Einherjar

This article is about the race of the Einherjar, detailing the metaphysical aspects of their creation and the nature of their abilities. For information on the military organization of the Einherjar, see Einherjar Hordes.

## Einherjar

### Creator

Odin

*"Rise. Fight. Kill. Die. Rise. Fight. Kill. Die. Rise...."*

*-Einar the Mad*

The Einherjar, also known as the Glorious Dead or Battlerisen, are a race of undead beings created by the Aesir god Odin for the purpose of serving in his armies. Their souls claimed from battlefields and reforged into new bodies, the Einherjar live for bloodshed. Their powers are fueled by murder, and every foe they slay adds to their own strength.

## Creation

The Einherjar begin their existence as mortals. Upon their deaths, or perhaps sometime afterwards, their souls are collected by the Valkyries, and taken to Asgard. Far below the earth, in the caverns known as the Bright Deep, they are made to stand within a great runic circle before the raw light of the Bifrost. The circle acts as a focal point, channeling the Bifrosts power into the soul of the Einherjar to be, in an excruciating process that burns away much of their spiritual essence.

As the process completes, the runic circles serve to focus the energies and thoughts of the new Einherjar, coalescing them into a new, more powerful physical form, which they remain in for the rest of their existence. Every Einherjar is thereafter endowed with arms and armor, fit for the warriors of Asgard.

## Appearance

Einherjar, at first glance, appear like ordinary mortals. Upon closer inspection, however, their inhuman nature becomes more apparent. Their eyes glow with iridescent, pulsing light, which shifts color frequently. Their bodies are larger and more robust than in life, and faint light pulses beneath their skin, pulsing through their veins within their blood, with the brightest area being centered around their hearts. Common Einherjar stand well over six feet tall, with many being closer to seven. Meanwhile, the Huscarls, those Einherjar who have slain enough foes to ascend to match the power of a demigod, have a stature to reflect their elevated status, with most standing between eight and nine feet in height.

## Powers and Abilities

### The Reaping

One of the most central aspects to the function of the Einherjar is the Reaping, a process that functions in a manner similar to halfborn Exultation. Like halfborn, Einherjar absorb the power and life force of foes that they slay. This process, known as the Reaping, is used to keep the Einherjar alive. Unlike halfborn, Einherjar do not possess a natural healing factor, and instead, repair injuries to their bodies using the Vital Energies of those that they have slain. The more grievous the injury, the more Reaped life force is expended to heal. The life force stolen from the Reaping even allows Einherjar to resurrect from death in mere moments, allowing them to fully reconstitute a body that has been utterly erased, provided they have enough power stored.

The Reaping does not work on fellow Einherjar.

### Common Einherjar Powers

Ordinary Einherjar possess physical abilities on par with those of halfborn. They are possessed of tremendous physical strength, allowing them to rip through mundane materials and hurl vehicles about, and are resilient enough to withstand common human weaponry, such as bullets or blades, without any harm. They are inhumanly fast, and possess cognitive abilities that enable them to process large amounts of information. Unlike halfborn, however, they lack superhuman senses, nor can they channel the power of the Divine Dominions, unless they were halfborn before becoming Einherjar. What Einherjar do have as an advantage against halfborn is the fact that they are immortal and are immune to aging.

### Huscarl Powers

Those Einherjar who have Reaped enough Vital Energy are able to undergo a process similar to halfborn Ascension, wherein they grow in stature and power, achieving might on par with a demigod. Such Einherjar are known as huscarls, and are the most exalted of the Einherjar Hordes.

## Weaknesses

* Limited Vital Energy: If an Einherjar is repeatedly damaged or slain to the point where their stores of Vital Energy is completely drained, and they are unable to replenish their supply by Reaping more life force from their slain victims, an Einherjar will die, permanently. Once slain in such a manner, there is no return, for the process that makes a mortal soul into one of the Glorious Dead burns away much of their spiritual essence, leaving nothing behind if they should perish.