Squirrel's Vrykul Emporium of Fanon!

[FlyingSquirrel]

Welcome to my fandom emporium! Of course, it's all fan-dom, and so don't go around screeching in-game about it being true 'n' all. People may differ in their beliefs, which is perfectly acceptable. This is just kind of done as something I enjoy, connecting the dots sort of activity. Most of my fanon comes from the Vrykul, which is a race I've found endlessly interesting, especially due to my own having one.

Speaking about the Vrykul. One thing I reference on my Vrykul a lot, and feel is definitely an interesting piece, is their religion. After all, their worshipping Gods is referenced many times by the Vrykul, especially in this quest, where it says the following;

King Ymiron yells: The gods have abandoned us!
The crowd gasps in horror.
King Ymiron yells: Even now, in our darkest hour, they mock us!
King Ymiron yells: Where are the titans in our time of greatest need? Our women birth aberrations - disfigured runts unable to even stand on their own! Weak and ugly... Useless...
King Ymiron yells: Ymiron has long toiled. Long have I sat upon my throne and thought hard of our plight. There is only one answer... one reason...
King Ymiron yells: For who but the titans themselves could bestow such a curse? What could have such power?
King Ymiron yells: And the answer is nothing... For it is the titans that have cursed us!
The crowd clamours.
King Ymiron yells: On this day all Vrykul will shed their old beliefs! We denounce our old gods! All Vrykul will pledge their allegiance to Ymiron! Ymiron will protect our noble race!

In this quote, it first says they worship gods, who they then call the titans. Furthermore, it drives the nail in the coffin by saying 'old beliefs' in the last bit there. So, it's pretty obvious that the Vrykul once worshipped the Titans as Gods, and did for a long time before the Curse of Flesh. So, that was easy. However, then I came to thinking about the watchers. Thorim, Loken, Mimiron, Freya, Hodir and Tyr.

Now, they're known as very real by the Vrykul, as can be evidenced by the Hyldsmeet, a competition held by the Hyldnir to have the winner rule by Thorim's side. And it's obvious that the Hyldnir are very attached to the Gods, as they've waged a war for thousands of years for one of them. So, that led me to this thought; the Watchers were left behind as representations of the Titan Pantheon, on top of Watchers of Ulduar.

Now, here's kinda where I diverge from all the citations. We don't really know all too much about the Vrykul, and so I can't keep bringing up quotes 'n' all. But, basically, I noticed that there were six Titans on the Pantheon, and six Watchers left behind. So, there was one for one. Once you looked at them, some of the similarities were incredibly easy to see. Now, of course, this didn't mean that they were only attached to the sole Titans. After all, Loken is known as the Leader (typically Aman'thul's job), despite being sent by Norgannon. So, they're not carbon copies, but it's easy to see who they're from.

Aman'thul, the Highfather - Tyr. Aman'thul is perhaps most well-known for being the guy who gave Nozdormu his power over time. This interest in time can be seen in lesser form in Tyr's Disc, something that grants Kalecgos visions of prehistoric Azeroth in the novel Dawn of the Aspects. So, obviously, they're both attached to time. On top of this, however, is an interesting tid-bit from Aman'thul's page.

police the ever-spinning pathways of fate and destiny

Now, this is something that Tyr is very interested in -- destiny and fate. He's by far the most involved in the mortal affairs of Azeroth of all the Titans, and kind of messes with both destiny and fate in his own way. It's implied by him that he is behind the first Dragons, and is one of the first to befriend who would later become the five aspects. Through this alone, it's evident that he's had a hand in tampering with this, another thing that combines him with Aman'thul.

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Eonar, the Lifebinder - Freya. This is a lot more simple. Both are the only females, and both are heavily intertwined with nature. In fact, it's basically self-explanatory. If you want a bigger explanation. I can go with it, but I feel like it's unnecessary, personally.

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Norgannon, the Dreamweaver - Loken. This doesn't really have so much, as we don't know much about Loken. However, his temple is known as the Temple of Wisdom, and he does seem a fair bit smarter/cleverer than the other Watchers. After all, he did manage to outsmart at least four of the five other Watchers in some regard. Now, here's a bit of fanon not supported by anything, but I believe that Loken is who gave the Vrykul their runic magic. If this is true, then that means that he had some hidden wisdom not given to Malygos, as 'even the most experienced wizards' find runic magic unfamiliar. I'm not saying that the experienced wizards are on the same level as Malygos, but I think they would have at least a clue of something being arcane based.

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Golganneth, the Thunderer - Thorim. Thorim's called the Stormlord multiple times, and Golganneth is known to be 'the Lord of the Skies and roaring oceans'. Another hint can be found in Golganneth's RPG section, which states that he 'loves flying and swimming creatures above all else.' The thing regarding this is that Thorim has a giant proto-drake he rides named Veranus, and is the one who introduced Vrykul to riding proto-drakes. Obviously, there's some connection between the one who loves flying creatures and the one who rides flying creatures.

It's also known that Golganneth has power over the seas. Perhaps this means that Thorim has some similar degree of control, which could then lead to some interesting theories regarding Thorim and the Kvaldir.

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Khaz'goroth, the Shaper - Mimiron This one, there's not too much on, as we don't have much on either character. However, both are known primarily as builders. Khaz'goroth is a mighty smith and the maker of mountains and Dwarves, while Mimiron has done things like make an entire race. I would also like to point out how close the Gnomes and Dwarves are, with predecessor-Gnomes being made by the latter and predecessor-Dwarves the former.

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Aggramar, the Avenger - Hodir. I will openly admit that this is the weakest of the bunch. There's not really much of anything on either of them, and so I more paired them up based on the fact that neither had left anything behind. However, out of this pairing, came an inkling of an idea. What if Hodir's power with ice is meant as a counter to the Burning Legion's... well, burning? Maybe Hodir was left to guard the world against the Legion, only to have been taken out by Loken before the world needed him most (the War of the Ancients).

