Valkyrha

Of all the troops in the Triskaian Military, none is more terrifying than the Valkyrha. Valkyrhae are both captains and shock troops, commanding the lines while charging into the forefront of battle. They are identifiable at a distance by their white and black skin, their Titan-bone greatswords, and the primal, unearthly battle-cries they emit in the heat of combat.

## Physical Characteristics

Ranks of the Valkyrhae are almost entirely female. They tend to be tall and lithe, with lean muscles all along their bodies. Their actions can best be described as deliberate. When necessary, one can hold as still as a statue, for days on end, if need be, but in combat her movements can just as easily be a flurry of carnage, carving a swath through enemies before an eye ever lays on her. They are strong, known to break chains, lift trees, and crack shields.

Like most Triskaian soldiers, Valkyrhae fight naked. Unlike most Triskaians, they hold to this practice even in the grips of winter, demonstrating a mastery of body over environment second only to the Witch-Priests. Their skin is dyed bone white, decorated with swirls of black. For those who keep it, hair is dyed white, and tied into a single braid, but many Valkyrhae choose to shave their heads, for the combat advantage.

## Aptitude and History

The first Valkyrha is said to be a woman named Ishilka. She was rewarded for her valiance in battle with a Titan-bone sword, gifted from Bellatrix, Belladonna, and Beleza themselves. She found that the longer she used the sword, the more powerful she felt. Magic flowed from the blade into the rest of her, making her stronger and more agile. Now, all those who are born to Ishilka's birth sign (Shadow and Iron) are marked as Valkyrhae from birth.

A chosen is trained from age 13 in all forms of combat discipline. At 16 she is finally given a Titan-bone sword, and spends another two years in combative meditation until she learns the language of her blade. Once she passes a grueling trial by combat, she become a Valkyrha.

Valkyrha swords are carved from the spinal columns of fallen Titans. This is where the magic is strongest, and the bone is so durable that only Witch-Priest magic is capable of cutting and shaping it. The weapons look to be the size of greatswords, though a Valkyrha has no trouble wielding it one-handed. Their blades can cut through any material yet known on the face of Solos. Some also carry shields carved from Titanic pelvic bones, but most elect for the manoeuvrability that comes from carrying only a sword.

But it is not just their weapons that give Valkyrha their terrifying reputation. They are frighteningly strong and agile, able to vault over the heads of their enemies, knock incoming arrows out of the sky, and bear a galloping horse to the ground with their hands. They have unmatched ferocity on the battlefield. Seeing a squadron of Valkyrhae on the charge is not unlike seeing a tidal swell surging toward a boat during a storm at sea. Yet they are tacticians as well, directing the landrakine forces serving under them in the heat of battle. They have an uncanny ability to coordinate with each other without using any identifiable signals. A team of Valkyrhae can change course on an instant, acting totally in unison, like a school of fish.

Their great weakness, however, is that their magic is tied to their blade. If a Valkyrha is separated from her sword, her power is significantly reduced. Many enemies have tried to take advantage of this weakness, though only a few have succeeded.

When not actively engaging in war, Valkyrhae mainly serve as guards. The most respected contingent of Valkyrhae work as bodyguards to the Witch-Priests, but many others guard the markets, civic palaces, and priestly manors around Triskaia. Their diffuse presence across the country is one of the reasons that crime is kept so low.