xiwangmu looked forward to many more events with the goddess of the mountains and winter.  When her estate had a new otherworldly visitor deliver a special package, the fairy accepting it was quite excited as she rushed it to the empress, explaining the one who had delivered it had been from  Álfheimr!  Immediately, Xiwangmu’s face illuminated with a smile as she retired to her study to open it in private to find a positively stunning brooch!  Oh, but it was exquisite!  The way those jewels twinkled in the lamplight.  And to learn they had been crafted by the elves themselves!  Of course, Skadi would receive a formally-written thank you card, but also the next day, the goddess would receive a text photo of Dr. Xi in her white coat at work, her name badge fastened to her left lapel and joined by its new friend, a sparkling and bejeweled dragon brooch.

[ambrosiafaery]

Thinking about Fae lore for my stories and how fae are highly allergic to iron... so came up with some special metals they might use for for various means. Sure we've got normal copper, silver and gold but these specially treated metals are Deluxe Metals (and also not the same as the metals that inspired them) Springwater copper is a special kind of copper found under waterbeds (such as lakes , creeks, and rivers) in Álfheimr. It doesn't corrode with exposure to air or water and is harder, more similar to steel. The Spring and Autumn courts use it the most as it is lightweight and easy to shape into tools and armor good for flying long distances. Aurelin is like if gold worked like it does in games. It's very conductive like regular gold, so the Summer Court find it especially useful for sun forging. The metal is created through treatment of raw ore - first by letting the sun shine on it from the end of spring to the summer solstice - after which its magical properties are heightened - and then forging it in a volcano's heat. Fire-aligned Summer court fae are able to heat blades and armor made with this metal in combat, but the metal is fairly weighty and difficult to fly for long periods of time with. Aurelin coins are also used as a currency on Álfheimr, made by the Summer Court's minting house. Moonlit silver is found in deep caverns, where no light from the stars can reach. It must be carefully handled before it can have light touch it, as light will corrode it and destroy any magical properties the raw ore has. Most mining and treatment is done during the new moon, and the first light after treatment is the full moon. Thus, moonlit silver is especially rare due to its fragile initial state. It's high conductivity for magic makes it valuable for divine artifacts such as staves or metal threaded mage robes.