Deities

Valkyr

God of Fate and Time

Group (Pantheon): The Twelve

Domains: Time, Knowledge, Speed, Travel, Prophecy

Alignment: Neutral

Holy Symbol

The holy symbol of Valkyr is an eternal hourglass entwined with luminous threads of silver and gold, symbolizing the flow of fate and the endless passage of time. The sands within the hourglass glow faintly, representing the ever-moving present. This symbol is worn as a pendant

Core Tenets

  1. Honor the Threads of Fate. All lives are threads in the great Tapestry of Time. Respect your place, yet strive to weave a lasting legacy.
  2. Time Waits for No One. Seize your moment, for destiny is relentless. What is delayed may be forever lost.
  3. Destiny is a River, Not a Chain. Fate flows forward, but mortal choices shape the path. Accept the consequences of your actions.
  4. Preserve the Balance. Seek to correct disruptions in the flow of time, whether caused by magic or mortal hubris.

Church Structure

The faith of Valkyr is centered on oracles, seers, and fate-weavers devoted to understanding and interpreting destiny's ever-changing path. Temples of Valkyr, called Chronicles of Fate, are places of study, meditation, and prophecy.

The Keeper of Eternity
The spiritual leader of the church, considered Valkyr's mortal representative. The Keeper is chosen through prophetic visions and is tasked with overseeing fate-altering events.

Oracles of the Veil
Gifted seers blessed with the power to interpret threads of destiny through dreams, starlight, or time-bent visions. They serve as advisors to rulers and guardians of forgotten knowledge.

Fateweavers
Skilled mystics and scholars who study the ancient Tapestry of Time, a magical construct said to reflect the world's ever-changing future. They craft enchanted scrolls, weaving destiny into spells of foresight and prophecy.

Timewardens
Paladins and battle-clerics who protect the Tapestry of Time from mortal and magical corruption. They are often dispatched to correct disruptions caused by forbidden time-altering magic.

Chronomancers
Arcane specialists who wield time-based magic, entrusted with shaping small moments while respecting fate's greater flow. They are both feared and respected for their ability to manipulate the flow of time in battle or critical events.

Influential Figures

Celara Moondrift (past)
Role: Oracle of the Veil
Legacy: Known as the Moon-Seer of Aurensul, Celara foresaw the fall of the ancient city long before it occurred. Though she could not prevent its destruction, her prophetic warnings saved countless lives by urging evacuations. Her visions are still studied by modern seers.

Arannis Starborn (past)
Role: Chronomancer and Hero of the Fourth Age
Legacy: An elven time-mage who wielded the Hourblade, an enchanted longsword that allowed him to manipulate fleeting moments in combat. His defense of the Eclipsed Bastion remains one of the most legendary last stands in Thaloria's history.

Elder Tovan Glasshade (past)
Role: Fateweaver Scholar
Legacy: Tovan was a master scholar responsible for transcribing the Lost Prophecies of the Sixth Cycle, which foretold many future conflicts. He vanished while pursuing the ancient artifact Chronos' Seal, leaving behind a journal filled with incomplete predictions that scholars still struggle to interpret.

High Keeper Daelor Rynith (present)
Role: Current Keeper of Eternity
Legacy: Daelor has held the mantle for nearly a century, guiding rulers and heroes with precision and calm foresight. He orchestrated the Sealing of the Rift of Everdusk, an ancient temporal anomaly, preserving the flow of time.

Nira Valewatch (present)
Role: Fatewarden and Timewarden Captain
Legacy: A battle-cleric renowned for correcting dangerous temporal disruptions caused by rogue mages and lost relics. She is said to carry Fate's Aegis, a shield imbued with time-bending magic that slows incoming attacks.

Presence Across the World

The faith of Valkyr is most prominent in Aurensul's Reclaimed Citadel, Ilyndor, and the Starlit Reaches, where mysticism and arcane study thrive. The Chronicles of Fate are found throughout the world, often concealed within grand libraries, enchanted observatories, and forgotten ruins.

Relationship with Other Faiths

Valkyr's followers work closely with the faiths of Elora (knowledge and arcana) and Maelis (love and compassion) when balancing destiny's needs with mortal struggles. They often clash with Naeris (secrets and shadows) and Volrath (undeath and corruption), whose interference threatens the flow of fate.

Modern Challenges

The withdrawal of the gods has left Temporal Anomalies -- disturbances in the natural flow of time -- unchecked, requiring constant intervention by Valkyr's faithful. Additionally:

  1. Lost Prophecies. Many crucial prophecies remain hidden, incomplete, or lost due to past wars and temporal disruptions.
  2. Forbidden Time Magic. Rogue mages have sought to alter fate itself, forcing Timewardens to hunt them relentlessly.
  3. Severed Threads. Entire bloodlines have disappeared without cause, prompting fears that an ancient threat may be severing fate's tapestry from within.

About Valkyr

Valkyr, the God of Fate and Time, governs destiny, inevitability, and the unyielding march of time. He represents both the certainty of the future and the power of mortal choices to shape it. Though impartial and remote, Valkyr is not without compassion -- his followers believe he provides opportunities for redemption and greatness, though such chances are fleeting and must be seized.

He is depicted as a tall, ethereal figure clad in dark, flowing robes woven with shimmering constellations and silver threads of time. His face is often obscured by a mask of polished obsidian, symbolizing the unknowable future. In his hands, he carries Chronos' Veil, a staff entwined with glowing threads of light, and an Hourglass of Eternity, its sands ever-shifting and never empty.

Valkyr's faith stands as a solemn reminder that while destiny may guide the future, mortal will shapes its path. His followers guard time's secrets, ensuring that no one -- mortal or divine -- can twist the threads of fate without consequence.

"From the first breath to the last, all threads meet in time's eternal loom."

Source: Homebrew, 2024.