"Poor girl."
"For what reason do you proclaim sympathy for her?"
"Do you not see? She fights for a cause that she does not believe in."
"Yet still she fights us! She is our enemy and greater men have fallen by her hand."
"It is not enough to fight your enemies, but to know them. Her heart is peace, yet she shows the coldness of a grave and for what purpose do you think, Asa-Thor?"
"Out with it, Heimdall! What do you see that I cannot?"
"Family. Her father is Loki, her mother Angrboda, her brothers the World Serpent and the Dread Wolf. A family of the worst monsters to ever walk. Just as you fight for your father's creed, she fights for her family's creed. There is nothing more to it."
"That touched my heart. I'll be sure to bless my shits for her when they find their way down to Helheim."
-Exchange between Heimdall and Asa-Thor
Hela
Titan of Duality, Queen of the Damned, Matriarch to the Souls, Queen of Monsters, The First Goddess, The Hidden Goddess, Slayer of Heroes, Guardian of the Dead, Lady Death, The Third Monster, Beauty, Guardian of the Graves, Great Black Goddess, Harbinger of Plague and Pestilence, Horror of Slaughter and Decay, Mother of the Dead, The Banshee, Phantom Queen, Beloved of the Great Death
Abilities
Hela has two abilities that bind into one: Life-Force and Death-Force Manipulation. It is even more than that though as she manipulates the aspects of both sides. While she can manipulate both separately to restore life or to bring death, she can bind both to create stronger phenomena. By binding both, she can damn both the living and the dead. Most of her techniques deal with deadly curses that can cause irreversible aging, sickness, decay, or maiming. Hela has only two stages to her power and it has to do with how she manipulates Life and Death. In the first stage, she manipulates both individually. In the second stage, she can bond both to unlock even more techniques. The depth of her arsenal has to do with the variety of techniques in her power, having a well-rounded arsenal while being tempered in support/AoE attacks.
Her abilities are mostly references to the lives and eventual death of characters from sagas and stories. For example, if a character in the technique's story had a glorious life, the life ability will be extremely vigorous. If a character met a terrible fate, the technique will be deadly.
Her abilities are mostly references to the lives and eventual death of characters from sagas and stories. For example, if a character in the technique's story had a glorious life, the life ability will be extremely vigorous. If a character met a terrible fate, the technique will be deadly.
Eydask - The Tree of Ruin
I shall not see a world which will be dear to me: summer without blossoms, men without valor, conquests without a king, woods without mast, false judgement of old men, every man a betrayer, every son a reaver....An evil time.
-Hela
Raise your hand up to your temple, pale energy swelling up around your palm and rushing into the crown of your head. Wailing screams and whimpering cries sound around you, an irresistible cold befalling the battlefield - the kind that is ubiquitous, pervasive to one's skin and presence. As the pale white energy cradles your face, a similar aura rises from your body, the cold now numbing and bitter to the other's body.
This bitter, cold presence has quick effect on the opponent. Upon already being exposed to Hela's energy, opponents become extremely susceptible to Death-Force attacks as her attacks ignore any resistance due to Seidr empowerment. Life-Force buffs and support are also very potent to the point where Hela can restore her own energy levels and the energy levels of those she wills by "blooming" their life-force. In general, any attack by Hela ignores ALL resistances and physical durability of those influenced or struck by her no matter its source due to Seidr. All are mortal before her. As the fight drags on, the battlefield begins to gain aspects of Helheim (which will become important).
To allow for the use of Death-Force without damaging yourself, Hela's Jarngrim creates shadow versions of your Heiko that occupy the same space, but in a different plane. In doing so, the Rune of Death, Eiwaz, will no longer cause harm to your body at all while using the Hela Jarngrim. While allowing you to manipulate Death-Force without self-harm, this new natural state also buffs your Life-Force, heightening the capabilities of your Heiko(s). If you do not have the Othur Heiko, this buff will be to the level of the Othur Heiko's affect on the other Heikos. If you do have the Othur Heiko, it will even further buff the particular Heiko empowered by it.