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Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading all that. I do plan to do some more posts in the future, talking about how the Aspects, Watchers and other Titanic creations left all over Azeroth correlate, as well as how I believe Vrykul society worked, and a myriad of other topics. If you have any critiques or things you'd like to see me add on to or go over, then please make a post and I'll do my best. Have a nice day!

Oh, yea, honorary mention to c0r for her help with all this, if not just straight up coming up with most of it.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Now, in this post, I'd like to talk about the link between the Titanic Watchers and a perhaps more well-known group of Titan-empowered beasts -- the Dragons, how they mesh and what these partnerships mean. Here's a li'l chart on who empowered who with the Dragon Aspects put in this time.

Aman'thul -- Nozdormu the Bronze and Tyr.
Eonar -- Alexstrasza the Red, Ysera the Green and Freya.
Norgannon -- Malygos the Blue and Loken.
Golganneth -- Thorim.
Khaz'goroth -- Neltharion the Black and Mimiron.
Aggramar -- Hodir.

First, we have Nozdormu and Tyr. The thing about Nozdormu is he doesn't really take part in the present. His focuses are purely the past and future, without really focusing on the time everyone else is. One of the most pivotal moments in Azeroth's history, the War of the Ancients, is absent of the Bronze dragon, who's interests are instead showed by his mate, Soridormi. He only really directly gets involved during Cataclysm. You think one so involved in time would be incredibly interested in the present. However, that's not his job.

You see, it's Tyr's job to watch the present, and influence that so to help the 'good' forces of Warcraft. This is evident in him getting a team together and defeating Galakrond way-back-when. As well as this, the novel Dawn of the Aspects revolves around Kalecgos finding Tyr's recording device, something that reassures Kalecgos and gives him hope at a critical time. He's shown this by a Taunka spirit, who Jaina later theorizes is Tyr in disguise. So, take that as you will.

So, my theory is that Aman'thul did not give full control of time to Nozdormu. He instead gave Nozdormu the past and future, whereas Tyr's job lies in the present.

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After this is two dragon aspects, Alexstrasza and Ysera, alongside Freya. My idea is that nature was split into three different domains -- that of intelligent humanoids, beasts and plants. However, these domains are not limited to a single one. Instead, there are three different groupings of two. Firstly, however, I shall speak of Alexstrasza. It said that she is to 'safeguard all living creatures of Azeroth.' Now, by this use of creatures, it's obvious that she doesn't much care for trees, or plants. So, her two are intelligent humanoids, and beasts.

Then, there is Ysera. She was tasked to 'watch over the growing wilds of the world from her verdant realm, the Emerald Dream.' In fact, most of what Ysera does, including her primary interaction with intelligent humanoids (Druids), is for the good of the Emerald Dream. The RPG section for the Emerald Dream states that the Emerald Dream is 'how Azeroth would have been had intelligent beings not altered its surface.' So, from this, it's clear that Ysera's domains are beasts and plants.

Now, this leaves Freya with plants and intelligent humanoids. The plants part is fairly obvious. When you meet her avatar in Sholazar, she fights the Scourge with sentient plants. In her encounter with Ulduar, she fights against you with sentient trees and plants. However, the intelligent humanoids bit isn't quite there, at least in terms of in-game interaction. I personally believe that she acted/acts as something of a fertility goddess, but there's really nothing there, so it could go in any-which direction.

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Next is Malygos and Loken. Now, we all know that Malygos's power lies in the Arcane, and wisdom in that sense. However, I believe that Loken's powers lie in the more unconventional wisdoms; cunning, trickery, things you would expect of his real-life counterpart, Loki. Malygos is book-smart, whereas Loken is street-smart. It's also worth noting, at least to me, the interesting correlation where both of them are some big bad guys in Wrath of the Lich King. Perhaps that's the dangers of wisdom.

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Coming up afterwards is Thorim. Now, he doesn't have any matching Aspect. However, I would like to pair out his seeming twin down in Pandaria, Ra-den. Both have powers over lightning, and both were heavily engaged with the local titanic creations (Ra-den with the Mogu, Thorim with the Vrykul, Giants and Earthen). I'm not insinuating that they had to share their power, instead merely pointing out the fact that there's a pair.

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Furthermore, we have Neltharion and Mimiron, both empowered by the Shaper, Khaz'goroth. Now, Deathwing is known for his power over the ground, and the things within, like metal and lava. Mimiron is known as a crafter, a maker, someone who creates from metal and ore and what's in the ground. This is made more interesting, because both the races made by Khaz'goroth (Dwarves, Troggs), and the race made by Mimiron (Gnomes) have subterranean capitals, the only show of such bar Azjol'nerub.

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Lastly, Hodir. Here's where it gets interesting, because I believe that his link to the aspects is Alexstrasza. Now, I did link her earlier to the part of life, merely because she was empowered by Eonar. However, she has shown herself time and time again to come to the aid of the mortals, against plenty of things. The Legion, the Scourge, the rogue Blue Dragonflight and the rogue Black Dragonflight. So, they're also paired, although it's hidden a bit more than the others.

--

You see, the penultimate theory here is that the Titans were careful in this selection, and made sure that no one they left behind bore their burden alone. After all, that had happened before, and the result had been Sargeras. They did not want a smaller scale repeat of Sargeras's betrayal, and thus left pairs behind for every job, so that they may aid eachother and make sure that no one feels too pressured. Nozdormu has Tyr to help with the present, whereas the monumental task of watching life is split between three. So on and so forth.

