Svanhvít

A **Svanhvít** (白鳥の衣服(スヴァンフヴィート), *Suvanfuvīto*) is a type of legendary Mystic Codes from Norse Mythology. They are worn by the Valkyrior Guards who protect and serve the Norse Chieftain God, with the current one being Vidar, God of Vengeance.

## Summary

The first Svanhvít was created as a gift from Odin to Brynhildr, his daughter and the first valkyrie. Centuries later, after she founded the Valkyrior Guards, more Svanhvít were commissioned for the Valkyrior sisters and were then passed down to their successors after the original Valkyriors retired. Since then, the Svanhvít has become a symbol associated with Asgard's most elite shieldmaidens.

## Appearance

Despite being called a cloak, a Svanhvít doesn't always appear as a normal cloak but can be transformed into a variety of garments. Some of its most common forms include coats, blazers, veils, etc... though some Valkyriors can also turn their Svanhvít invisible as well.

While wearing their mithril armor, the Svanhvít appears as a billowing cloak beneath a thin layer of feathers, so delicate-looking that one might think it is made of pure snow.

## Abilities

A Svanhvít is considered a crucial part of a Valkyrior's equipment and no Valkyrior Guard can be considered battle-ready without equipping it on their body. When equipped with the cloak, the Valkyrior will gain the ability to fly at high speeds, capable of intricate maneuvers up in the air at a speed exceeding that of a racing aircraft's maximum speeds, "as fast as the winds and thoughts".

It also grants its Valkyrior user invisibility, enshrouding them in a blanket of artificial Mist which turns them transparent to the non-magical eyes. As they are also tasked with overseeing and guiding the shades of superheroes to Valhalla, it helps them perform their duties without getting in trouble with the mundane government. It's also rather durable and can block most curses and/or magical attacks, so one can even compare it to a magical version of a bulletproof vest, capable of blocking out an attack on-par with an atomic bomb with only minimum difficulties.

However, the true value of the Svanhvít goes beyond enabling aviation or invisibility. Its true power is the Divine Protection of Odin, the Allfather of Norse Mythology. Because of this, it preserves the absolute nature of the Valkyrior Guard's mind and soul, repelling attacks - both magical and psychic - that potentially affect the wearer's mind. In addition to deflecting most physical attacks, it also helps the user's body stay in perfect shape as it wouldn't change even after massive intake of calories.

According to Freya, there have been multiple anecdotes wherein the removed Svanhvít is hidden by mortals while the Valkyrior is bathing, resulting in situations like "I have to get married now..." or things in the like, which she speculates to have been born of the constant harassment they have to deal with when working with a pervert such as Odin. Regardless, these rare occurrences served as the basis for many fairy tales and legends from all across Germanic and Nordic territories, eventually becoming a fairy tale archetype of itself.

## Trivia

* The name "Svanhvít" means "Swan-White".
* It is large enough to cover two grown adults underneath.
* The cloak and the Valkyriors are the origins of the "swan maiden" stories - Stories about beautiful shapeshifting maidens who are forced to marry human men after their magical garments are taken by said men, thus preventing them from escaping.
	+ Odin likes pointing these stories out to make fun of his Valkyrior Guards, mentioning how - unlike the tales humans speak of them - almost all of them are still single with zero hope for future romance.