Art by Quiu_bagan

Scholar of
unknown fates

The Astute Summoner, HalFire Emblem Heroes // MVRP

Art by Kit (SPIDERN0IR)

Before The Order

In the World of Steel's 2017, Hal Murphy didn't have much. He loved his family and had a handful of friends, but always felt out of place. Both his parents were practitioners of magic, but he lacked any aptitude in spell-casting. His potential had mutated into a form of telekinesis, making their teachings something he would have to pass on and never use himself. A few months before Hal's 16th birthday, he was pulled from the World of Steel to Zenith.

Book I

The relic Briedablik was used by the Order of Heroes to summon Hal, fulfilling the prophecy that a Great Hero who could wield it would be called by raising it to the sky. The Order, lead by Commander Anna and the royal siblings of Askr, Alfonse and Sharena, requested Hal to assist them in repelling their invading enemies, the Emblian Empire. He accepted the role, becoming The Summoner.Hal assisted the Order in defeating Heroes bound to contracts by Princess Veronica, heiress of the Emblian Empire. Unlike the Heroes summoned by Hal who come of their own free will, Embla's power subjugates the Heroes until they are defeated. Battling across several worlds against the Empire and the mysterious Bruno, he got accustomed to his occupation and growing roster of allies.Periodically throughout the campaign, about once a month or so, Hal returned to the World of Steel for several hours. He learned that his consciousness had been split, and he was still living his day to day life in his original world. He'd return to Askr with new memories, resuming his second life.Once Embla had been repelled, the Order set about fortifying their defenses for coming battles. Following a tip from Bruno, they found ruins to the west containing the lost power of Sacred Seals and ignited Askr's forges to smith them. The mysterious Tempest began to tear through the worlds connected to Askr, threatening the fabric of each realm it touched. The Order assisted the Heroes of each world in fending off the storm and the otherworldly battlers summoned by it. The temple of Vaskrheim where Breidablik once slept is the arrival point of four Brave Heroes, called forth by a rite performed in the World of Steel. Heroes raised to new heights, summoned by the wishes of mankind... It reminds Hal of a story his father told him years ago. Surprisingly enough, the Brave Heroes informed him that he had been part of the ritual, despite his other half not sharing his memories of the Order to his knowledge.Though his memories of the experience were suppressed for many years, Hal was brought into the future for the span of one week, where he met fellow Summoner Marrón Medoza. The friendship bracelet given to him would remain in his possession for over 6 years until they met again, and gave him the confidence to be more outgoing and befriend his comrades.After the dust settled for the time being, Hal is spoken to in a dream by a mysterious woman. She directed the Order to another ruin in Askr, containing the secrets of Weapon Refinery.

Book II

Another conflict begins when Embla invades with the Kingdom of Múspell at their side. Working with Princess Fjorm of Nifl, Hal and the Order of Heroes entered Nifl to perform a ritual that could stop Múspell's fierce King Surtr. The voice that guided Hal to the Rite of the Blade turned out to be Fjorm's elder sister Gunnthrá, who dies at the hands of Surtr. In her dying breath, she once again guides Hal to another sacred ground, where Fjorm performs the Rite of Frost and empowers Briedablik. With the Rite complete, they struck down Surtr... Who was revived immediately by the Rite of Flame. The Order escaped the castle with great haste.Meeting up with the remaining royals of Nifl, Princess Ylgr (who is Loki in disguise) and Prince Hríd, the Order of Heroes made their way south to end the Rite of Flames that kept Surtr living. Once the King had been slain, the Order returned to Askr with Fjorm at their side.The Tempests continued throughout the campaign in Nifl and Múspell, thankfully handled by Marth (The alter ego of Lucina) by and large. In the aftermath, the Order were pulled into a strange dream world, a manifestation of the desires of a young Azura brought to life by Loki. While her intentions were obviously dubious, the concept of finding or even creating ideal worlds got under Hal's skin. It planted a seed in his mind, formed an itch he desperately wanted to scratch at. Was that her intention all along?The Order meets Loki one more time at the temple where Surtr was slain, months after the deed had been done. While still unaware of her aims, she warned Sharena that death's scythe loomed over her head.

Book III

Askr was invaded once more, now by the forces of Hel, the Realm of the Dead. Hel's princess Eir joined the Order as a double agent, though she later defected to their cause for good. The endless onslaught claimed the life of King Gustav, spurring the Order to slip past enemy lines and search for a way to kill the incarnate of Death. They faced Líf and Thrasir, versions of Alfonse and Veronica who had succumbed to Hel and lost their world. The counterparts were slain to acquire the weapon they sacrificed countless lives to attain: The Dire Briedablik.Alfonse achieved his vengeance, striking Hel down. Before she could use the powers of her realm to rise again, Veronica invoked the Dire Briedablik's true power. Hal fired the weapon, putting an end to the Queen of Death.With the Queen slain and the realm fo the dead in disarray, Loki begins to scoop up forlorn spirits and twist them into beastly giants called Røkkr for her own amusement. The Order adds them to their list of ever growing problems, alongside the Tempest and other incursions. Not one to be upstaged, Thórr begins to throw her own wrenches into the mix and regularly attack Askr with forces summoned from other worlds. The sisters seem intent on making Askr a never ending battleground, never letting the Order of Heroes rest for too long. In shy of three years, Hal had already begun to grow weary of this song and dance.On a brighter note, the Order gained access to the Aether Resort, an otherworldly paradise where they can de-stress and access with ease. It acts as a nice place to recuperate between battles, and raises morale.

