Völvas
Völvas are Norse seers — powerful women who can walk the threads of time itself. Rooted in ancient Scandinavian magical traditions, they possess the ability to perceive the branching pathways of past, present, and future simultaneously, navigating a web of possible timelines that most minds could never comprehend. Their gift is as dangerous as it is powerful.
Many Völvas lose themselves in their visions — overwhelmed by too many branching timelines and too many possible futures, they gradually lose their grip on the present. What begins as extraordinary foresight can deteriorate into a fractured existence caught between what is, what was, and what might be, leaving outsiders unable to distinguish genuine prophecy from madness.
Völvas are exceptionally rare. Even among the most well-connected members of the supernatural community, few have encountered more than one in a lifetime.
Characters (1)
Physical Characteristics
Völvas appear fully human and are exclusively female, drawing from Norse heritage and tradition. Many bear self-inscribed tattoos of runic symbols and Norse markings, which can appear to shift or writhe in certain light. These markings often grow more numerous and chaotic as the seer's connection to the present deteriorates.
Culture & Society
Völvas have deep ties to Norse spiritual traditions and often reference Valhalla, the Norse afterlife, and concepts of fate and reckoning. They are solitary by nature, and those who have lost their grip on the present tend to exist on the margins of society, distrustful of institutions and authority. Some fear — not without reason — that their abilities make them targets for those who would exploit their visions.
Powers & Abilities
A Völva's primary ability is temporal sight — the power to perceive the threads of time, seeing across branching futures and possible outcomes. Their visions can be startlingly accurate, even when delivered in fragmented, seemingly incoherent bursts.
To an auramancer, a Völva's magic feels like oracle magic pushed to its extreme: a maelstrom of time flowing backward and forward at once, with spider-web strands of images and temporal fragments that feel sharp, discordant, and fragile.
Their magical presence is immense — a single Völva's fractured power can saturate an entire area, dominating the magical landscape and overwhelming other signatures.
Additional Information
A Völva’s prophecies should never be dismissed, no matter how erratic the delivery. Even in the depths of apparent madness, their words may carry precise warnings about events yet to unfold. The greatest tragedy of the Völva is the cost of their gift: to see everything that might happen is to slowly lose sight of what is happening — and once that connection to the present is severed, there is no known way to restore it.