Einherji

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Einherjar

(Creature)

2E1E

Common

CN

Medium

Aesir

Monitor

Level

10

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Source: Bestiary 3, pg(s). 89

Type

Outsider
(extraplanar)

CR

10

Environment

Any (Maelstrom)

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Source: Bestiary 4, pg(s). 84

Ⅰ

Ⅱ

Einherjars are aesir monitors from the Maelstrom who were chosen and created from slain mortals by valkyries. They fight for powerful extraplanar beings, deities, and pantheons across the multiverse, especially as favoured allies of proteans.

Appearance

Einherjars resemble ghostly humanoid warriors. Their specific forms, equipment, and fighting styles differ between the deities who raised them into service.

Abilities

Einherjars often maintain the preferred fighting style and some of the abilities they held in life, so there is some variation in abilities between einherjars. For example, an einherjar formed from an Ulfen viking might be a skilled giant-slayer who wields a shield they can instantly repair, but those of other backgrounds might have different abilities.

All known einherjars have been martial fighters, and einherjars typically gain some divine powers and benefits when challenging opponents in single combat.

Ecology

Einherjars are chosen by valkyries among warriors who die glorious deaths in battle and raised to their new state after judgement by Pharasma. When a valkyrie claims a deceased mortal's soul, they enter a state of prayer in which their consciousness travels along the River of Souls to locate and advocate for the soul. Upon successfully completing their claim, the valkyrie's mind returns to their body, and their body joins with the slain warrior's to form a single new einherjar.

Valkyries and einherjars congregate in the Maelstrom, as much for chaos as for the opportunity for conflict, aboard ships or island realms, wherever the call of battle and conflict rages. Einherjars pride themselves on prowess in battle and forever seek to prove themselves by challenging worthy foes.

Many einherjars battle alone, but when they join and work together to fight a common foe of their deity, they form an einherjar host.

Like other aesir, einherjars can produce mortal planar scions known as kjosa nephilim.

Deities

Einherjars have risen among the followers of Gorum, Besmara, and Sekhmet.

Einherjars believe that, as this reality ends, they will stand beside their deities fighting back the forces of entropy in order to pave the way for a smooth transition to the next world. Einherjars who served Gorum believed that the end of reality would be preceded by a battle waged across all of existence, with the survivors being elevated upon the creation of the next iteration of reality. This belief motivated their training exercises, which were fought to the death in the knowledge that they would be reborn upon the Clashing Shore.