Again, I hope you enjoyed reading. If you have any critiques or addon thoughts, do not feel afraid to post them below. Stay tuned for further posts. I'll likely be shifting away from the Titans, and likely more onto individual races. Or, if you want me to take a look at anything specifically, shoot me a PM or post here and I'll see what I can do.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Northern Vrykul; the northern Vrykul are much more varied than the south, and captured my interest much more strongly than the south Vrykul. This post was a bit of an issue, as it was actually supposed to be my fifth. However, inspiration came for it much more quicker than my third or fourth, and thus you have it here. So, I hope you enjoy reading about the three northern Vrykul civilizations; those of Jotunheim, the Hyldnir, and the Ymirjar.

Jotunheim

History; The Vrykul were a proud race, and thus particularly divisive. Many different clans sprung up, only to slowly be either killed or absorbed by the larger, stronger clans. Even then, eventually, Howling Fjord came to be too crowded for each Vrykul to properly be their own. A handful, seeking to create a new colony, struck out north, to Grizzly Hills. They were chased west by the Furbolgs, and fruitlessly stumbled across Dragonblight. That is, until they came across Jotun. They begged and pleaded with him to help them find a new home, and, after thinking, he agreed.

Thus, the Vrykul followed Jotun west. Dragonblight could not be home to the Vrykul -- undoubtedly, they would eventually anger the great wyrms and be slaughtered. Nor could they live in the Tundra, for the harsh winds and lack of cover would not treat the Vrykul, or their large buildings, kindly. They then went northwards, and found the perfect place to settle in Sholazar Basin. This greatly angered Freya, who cursed Jotun to never again leave his path. As she looked upon the Vrykul, she had an idea. She took them from Sholazar Basin and instead nestled them in the cliffs of Icecrown, forbidding them from ever returning to Sholazar.

Winter came, and it was as harsh as could be expected in Icecrown. People were dying left and right from frostbite. The men refused to leave, instead believing that winter would be over soon and that they would live. Many of the woman and a few men, exasperated, head east, to Freya's temple. They begged her for help, and in the end, she allowed them to prove themselves by combat. If they could send forth one man or woman to best all her own trials, then she would lift the ban. Forth came Iskalder. He stood against everything she brought, until they eventually returned to Jotunheim. She threw him out to the sea, questioning if he could truly survive all nature had. He swam back and climbed up the cliffs, professing that he could.

While he had stood against everything she had brought and more, and emerged victorious, Freya was not happy that she had been bested. She demanded half of the living women to serve her and the other Watchers, something those from Jotunheim were not all too happy to accept, but accepted nonetheless. Then, she lifted the ban. The women she took became the Hyldnir, while those in Hyldnir began heading south for the hunt, fitting their leaving and returning trips between the common storms of Icecrown winters. The men, grateful for the assistance, cast off the burden of sexism as was common further south, in a further show of good faith to Freya.

Since, Jotunheim has expanded, and given birth, in a way, to Ymirheim. It established contact with the southern Vrykul, and spawned the Jotunheim Festival, in honor of Iskander's heroics. Jotunheim, due to it's fairly large size, has split up into a few different groups and villages, each led by a corresponding Thane. However, all of these Thanes are led by a Ymirjar, Overlord Balargarde.

Inhabitants; Jotunheim is home to the Mjordin, or the clanless Vrykul. While there are Thanes, they're more those with important jobs with a side of being the leaders of others. Ufrang seems to be in charge of the combat portion, like Ingvar in the south, whereas Illskar is in charge of the dead. The only leader, it would seem, is the Overthane Balargarde. Even then, he is not a leader of a clan, only a town. This is an interesting culture shift from the southern Vrykul, where the Thanes are solely leaders.




Hyldnir

The Hyldnir, as explained in the history of Jotunheim, are the descendants of the women Freya took from the people of Jotunheim. They, originally, were purely devoted to Freya, and built villages with paths leading to her temple.* They were granted a new, hardier frame by her, and a bit of manipulation regarding the extended Forge of Wills. A few years passed, and, eventually, relations were established between them and Jotunheim. And from this relation, sprang children. Freya, despite typically loving of children, was furious at this development. The Hyldnir were gifted with their skin of frost, and were not supposed to spread it with the common Vrykul.

The mothers and fathers, fearful for their children, petitioned to Thorim for aid. He intervened, and came up with the following; the children and their mothers would be taken to a new town, as well as those who were not so willing to live a monastic lifestyle. The town would be in a place where only the strongest survived, and could live. Thus, the gift Freya had bestowed upon them would not be given to the common Vrykul, and most everyone got a chance at life. Both parties agreed to it and, to seal the deal, Ymiron took a wife of one of Freya's Hyldnir, Sif. Thus, Ymirheim, and the Ymirjar were established.

Unfortunately, this splitting of the community was not the best for the Hyldnir. With the loss of the women who enjoyed men to Ymirheim, the more anti-men elements started gaining more authority. Whereas previously all slaves would be used in the mines, it eventually became only men slaves. The sole exception to this was Thorim, who maintained a decent amount of contact with the Hyldnir community through Sif. Through this, came pacts with the races of frost; namely, the Sons of Hodir and the Frostborn, alongside the Hyldnir.

And then, came Sif's death. The Hyldnir and Frostborn went to war against the Sons of Hodir in an effort to avenge Sif, something that continues to this day. In the chaos, no one noticed the loss of the other five Keepers. However, as the fighting relatively quieted, the Hyldnir noticed that Freya was gone and Thorim was still there, and primarily shifted their worship to him. While the Frostborn were typically not Thorim's people for war, those instead being the Earthen, this was done of their own volition. They no longer fight, due to lack of numbers, but instead gifted the Hyldnir knowledge on how to train and ride bears.