Your appearance using Hela's Jarngrim is changed (although the mask's design is of your choosing). In general, your skin becomes pale, so deathly white that it wouldn't be surprising if one were foolish enough to touch your skin, it would freeze their blood from within. Your cheeks are gaunt, lips that would be invisible if it weren't for their dried crimson stains, eyes sunken with unnatural shadows stretching outward, and the pungent odor of rotting corpses permeating from you to fill the battlefield as if millions had just died in brutal warfare.
One consistent aspect of your mask is the duality of its two halves. Split from the middle, the left side will depict decay; the mask sinking into your haggard cheeks to outline the bone, possessing dark and dry shades. The left side will depict vigor, the designs beautiful and intricate with radiant, bright summer colors.
This bitter, cold presence has quick effect on the opponent. Upon already being exposed to Hela's energy, opponents become extremely susceptible to Death-Force attacks as her attacks ignore any resistance due to Seidr empowerment. Life-Force buffs and support are also very potent to the point where Hela can restore her own energy levels and the energy levels of those she wills by "blooming" their life-force. In general, any attack by Hela ignores ALL resistances and physical durability of those influenced or struck by her no matter its source due to Seidr. All are mortal before her. As the fight drags on, the battlefield begins to gain aspects of Helheim (which will become important).
To allow for the use of Death-Force without damaging yourself, Hela's Jarngrim creates shadow versions of your Heiko that occupy the same space, but in a different plane. In doing so, the Rune of Death, Eiwaz, will no longer cause harm to your body at all while using the Hela Jarngrim. While allowing you to manipulate Death-Force without self-harm, this new natural state also buffs your Life-Force, heightening the capabilities of your Heiko(s). If you do not have the Othur Heiko, this buff will be to the level of the Othur Heiko's affect on the other Heikos. If you do have the Othur Heiko, it will even further buff the particular Heiko empowered by it.
Your appearance using Hela's Jarngrim is changed (although the mask's design is of your choosing). In general, your skin becomes pale, so deathly white that it wouldn't be surprising if one were foolish enough to touch your skin, it would freeze their blood from within. Your cheeks are gaunt, lips that would be invisible if it weren't for their dried crimson stains, eyes sunken with unnatural shadows stretching outward, and the pungent odor of rotting corpses permeating from you to fill the battlefield as if millions had just died in brutal warfare.
One consistent aspect of your mask is the duality of its two halves. Split from the middle, the left side will depict decay; the mask sinking into your haggard cheeks to outline the bone, possessing dark and dry shades. The left side will depict vigor, the designs beautiful and intricate with radiant, bright summer colors.
- Blikjandabol (Gleaming Disaster): A technique that further pushes the environment into becoming like Helheim. From the skies, black energy will fall to drape the horizon in huge dark curtains like a dome. This technique prohibits greater environmental techniques from occurring within, meaning any technique the opponent uses that has a status effect on the world around them will not work within the "curtain" and will be neutralized. This is due to Blikjandabol's passive status effect of energy aging. While it has very mild effects on people and organisms, it has strong effects on environmental energy, causing the light from the sun to dull and the winds to grow thinly cold. The curtains move with you as their epicenter and it doesn't trap opponents within. This technique's effect will not work on higher level passive environmental techniques in first stage (i.e Super Cell, Adonai Messiah's presence, Fenrir's devourer effect, etc).
- Fallandaforad (Fall to Peril): A technique that further pushes the environment into becoming like Helheim. Small black particles will begin to rise and float through the air, creating a dull hue within the space. Opponents will not take damage while around you, however their lifeforce will begin to whither away and be replaced by death-force. If you want to think about it, think of it like a health bar that is normally green. It begins collapsing slowly, leaving a trail of red (recoverable health) that after a while begins to leave a trail of black (non-recoverable health) the further out it goes. That is essentially what is going on. Your opponent begins to lose their power and life-force the longer they stay close to you, especially when paired with Blikjandabol as it widens the area of effect. The opponent becomes weak within the AoE, steadily losing complete access to the more powerful techniques in their arsenal. If they manage to escape the AoE, they can slowly recover their energy back as their life-force returns to them within the same amount of time that they lost it (if it took 5 minutes for them to lose an inch from that health bar (10% of their power), then it will take them 5 minutes to recover that inch since it'll still be red). However, once it passes a 10% threshold, or every 5 minutes for regular opponents or 15 minutes for opponents with high vitality like Saga of Gold, they will not be able to recover that lost life-force/power (just like in the health bar analogy). Those effects are not permanent until second stage.
