Skade the Beautiful, Fire Giant of Summer

By Athyra Di Giovanni (demonsreiche@yahoo.com)

Totem of Beauty and Honour

Note from Author

I would like to thank Peloquin for tipping me off to this legend. I hope this totem is received well by those who follow some of the Nordic traditions, or who merely are running a chronicle in Europe and wanted some authentic Norse totems to throw into the game.

Background Cost

9

Restrictions

As Skade was beautiful, she expects her followers to be reasonably attractive as well (Appearance 3+, Charisma 3+). As she is of the mountains, she expects those who follow her to have some knowledge of the mountains. (Storyteller's call here. Some examples are: Mountain Climbing, Science-Geology, Area Knowledge, and Archaeology-Nordic Ruins). Finally, she expects her children to be tough, as she is a giant (Stamina 3+).

Description

Skade was the daughter of a fire giant. Her father would always ridicule her on her appearance. She was not ugly, as many of the fire giants were. Skade was gorgeous, and her mane of red hair was equally attractive.

One day, her father came across Thor and tried to kill him (as many giants did.) He failed, and Thor's hammer Mjönjlir cracked his evil head wide open. Doing such, however, made Thor owe Skade a blood debt, which she could claim any way she saw fit. She chose to marry one of the Aesir. Originally, she was going to marry Loki (as he was considered an Aesir by this time), but Loki -- the attractive fire giant that he was -- was not fit to be tied down. Loki turned the whole affair into a competition, in which the winner would marry the gorgeous fire giant. As it turns out, the contest was about which of the Aesir available had the best legs. Njord, the god of seas and winter, won.

Skade and Njord were married, but their marital bliss was not to be. Njord was despondent about his native oceans, while the bride Skade was unhappy away from her mountains. So they separated from each other, but not permanently. Once each year, each would go to the other's native lands. When Skade would visit Njord, it became summer. Njord's visits to Skade created the winter season.

Skade, while visiting Njord, saw how he was helping to fight the sleeping Jormungandr's minions, and thought to assist her noble husband. She then chose members of the Changing Breed who were like-minded with her, in that the best way to destroy the Wyrm was to cleanse his immense, scaly body with flames....

Traits Bestowed

Skade, like Loki (not Utgard Loki) gives her children access to all the gifts that are based in fire. No matter who those gifts were originally meant for, the children of Skade may use those gifts at the appropriate Rank. As she is of the mountains, Skade also gives her children the right to gain the following gifts: Razor Claws, Resist Pain. She also gives her children the unique ability to learn the vampiric Thaumaturgical Path Lure of Flames as a Gift. The child of Skade must gain the knowledge from a spirit associated with fire or stone, and they must substitute "blood points" with either Rage or Gnosis. Finally, the children of Skade receive +1 Glory ever time they gain Glory.

Bans and Flaws

The children of Skade must protect the mountains from the detrimental activities of the Wyrm at all costs. They may never gain any gifts associated with water, cold, wind, or subterfuge (Storyteller's call). The children of Skade are also affected in the following ways: Flaw - Obsession (Fire), Driving Goal (Destroy Wyrm), Short Fuse, Pyromania (minor). She also askes that once every season, her followers gather in ceremony and have a bonfire, burning objects close to the Wyrm's intentions as sacrifice to her. (Things like bane-infested computers, mutated fish, fomori, and the limbs of fallen Black Spiral Dancers have been known to be immolated at these gatherings).