Asgardians (Pantheon)

The Asgardians (made up of a union of the Aesir and Vanir tribes) are the gods of the ancient Norse tribes, the Viking marauders and indomitable explorers that ruled the frozen north and are rumored to have ventured as far south as Rome and as far east as North America. A warrior culture of fierce renown whose deeds are known to all they encounter, they were famous for being led by the All-Father, Odin, whose wisdom is traditionally acknowledged even by the other pantheons as a force to be reckoned with. Despite the long-ago demise of most of their culture (though they did survive for a time in Iceland), the Asgardians are one of the most vibrant and active pantheons in the World.

Overview
Born in the wastes and ruin of Northern Europe, among Germanic warriors and Nordic pirates, the Asgardians compose the fourth-oldest of the divine tribes. Their pantheon is the product of a shotgun wedding around 1,500 years ago, when the Aesir and the Vanir (another, neighboring pantheon) were both devastated by the Jotun during a war in the north. Relying on the safety of number, Odin of the Aesir married Freya of the Vanir, uniting the tribes and founding Asgard itself. This provided the bolstering of numbers and effort needed to slay Ymir and save their people.

The Asgardian represent the third option apart from those espoused by the Netjer and the Olympians--they promote community stability as a hedge against modern life's harshness. After all, nothing's quite so bad with a shield brother at your side, sharing stories and beer. Yet, they also emphasize personal rights and honor. Therefore, while family and nation are important, injustice against a single person is cause for action and even vengeance.

Of all the divine tribes, the Asgardians are the most directly affected by Fate, in part because they keep fucking messing with it. They tend to feel very strongly those ties of love and friendship and "Patterning" tends to be very powerful among the Asgardians. That is to say, they tend to gravitate toward the same positions and lovers they've always had because that's the way they're always done it. But they also challenge both specific people and whole communities to defy fate, striving for greater justice and firmer commitments to order. On the other hand, their entanglements with fate cause many complications for them.

The Asgardian's greatest weaknesses are a preponderance of enemies, an obsession with Fate (or Patterning, as they call it) and a fondness for aggressive solutions, which tends to be how they made so many enemies in the first place. Titanspawn/Jotnar are to be killed first; questions can be asked later using magic, if necessary. At the same time, the bindings of Fate urge these gods to ask for prophecies from nearly everyone, and they tend to delay acting until finding the proper omen or sign. Invariably, their enemies grant them foreknowledge of their ruin, with oracles that further constrain their possible courses of action.

History
The Asgardians' history is a bit shrouded in mystery, as none of the Asgardians alive during the modern cycle really know too much about the First Days. All that is known are anecdotes, really.

Aesir/Vanir War
The Aesir and Vanir were two warring tribes of gods from neighboring kingdoms/regions in Scandinavia. Odin was chief of the Aesir and Frey chief of the Vanir. Their war was long and brutal, though they fought to a standstill...until Ymir came. The Jotun (Titans) tore a bloody swath through both sides, though the Vanir suffered for it more. Frey went to Odin to ask for help, but Odin refused unless Frey would bow and swear fealty. Frey did but still Odin refused--he didn't just want victory, he wanted to humiliate Frey. He demanded Freya, Frey's wife but Frey refused. Freya, however, refused to let her people die and so gave herself to Odin. The two married and the Aesir and the Vanir became one, founding Asgard soon after.

Asgard and Heimdall
Not long after the founding of Asgard, the need for a neutral party between the Asgardians formerly of either tribe became apparent. So, Freya plucked a sapling from Yggdrasil and planted it at the base of the Bifrost. It sprouted, growing into the Guardian Heimdallr. She taksed Heimdall with protecting Asgard and the Bifrost, and the warrior gained the ability to see into any of the Nine Worlds and to travel to them instantly using the power of the Bifrost to navigate. Heimdall would also act as an impartial judge when an accord could otherwise not be reached.

Norse Myths
It is known that at some point, Odin, Freya and Loki drank from Mimir's Well. It was then that Freya saw the vision of Ragnarok and how it would come to pass (Baldur's death). Not long after this, they bound Fenris much like they do in the myth, with Tyr even sacrificing his hand to ensure Fenris remained bound.