The last thing to exacerbate this issue is the abandoning of the Gods by the Vrykul at large. This was the Hyldnir's last cut-off with the others of their kind, and irrevocably tore them away from the other Vrykul. While they could, in no way or form, get revenge on King Ymiron for his betrayal of the Gods, they could get revenge on the Vrykul who tore themselves from the Gods. And for that, they'd need the help of the Gods, such as Thorim. And for that, they needed to beat the Sons of Hodir and avenge Sif. So, the Hyldnir keep the fight against the Sons going strong, in hopes of eventually achieving this goal.

*There actually is an in-game path one can take from Brunnhildar Village to the Temple of Life. If you ask on Skype, I can show you it.


Ymirheim

Firstly, let us get something out of the way. I've determined that Ymir, in Vrykul, roughly means 'Strongest', or 'Strong'. So, that provides us with this rough set of translations;
Ymiron = Strongest Man | Ymirjar = Strongest People | Ymirheim = Home of the Strongest

The history of the Ymirjar and Ymirheim; The Ymirjar, as mentioned earlier, are born of forbidden interaction between the Hyldnir and the Ymirjar. They were raised with a Spartan-like youth, where only the strong survive. However, unlike their real-life Spartans, the environment took care of the weak. If the environment was not enough, then the trial into adulthood was what picked off the weak*. And, for a culture that glorifies strength, and believes that might is right, the survivors of such an area became heroes, paragons. Combine this with the fact that they had a form advanced over other Vrykul, and that the town itself was started by the patron Titan of the Vrykul, Thorim, and you have an utterly sacred area to all Vrykul.

And, naturally, when the inhabitants of such a town are viewed so highly, they must be important for public opinion. And so, when the idea came to Thorim to abandon the Gods, they were some of the first he visited. He challenged any who would dare to combat. And, if they did not dare, then they immediately swore fealty to him as a God. Those who would fight did, and promptly lost, and through this challenge, he established himself as a leader of the Ymirjar. They became ruthless shock troopers in his fighting afterwards, mercilessly hunting down those who would shelter their malformed babies.

*The Trial was a simple affair. The Vrykul merely had to head east, into the Storm Peaks, and best a Proto-drake. This could be done however they desired -- making a trap involving an egg, simply outlasting the beast, or crushing it's head in. They would then take the skin of the beast back to Ymirheim, where it would be used to cover the roof of their house. However, the true case of a strong Vrykul came from those who would tame the already fully grown proto-drakes, such as Overthane Balargarde, or Skadi the Ruthless.


Sidenote; on Iskalder, and the Val'kyr.

I couldn't fit a way to naturally fit this in, so I decided to just give it it's own bit.

Despite Iskalder showing Freya up, she showed admiration for the desperate and strong Vrykul. And so, on his deathbed, she intervened. Instead of him dying, he entered a hibernative state, one that could be easily broken or replicated by those who studied it. She decided to place him away for a time when he would be needed. And she liked this idea, of stowing the strongest away for the future. And so, she started a competition amongst the Hyldnir; the strongest would share the fate of Iskalder; preserved until they were needed once more.

The first competition netted an interesting result. The two women who were to fight at the end of the tournament were twins; sisters who'd grown together. And yet, still desperate for their Goddess' favor, they fought. And fought. For hours they fought, even after their shields and armors and weapons broke, they continued to fight. When both were too tired to continue, Freya herself intervened, and announced that both sisters would be winners, and the first of the Val'kyr. She established a new city, west of the others, and closer to Icecrown. This town was to be for protecting the Val'kyr as they slumbered, and was appropriately named 'Valkyrion'.

The story of Iskalder, the twins and the Val'kyr are rather well-known throughout Vrykul society, under the three sagas written by the Vrykul bard Helgus; the Saga of the Winter Curse, the Saga of the Twins, and the Saga of the Val'kyr. The Saga of the Winter Curse speaks of the travel, and Iskander prevailing over his trial. The Saga of the Twins speaks of the formation of the Hyldnir, and the first Val'kyr. The Saga of the Val'kyr is much shorter, and is more a list of the Val'kyr and what great feats they've done.

Of course, the story of the Val'kyr ends in tragedy. Of the three Hyldnir villages, only one gave in to the Lich King, that of Valkyrion. Somehow previously, the Lich King had gained knowledge on how to wake one from this hybernation.The preserved women there were raised by the Lich King, as well as all who lived in the village. And that is how we get the modern Val'kyr.

[FlyingSquirrel]

There. Finally. Finished this. This post is more about the culture of the vrykul; their religion, their relationship with the gods, and what holidays they have. I didn't find much of a difference between northern and southern Vrykul this time around, bar leadership. It is important to note, however, that, with this post, I do not talk about the Hyldnir. Well, for the most part. With most of this post, it can be assumed that they do not apply.

Culture

The Vrykul, naturally, are a very proud and strong race. Thus, it would make sense for their culture being based around strength, and this strength being something that they're proud of*, to a mortal fault. However, this does not mean that they view magic as weak. In fact, there are even magical thanes, a position only left for the strongest of the Vrykul.

The difference of sex is different in the north and southern Vrykul. For those in the south, fighting is left near solely to the Males. There are differences, but the few differences there are seem to be based solely around longer-range fighting (Queen Angerboda,, Syreian and Vigdis). The north is different. Men and women seem to have equal opportunity, as evidenced by the multitude of spearsisters fighting alongside the men.

In fact, it seems that most sexism in the north comes from the Hyldnir, the amazonian inhabitants of Valkyrion, Sifrelder and Brunnhildar Village. The inhabitants of these three villages are solely female, and intensely religious. After Ymiron split the Vrykul away from Titan-worship, the Hyldnir split away from the primary Vrykul, and forged their own path. After this, the divide only increased.

