Odin
"I know a fourteenth spell; it allows me to count all the gods for men. I know the names of all the gods and elves, and few who are fools can say that."Odin is a deity appearing in the Abholos Setting. He is the chief god of the Norse pantheon. Odin appears as a grey-haired man, seeming around fifty years of age, with a missing eye covered with a patch. His remaining eye blazes like the sun. He is often accompanied by two ravens, Hugin and Munin, who rest upon his shoulders, and his wolves, Freke and Gere.
In his travels through the human realm of Midgard, Odin disguises himself as an ordinary mortal wanderer, wearing a tattered wide-brimmed hat which casts a shadow over his face.
Odin favours dark clothing, especially grey, and often wears an eye patch over his missing eye. He appears with a grey beard, broad shoulders, and a hunched back. He leans on a wooden staff as he walks. By some accounts, this staff is the same object as Odin's spear Gungnir.
Personality and Alignment
Odin is revered for his great wisdom, knowledge, and cunning. His dedication to the acquisition of magic is severe. Odin once hung himself from the World Tree Yggdrasil for nine nights in order to receive the knowledge of the runes of magic.By custom, Odin cannot slay the direct offspring of gods. However, he has on at least one occasion slain his own distant mortal descendants on the battlefield.
Odin is heroic, proud, and stern, resembling a great Norse chieftain. He is obsessed with the acquisition of power, always planning to amass forces for the prophesied battle of Ragnarok. He has a reputation of short temper when he is crossed, and lesser gods of the Norse pantheon often command respect among more powerful deities for fear of offending Odin. Odin does not appreciate being spied upon, and will summon beings into his presence who scry upon him for too long.
Odin is Lawful Neutral in his alignment, though by some accounts he is Neutral Good, or even Chaotic Good.
Titles and Aliases
Odin is an ancient deity with many titles reflecting his past. He is called the All-Father, Father of the Slain, God of the Hanged, God of Prisoners, God of Cargoes, the High One, the Inflamer, Swift Tricker, Father of Victory, the Blind One, Shifty-Eyed, One with a Magic Staff, Destroyer, and Terror.Odin has assumed many false names on his travels, often descriptive of his appearance or personality in the languages of the lands he travels. Among his many names are Allfod, "All-Father"; Baleyg, "Flame-eyed One"; Biflindi, "Spear Shaker"; Bileyg, "One-Eyed"; Bolverk, "Worker of Evil"; Farmagud and Farmatyr, "God of Cargoes"; Fjolnir, "Much-Knowing"; Fjolsvid, "Very Wise One"; Grani, "Horsehair"; Grim and Grimnir, "Masked One"; Hangagud, "God of the Hanged"; Haptagud, "God of the Gods"; Har, "High One"; Harbard, "Greybearded One"; Helblindi, "One Who Blinds with Death"; Herjan, "Raider"; Herteit, "Glad of War"; Hjalmberi, "Helmeted One"; Hnikar and Hnikud, "Spear Thruster"; Jafhnar, "Just as High"; Jalk, "Gelding"; Omi, "One Whose Speech Resounds"; Oski, "Fulfiller of Desire"; Sanngetal, "One Who Guesses Correctly"; Sidhott, "Deep-Hooded One"; Sidskegg, "Long-Bearded One"; Sigfod, "Father of Battle"; Svipall, "Changeable One"; Thekk, "Pleasant One"; Thirdi, "Third"; Thund, "Thin One"; Vak, "Alert One"; Veratyr, "God of Men"; Vidrir, "Ruler of Weather"; and Ygg, "Terrible One".
Abilities
Odin has mastered arcane magic. He can communicate telepathically at a distance of hundreds of miles, and inspire berserk rage in a thousand men at once.Odin cannot raise men from the dead, though other gods have that power. Healing forces him into a long sleep, during which Loki takes the opportunity to cause mischief.
Odin can control the Bifrost bridge to connect Asgard to any world of the material plane. The only other deity known to have this power over Bifrost is Heimdall.
Portfolio
Odin is a god of knowledge, magic, travel, trickery, and war. He is also called a god of poetry and inspiration.Relationships
Family
By blood or marriage, Odin has strong family ties to many of the gods of the Norse pantheon and several human heroes of legend.Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve were the first of the Aesir gods of the Norse pantheon, and all Aesir descend from these three. He is blood brother to the Norse deity Loki.
Odin is married to the goddess Frigga, although he has had several wives, and several sons by different mothers.