Book IV

The Order's string of victories had to come to an end eventually. Seeing Askr as too great a threat due to Alfonse' circumvention of Hel's curse, the King of the Gods intervenes. Alfaðör the Almighty erased Alfonse from existence, making all who knew him rapidly lose their memories. Hal was the last to remember the prince, and took drastic measures.Recalling the young Azura's creation of a world of dreams, Hal attempted to dream Alfonse back into existence with a ritual from the castle's library. Inadvertently, he instead dragged Sharena and Anna into a dream where he WAS Alfonse. This ripple in the dream world allowed the denizens of the realm of Nightmares to begin attacking the dreams of the citizenry. The order gained the help of King Freyr to try and set things right, but lowered his defenses and allowed his sister Freyja to seize control of the power of both Dreams and Nightmares. Striking down Freyr at his request weakened Freyja enough to be defeated, and made Hal realize the truth of his false identity. When the Order awoke, they had slept for three days, and Alfonse was alive and well. Whether this was by Hal's doing, or another power... The Prince lived. And the Rulers of the Dream World were dead. The ever watching, all knowing Loki merely taunted them at their next encounter, leaving more questions than answers as per usual.Finally stepping on directly, Thórr begins her long term war against Askr. While the Order of Heroes deals with their direct campaigns with other kingdoms, they also must brace for assaults from countless heroes brought forth by the Goddess of War, in a manner similar to Loki's Røkkr. Hal begins to weaponize the Dire Briedablik left behind by his counterpart from Líf's world, shifting it into different weapons and granting himself the skills of various heroes he's summoned. Thankfully, Thorr treats her invasions as a game, always striking at the same stronghold: Midgard's Shield.

Book V

As has become routine, Askr is invaded once more. The Kingdom of Niðavellir employs their carefully studied and weaponized magic, the seiðjárn, to encroach on the border silently in search of a weapon that can destroy gates, the Járngreipr. As with Hel, the Order defeats the attacking commander and princess Reginn who joins them. Unlike Eir, she has no malicious intent and truly wishes for King Fáfnir to be stopped. They enter the Kingdom and the hidden grove of the Sage Eitri, where Hal marvels at her reinvention of many things from the World of Steel.Unable to fight Fáfnir head on due to the protection of his magical crown, the Order heads to Jötunheimr to acquire a weapon that can bypass the enchantment, the sword Gramr. This proves to be a trap, and Crown Princess Nótt takes Hal captive under orders from Prince Ótr of Niðavellir. As it happens, Járngreipr does not yet exist. Eitri was going to use Hal's soul to create the gate destroying weapon, until the Order saved him at the last moment. Retreating to Askr where Fáfnir had gone on the offensive, they entrap the King and hope to put an end to hostilities. While scouting out a temple, he is set free by Loki and begins an assault on Embla. The Order follow after him to no avail, as he retreats to confront Eitri on her deceptions.By the time they returned to Niðavellir, the Kingdom was in ruins. Fáfnir had been turned into a rampaging monster by the Crown of the Dvergar, due to being an unworthy heir to the throne. Ótr fought to his last breath protecting Gramr to keep the Order from slaying the wild King, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Reginn, the true heiress, slew her adoptive brother and brought him clarity in death. Last to be dealt with was Eitri, who revealed her identity as the first scholar of the kingdom, who has been passing their soul from body to body over time. After her death and the Order prepared to return to Askr, she appeared in Hal's dreams, either as a hallucination or a genuine apparition. Either way, she chastised him for using Heroes in the same way she had, and warns him of the dangers ahead.In spite of her critique, Hal begins to pour over Eitri's research. Loki had destroyed her false summoning relic, but failed (or intentionally) left the schematics intact in her sanctuary. Considering he already had two Briedabliks, Hal had no need to reproduce the work of seiðjárn directly. But he still wanted to know how it functioned to learn more about the inner workings of his own relic. Eitri's copy was unable to properly form contracts with Heroes, leaving them as soulless husks. This would be useless and likely unethical on it's own, but it made him think about Briedablik's existing capabilities to draw out more power or even bestow new gifts on existing heroes, through phenomenon such as Resplendent attire and awakened skills. Perhaps if a version of that Hero was already in Askr, a soul wasn't necessary? The powers of that Hero could simply be bestowed onto their counterpart. In any event, Hal collected many contraptions from the sanctuary and brought them back to Askr for study and reproduction, including Eitri's "Grim Brokkr".While the conflict with Fáfnir had raged on, so did the Tempests. Nifl, God of Ice, and Múspell, God of Fire, returned from their primordial states to fulfill their battle written of in prophecy. Fjorm and a revived Laegjarn, who had each offered their lives to their gods, were made to do battle. Fjorm subverted the prophecy's foretelling of Múspell's victory, forcing both gods to return to the aether for the time being. During their trip into the Underground Library, the Ashen Wolves found a text describing the nature of Askr as a land destined for eternal warfare. Unfortunately, Loki appeared and destroyed it before they could finish, let alone allow Hal to pour through the text. It seems destiny is coming closer and closer to it's climax. The death of the gods, Ragnarök, may well be approaching.