Leadership

Leadership, amongst Vrykul, seems solely based upon strength. King Ymiron is perhaps the best example of this. "Ingvar's brute strength is legendary even among the vrykul. Rumor has it that he once bested King Ymiron in a brawl. The truth is unknown, but purveyors of that tale usually don't live for a retelling." (Here.) By viewing this quote, you can see that, even if Ingvar is legendary, then he is supposed to still be viewed as weaker than the King. This is a 'fact' that the King is ruthless in enforcing.

It is important to note, however, that the Vrykul did not see strongest as physically strongest. While this is almost always the case, there are a few stray Thanes who have shown themselves to be more adept in rune-casting than in any sort of physical prowess. However, one interesting point of note is that there are no women thanes. Even amongst the Hyldnir, there are no designated Thanes. The only 'leader' we know of is Yulda, and there is nothing calling her a Thane. Even outside of the Hyldnir, there seem to be few women leaders. Take this as you will.

The northern Vrykul seem a bit different than the southern ones, in that manner. In the south, the Thane is seen as a leader of people, perhaps equivalent to a Chieftain or Lord. In the north, however, it seems as if Thanes are in charge of something. While Overthane Balargarde is in charge of everything, Illskar looks to be in charge of the corpses, with Banahogg covering Valhalas and Ufrang handling warfare.

Vrykul religion

Thorim, naturally, is the Watcher most intertwined with the Vrykul. To the Vrykul, he's a father figure, and undoubtedly the most prominent in their tales and sagas. He's gifted them many things, primary amongst these the knowledge to ride a proto-drake, and oft stepped in to saved the Vrykul from another Watcher's wrath.

His closest followers in Vrykul society would be two-fold; the Thane would often take on aspects similar to him, in an attempt to appease the other Vrykul. As well as this, proto-drake riders also would commonly pray to him, asking for calm skies and calm drakes while they rode. However, praying to him was not limited to these two groups; before battles, it would be common for a small prayer to be uttered in his name, asking for a storm's ferocity and speed.


Tyr, although fairly absent, is very important to the Vrykul. While Thorim takes care of the offensive side of the Vrykul, with their unrepentant ferocity, Tyr is a more defensive man. He, according to Vrykul lore, spends his time travelling, defending the Vrykul from threats they could not beat. If a Vrykul were to need help in defending something, they would pray to Tyr.

He did not have any close followers, like Thorim. His absent way in the life of Vrykul was what inspired this. Occasionally, however, someone would claim that Tyr gave them a missive over-night, and would depart soon after on this missive. If they were to return with some evidence of a conquest, then they would be granted a relative hero's return. Some used this attention as a powergrab, and would attempt to become the Thanes of their area.


Freya, behind Thorim, was the Watcher closest to the Vrykul. She appears in nearly as many tales, and holds an eternal place in the heart of nearly every Vrykul women. Before and after childbirth, or sickness, would be an especially prayer-intensive part of the average woman's life, as it was Freya who would guide them through their ordeals.

As previously mentioned, really every women would hold Freya in a degree of reverence equal, if not higher, than Thorim. Her closest followers would often take positions as midwives. In fact, it was fairly common for a Thane's wife to take this position. Some of her closest followers, those involved in the caretaking of more than just Vrykul, were even granted the knowledge of how to heal wounds.


Hodir was the personification of winter, and thus very close to Vrykul culture. However, not so much to the Vrykul themselves. You see, to Vrykul, the winter meant death -- the harsh winds had a habit of driving people away from safety, and the biting cold would gnaw at them until they were no more. The forests and villages all slowed to speed of a heartbeat of a dying man during winter. It was for this reason that Hodir was seen as a figure of death amongst the Vrykul. If someone were to die in their sleep, then it would be stated as Hodir having breathed on their blanket in the day.

He did not have so much a dedicated following as Thorim or Freya. There was maybe one or two people per village dedicated to following him. Their job, primarily, was handling the deaths of people, and consoling the families afterwards. While death was no stranger to the Vrykul, the position was still handy to have around. Some of these followers were eventually found to have a small amount of control over ice.


Loken, while more active than Tyr, was not exactly one of the prime Watchers in the eyes of the Vrykul. He had his duties, and those did not extend to the Vrykul. However, this did not mean that he was completely apathetic towards them. After all, it was him that taught the first Vrykul how to cast runes, granting them knowledge and ability unseen in Azeroth before and after.

He had three sects of followers; the first were simple Lorekeepers, and had usually one or two per village. Next were rune-casters. While, initially, they were rare, they quickly spread across the Vrykul towns, and became a staple in every village. The last, and rarest of all, were the Yrkvinn. They were capable of great illusions, but were incredibly rare, and not liked whatsoever. While the rune-casters were seen as useful, the Yrkvinn were seen as hiding cowards. Due to this, many of the greatest Yrkvinn went through their lives unknown.


Mimiron had an interesting relationship with the Vrykul en masse. They did not much care for him, and vice versa. He was perfectly content inventing, while the Vrykul saw such a thing as a waste of time. However, not all were like this. It was through following and listening to him that the lifts dotting Howling Fjord were created. While such inventions were initially scoffed at, they were undoubtedly useful, and came to be used by many Vrykul.

Mimiron had the most mundane followers, of all. His brain-children were simple craftsmen, those who might be in charge of building a house, or a bridge, or really anything else. It was common, at the end of a project, for a small prayer to be uttered in his name, and incense burned in the hopes that the building would stand strong for many years to come.

Festivals;

The Vrykul, while primarily a race devoted to survival, did set aside the time for festivals. There were four of note, one for every season. The festivals were generally only a day or two long, although clans and villages had independent holidays that often lasted longer. The Hyldnir do not engage in these festivals as a group, but it would not be uncommon for one or two to join Ymirheim or Jotunheim in their celebrations.