The Asgardians warred against the Ice Giants, eventually claiming victory. Loki would go on to commit much mischief for quite some time, becoming a bit more malevolent with time. Eventually, Loki tricked Hod into killing Baldur, which kick-started Ragnarok, thus ending that Great Cycle. Or at least, it's implied that most of it happened over the course of one or two cycles. It's a little unclear as of right now.

It's also known that the great stories of Norse mythology were inspired by Bragi, who convinced the writer to make Loki out to be sniveling little bitch and a bunch of other shit (like Loki giving birth to Slepnir), mostly as a prank/joke/fuck-you to the trickster. So, a lot of what was written was embellished or added as a cruel joke.

Last Cycle
The Asgardians awoke in Germany for the last cycle, which lasted from 1901-1922. During this cycle, Njord became very jealous of Odin and decided he'd had enough of the bullshit. He eventually conspired with Loki, freeing him from his prison in exchange for Loki killing Odin. Loki gleefully agreed.

Loki engineered a conflict between the Asgardians and the Bogovi (the Slavic gods). Over a period of a couple years, the two pantheons squabbled and nearly went to war, before Freya discovered Njord's betrayal and brokered a peace agreement with the head of the Slavic pantheon.

Freya then cursed Njord to be barren and kill anybody he would touch for the rest of his days.

Not long after, Loki (unknowingly this time) engineered World War I, which was essentially a conflict between the Olympians and the Asgardians. The Asgardians fought on the side of the Germans. The war was terrible, obviously and it ended in the deaths of the entire Pantheon.

While transporting supplies via Zeppelin, Zeus struck the aircraft with lightning, igniting the gas inside and blowing it up. Njord survived because happened to be holding a branch from Yggdrasil. The sea god survived World War I and, as it happened, was one of the only gods to survive past the end of the Cycle.

Demon Days
Njord spent the next 100 years building an empire and a fortune, to make sure that when the next cycle began, the Asgardians wouldn't be caught with their pants down.

Freya's curse turned out to be true, as six women died before Njord realized he truly had been cursed.

Modern Cycle
The Asgardians awoke on April 23, 2017 in Toronto, Canada.

Courage
Products of a culture perhaps best-known for the image of the ravening berserker Viking warrior, the Asgardians are warriors above all else. Even the gentlest among them feel the call to battle stir in their blood, and rare indeed is the man or woman among them who can resist its siren song. The Asgardians have no fear whatsoever when it comes to throwing themselves headlong into the fray, and they expect the same from all others they encounter; for them, to be labelled a coward is a far worse fate than death

Endurance
The Asgardians hail from the frozen climes of the north, and whether they are battling their native elements or their foes in the heat of battle, they are almost incapable of deciding that they’ve had enough. No matter the hardships they might endure or the odds arrayed against them, they soldier on, the epitome of the unstoppable juggernaut.

Expression
The retelling of great deeds and sagas is one of the greatest-valued talents among the Asgardians, who believe that the recounting of legendary deeds is nearly as important as the deeds themselves. Their modes of self-expression may be simplistic by the reckoning of some other cultures, but few can fail to be moved by their heroic speeches or faithfully retold lays.

Loyalty
The Asgardians never leave a man behind, no matter how suicidal an attempt to save a comrade-in-arms might be. Unswerving loyalty is necessary for them to retain a unified front against all obstacles and enemies, aiding even those among their own whom they dislike in order that they may all contribute to the pantheon’s defense.

Abilities
The Asgardians possess all of the normal powers possessed by gods.They also have a special knack for Runes and fate magic.

Weaknesses
The Asgardians possess all of the standard weaknesses of all gods, with a few notable features:
 * Runes: Certain runes can be used to de-power, trap or disorient the Asgardians.
 * Yggdrasil: The World Tree is the Sacred Tree that acts as a focus for the Asgardians' power.
 * Oak Stakes: An Asgardian can be neutralized by an oak stake dipped in lamb's blood.