Book VI

A village on the border with Embla is swallowed in darkness, completely cut off from the world. It is the first of many, both in Askr and Embla to be sealed off. The Order of Heroes investigates and encounters Ash and Elm, retainers of the gods Askr and Embla. Ash teams up with the Order to try and foil Elm's schemes.Though she intends to help, Veronica is afflicted by Embla's curse to try and strike down those blessed by Askr, much in the same way Laegjarn was being controlled by Múspell. To make things worse, Marquess Letizia of Embla's reviled "Curse Directive" sets in motion a plot to frame and eliminate Veronica, while cutting off the Askrans from escaping Embla's borders. While they do overcome Letizia in time, the Goddess of Closure descends onto Midgard. She begins using the Emblan royals eho share her blood as puppets to battle the Order and draw out her counterpart, the God of Opening. Askr indeed came to rescue his allies, though they were forced to leave Veronica behind.The Order escaped to Askr's realm, and made for the base of the World Tree to gain power that can defeat Embla. Through a ritual performed by Askr, the Rite of Opening, they receive a fruit called the Key of Yggdrasill that frees someone of their possession and revives them when they die. Askr gives Hal a task that will keep him occupied for some time, and require him to meet up with the Order later on using Breidablik. The God could sense his nearing demise, and Hal would require power of his own to maintain the relic's functions, lest it churn out soulless husks like Eitri's imitation.Hal followed one of the great roots down to Mímir's well, confirming his hunch on the parallels between this realm's cosmology and the mythos he knew from the World of Steel. He drank from the well as Alfaðör had, causing his left eye to erupt into a ball of perpetually burning blue flame. The water's sacred power flowed through his body, correcting his eyesight, the weakness in his joints, and the improper structure of his magical circuits. By the time he'd finished, Askr had passed on from lack of energy, and the Order had returned to Embla to fight. Bruno was killed in the struggle, while Veronica was freed by the Key. The Order makes for the castle, and puts Embla to rest.During the conflict between Embla and Askr, another clash of opposing forces took place. A battle of succession began between Ganglöt, former Handmaid of Hel, and Eir. Eir's true heritage lay as Princess of the Realm of Life, and she had no desire to rule the realm of the dead. Yet, as adoptive daughter of the late queen, she posed as a challenge to the Handmaid's legitimacy. Thus, they were forced to due battle. Ymir, the Dragon of Life sacrificed herself to destroy Ganglöt, once again leaving the dead with no ruler.Hal meets Marrón Mendoza for the first time from both their perspectives, and becomes his mentor of sorts. After several months, his past self takes his place in the present while his current body is frozen outside time. After the week, he returns with his lost memory of the friendship bracelet's origin restored. The two summoners grow closer, eventually considering each other to be family. Hal discovers Marrón's potential for magic, and helps him to learn it to repair damage done to his body by Eitri.

Book VII

Hal was shown a revelation of the coming calamity, where the Golden Seer Gullvieg has destroyed the world with her powers to bend time. Seiðr, a goddess from Vanaheimr, was responsible for the vision, so that Hal may prepare. She brings the Order to the realm of light where they can meet Njörðr, King of the Vanir. They're soon dispatched to rescue Seiðr's sister Heiðr from Gullveig's forces, and further to retrieve the king's Ár from his sister Nerþuz. The Order makes their way to the Land Temple and "defeat" her, and she hands over the Ár. She says she will look forward to their first meeting and sees them off. They return to the King, who makes a request of Seiðr that takes Hal off guard: to create a child with the Summoner. Thankfully, this entails a ritual which will create a fledgling god out of light, rather than being born in the traditional manner. For now, they set out to use a different spell and try to scry for Gullvieg's location.The Order is unable to find her hiding in any of the realms, and soon realize that the Golden Seer is upon them. Seiðr twists time using her magic so the group may escape to the past, but Gullvieg separates their arrival. Hal arrives in the past nearly 3 months before the rest of the group and falls into a ravine, nearly dying in the process. A girl named Kvasir nurses him back to health. While recovering, she finds Breidablik and returns it to him, along with a second shining duplicate. After 100 days and nights, Kvasir helps Hal reach his allies once they arrive, before revealing herself to be a past incarnation of Gullvieg. In time, she will become the enemy.After meeting up with the Order, the nature of the time loop becomes clear. Heiðr is consumed by the Golden Curse and becomes a mass of golden serpents, passing the curse to Seiðr in death. Njörðr reveals that Seiðr was once Kvasir, and will become Gullveig when the curse takes her. Heiðr will be born in the future from the ritual of light, inherit the Curse from Gullveig, and return to the past around the same time Kvasir becomes Seiðr. Gullveig, meanwhile, returns even further into the past and becomes Kvasir. This cycle has repeated, winding like a coil for countless loops.However, this loop will be the last. Nerþuz blesses the shining Breidablik, which has received the same blessing in each loop to this point. While the Golden Curse has grown in strength with every cycle, Breidablik has as well. The curse reached it's cap of strength some cycles ago, and the relic has now surpassed it. Hal purges the curse from Seiðr, meaning the Gullveig they face now is the last. The Order of Heroes head to the Seer's palace at the end of time, and confront her. The vision shared by Seiðr is averted with the Goddess' aid, and Gullveig is put to rest. She shares her regrets in her final moments, wishing Seiðr a peaceful life with Hal and kissing him before fading away.Returned to their time, the Order say farewell to Nerþuz and return to Askr with Seiðr in tow. A tempest brews once more, and chaos wracks the Dream Realms as Ginnungagap invades. Eitr, a younger incarnation of Freyja, teams up with Marrón and the Álfar and to stave off her destruction while Hal researches a way to bypass Ginungagap's defenses. They eventually defeat the Lady of Nothingness and restore Freyja to her true self.