- Eljudnir (Damp with Storm): A technique that further pushes the environment into becoming like Helheim, requires Blikjandabol and Fallandaforad to already be active to be used. White, snowy particles storm within the curtain while the cold effect from the activation of this Jarngrim is only sharpened. Any healing effect from your opponent is dramatically decreased in its time, becoming almost futile in battle. Another part of this technique is the intention with the white particles in the area. Focusing your energy into specific points in the environment will make the white particles flock toward it, gathering around it and absorbing that energy until they take on a constructed form. The white particles are fragmented spirits of beings that never escaped from mental and emotional depravity, seeking to make themselves whole once more. They will immediately attract to powerful signatures of energy and devour that energy to become bigger spirits, this includes your own energy. Death-Force techniques are the only way to properly kill these spirits as they feed completely on Life-Force. In stage 2, these spirits will take on a more demented aspect.
- Eydask (Tree of Ruin): A technique that goes beyond Helheim and creates an environment similar to Nastrond, the activation of this technique being required for the entrance into Stage 2. Eydask was once the lowest root of Yggdrasil, going deep into Nastrond and was one of only two roots connecting Nastrond to the rest of the universe. That was until Nidhogg snapped one of those two roots from Yggdrasil and it fell into Ginnungagap. From within the pit, its roots stretching to the unknown, grew a great tree of silver wings. The air it expels is suffocating, endearing those who so much as inhale it a bit with thoughts of brutality. Its bark is metallic, peeling often to litter the ground with no shadow to accompany it, a faint incandescent dusk emanating from the disastrous bark. Sharp winds pick up its glittering dust and burning soil, metallic saps constantly falling from the foliage of leaves so frequently forged into instruments of war. Viscous, lustrous oils stain the insects that drink from its nectar-filled flowers, its unguent dripping into the ferns. It is said that Eydask leaves no shadows beneath as it is the very shadow of Yggdrasil.
- Summoning Eydask into the battlefield has no drastic effects in stage 1 as it is the gateway into stage 2, where it will truly shine. Its metallic saps will rain down however, while its park peels off from sharp winds to litter the ground. The spirits from Eljudnir will gather to them, forming themselves with the bark as armor and gaining the ability of the Vanir Element of Chaos. While in Eydask's influence, opponents will also begin to grow corrupted with Chaos, gaining a stronger status effect with Fallandaforad. Lifeforce that cannot be gained back will become corrupted instead of lost, creating a connection with Hela if 40% of their lifeforce becomes corrupted, allowing for Hela to remotely plant runes onto her opponents.
- Südwind: Ruhm der Nibelungen (Southern Wind: Glory of the Nibelungs): You utilize the lifeforce side of your powers (left side) to create circular patches of soil in the battlefield that grow with vegetation and blooming flowers, ghostly spirits of blue energy kneeling at its base. Their true appearance fading in and out of reality, briefly showing their knightly armor and greatswords. Allies that stand in these patches will restore their vigor while empowering their life-force for stronger attacks and casting, become immune to outer attacks, allowing for them to calmly charge energy or other techniques, this includes yourself. In order to do harm to those within the patches, opponents will need to step inside which will not harm them, but will also not restore their vigor. These patches can be destroyed by using powerful, destructive elements or techniques. When using Eydask, these flowers will turn metallic and the ferns silver. Opponents that step inside from here-on will increase the draining effect of Fallandaforad the longer they remain inside. They will not be destroyed in the same manner as regular patches and will require disastrous power to eliminate.
- Nordwind: Untergang der Nibelungen(Northern Wind: Demise of the Nibelungs): Everything that is not the patches of soil will freeze over, becoming so cold that even touching it can freeze the blood. A foul stench permeates the air as if the frozen and snowy ground had encountered countless battles. Being near the ground will slow down the opponent's energy production as the influence of thousands of corpses slows down their blood and adrenaline. The way to get rid of this icy ground is through fire, but it must be extremely potent or else it will only create icy gases that rise and stagnate the opponent's blood even more quickly. While using Eydask, the opponent will become pressed to leave the area immediately as the air Eydask exerts will begin to take hold of them the more they breathe it in. The powerful winds from the ground pick up the macabre, cold energy and let it rise to affect the opponent even if they are in the air. It is with Eydask that the opponent can look through the icy ground and see the frozen corpses of the Nibelung, their mouths agape in horror as their hands stretch up to the sky.
