Contrary to tradition, I'm going to start this thread with the OOC stuff! ~The OOC Stuff~ So my Velheimer, Sivrid, has become a Valsung. This means she can speak with the dead who have unfinished business. I'm planning to use this as a means to give some rp to people, by handing out little tasks and missions to do IC around the city! Tasks might involve social interactions, like tracking down someone who wields a specific weapon to duel with, or who knows how to create a certain beverage for their final drink. It can be involved, and take several steps, or just be some way to get into an area of rp you normally don't have motivation to see. For example, it may lead you to areas of the city to seek out new people. And it may involve a long personal mission! It may involve taking a group of people to the north and then returning with some boon, or accomplishing some community-wide task, or even hosting a specific kind of event! I'm extremely excited to continue coming up with dead spirits who need things done for them. So even if your character doesn't have any specific dead relatives in their backstory, you can always just come to me and ask for one to fit your background! If you do have a specific dead person in your backstory, feel free to reach out, and I think we can come up with something neat. In short, I want to be one of those tools people can use to find ic motivated things to do. Not just to have some task they complete off screen, but to do things that require socialization and exploration. We can come up with something that creates a personal arc for your character, if you need some sort of catalyst, like finding a new group of people to rp with, or discovering new values to explore. With that explained, here's the fluff! They say that death is peaceful. But for some, rest does not come. The Helbolwen is a dark place. A hundred pairs of eyes, long since closed, still seem to watch you as you enter. But the calling was too strong- the nightmares. The bad luck. Small objects, possessed. And those feelings of unease, of tension, or unfinished business long forgotten... You are compelled to make things right. When the spirits of the dead have left unfinished business, and seek to find rest, they will reach out to the living. But to truly hear them, sometimes help is needed. Sivrid Kensley, Valsung, has made it clear to the public that she is available to offer insight. This is not magic, and it is not aberrancy; rituals like this are a gift from the Old Gods. The ability to speak with the dead, and interpret their wishes so that they can be lead to peace, is one duty of the Valsung. To seek this service, an offering must be made. For those who follow the Old Gods or the Oldt Fayth, you are no stranger to making offerings to the gods Sacrifices and offerings to the Union of Water will cause them to favor your mission, and allow you to seek their guidance. For those who follow other faiths, Sivrid will accept offerings on behalf of the Helbolwen. Money for upkeep, supplies for the running of it (tools, raw materials, and other such typical needs) are welcome, as are personal gifts accepted on behalf of the Velheim community, to remain in public spaces such as the Temples or Helbolwen. Carvings for altars, ceremonial bowls, and such trinkets fall into this category. Sivrid accepts no personal offerings for herself, because the power comes from higher beings. Offerings and sacrifices have two obligations. To be appreciated by the receiver, and to be significant to the giver. Only an individual knows how much to offer, so that it will be a meaningful sacrifice to them. It need not be a priceless family heirloom, but it must be a thing of value. And the value should be relative to the person. Sivrid is clear that she will only contact the dead when it is clear they have something to say. After all, the quiet dead, are the peaceful dead. And to disturb them without cause would be, among other things, terribly inconsiderate. Come only if you know that the dead wish to speak with you. This can be because you know that they died with unfinished business, or a question they wished you to know the answer to. It can also be that you've begun to experience a random haunting, such as nightmares, bad luck, or instances of possessed objects. (OOC Note: if you would like one of my random ghosts, assume that they came to you in one of these hauntings, and they will be tailored as someone from your backstory. No random ghost from history is going to want to be disturbed if they are a stranger to you.) For those who choose to seek this service, Sivrid can be found in the Gauntlet Tavern, in the Velheim District, or at the Helbolwen itself. (Send a pm to me here on the forums, on discord, or tag me in a post to set something up!)