Book VIII

Assassins from an organization known as the Healing Hands launch an assault from Yggdrasil, aiming for the heads of Alfonse and Veronica.

Steel Skies

Harold Murphy
March 22nd, 2001
6'2", 272 lbs

• The Ingwaz Rune (seen above) is considered a mark of Freyr, and represents actualized potential.
• Hal always keeps at least one of every hero he summons, never using up the last of an ally. Everyone has some purpose for being there, and he was proved right as Heroes received refines, Resplendant attire, and remixes over the years.
• Carries a Bowers Trench Lighter inherited from his paternal Great Grandfather, used in World War I. He mainly uses it to light mini-cigars, since the war with Niðavellir.
• He's diabetic like his father. Thankfully, Niðavellir has gotten pretty far along in pharmaceutical advancements, and produces what he needs along with various vitamins.
• Hal wore glasses up until awakening his powers in Book VI, which corrected his eyesight in the remaining eye.
• He has a surgical scar on his stomach from treating pyloric stenosis as an infant. It runs about an inch deep into his gut, and is still tender to the touch 20 years later.
• He taught Askr's chefs how to produce simple cola as a replacement for coffee, because the later sets off his reflux. With refrigeration technology gotten from Niðavellir, it's becoming more popular and widespread.
• He has an awful sense of balance and never learned to ride a bicycle, let along horses. No cavalry alts.
• His childhood home is haunted by his great-great uncle, who died in a house fire decades ago. He's the only ghost that Hal can see and communicate with, as he lacks his mother's talent as a medium.

Forged Bonds

People that Hal has a significant relationship with.

Alfonse

The prince of Askr, and possibly Hal's closest friend. Through all of the Order's hardships, they have grown into an inseparable duo that can fight in perfect sync no matter what arms they carry. Both young men have grown and been hardened by their experiences, bearing scars both physical and psychological. Perhaps following Hal's example, he's begun to grow a bit more rugged and resemble his father. Alfonse considers Hal just as much his brother as Sharena is his sister.

Sharena

The princess of Asks, another of Hal's confidants. Her bubbly nature and more diurnal schedule cause a bit of friction, but she greatly helped Hal in coming out of his shell when he first joined the Order. Even if they don't spend much time together, he still cherishes their bond.

Anna

Commander of the Order of Heroes. They recognize each other's official positions, but don't have much of a personal relationship. Hal knows he can rely on her, but respects her distance as a commanding officer.

Feh

The messenger owl of the Order of Heroes. During his routine rounds every day, she can be seen nesting on top of his head.

Gustav

Deceased King of Askr. Hal only saw the monarch a few times before his demise, but knew that he was a stern and strong man. He died protecting his family, and seemed to have no regrets.

Henriette

Queen of Askr. A kindhearted woman who counterbalanced her husband's distant strength, and handles administration now that he is gone.

Veronica

Crown Princess of Embla, an enemy turned friend. Being around the same age, Hal has sympathized with her struggles and tried to extend an olive branch in spite of their opposing sides in a divine conflict. With the death of the God of Closure, he hopes they can form a stronger connection between their Kingdoms.Hal fears she resents him for the death of her brother.

Bruno

Deceased Prince of Embla. Despite their initial battles, Hal trusted Bruno as a past friend of Alfonse and Sharena, under the alias "Zacharias". Hal was incapacitated during the gambit where Bruno lost his life, and considers it a personal failing with the death on his hands. He carries and studies Valaskjálf in his memory, with Veronica's permission.

Loki

Aesir God of Trickery and Mischief. She is a shapeshifting instigator, stirring up trouble, planting seeds of doubt, and obscuring the truth. She sided with Múspell at least superficially during the war with Nifl, which may have been in service of ensuring the Rites of Flame and Frost were performed to secure the prophecized battle between the Gods. In following campaigns and encounters, she's destroyed various artifacts, guided people to make particular decisions, and gave certain ideas. Hal sees her as his true antithesis, and doesn't quite understand the hold she has on his psyche. She has influenced his decisions and ideas far more than he'd admit.

Thórr

Aesir God of War. Unlike her underhanded partner, the wielder of Mjölnir strikes directly. She seems to have a deep respect for those who fight with their lives, even conceding defeat to Gatekeeper in an honorable manner. She continues to attack the Order of Heroes at Midgard's Shield on a regular basis, yet became summonable some time after the conflict between the Gods of Frost and Flame.

Fjorm

Princess of Nifl, 3rd of the royal siblings, and champion of the God of Ice. She worked with the Order to defeat Surtr, and has dedicated her efforts to helping them in the aftermath. The Rite of Frost greatly diminished her lifespan, but her death and revival while fighting Múspell seems to have given her back her full life force. Hal regrets not being present for her struggle against the God of Flames, though she doesn't seem to resent him for it.
He is aware of her seemingly romantic feelings towards him, and isn't sure how to approach the topic. He still treasures their bond and wants to move their relationship forward, whatever shape it may take.

