Baldur

Baldur (from Old Norse: ˈbɑldz̠; also Balder, Baldr) was the Norse Æsir god of light, peace, spring, forgiveness, love, and purity. In wider Germanic mythology, the god was known in Old English as Bældæġ, and in Old High German as Balder, all ultimately stemming from the Proto-Germanic theonym \*Balðraz ('hero' or 'prince'). His symbols of power include the sun, the swan, the daisy, and the mistletoe.

His emoji is "☮", representing his domain of peace.

Baldur's children are produced through asexual reproduction, as he is deceased. His children are the result of Baldur's spirit becoming fond of a mortal, resulting in a Virgin Mary style birth.

## Description

Baldur is known primarily for the story of his death, which is seen as the first in a chain of events that will ultimately lead to the destruction of the gods at Ragnarök. Baldur had a dream of his own death and his mother, Frigg, had the same dream. Since dreams were usually prophetic, this depressed him, and so Frigg made every object on earth vow never to hurt Baldur. All objects made this vow, save for the mistletoe, which was too unimportant and nonthreatening to bother asking it to make the vow. This would lead to the trickster god Loki finding out, fashioning an arrow out of mistletoe and tricking the blind god Höðr into firing it at Baldur, killing him instantly.

## Claiming

When Baldur claims his children, a sun with flowers around it appears above the child's head. Baldur's children are not claimed by Baldur himself, as he is incapable of doing so. Rather they are revealed at the request of the child of Baldur by the Norns, after which the runes reveal their parentage and they are formally claimed as a child of Baldur.

## Demigod Powers

### Major Powers

#### *Photokinesis* (Major)

* Children of Baldur can control and manipulate light to varying degrees. They can create blinding flashes of light to disorient enemies, use it for healing purposes, or even create illusions to deceive or distract opponents. The light that children of Baldur controls is a very holy and radiant light rather than a piercing solar light or a dim melancholy light.
	+ **Levels 1-3**: Children of Baldur are capable of creating a small orb of light which floats around them that lasts 6 turns. The orb illuminates a 9 foot radius around them in bright light, and an 18 foot radius with dim light. They can create an orb once per day.
	+ **Levels 4-6**: Children of Baldur can now use their powers to create quick flashes of light from their hands that disorient enemies for 3 turns. Their orb now lasts 9 turns and illuminates an 18 foot radius in bright light and a 36 foot radius in dim light. They can produce a flash once every 7 turns, and they can create an orb up to three times per day.
	+ **Levels 7-8**: Children of Baldur can now use their powers to create powerful flashes of light from their hands that blind enemies for 3 turns. Their orb now lasts 12 turns and illuminates a 30 foot radius in bright light and a 60 foot radius in dim light. They can produce a flash once every 7 turns, and they can create an orb up to five times per day.
		- **Level 8 Superpower**: Children of Baldur have now unlocked the ability to imbue their light orb with healing energies. All allies within a 12 foot radius of the orb will experience a vitakinetic effect that rapidly heals wounds. This supercharged variant of the orb only lasts 3 turns, as the overall energy is more rapidly expelled as healing energy.

#### *Pacemiakinesis* (Major)

* Children of Baldur can emit an aura of tranquility and peace, calming hostile situations and soothing the emotions of those around them. This power can be used to defuse conflicts and promote reconciliation.
	+ **Levels 1-3**: Children of Baldur can pacify all humanoid creatures in a 15 foot radius for up to 3 turns. For the duration, affected individuals will be unable to feel the urge to fight unless magically compelled. This can be used once every 24 hours. This cannot affect creatures whose sole purpose is to kill.
	+ **Levels 4-6**: Children of Baldur can pacify all creatures, including non-humanoid monsters, in a 15 foot radius for up to 3 turns. For the duration, affected individuals will be unable to feel the urge to fight unless magically compelled. This can be used once every 24 hours. This cannot affect creatures whose sole purpose is to kill. In the case of large creatures who may not fit in the radius, at least 50% of their body must be within the radius for them to be affected.
	+ **Levels 7-8**: Children of Baldur can pacify all creatures, including non-humanoid monsters, in a 15 foot radius for up to 3 turns. For the duration, affected individuals will be unable to feel the urge to fight unless magically compelled. This can be used once every 24 hours. This cannot affect creatures whose sole purpose is to kill. In the case of large creatures who may not fit in the radius, at least 25% of their body must be within the radius for them to be affected.
		- **Level 8 Superpower**: Children of Baldur can target one creature, and by making physical contact with them they can release a wave of peaceful energy that will permanently pacify them. Using this power is very taxing for the child of Baldur, but the effects last until another creature is targeted with this superpower.

### Moderate Powers

#### *Limited Chlorokinesis* (Moderate)

* Children of Baldur can hasten the growth of plants and accelerate the arrival of spring, bringing life and vitality to their surroundings.
	+ **Levels 1-3**: Children of Baldur can greatly increase the growth rate of plants in a 7 foot area for 3 turns. They can use this power once every 5 turns.
	+ **Levels 4-6**: Children of Baldur can greatly increase the growth rate of plants in a 10 foot area for 5 turns. They can use this power once every 7 turns.

#### *Purifying Touch* (Moderate)

* By pushing peaceful energy into a person or object, children of Baldur can purify it of negative influences or corruption or even temporarily negate curses or malevolent magics.
	+ **Levels 1-3**: Children of Baldur can purify an object of corruption or negative influences, or they can negate curses affecting objects for up to 5 turns at a time. This power can be used once per day.
	+ **Levels 4-6**: Children of Baldur can purify an object or person of corruption or negative influences. They can also permanently negate curses affecting objects or for up to 5 turns at a time in people. This power can be used once per day.

