Freya, or Freyal, was an ajami deity, worshiped by the efreet of the City of Brass of the Elemental Plane of Fire and a Vanir[1] member of the Norse pantheon; however, there was no evidence she had worshipers on Toril.[2][5]
Description[]
Freya was a goddess of sensual love, fiery passion, magic,[5] human fertility, and she looked after women in labor.[9] In her humanoid form, she appeared to be a beautiful, voluptuous elven[5] woman of 6 feet (1.8 meters).[10][9]
Personality[]
A holy symbol of Freya.
As a goddess of love, Freya was a patron of romantic arts, and poetry was the deity's favorite. She spilled tears of gold in sorrow and sadness every time her husband Odur left Freya on his many voyages.[5]
Freya never hesitated to use the magical waters of Evergold to maintain her beauty. Some considered that to be vain; however, Freya cared not for others' opinions and was free to choose her own path. The goddess's fierce intelligence complemented her passionate nature. All these qualities made Freya quite desirable by mortals and divine beings alike, gaining her numerous male allies among various pantheons and not just the Norse.[1]
Abilities[]
Freya was a powerful spellcaster who often traveled in the form of a falcon. She was completely unaffected by flames, and avian creatures could not hurt Freya.[10] The goddess wielded and patronized a special type of magic called the seithr – a trance that lets the caster receive answers regarding the future. Through seithr, Freya could see the future.[9] She had the ability to control flames and stoke fires of passion in mortals anywhere in her domain. Freya could bless a woman with a child and heal any pain or injury.[9] Any male who gazed on her form had to resist the goddess' magical charm or be under her sway.[9]
Possessions[]
Freya owned the Necklace of the Brisings, also called Brisingamen, a masterfully crafted piece of precious jewelry made for her by the Ysgardian dwarves. The necklace glowed when a lie was uttered in its vicinity.[10][5] The goddess rode a chariot pulled by two lions into battle.[5] She brandished an enchanted +3 frostbrand longsword. A majestic cloak of falcon feathers allowed Freya to shapeshift into her falcon form.[10] In her avatar form, she could manifest a flaming +4 dagger that could incinerate targets with a mere cut. The dagger's effect could not be removed unless a dispel magic spell was used.[9]
Along with other deities of love and beauty, Hanali Celanil, Aphrodite, and Sune, Freya had access to the divine charisma-enhancing pool of enchanted waters – Evergold.[12][1]
In the late 14th century DR, Freya's avatar wielded a powerful +5 dancing spell storing longsword.[5]
Divine Realm[]
Freya's realm – the grand hall of Sessrumnir in Vanaheim,[6] received half of the souls slain in battle, as well as all women who fell in combat.[5] The Alfheim region itself was a majestic sunlit land of love and joy populated by petitioners of Frey and Freya, mostly elves.[13] Along with her twin brother, Freya lived in the realm of Asgard to promote peace between Aesir and Vanir.[14] Freya's own realm – Vanaheim, where Sessrumnir stood near the center of Folkvang has a home to most of the goddess petitioners and few einheriar warrior-spirits. Twice per year, fertility festivals consumed her hall, one celebrating the planting of crops and another – harvest. Sessrumnir was a spacious hall of glowing white beechwood with hanging rafters and a silver roof. The hall's pillars were trees that grew up through Sessrumnir's ceiling. Half of the trees were living, signifying the fact that Freya spent only half of a year in Sessrumnir. The hall was filled with walnut tables.[6] The hall of Sessrumnir was a gift from the Aesir and was completely impregnable unless the goddess herself opened the doors.[1] Freya also shared in Evergold, the Fountain of Youth, with other goddess of beauty like Hanali Celanil and Sune.[1][15]
Worshipers[]
An early depiction of Freya.
The goddess granted her followers clerical abilities and divine spells. Freya's clergy honored their deity by practicing arts of war and arcane magics in equal share. Many of her priests were also sorcerers or wizards.[5]
Temples and shrines dedicated to Freya were often richly decorated with gold – the deity's gift to the planes. The buildings that housed her temples and shrines always had their main entrances facing the setting sun, signifying Odur's return to Freya at every sunset. Temples usually held a secure display of expensive jewelry – offerings to Freya. To celebrate the deity of battle, temples often contained armories, training grounds, as well as libraries of arcane lore and laboratories.[5]
All visitors of the temples were eagerly and warmly greeted by priests and attending worshipers. Visitors were expected to provide an offering of jewelry or show truthful reverence and passion. Other types of offerings accepted by the temples included arcane lore, magic items, and songs.[5]
Most of Freya's proxies were female. Lhana Tomsdallihr was one of the goddess's favorites in the 14th century DR.[1]
Freya's traveling clergy bore the same name as her magic – seithr, female traveling fortune tellers. The seithr had the ability to shapeshift into horses and gained a bad reputation for committing "acts against the law for human beings."[9]
Dogma[]
Freya's worshipers were organized into highly enthusiastic cults that operated in exuberance and revered passions. The faith welcomed diversity, both racial and cultural, and aimed to promote beauty in magic and find magic in beauty. Those who sought to join one of Freya's cults had to demonstrate passion and ardor for the elements of the goddess' portfolio, and their physical appearance or physical beauty mattered not.[5]
Festivals[]
The inhabitants of Alfheim, who worshiped Freya and her twin brother, celebrated Freya's Fest, an autumn festival that celebrated the rebirth of land and fertility. The celebration consisted of a feast with wild revelries and dances that lasted through the night.[16]
Relationships[]
Freya's twin brother was named Frey, and her father – Njord. According to some myths, she taught Aesir the Vanir witchcraft. Freya's husband was Odur.[5]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 143. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wolfgang Baur (November 1993). Secrets of the Lamp. Genie Lore. (TSR, Inc.), p. 29. ISBN 978-1560766476.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Tim Beach and Bruce Heard (1996). Savage Coast Campaign Book. Edited by Cindi M. Rice. (TSR, Inc.), p. 69. ISBN 0-7869-0379-1.
- ↑ Tim Beach and Bruce Heard (1996). Savage Coast Campaign Book. Edited by Cindi M. Rice. (TSR, Inc.), p. 7. ISBN 0-7869-0379-1.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 Skip Williams, Rich Redman, James Wyatt (April 2002). Deities and Demigods. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 176–177. ISBN 0-7869-2654-6.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 120. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins (April 1999). Warriors of Heaven. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 92. ISBN 0-7869-1361-4.
- ↑ James M. Ward and Troy Denning (August 1990). Legends & Lore (2nd edition). (TSR, Inc), p. 180. ISBN 978-0880388443.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 James Ward and Robert Kuntz (November 1984). Legends & Lore. (TSR, Inc), p. 190. ISBN 978-0880380508.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 James Ward, Robert J. Kuntz (August 1980). Deities & Demigods. Edited by Lawrence Schick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 117. ISBN 0-935696-22-9.
- ↑ Roger E. Moore (October 1984). “Plane Facts on Gladsheim”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #90 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 36–42, 54–60.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 42. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 109. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 112. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 98. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 110. ISBN 1560768746.