Gunnthrá

Deceased Princess of Nifl, 2nd of the royal siblings. She contacted Hal in a dream to request his aid in the battle against Surtr, and helped to guide the Order of Heroes from afar. However, she perished almost as soon as they met at the Ruler of Flame's hands.

Hríd

Crown Prince of Nifl, eldest of the royal siblings. A shrewd and courageous young man, Hal respects his tenacity and ability to observe even his own siblings with suspicion.

Ylgr

Princess of Nifl, youngest of the royal siblings. Hal doesn't know the real Ylgr well, having spent time only with her imposter.

Laegjarn

Elder Princess of Múspell and Champion of the God of Flame. Performing the Rite of Flame cost her life, until she was revived by the warmongering god for his conflict. Hal had few interactions with her before her demise, and recognized her loyalty and resolve to her family. After her revival and battle with Fjorm, he hopes to use this chance to know her better.

Laevatein

Crown(?) Princess of Múspell. The succession is confusing after the death and subsequent revival of her older sister. She seems far more reserved than Laegjarn, except when it comes to the sister herself, ironically.

Helbindi

Deceased General of Múspell, whose loyalty to Surtr was conditional on the protection of his family. He's rough, but had a good heart. Hal wishes he could have been saved.

Surtr

Deceased King of Múspell, who caused massive damage to Nifl in his campaign to burn the world. He nearly beheaded Hal when the Summoner protected Fjorm from an axe strike, and brutalized many others. The first person Hal would say he truly hated in Zenith.

Eir

Princess of Ymir, and Champion of the God of Life. She was taken by Hel and raised as a princess of the Realm of Death, and had the many lives contained in her body slain to empower her captor. Hal was uneasy when they first met, but came to trust her enough to help fake his death and deceive Hel. He will support her claim to Ymir's throne and her efforts to rebuild the realm.

Líf

General of Hel, the incarnation of Alfonse who died in another timeline at the hands of the Queen. He struck a deal with her alongside Thrasir to slay the living and revive the dead of his own world. His motivations were understandable, which made fighting him all the more unsettling. Hal could see both Alfonse and himself in Líf, and wants to ensure they don't stray down that dark path.Líf and Thrasir appeared at the Day of Devotion festival, letting Hal know they live once more in the process.

Thrasir

General of Hel, the incarnation of Veronica who died in another timeline at the hands of the Queen. She struck a deal with her alongside Líf to slay the living and revive the dead of her own world. Unlike Líf who had reservations to fighting against his family, Thrasir fought with full intent to slaughter everyone. She assisted in the ultimate defeat of Hel.Líf and Thrasir appeared at the Day of Devotion festival, letting Hal know they live once more in the process.

Hel

Deceased Queen of Hel. Named for the realm she rules over, she embodied death itself and was virtually immortal without use of a ritual utilizing her own mother's heart. Her war caused the death of Hal in another timeline, so he's not a fan of her. Using his counterpart's Breidablik, he prevented her revival and ensured the dead would remain.

Peony

"The Sweet Dream", one of the Alfar from Ljósálfheimr. Hal's memories of the Order's experiences in the dream world are hazy, but he knows that Peony has been a reliable ally since joining them. She seems to share a kinship with Sharena like he does with Alfonse. She gained new power during the conflict with Ginnungagap.

Mirabilis

"The Daydream", one of the Alfar from Ljósálfheimr. Her narcolepsy makes her hard to really depend on, but Hal finds great comfort in curling up to take a nap with her, or lounging around while reading. He seems to only have pleasant dreams in her company.

Triandra

"The Nightmare", one of the Alfar from Dökkálfheimr. According to Peony, she died in service of Freyja and was revived. Hal hasn't interacted with her much, but understands the importance of her work, even if his nightmares do cause great distress and frustration. She gained new power during the conflict with Ginnungagap.

Plumeria

"The Lewd Dream", one of the Alfar from Dökkálfheimr. According to Peony, she died in service of Freyja and was revived. Hal isn't quite sure why she appears in his dreams so often, considering they usually aren't /that/ lascivious. It's better than being haunted by nightmares, at least. She gained new power during the conflict with Ginnungagap.

Freyr

Deceased Vanir God of Dreams, and former King of Ljósálfheimr. Hal only knows him well through versions summoned from other worlds, but recognizes how much Peony respects him and his decision making. Freyr appears among those Hal has failed to save in his dreams and hallucinations, but he cannot recall what happened in vivid detail.

Freyja

Goddess of Dreams, and Queen of Dökkálfheimr. She gave her life to revive her subjects after an incident in the Dream Realm, but was subsequently revived during the conflict with Ginnungagap. Once went by the name Eitr.

Reginn

Queen of Niðavellir, and only true heir to the throne. She left the service of her brother to try and correct the kingdom's course and end the perpetual wars caused by Fáfnir. She had to deal the lethal blow to her rampaging brother when the Dvergar Crown turned him into a dragon, which weighed greatly on her. Hal has done his best to support her as she continues to learn in preparation of ruling.

Ótr

Deceased prince of Niðavellir, and offspring of the usurpers who slew the royal family many years ago. He worked with Eitri to try and destroy Askr and it's gates to prevent Fáfnir from returning to his world should he regain his memories. In the end, he was mortally wounded by said adoptive brother in a mindless rampage, and died with nothing but spite. Hal has little sympathy for him.