#### *Shield of Purity* (Moderate)

* Children of Baldur can create a magical barrier that blocks the effects of malevolent energies, stopping curses and other evil magics in their tracks.
	+ **Levels 1-3**: Children of Baldur can create a barrier that lasts for up to 3 turns, and can block 1 magic spell from affecting them. The spell must be evil in nature, not just done with evil intentions. They can use this power once every 6 turns.
	+ **Levels 4-6**: Children of Baldur can create a barrier that lasts for up to 5 turns, and can block up to 3 magic spell from affecting them. The spell must be evil in nature, not just done with evil intentions. They can use this power once every 9 turns.

#### *The Pink Rock Person Clause* (Moderate)

* Everyone deserves to be friends! Children of Baldur can magically forgive an individual for their past actions, literally "wiping their slate clean". If an individual has either served their punishment to the point they've learned their lesson or they have been wrongfully punished, a child of Baldur can cause that to be forgiven in a divine sense, giving them a second chance.
	+ **Levels 1-3**: Children of Baldur can revoke the punishments of those who have been wrongfully punished. In doing so, all punishments--both magical and non-magical--are rendered null and void. However, if the person is imprison or in some other form of confinement, they must be physically freed separate of this ability. They can perform this power once a month, as it's physically very taxing to go directly against what is sometimes divine punishment.
	+ **Levels 4-6**: Children of Baldur can revoke the punishments of those who have "learned their lesson", meaning they have served a punishment long enough that they are willing but not able to comply with change. For example, someone who simply says "I've learned my lesson" will not be affectable by this power, but someone who has been punished for so long that they no longer have the will to do so would be...Grim, I know, but with this power you can be that change! If the person is imprison or in some other form of confinement, they must be physically freed separate of this ability. They can perform this power once every 3 months, as it's physically very taxing to go directly against what is sometimes divine punishment.

### Minor Powers

#### *Pathokinesis* (Minor)

* Children of Baldur can subtly nudge people towards feelings of friendship and affection, fostering bonds and reducing hostility without direct control. While they can't personally force lasting effects, they can certainly facilitate them!
	+ **Level 1**: Children of Baldur can amplify already existing sparks of platonic emotions between people; the feeling of "I'm too shy, but they seem cool and I want to be friends". This does not create new feelings, only amplifying one's ability to act on their existing feelings. They have a gray area for themselves, meaning they can't use their power on themselves. This can be used once every 12 turns.
	+ **Level 2**: Children of Baldur can cause people in situations of unrequited friendship (one person wants to be friends, but the other doesn't) to get onto the same friend-making ground. They have a gray area for themselves, meaning they can't use their power on themselves. This can be used once every 12 turns.
	+ **Level 3**: Children of Baldur can cause people to experience new feelings of friendship towards each other, and now can even cause romantic sparks between people who already have said feelings. They have a gray area for themselves, meaning they can't use their power on themselves. This can be used once every 12 turns.

#### *Joyful Resilience* (Minor)

* Children of Baldur can boost the spirits and morale of those around them, helping others to push through adversity with optimism and determination.
	+ **Level 1**: Children of Baldur take the fight to demoralization! They can inspire their allies to keep going, even when things are looking particularly bad. This effect lasts 3 turns and they can use this power once every 10 turns.
	+ **Level 2**: Children of Baldur can rally and inspire people who have given up to keep pushing, promising that there's just a little more to go, revitalizing that hope within people to keep going. This effect lasts 3 turns and they can use this power once every 10 turns.
	+ **Level 3**: Children of Baldur can literally inspire people to fight better, making them stronger and more determined to win. This effect lasts 3 turns and they can use this power once every 10 turns.

#### *Innocent Charm* (Minor)

* Far from Baldur's well-known nigh-invulnerability, his children have a sort of youth-like charm to them that can disarm and temporarily pacify their opponents.
	+ **Level 1**: Children of Baldur can disarm and pacify an attacking creature for 3 turns with a d20 roll of 19 or higher. This can be attempted and/or used once every 5 turns.
	+ **Level 2**: Children of Baldur can disarm and pacify an attacking creature for 3 turns with a d20 roll of 17 or higher. This can be attempted and/or used once every 5 turns.
	+ **Level 3**: Children of Baldur can disarm and pacify an attacking creature for 3 turns with a d20 roll of 15 or higher. This can be attempted and/or used once every 5 turns.

### Given Powers

#### *Peacemaker* (Given)

* Children of Baldur are known for "making peace, not war!" They find it hard to become proficient with weapons,

#### *Runs in the Family* (Given)

* Children of Baldur are very allergic to mistletoe. While it's not the same instant death that Baldur himself experienced, if they're not treated in any way after being wounded by mistletoe or mistletoe-tipped weapons, they will die.

#### *Natural Charm* (Given)

* Children of Baldur have a natural charm and likability, making it easier for them to persuade or influence others, even in situations not directly related to peace and love.

#### *Radiance* (Given)

* Children of Baldur give off a soft glow, only really enough to illuminate themselves dimly in a dark area.

#### *Vernal Empowerment* (Given)

* Children of Baldur are stronger during the Spring, giving their powers and physical strength a little boost that's pretty negligible from an outside perspective, but definitely notable to the child of Baldur. However, the opposite is true during Fall; they become weaker, and might even be more sluggish. During the Summer and Winter they can be considered at a "base" level.