Valkyrie Renaissance: Ginnungagap

Midgard, a world wherein the cosmology of Norse myth is very much a real, understood part of people's lives. Ragnarok has come and gone, and though the Prophecy of Ragnarok did not come to pass in exactly the ways expected, the damage has been done. The realms lie in shambles. But life persists, even in the wake of the flames of Surt and the rising tides. Some gods survived, whether fated to or otherwise...and others are newly reborn. Jotnar, the fell Devourers of Jotunheim, prowl all of the Nine Realms without restraint. And amid the ruins of Midgard...mankind ekes out an existence, banding together in settlements that are pale shadows of his once great works, competing for supplies and the few patches of fertile land that can still be cultivated. Mercenaries guard caravans or scavenge the Jotun-infested lands and cityscapes for supplies, armed with ramshackle firearms and crude melee weapons, while the lawless and unscrupulous gather together to prey upon the weak as barbaric bandits. And all the while, the remaining Gods fail to intervene. Lord Vidar, the surviving son of Odin, sits in Valhalla and lays claim to his father's half of the surviving Valkyries and Einherjar. Lady Freyja resides in Sessrumnir with her own half. The two sit at opposed ideologies--Vidar's belief is that before the Gods can help any mortals, they must rebuild and re-establish themselves, and reclaim the Realms. Freyja prizes the safety and wellbeing of mortals above all, feeling the Gods failed them when they were needed most. And so the two compete, their Valkyries descending to Midgard to seek fine warriors for a new crop of Einherjar...and often coming to blows for the worthiest of souls. You are one such soul, fallen in battle to allow your mercenary band to complete their mission. And as you lie, your vitality ebbing away, you hear the first notes of a haunting song... - First part of a series! Each entry has a different genre! - Mood music: Brothers of Metal - Kaunaz Dagaz