Fáfnir

Deceased King of Niðavellir, and adoptive brother of Reginn and Ótr. He was summoned to Niðavellir by Eitri in a failed experiment, losing his memories. He became a soldier and later took control of the Kingdom during it's civil unrest, but was driven mad by a curse on the Dvergar Crown that rejects those without royal blood. As Fáfnir's memories slowly returned, he began to conquest other lands in search of a way to restore himself completely and return to his true home, where his wife and child awaited. Eitri triggered his transformation into a berserking dragon, and Reginn was forced to put him down. Hal resents him, but also pities the situation.

Eitri

The ancient Sage of Niðavellir. Whether she has reincarnated again and again or has been transferring bodies is unknown, but Eitri has lived many lives since the founding of the Kingdom. She summoned Fáfnir in an attempt to defeat the usurpers who had slain her beloved king's descendants, and restore Niðavellir to it's former glory. She is cruel and manipulative, driven to even try and destroy Askr to protect the balance of power. Eitri attempted to extract Hal's soul to construct a weapon capable of destroying the Gates, and was slowed by his Magic Crest acting as a protective barrier. By the time she carved a counter-magic circle into his back, the Order of Heroes set him free. After Fáfnir's death, they returned and defeated the Sage to finally set the Kingdom free to pursue the future.

Dagr

Younger Princess of Jötunheimr, and heir to the throne. She works with the Order of Heroes to foil her sister's ambush and aids them on their campaign against Niðavellir. She and Nótt were ordered to fight one another for right of succession, and Dagr's refusal ensured her sister would be queen. However, the war with the Dvergar took Nótt's life, leaving Dagr as the sole heir. When Reginn expressed her desire to remain with the Order of Heroes, Dagr agreed to supervise Niðavellir in her stead to gain leadership experience. Hal respects her willpower and tenacity.

Nótt

Deceased Elder Princess of Jötunheimr, former heir to the throne. Her hopeless romanticism lead her to aiding Niðavellir to secure Ótr's hand in marriage, but the exposing of the plot brought her back to aiding the Order of Heroes with her sister Dagr. Nótt's willingness to fight her sister in a ceremony 3 years prior secured her claim to the throne, but she gave her life protecting Dagr from Fáfnir. Hal regrets not being able to save her.

Nifl

God of Ice, and protector of the Kingdom of Nifl. The Rite of Frost bound Fjorm into her service, and together they fought against the God of Flame in fulfillment of a prophecy from the Twilit Runes. At the conflict's end, she faded away. Hal never got to interact with the Nifl of his realm directly, learning of her fittingly cold personality only through summoning her from another world.

Múspell

God of Flame, and protector of the Kingdom of Múspell. The Rite of Flame bound Laegjarn into his service, and together they fought against the God of Frost in fulfillment of a prophecy from the Twilit Runes. He was given a peek at the divine texts by Loki and went into the conflict confident in his victory, but Fjorm subverted his plot and defeated him. At the conflict's end, he faded away. Hal never got to interact with the Múspell of his realm directly, learning of his fittingly hot headed personality only through summoning him from another world.

Letizia

Deceased Imperial Marquess and head of the Curse Directive in Embla. She was cruel and manipulative, trying to pin treasonous actions on Veronica to climb the succession ladder and seize control of the Empire. Her own past of having her family disgraced may explain her actions, but Hal doesn't take it as an excuse. She was turned into a puppet by the God of Closure and slain by the Order of Heroes.

Ash

Retainer to Askr, God of Opening. Has an incredibly polite and passive manner of speech, she seems to have quite a bit of trouble asserting herself. She came to the Order's aid and risked her life protecting the citizens of Askr, becoming a valued ally and friend. She continues to work with the Kingdom even after the divine conflict has subsided. Hal appreciates her presence, though is unsure what to make of their relationship.

Elm

Retainer to Embla, God of Closure. In sharp contrast to Ash, he's a complete bitch who never stops making demands or snide comments. He caused all kinds of mayhem in the name of his master, and seemed to have died from exposure to Askr's holy energy after entering his realm. However, he was recently found to still be alive within one of the Enclosures created by Embla's power, and escaped rampaging Fallen Heroes alongside Ash and an unconscious Hal.

Askr

Deceased God of Opening. The source of Breidablik's power to summon Heroes and form contracts with them, ultimately responsible for Hal's summoning and appointment in the Order of Heroes. He came to the Order's rescue when under threat by Embla, even though being covered in her darkness would be fatal to him. Sensing his demise, he provided the Order with a tool to defeat Embla, and tasked Hal with gaining the power to maintain Breidablik in his absence by drinking the sacred waters of Mímisbrunnr, Mímir's well beneath the World Tree. Doing so greatly increased Hal's psionic potential and made him a vessel for Askr's power, but cost him his right eye.The progression of the Promethean Burn has caused more of Askr's memories and traits to bleed through into Hal, as the flame takes the shape of part of Askr's flowing hair and horn.

Embla

Deceased God of Closure. After being betrayed by the humans of ancient times, she grew to despise all mortals, especially those blessed by Askr. She cursed the royalty of her Kingdom to be her pawns in her revenge, leading to the death of Letizia and Bruno. By using the World Key to expel her from her last remaining vessel, Embla was forced to fight and die with her own hands. Hal's pity well had run dry, he has no regrets over her death.