Winter Equinox; A race, where Vrykul must swim from longboats moored a mile off of Jotunheim's cliffs, then climb up the cliffs. It is a contest of strength and endurance, and primarily done by the young Vrykul men still seeking a mate. It's primarily done to showcase themselves, but it's also a friendly, usually harmless way to prove who's better between two men. In the south, they would start at Wyrmskull Village, and swim across Daggercap Bay to Nifflevar.

The second day of the festival did not have many excitements. Even if food was tougher in winter, feasts were seen as near mandatory, as well as a combined village prayer to Hodir, thanking him for allowing them to survive the winter, and praying that he would allow them to live through the rest of it. After this, generally, people would return to life in winter.


Spring Equinox; A 'battle' between Freya and Hodir, where the people celebrate the ending of winter and the beginning of activity again by beating the shit out of eachother. Some of the more organized clans would have their Jarl act as Hodir, whereas his wife would stand in as Freya. A 'battle' (read; non-lethal), would eventually take place, with Freya's people beating Hodir's and forcing them out of the town. They'd then return at night, and engage in more festivities.

This would not have as grand a feast as the other equinox's, due to the lack of much available food. However, it was generally a good time, as families cut off from eachother by the harsh winters reconnected. The winter's alcohol, used in lieu of much available water over the winter, would be drained in a 'we're done and no longer need this' fashion.


Summer equinox; While this is an equally important festival to the others, the fact that many Vrykul were travelling, either trading or raiding, made a more centralized celebration a challenge. Generally, the families nursing newborns at home would take this time to announce their child to the Thane, were he present. If he were not, then just a general announcement to the village of 'hey, we got this kid' would do. Names would be suggested, and ultimately the child would be fully accepted as one of the village. Otherwise, it was a day of reprieve.

If they were not in the village, celebration was a bit more difficult. Typically, those raiding would stage their largest attack on this day, believing the Gods to be with them. Those trading would instead take all they'd earned on such a day and burn it, letting the smoke rise to the air and spreading what ashes were left, on the next day, in the closest large body of water. Then, whatever was left, they would bury. This was done to give back, in a sort of way. However, the latter part, especially amongst the greedier traders, was oft ignored.


Fall equinox; Fall, predictably, heralded the opposite of spring equinox. The first day (and I do use day loosely, as these could stretch for many days) would have a grand feast, eating everything that could not be preserved for use over winter. When everybody was then ready, they would get together; those representing Hodir would gather, and those representing Freya would mount a defense. A non-lethal battle would begin, with those representing Hodir eventually pushing Freya's into their houses.

The night would be spent with Hodir's fighters getting drunk, and running around the houses imitating the sounds of howling winds. Anyone on Freya's side caught outside their house through the night would be grabbed, and be forced to run across village without shoes on, much to the joy of all of Hodir's fighters. If it had not snowed yet, Hodir's would litter the main road with dangers, such as broken glass, rocks, or anything else they could find.

[FlyingSquirrel]

For those of you unaware, the main reason I write these posts are for a mixture of two reasons -- one, I enjoy the mental exercise and, two, I like to use them as references when writing IC posts for Ydir. This is one of those reference posts. Within this post is an overview of what I think Northrend looked like back in Ydir's time, 15,000 years ago.


Icecrown -- Icecrown, of all areas, is the one that changed the most. Back in the time before the Sundering, it had no buildings of Saronite, notably. As well as this, the undead had not yet paced upon it endlessly for years, and the snow and ice maintained the height of around the level of Sindragosa's Fall (with a slow sloping downwards that would eventually culminate in a glacier, ending in Crystalsong Forest), or any of the other Icecrown areas where the snow slowly descends onto the black ground where the Undead tread.

It was devoid of settlements, bar Jotunheim and Ymirheim. During the summer, mammoths, giants and the occasional Proto Drake roamed and with them went Giants. However, during the winter, the area was besot by blizzards. It was only the walls of rock separating Jotunheim and Ymirheim from the main glacier that kept them safe and habitable from these blizzards.

As I mentioned before, the only settlements were Jotunheim and Ymirheim. While Ymirheim has stayed more or less the same in size in the thousand years that have passed, Jotunheim was once much larger than it seems today. There was once another tier of the city on the cliffs below, roughly the same size, and holding most of the houses of the area. However, the cliffs below it sank with the Sundering, and took that half of the city with it. Furthermore, the islands now hosting 'Onslaught Harbor' were once home to an industrious port attached to Jotunheim by a lift (a copy of this lift now exists, connecting mainland Howling Fjord to the Isle of Spears). However, the port was dismantled come the Vrykul entering their stasis, and the lift taken down. This was due to fears of Kvaldir exploiting the lift and slaughtering all of the inhabitants of Jotunheim as they slept.

At the time, it was known as Guthgarth by the Vrykul, which is translated in more mundane terms as 'the God's Front Lawn'.
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Storm Peaks -- Storm Peaks has rather stayed the same throughout time, bar maybe a Goblin town or two popping up. Of course, it has become rather destitute compared to the time when the Watchers were more active; back then, the Terrace of the Watchers was a metropolis of various Titanic races and constructs, all bustling about in their tasks. Comparatively, today, it is a warzone. Nidavelir, the Iron Dwarf town in the northwestern part of the map, was once an Earthen city, of comparable size to modern day Aerie Peak. Beyond that, the only remaining noticable change is that the Path of the Titans was still whole, making it's route from Ulduar in the north, to Wyrmrest Temple and beyond.