- Südwind: Sieg von Andraste (Southern Wind: Victory of Andraste): From your hand materializes a banner with a coat of arms whipping in the southern wind of a risen golden sun whose rays of light point south, north, west, and east. Immediately upon its materialization, you and all allies will gain resistance to all elemental forces. It is only the most extreme, esoteric elements that can harm those buffed by this coat. Furthermore, all allies and yourself gain absolute guard; where you are immune to the effects of stunning, tremors, or in general anything that knocks you off guard/balance. This does not make you or your allies immune to damage. Impale the banner into the ground since it's easier, the effect of the technique lasts until your banner is destroyed by you or the enemy or you switch to Ende von Andraste.
- Nordwind: Ende von Andraste (Northern Wind: End of Andraste): From your hand materializes a banner with a coat of arms whipping in the northern wind of a setting red sun whose rays of light point south, north, west, and east. If you are switching from Sieg von Andraste, the banner will whip to the south due to the northern wind and the gold will switch to red immediately. All buffs your allies had from Sieg von Andraste will fade away and your opponents will instead be affected by the presence of the banner. They'll become severely weak to all elemental types, even if they had a latent resistance to a certain element (a Frost Jotunn being immune to frost) and they will have a significantly weak guard, even if they possess abilities to amplify their guard (Al-Vaepni). This all means that the opponent can very well damage themselves if they use any elemental type (this does not include esoteric type of elements, i.e Wickwar Flame, Amaterasu, Lyn, etc). Essentially, this technique does the exact opposite of Sieg von Andraste to your opponents. The effect lasts until the banner is destroyed by you or the enemy or you switch to Sieg von Andraste.
- Südwind: Der Held Beowulf (Southern Wind: The Hero Beowulf): A charm that wards allies and yourself against mental attacks and amplifies the mental capabilities of those affected. A horn will resound throughout the battlefield, a blue hue glowing from the eyes of your allies. The technique basically means any illusions, emotional, or psionic attacks will be ineffective to those buffed by Der Held Beowulf. Furthermore, the amplification of their mental capacity allows for stronger instincts in battle to the point where allies can physically react to attacks the moment they occur as their ability to discern and effectively know how to react grows. Their growth in mental power also allows them to cut off the middle-man of information going to the brain then the brain needing to process that information and react accordingly. Der Held Beowulf allows for simple instincts and reflexes to react. Due to their enhanced mind, allies can also create and cast techniques quicker, attacks that usually take a longer time to occur will happen immediately.
- Nordwind: Der Teufel Beowulf (Northern Wind: The Fiend Beowulf): A curse that begins attacking the nerves and crumbles the mind of enemies affected. If an enemy is struck by you or an ally physically, this curse will activate on the enemy like a throbbing headache. Their ability to react to attacks will slow as their perception of time and events will stagnate by a 5 second difference. This is because the curse directly affects the nerves of their body, slowing down the time that information is sent to the brain and how long it takes the brain to process that information to react. The longer they remain in this state, the more it affects their mind and they will become slow to cast techniques. The way to remove this curse is through uninterrupted meditation where one regains control of their nerves and mind.
- Südwind: Alter der Helden (Southern Wind: Age of Heroes): A powerful technique that summons any powerful hero whose soul went to either Valhalla or Folkvang. This will also include any foes that fell to you by using Hela. Heroes summoned will have complete access to their arsenal as when they were living, even items that they once held that are no longer in their possession (Iron Thanes). However, they will not be able to overpower you. You cannot summon someone more powerful than you and only 5 heroes can be summoned at once, not including the other 5 Warriors you can summon. Examples include:
- Ragnar Lodbrok (with Angurvadal)
- Ivar the Boneless (with Dáinsleif)
- Harald Wartooth (with Erilaz)
- Siegfried Nibelung (with Balmung)
- Sigmund Nibelung (with Gram)
- Ivar Vidfamne (with Ulfberht)
- Hilda (with Athem)
- Hrólfr Kraki (with Skofnung)
- Beowulf (with Naegling)
- Gil-galad (with Aeglos)
- Examples of who you cannot summon: Odin, Andraste, the Nine Iron Thanes.
