"Ægishjalm
bar ek of alda sonum,
meðan ek of menjum lák;
einn rammari
hugðumk öllum vera,
fannk-a ek svá marga mögu."
"The Helm of Awe
I wore before the sons of men
In defense of my treasure;
Amongst all, I alone was strong,
I thought to myself,
For I found no power a match for my own."
-Call of the Aegishjalmr
Vaerne (Al-Væpni)
The proof of an Yggdrasil's bloodline and heritage is the symbolic Vaerne (traditionally known as Al-Væpni). It is the manifestation of the energy of an Yggdrasil lying beneath the Equilibrium Body. The Yggdrasil can draw out the armor from any part of their body and mold it however they see fit, whether to create extra limbs, appendages, or surround a part of their body that is being attacked with dragon-like scales. When this is done, it is never at its true power unless the Yggdrasil fully awakens their armor to its true form. This is known as the Al-Væpni (meaning "a complete equipment of arms.") Each Saga has their own unique traits to their Vaerne and unique appearances, but all have 3 runes attached to their power. With each level, one legendary item is equipped to their body, the first level having nothing other than their armor. There is no helmet for the Al-Vaepni up until the final stage.
- Stage 1 - Othila (The Rune of Ancestry): Armor gains the color of your own energy properties. Your armor is able to take brutal amounts of damage without breaking, tanking a few Special-Type techniques before weakening. Otherwise, the armor enhances your physical capabilities and heightens your ability to take damage. Powerful attacks will not stagger you, attacks stagger your opponent and leave them reeling. The user is able to bend their Vaerne and shape its size, as well as focus where the durability is most at. Your presence is heightened to a greater extent, its ability looming over the surrounding area even more thickly.
- Stage 2 - Uruz (The Rune of Power): Your armor becomes ornate with runes at the seams of each plate, detailing past struggles and victories of both your ancestors and your own accomplishments. You can customize the other appearances of this stage of your Al-Vaepni. While having overall stronger physical damage resistance, in this stage, your very presence itself becomes armor as attacks nearing you lose momentum and vaporize whenever you charge your armor. You're capable of withstanding almost any source of attack (except from things like Nether and Aether). You can attach any of the basic Runes of Power to your Al-Vaepni, increasing their overall power without any toll on your body. The effects of attacks also last longer and your ranged attacks also become even more difficult to deal with. Lastly, you gain the ability to use one of the legendary weapons of the gods in this stage, such as either Mjolnir, Gram, Gungnir, etc.
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/3/1/19316073/editor/aegishjalmr.jpg?1500493353)
Stage 3 - Ægishjálmr (The Helm of Awe): Also known as the Crown of Terror, this is the final version of the Al-Vaepni that utilizes the oldest and mightiest Rune of Power, the Aegishjalmur. In order to activate this final stage, you must utter the words seen above regarding the Helm of Awe. It appears as eight arms extended in all directions in the form of tridents, radiating from the central point to symbolize the defense of that central point against any would-be attacker from all directions by going on the offensive. The Aegishjalmur utilizes two runes to create the ultimate defense: the Algiz Rune, which is the Rune of Sanctuary, and the Isa Rune, which is the Rune of Ice. The Isa Rune acts as the arms, symbolizing the cold hardening and concentration of the defensive tridents that will never break. The Algiz Rune acts as the tridents that protect from attackers. These Runes, acting individually, are the ultimate defense runes. Acting together, they provide the strongest fortification that also act as the ultimate offensive.
The Aegishjalmur appears as a helmet, crown, mask, or visor along your head. In other cases, it changes the very color of your Heiko as it is tattooed across your forehead. The symbol glows as it immediately inspires awe and fear upon the opponent, creating a passive technique that makes any of the incoming attacks be weaker than they usually are the closer the opponent is to you. You're capable of resisting ALL forms of attack, while physical attacks themselves hold absolutely no affect on you unless empowered by Nether or Aether/Yin or Yang (or both), which even then you'd be able to greatly resist the attacks. Even your own techniques that would normally damage you are instead transferred into the next Ability, doing nothing to your own body save for techniques such as Ragnarok or the Eiwaz Rune. This next ability is the signature ability of the Aegishjalmur: you can immediately react to any attack from all directions, dealing 5 times more damage than you would have normally done had they not decided to attack. To their senses, it would appear as if they had been caught against a trident, allowing them to see the undetectable bubble surrounding you where spears and tridents are directed in every single direction. You can deal any form of attack the moment they approach you from any circumference of 8 meters (26 feet) and you can react quite literally instantly.
The Aegishjalmur appears as a helmet, crown, mask, or visor along your head. In other cases, it changes the very color of your Heiko as it is tattooed across your forehead. The symbol glows as it immediately inspires awe and fear upon the opponent, creating a passive technique that makes any of the incoming attacks be weaker than they usually are the closer the opponent is to you. You're capable of resisting ALL forms of attack, while physical attacks themselves hold absolutely no affect on you unless empowered by Nether or Aether/Yin or Yang (or both), which even then you'd be able to greatly resist the attacks. Even your own techniques that would normally damage you are instead transferred into the next Ability, doing nothing to your own body save for techniques such as Ragnarok or the Eiwaz Rune. This next ability is the signature ability of the Aegishjalmur: you can immediately react to any attack from all directions, dealing 5 times more damage than you would have normally done had they not decided to attack. To their senses, it would appear as if they had been caught against a trident, allowing them to see the undetectable bubble surrounding you where spears and tridents are directed in every single direction. You can deal any form of attack the moment they approach you from any circumference of 8 meters (26 feet) and you can react quite literally instantly.
- Raido: The Rune of the Wheel. Also known as the Solar Chariot. For this rune to become active, they must be within the effect of your Aegishjalmur. This rune transforms the entire defensive power of the Aegishjalmur into offensive power for the duration of this technique, where you absolutely wail on an opponent with relentless rage, sending them flying, but unable to escape the Aegishjalmur as you continue to trail them, releasing the tridents of the Aegishjalmur into their body along with your own attacks at them (whether that be punches, slices, or projectile attacks). They will not be able to react the moment they are caught, being vaporized by the end of the Rune's duration (15 seconds). To an onlooker, it would appear as if you both were a comet tearing through the sky. Raido is shown below in the gif.
- Ath'n Gabla: Rune of Battle. Also known as the Shoal of Four Branches. It is the mixture of the Algiz, Nauthiz, Ansuz, and Inguz Runes combined in successive order. Using this technique curses both you and your opponent into one-on-one combat, with both caster and target being unable to retreat or refuse combat with the consequence of instant death should they attempt to. In the old days, this was a rune used in the case of death-matches and duels between those who felt dishonored or insulted.
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