Ganglöt

Deceased Handmaid of Hel, who tried to succeed the throne in her absence. She killed Eir to squash any protest to her legitimacy, but the Princess was revived by Ymir and revealed to truly be an heir to the Realm of Life. She tried to absorb Eir's essence as Hel had, but was destroyed by Ymir. Hal has never interacted with the one from his realm, as he was dealing with Askr and Embla at the time of the conflict. His information comes secondhand from Eir.

Ymir

Deceased God of Life, who passed her powers on to Eir. She hid away alongside the denizens of her realms inside Eir to escape destruction at Hel's hand, and her awakening allowed Eir to unlock her full power as an Ascended Hero. She had a gentle, motherly nature according to Eir. Ymir gave her existence up to save Eir from destruction at the hands of Ganglöt. Hal has never interacted with the one from his realm, as he was dealing with Askr and Embla at the time of the conflict. His information comes secondhand from Eir.

Seiðr

Vanir Goddess of Light and Hope, formerly a ward of King Njörðr. She brought Hal a vision of the future (or rather, a memory of the previous timeline) to try and alter the fate of the realms. Together they unearthed the mysteries of the Golden Seer's curse. In this final loop, her transformation into Gullveig was prevented using a blessing from Lady Nerþuz. She is easily flustered, much to Hal's amusement. Soon after their meeting, they performed a ritual that would result in the creation of a new Vanir. Though they did not know at the time, this child is her foster sister Heiðr, whom was sent to the past by Gullveig. Hal will keep them both safe no matter what when the new incarnation of Heiðr is born.

Kvasir

Vanir Goddess, the past incarnation of Seiðr. When Hal was sent to the past by Gullveig, Kvasir spent over 3 months tending to his wounds and keeping him company at the bottom of a ravine. His stories of other worlds inspired her and planted seeds that would bloom in Seiðr despite her memory loss.She still lives on within Seiðr.

Gullveig

The Golden Seer, the future incarnation of Seiðr. After learning of Njörðr's betrayal and the death of Heiðr, Seiðr succumbed to the Golden Curse and became Gullveig. After destroying the realms, she passes the curse to the newly born Heiðr and sends her to the past before becoming Kvasir and travelling even further back. The cycle was broken by the destruction of the curse within Seiðr, and with her past self's aid, Gullveig was defeated.She still lives on within Seiðr.

Heiðr

Deceased Vanir Goddess, daughter of Seiðr and Hal, and former ward of King Njörðr. She had been plagued by the Golden Curse for all her days, but had complete faith that her foster sister (who was actually her mother) and King Njörðr would find a cure to her ails. Unfortunately, she was but a part in the cycle, and died to pass the curse to Seiðr and perpetuate Gullveig's existence. In each loop, Heiðr is born from the ritual performed by Hal and Seiðr to create a new Vanir, but she does not appear until after Seiðr has become Gullveig. The curse is passed to her by her mother, and she returns to the past. In the present timeline, however, Gullveig and the curse are no more. She will be born free of it's affliction, and Hal will do his best to care for her.

Njörðr

Deceased King of Vanaheimr, God of the Sea, father of Freyr and Freyja, caretaker of Seiðr and Heiðr, and brother of Nerþuz. Under a facade of wisdom and stoicism, he was a mad man terrified of his own decaying power. He played a large part in the facilitation of the Golden Curse to wipe out all mankind out of fear of them surpassing him in his old age. Not only was he a horrible, abusive father to his own children, he likely abused his foster daughters as well. Hal's only regret was not being able to kill him with his own hands, as Gullveig did the job.

Nerþuz

Vanir Goddess of the Land, sister of Njörðr. In contrast to her brother, she adores humans and wishes to see all life flourish. The not only gave the Order her blessing metaphorically, but also bestowed power onto Breidablik. This divine boon compounded through each cycle, eventually growing in power to surpass and negate the Golden Curse, saving Seiðr from becoming Gullveig. She is fond of animal puns, and said Hal was her favorite mortal.

Ginnungagap

Ruler of Nothingness, a primordial deity. She erased the memories of Freyja and reverted her to her younger self of Eitr as a pawn in her plans to destroy the Dream Realms. She has mastery over antimatter and negative energy, able to generate the reverse of her surroundings to cause annihilation of all in her path. Hal's meditation over the great chasm of the same name (which may also be her home) revealed to him the secret of her abilities, and allowed him to open her defenses for Marrón to deal a lethal blow.

Path of the Magus

Magecraft is a talent passed from generation to generation, slowly honing knowledge and skill over the years in search of the ultimate source of mystical power. Duncan Murphy and Maria Rist came from non-traditional mage families, one whom disowned his family after taking their Crest, and the other who was taught magic alongside her elder brothers. The two married and moved in with Maria's parents, as her mother required at home care for a while after knee surgery. After some difficulty with conception, they had a child and named him after Duncan's uncle whom he saw as more of a father than his own. They planned to pass their craft to him with a less forceful approach than other magi...But the boy had no aptitude for magic. Between the two of them and their rather extensive family histories of magic, he should have been born with a high number and quality of magical circuits, within the top percentile of modern spellcasters. Yet less than a handful could be detected, and they failed to stretch through his body as they should, tangled up in his skull in a tight knot. The couple decided they would have another child, before Maria unfortunately came down with uterine cancer and had to have her capacity to bear children removed. Thus, they resigned themselves to teaching their craft and passing Duncan's Crest to their only child, and hoping that he would have his own child in the future to pass their inherited knowledge onto.