- Nordwind: Alter der Wölfe (Northern Wind: Age of Wolves): A powerful technique that summons any powerful warrior whose soul went to Helheim (and in Stage 2 Nastrond as well) instead of Valhalla or Folkvang. This will also include any foes that fell to you by using Hela in Stage 2, even if they were more powerful than you. Warriors summoned will have complete access to their arsenal as when they were living, even items that they once held that are no longer in their possession (Iron Thanes). Only 5 heroes can be summoned at once, not including the other 5 Heroes you can summon.
- From Helheim:
- Cassandra (with Andraste - Iron Thane Weapon)
- Baldor - God of Light and Purity (with Ichaival)
- From Nastrond:
- Ganelon (with Morgen)
- Ælla (with Hrunting)
- From Helheim:
Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)
I shall not seeth a day m're magnificent than end's night, such eternal dark shall cease in spangled light/A night m're magnificent than the final day, dawn's blade to calleth the hearts of those astray/Only at which hour broth'rhood danceth in aft'rglow, arises might 'gainst yond which is hollow/If't be true people yearn for a day to share, val'rous arms wilt heed the call 'gainst nightmare.
-Last prophecy of the Norns, "Götterdämmerung"
To enter this stage, manipulate Eydask's roots to attach to your back. They will then begin to be siphoned into your body, branches emerging from out of your mask like twisted horns and from out of your armor's plates like warped spires. Saturated green energy will glow from your veins, casting a venomous hue around your body. Soon after, this energy will begin to swell and burst releasing powerful shock-waves that leave a corrosive DoT on those struck by it. Markings swirl from your body like writhing tendrils, the thunderous sound of three hearts pumping in rapid unison shaking the landscape and splitting earth. The lower half of your mask cracks to reveal your mouth, the markings swirling up to your lips, your teeth now fanged with acidic venom dropping from their edges.
The meaning behind this drastic change in appearance is due to Eydask's power unlocking Hela's close bond to her family's abilities. She is the youngest of her siblings, having a bit of knowledge and capability that her siblings possess. The venomous green energy is Jormungandr's power while the writhing tendrils are the growing power Fenrir possesses. In this stage, Hela receives Jormungandr's poison ability that deals abusive damage on the initial strike and quick damage over time that corrodes the life-force of opponents. From Fenrir's side, she receives Fenrir's ability to grow in power quickly. However, it is only at the pace Fenrir has stage 1 (every 5 minutes, your power recharges and doubles from its previous state). Although, the power she rapidly grows does not personally go to her, but to the techniques she has cast on the field. If she casts Sieg von Andraste in this stage, the elemental resistance will soon gain the ability to resist esoteric elements (black fire, heavenly lightning, etc) and eventually, in about 15-20 uninterrupted minutes after casting, Aesir Level elements (Lyn, Blis, Wickwar Flame, etc). This paired with Hela's Jormungandr side where she leaves a DoT, that DoT will grow with power every 5 minutes.
These are not the only abilities Hela gains in this stage. Hela gains a true titan's presence that is global, the previous techniques of Blikjandabol, Fallandaforad, and Eljudnir now essentially her aura at all times at their highest capacity. With Blikjandabol, absolutely no environmental control techniques will be able to work except for those she casts/allows IF they are cast within her presence. (i.e Super Cell, Algiz, Fenrir's devourer effect, etc). If there was an environmental technique that was to that level already on the field, it will begin to erode due to Eydask (which will be explained in a bit).
Fallandaforad is buffed to where the effects of the opponent having their life-force erode and losing access to their most powerful arsenal become permanent.
Eljudnir buffs the white snowy particles to where they become Wraiths whenever they congregate around the energy signals you cast. The wraiths appear as demented, hooded apparitions that fade in and out of reality every second. These wraiths will seek targets that are alive to reap the life-force of those they possess. They will grab onto opponents and place themselves within them, giving the opponent the appearance of having a cloak with a hood over them whenever the wraith begins to absorb a life-force. If a wraith is successful in completely devouring a life-force, they will gain all the abilities and capabilities of whoever they devoured, but remaining under your control. This is because the wraith takes the soul for themselves, essentially taking their identity. The best way to use the wraiths is to have them fly around the field, only pouncing when the opponent is weakened. It's easy for the wraiths to avoid attacks.