It was known as Gutheim to the Vrykul, or the 'Home of the Gods'.
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Zul'drak, Grizzly Hills & Crystalsong Forest -- Of all these three areas, it is Zul'drak and Crystalsong that have changed the most. Grizzly Hills is a fair portion of the once grand forest that spanned all three zones and continued into Dragonblight and Howling Fjord. It was all a fairly temperate, even forest, full of game and lumber. The only inhabitants were Taunka and Furbolg, as the Vrykul found the game of the forest too nimble for them. The Earthen maintained a city in the west, Thor Modan, that was one of the first to fall to the Iron DWarves. The Trolls, when they came, took the area of Zul'drak and fought the Furbolg out of it, cutting the connection between Crystalsong and Grizzly Hills. Over the years, the two ecosystems would diverge, with that of the former being vastly affected by the Arcane.

The collective forest was known as Bjornheim to the Vrykul, 'Bear Home'.
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Grizzly Hills -- In past times, the western coast of Grizzly Hills was much the same as it is today. Instead of bordering the ocean, it bordered the great sea. Grizzlemaw had not yet been created, and the Furbolg, while not yet nomadic, were not so attached to their homes as they are today. The eastern coast continued much further, with the mountain range separating Howling Fjord from Grizzly Hills continuing with it. This continuation of the coast and most of the mountain range was lost with the Sundering.
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Dragonblight -- Central and Northern Dragonblight was quite the same as it is today, bar the aforementioned Path of the Titans still being whole. Western Dragonblight did not have Icemist Village, and the area in general was much less habited. The Nerubians, as well, had not yet been schismed by the Troll Empires, and did not reside there, either. Much of the area was a fairly empty woodland, home to a few roving tribes of Taunka.

Southern Dragonblight, or the coast, once went much further down south, reaching about the same longitude of modern-day Howling Fjord, but much of it was destroyed by the Sundering. Most of it was a woodland similar to what western Dragonblight is today. The Sundering and sinking of these southern lands is what forced the Taunka to consolidate and eventually create Icemist Village.

The coasts were owned primarily by the Tuskarr, especially towards the east. It is to the east and to the south that a great inland sea rested, home to the Tuskarr, Wolvar and various water-based lifeforms. Eastern Dragonblight (between the river and the mountains), before the arrival of the Scourge so long ago, was a forest, closer to Grizzly Hills than the forests of western Dragonblight. Over time, this forest was whittled away by Trolls, Dragons, Furbolg, Wolvar, Taunka, Tuskarr and, finally, Humans, until now nothing stands in it's place.

Statur tar Dreki Dautha was this place's ancient name. It's closest translation is "The place of Dragon's Death". A shortened title was available, under Drekiheim, Dragonhome.
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Sholazar Basin -- Sholazar Basin, if you ignore the avalanche in the eastern portion, as well as Hemingway's Camp and the various Cultists in the area, has more or less stayed the same. Ages past, a path led from northern Sholazar to Jotunheim, but such path fell into disuse long ago and no longer exists.

It was known to the Vrykul as Freyelska, which roughly translates to 'The area in which Freya pours her love'.
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Wintergrasp -- Much of Wintergrasp was once a reservoir, with only the Titanic fortress and other installations on dry ground. Said fortress was occupied by a force of Earthen and much of the area was maintained by these Earthen. However, they were called back and replaced by Archavon and his cousins, who did not care so much for maintaining the defences and buildings outside. As such, the dam broke keeping Wintergrasp a lake broke, and, by the time the Horde and Alliance arrived, it was not such a large reservoir any more, and the defences of the fort were much weaker.

The Vrykul did not spend much time here, nor pass by it often, and did not have a formalized name for it.
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Borean Tundra -- Borean Tundra, in all honestly, has not changed much. It was once much larger, with the tundra physically attached to Coldarra. In fact, the southern reaches of the Tundra reached far down enough to touch modern-day Kalimdor. The primary inhabitants were the Magnataur and their Taunka. The Magnataur did not migrate westwards, into Dragonblight, until the Sundering. The reason for this was many fold, but the two main reasons is that the main threat in the area, the Dragons, were severely weakened, and that Borean Tundra had become cramped due to how much landmass it lost.

It was known as Lothir Reiki, or the Roaming Land.
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Howling Fjord -- The south and western coasts of Howling Fjord has remained the same throughout the years, as even then it bordered water. Back then, it bordered the Breitt Haf. Daggercap Bay emptied into this sea. However, it did not reach around the east, which travelled outwards akin to Grizzly Hills as I mentioned before. However, the eastern portions of the Fjords were more plain-like, and home to what few farms the Vrykul had. It continued southwards, uninterrupted bar a rushing river that carried water from the Breitt Haf to the ocean outside. This land would eventually link up to the forests of Lordaeron.

Howling Fjord's name was Storheim, or the Large Home.
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The Wide Ocean -- The Wide Ocean would, later, be best known as the birthplace of the Kvaldir. However, this event happened relatively recently in the history of the Vrykul, and the Vrykul had long had a relationship with the Wide Ocean. They were not the only inhabitants -- Orcas, giant turtles, Tuskarr, Murlocs, and anything else you would find on the coasts of Northrend had a chance to be found in the ocean. The Tuskarr were rather content to fish in it, but the Vrykul often used it as a staging area for their voyages elsewhere. To this end, they had a small port on the Isle of Spears, where the modern-day Tuskarr settlement is found.

If it were put on a map, then the ocean was roughly the size of present-day Crystalsong Forest and Dragonblight combined, and turned to the side. It occupied a niche, with it's northern tip just touching Grizzly Hills, and otherwise being situated between Dragonblight and Howling Fjord. The Ocean itself had two primary tributaries -- one headed in a slightly-angling upwards line to the east, before emptying into the ocean. Another tributary went south and emptied into the Well of Eternity. Many others split off, with most generally heading south, but only a handful were deep enough for Vrykul longboats. All rivers from Northrend eventually emptied into the Wide Ocean.

This area was known by the Vrykul as the Breitt Haf.