Harold R. Murphy
Date of Birth: March 22nd 2001
Magical Origin: Change
Affinity: Change
Attribute: Alteration
Magical Circuits: 7
Magical Energy: 5

Mutation

Harold was given the nickname "Hal" in Preschool, which would stick with him for the rest of his life. At age 8, his parents began to teach him about magic and have him swear to secrecy, being placed under a Geas for five years to never speak of the arcane outside of their home. Over those years, his father slowly transplanted the Family Crest onto Hal with his own additional power, and his mother even passed one of her circuits to add a touch of her own magic. Hal would never be able to use to Crest, and likely not be able to add his own circuit to it, but he would still be able to pass it to his heir.In this time, Hal's unique mutation began to manifest in an uncommon type of magical ability: Telekinesis. Psychic powers have been recorded all throughout the history of magecraft as a different type of mystery, one closely linked to phenomenon like Mystic Eyes. Duncan and Maria speculated that the mixing of their blood from two distinct forms of magecraft, European Witchcraft and Siksika Shamanism, was to blame for the mutation, and that a second child would likely have also had issues.Hal practiced his skill for a few more years and determined that he needed to understand the physical and chemical structure of an object to manipulate it. Thus began his extensive and obsessive memorization of formulas and tinkering to expand his range of influence. He'd always have a book open, reading well above his grade level to levitate rocks, then even tools and small devices. In freshman year, he studied anatomy to see if it was possible to even move a person around.In the last days of Fall, this would be put to the test. Standing outside the small town high school early in the morning, Hal spotted a little girl chasing her ball into the road. At this hour and in a school zone, it wouldn't be much of an issue... If not for the large truck rolling down the street, driver asleep at the wheel. With his new understanding of bone structure, Hal grabs onto the man's femur to move his leg and apply the brakes, smoothly saving the day. The car certainly stops, but his panic resulted in too forceful a yanking of the bone. The driver's femur ripped out from his foot and slammed through the brake, killing him from the shock and pain of his flesh and tendons shredding and bones shattering. The sheriff's office down the road was quick to respond to the accident and retrieved the body, where Hal witnessed the horror of what he'd done. The Mage's Association was quick to act and had the nature of the incident covered up, and Hal was detained for risking the Concealment of Mystery. After questioning, the Murphy family was excommunicated by Clocktower rather than placing a sealing designation on him, as he was a minor.

Conflict

Now aged 15, Hal was at rock bottom. Duncan lost his contract with the Mage's Association as a developer on filters that would prevent the arcane from being revealed on the Internet, tightening the family purse strings and cutting off a retirement plan. The young psychic was told to keep his head down and try to graduate without any further incidents.But trouble seems to always follow him. Maria worked in the preschool program at one of the local churches, and Hal had encountered the pastor a few times over the years. Father Wilkonson made a request of him, knowing of his true identity due to his own, a member of the Holy Church, the secretive order that works to protect sacred artifacts and hunt down heretics and monsters. Wilkinson would provide Hal sanctuary should anything happen, but he required help first. For a few weeks, Hal snuck out at night investigating strange activity in town. He tracked the source to be a cult working out of the Nulembo Holdings building downtown, a skyscraper that towers over the rest of town and buys up local businesses.Wilkinson has one of his men disable the security system so Hal can get inside and see what the cult are up to, and he finds them on the roof attempting to summon a demon. The fiend emerges with a shard of metal in it's head, which falls out as it proceeds to slaughter the men. The beast grabs Hal before he can flee and flies off the building with him in it's grasp, and he manages to jam a knife in it's wing with telekinesis to steer it down to the church. After falling through several floors and scampering into the bowels of the building with a few broken bones, Hal fashions a makeshift whip out of a silver candlestick and a few piano wires to beat the demon back into Hell.Father Wilkinson helps fake a hit and run to cover up the incident and explain away the injuries, and it seems the danger has passed. Thus begins a..."Fruitful" partnership.

The Holy Grail War

During Junior year, Duncan got a job offer out west to work with one of Maria's brothers in a more mundane cybersecurity operation, and they decide to move. Hal opts to stay with his Grandfather at least until he graduates, and they set off. Maria's mother had already passed a few years ago due to weight related health complications, and unfortunately her father would not be much longer for the world. He passes from cancer at the beginning of Senior year, and Hal remains alone in the house after the funeral proceedings and the visits from the family. He's not quite 18 yet, but is close enough with some local family members checking in on him every week or so.Father Wilkonson had provided him with some minor jobs and compensated him since the Nulembo Cult incident, but now came with much more dire need of assistance. Come spring, 260 years will have passed since the construction of a magical artifact which is claimed to be a vessel of the Holy Grail. The energy gathered in that time is enough for a ritual that has been seen in other parts of the world: a Holy Grail War. Wilkinson asks Hal to participate as one of the seven Masters in the War to prevent someone wicked from winning the Grail and the wish it grants. Hal agrees, and performs the summoning ritual to bring forth his Servant: Caster.