Lastly, Eydask. Eydask is what ties everything together, granting Hela immense power and territorial control. Eydask ties Hela to the territory she is in the further the fight drags on, which is why any technique that was already cast prior to her having entered this stage will eventually faded unless that very environmental technique grows in power over time as well to neutralize that tether. While in Hela's presence, any opponent that falls to her will not be able to go to Valhalla and will instead become slave to her. Hela can also summon any soul from Helheim or Nastrond to fight at her disposal. While in Stage 2, she also has no limit to the number of heroes/warriors she can summon to fight, however she still will not be able to summon heroes from Valhalla or Folkvang if they're stronger than her.
The meaning behind this drastic change in appearance is due to Eydask's power unlocking Hela's close bond to her family's abilities. She is the youngest of her siblings, having a bit of knowledge and capability that her siblings possess. The venomous green energy is Jormungandr's power while the writhing tendrils are the growing power Fenrir possesses. In this stage, Hela receives Jormungandr's poison ability that deals abusive damage on the initial strike and quick damage over time that corrodes the life-force of opponents. From Fenrir's side, she receives Fenrir's ability to grow in power quickly. However, it is only at the pace Fenrir has stage 1 (every 5 minutes, your power recharges and doubles from its previous state). Although, the power she rapidly grows does not personally go to her, but to the techniques she has cast on the field. If she casts Sieg von Andraste in this stage, the elemental resistance will soon gain the ability to resist esoteric elements (black fire, heavenly lightning, etc) and eventually, in about 15-20 uninterrupted minutes after casting, Aesir Level elements (Lyn, Blis, Wickwar Flame, etc). This paired with Hela's Jormungandr side where she leaves a DoT, that DoT will grow with power every 5 minutes.
These are not the only abilities Hela gains in this stage. Hela gains a true titan's presence that is global, the previous techniques of Blikjandabol, Fallandaforad, and Eljudnir now essentially her aura at all times at their highest capacity. With Blikjandabol, absolutely no environmental control techniques will be able to work except for those she casts/allows IF they are cast within her presence. (i.e Super Cell, Algiz, Fenrir's devourer effect, etc). If there was an environmental technique that was to that level already on the field, it will begin to erode due to Eydask (which will be explained in a bit).
Fallandaforad is buffed to where the effects of the opponent having their life-force erode and losing access to their most powerful arsenal become permanent.
Eljudnir buffs the white snowy particles to where they become Wraiths whenever they congregate around the energy signals you cast. The wraiths appear as demented, hooded apparitions that fade in and out of reality every second. These wraiths will seek targets that are alive to reap the life-force of those they possess. They will grab onto opponents and place themselves within them, giving the opponent the appearance of having a cloak with a hood over them whenever the wraith begins to absorb a life-force. If a wraith is successful in completely devouring a life-force, they will gain all the abilities and capabilities of whoever they devoured, but remaining under your control. This is because the wraith takes the soul for themselves, essentially taking their identity. The best way to use the wraiths is to have them fly around the field, only pouncing when the opponent is weakened. It's easy for the wraiths to avoid attacks.
Lastly, Eydask. Eydask is what ties everything together, granting Hela immense power and territorial control. Eydask ties Hela to the territory she is in the further the fight drags on, which is why any technique that was already cast prior to her having entered this stage will eventually faded unless that very environmental technique grows in power over time as well to neutralize that tether. While in Hela's presence, any opponent that falls to her will not be able to go to Valhalla and will instead become slave to her. Hela can also summon any soul from Helheim or Nastrond to fight at her disposal. While in Stage 2, she also has no limit to the number of heroes/warriors she can summon to fight, however she still will not be able to summon heroes from Valhalla or Folkvang if they're stronger than her.
eoten, the form is similar to Fenrir's and Jormungandr's, she frequently kills herself and revives herself leaving ghosts of herself in the spot where she died that do shit (this symbolizes the Jormungandr aspect of cycles), wraiths, if an enemy falls to her from here on they will not be able to go to Valhalla or Folkvang.