So, here ends my interpretation of Northrend, roughly 15,000 years ago. As I mentioned previously, I mainly typed this up to use as a reference. However, if it shall ever come up in RP, then I welcome you to use it as well. I would like to note, however, that this knowledge would likely not the best spread. Of course, if you don't want to use it, then go ahead and just ignore this. Same policy with fanon as always.

[FlyingSquirrel]

I made a timeline of Vrykul society, starting a dozen years before the majority of Vrykul fall into hibernation. I'm working on a post detailing important events in Vrykul history, but that post won't include dates (the Vrykul never much cared for them, as it was. More the experience then when it happened).

• 12 years before they sleep
  
  
• The problem with children is, by this point, truly and fully acknowledged by most every Vrykul. There is no formal response, and in lieu of one, various rituals and actions are undertaken.
  
  
• The Kvaldir are made in one ritual.
  
  
• Lynch mobs are formed across the north (and southern north), hunting down those who have given birth to these children, as well as the children themself.
  
  
• Various other Titanic races are reached out to. Moods turn sour rapidly. When the earthen do not help with it, a siege is called on them at Grizzly Hills. All Earthen outside of the town are slaughtered. The Vrykul quickly lose hope and call off the siege.
  
  11 years before they sleep
  
  
• An expedition, led by the King, is launched towards Ulduar. He gains the support of the Ymirjar and Jotunheim Vrykul. A coalition of the Hyldnir and other Titanic races meet them at the entrance to Storm Peaks and tell them to turn back, citing the attacks on the earthen in the south as reasons the Vrykul cannot be trusted.
  
  
• Enraged, the Vrykul attack. The Titanic faction masterfully beat them back, and the Hyldnir withdraw from Vrykul society. The Ymirjar swear a blood feud against them.
  
  10 years before they sleep
  
  
• The travellers to the Moguheim return, and say that they cannot help either. The first talk of the gods abandoning the Vrykul begin to rise.
  
  
• Wars break out between the Vrykul, each blaming eachother for something or another. The Hyldnir and Ymirjar engage in a series of mutually devastating skirmishes across Icecrown and Storm Peaks.
  
  9 years before they sleep
  
  
• The Dragonflayer Clan begins to make a name for themselves under a charismatic leader who promises a fix. The clan swells from conquests and people abandoning their clan. By winter, they have declared war on the King.
  
  8 years before they sleep
  
  
• The King is killed. The leader of the Dragonflayer takes the throne, as well as the name Ymiron. He swears that he will lead the Vrykul through this. His clan either subjugates, absorbs or slaughters all other clans, installing puppet leaders.
  
  7 years before they sleep
  
  
• Ymiron sends an army north to get Jotunheim to submit to his rule led by Ingvar. In secret, he allied with the Ymirjar, and when the southern army arrives, so do the Ymirjar. The Jotunheim Vrykul know they can't win, and lay down their arms.
  
  
• Ymiron makes his speech in the south of abandoning the gods. It goes well with many in the south, and killing the infants becomes an increasingly common practice.
  
  
• Jotunheim still has many religious people who refuse to abandon the gods. The Ymirjar kill those who do not abandon them, often publicly. Ymiron installs Balargarde as the Overthane of the area.
  
  
• The Hyldnir establish a hard limit at Valkyrion and the two villages, killing any male Vrykuls that come too near. Many Vrykul women who were religious flee to them, becoming Hyldnir.
  
  5 years before they sleep
  
  
• A large group of weaponless Vrykul, full of both genders, departs from Jotunheim and travels east. They make it to the Storm Peaks and beg the Hyldnir for a place to stay. The Hyldnir refuse the men and tell the women that only they can come through. The women refuse, so the Hyldnir tell them they all must leave. The Vrykul refuse, so the Hyldnir kill every last one. This spurs many Vrykul to join the Ymirjar in spite, bringing new energy to the war between the two people.
  
  3 years before they sleep
  
  
• Ymiron announces his plan to save the Vrykul. The strongest and smartest of the Vrykul will sleep until a cure is found for their people. At that time, they will be awoken. It is accepted by the Vrykul to massive praise.
  
  
• Wars are started by the Vrykul against Earthen, enslaving massive quantities of them. These Earthen are used to build the caverns as required by Ymiron's plan.
  
  
• A massive attack is launched upon Valkyrion by the Ymirjar, at the behest of Ymiron. They steal the scrolls detailing how to put people asleep, as Freya did with Iskander, and return them to the south.
  
  The year they sleep
  
  
• The caverns are finished. Large waves are put to sleep with each equinox, depending on their importance. The King and his wife are put to sleep with the first batch, during the Spring.
  
  
• Instructions are left at both Gjalerbron and the Jotunheim site on how to awaken the Vrykul in multiple languages, including (ironically enough) Titanic. The instruction also tells of the fate of the Vrykul, of their creation, and the fall of their society.
  
  ~
  
  So many years after they slept (Year 25)
  
  
• The Vrykul at Jotunheim are found by the Scourge's agents, and soon after the Vrykul in the south have the same fate. Instead of being slaughtered, a plan is devised by the agents of the Lich King.
  
  
• The Scourge, using the instructions left behind, awaken the first handful of Vrykul dedicated to awakening the others. The Scourge tell the Vrykul that they are the agents of a new God, sent to awaken the Vrykul, and that they have a cure.
  
  
• The Vrykul begin rebuilding their villages, as well as reviving more Vrykul simultaneously.
  
  Year 26
  
  
• The Vrykul are told by the Scourge of invaders from over the sea, who wish to attack the Vrykul before they are at full strength. Efforts are redoubled. The first tournament at Valhalla to determine those Worthy of the Lich King's gift is held.
  
  
• Queen Angerboda is awoken, as well as various other leaders of the Vrykul (such as Overthane Balargarde & Ingvar).
  
  Year 27
  
  
• The Crusade against the Lich King begins.