With Frigga he fathered Tyr, Balder and Hod. With the giantess Jord he fathered Thor. With Gunlod he fathered Bragi. He is also father of Heimdall, Vidar, Vali, Hermod, and Meile.
He is grandfather to Baldur's son Forseti and Thor's sons Modi, Magni and Uller.
As blood brother to Loki he is technically uncle to the world-serpent Jormungandr, Hel, Garmr, and his own horse Sleipnir.
Odin is grandfather to King Rerir of Hunaland. He is therefore an ancestor to Rerir's son Volsung, Volsung's son Sigmund (who Odin slew in battle), and Sigmund's son Sigurd.
Odin is grandfather to Svafrlami, for whom the dwarves crafted the sword Tyrfing. He is therefore an ancestor to Svafrlami's daughter Eyfura, her son Angantyr, his daughter Hervor, and her sons Angantyr and Heidrek.
Enemies
Odin has made many enemies through the ages.The frost giants hold a grudge against Odin for slaying almost all of their species, including the progenitor giant Ymir.
Odin is fated to be slain at Ragnarok by the wolf Fenrir, son of Loki. Loki will side with the fire giants against Asgard, holding a grudge against Odin for imprisoning him within a cave for an age as punishment for his part in the killing of Balder.
Odin has enmity with the goddess Hel, who rules the land of the dead. She is jealous of Odin's love of life, and angry that Odin has reincarnated the spirits of the worthy as the children of nobles and rulers.
Odin shackled the titan Jeuron to the bottom of the sea for posing as a deity.
Divine Domains
Odin has a collection of three domains for clerics to choose from, these being;
- Knowledge
- Magic
- War
Artifacts
Odin's personal weapon, Gungnir, is a powerful spear from which he once hung himself from the World Tree Yggdrasil in exchange for the knowledge of magic. It is a deadly weapon which can be thrown at great distance and always returns to his hand. All enemies who see it are struck with fear, and allies who Odin allows to touch it are blessed in battle.
Odin carries a rune wand. It has the powers of the rod of rulership, can summon elementals, store spells, and kill any humanoid mortal under a Challenge Rating of 10, or Level of 5. It drains the life force of anyone but Odin who touches it.
He wears Draupnir, a magical gold ring forged by the dwarves, and said to be worth as much as one million gold pieces. It splits into nine equal rings every nine nights, each worth at least 3,000 gp.
Hlidskjalf, Odin's High Seat in Asgard, allows Odin to scry any place in the world regardless of distance.
Odin has the power to create magic items, which he often gives as rewards to worthy heroes. He had the dwarves of Asgard craft the legendary sword Gram, also called Odin's sword or the sword of Odin, which was wielded by Sigurd Fafnirsbane.
He is also associated with Odin's bow, the sword Fist of Odin, and many other minor magical items.
Odin carries a rune wand. It has the powers of the rod of rulership, can summon elementals, store spells, and kill any humanoid mortal under a Challenge Rating of 10, or Level of 5. It drains the life force of anyone but Odin who touches it.
He wears Draupnir, a magical gold ring forged by the dwarves, and said to be worth as much as one million gold pieces. It splits into nine equal rings every nine nights, each worth at least 3,000 gp.
Hlidskjalf, Odin's High Seat in Asgard, allows Odin to scry any place in the world regardless of distance.
Odin has the power to create magic items, which he often gives as rewards to worthy heroes. He had the dwarves of Asgard craft the legendary sword Gram, also called Odin's sword or the sword of Odin, which was wielded by Sigurd Fafnirsbane.
He is also associated with Odin's bow, the sword Fist of Odin, and many other minor magical items.
Dogma
The cult of Odin seeks to emulate their deity in the acquisition of knowledge, wisdom and cunning. Odin teaches his followers to make use of their intelligence to appreciate the world, but not to become cold to humanity in the pursuit of knowledge.Although Odin rejoices at battle between the strong, he forbids oppression of the poor and defenceless. Odin pledges to crush without mercy all those who do so. It is also forbidden for a visitor to harm his host, to desecrate a sacred standing stone, or pillage a shrine.
Odin's cult believes in self-reliance. One should not rely on the favour of Odin or take the gods' assistance for granted, for the Father of Victory is known to switch sides unexpectedly in battle. Odin's followers will, likewise, switch loyalties quickly if their ruler is foolish or weak.
Losing an eye in battle is believed to be a symbol of Odin's favour. Intentionally putting out one's own eye to emulate Odin is strongly discouraged by the cult, who consider it foolish and vain. The fanatic Thorgest One-eyed performed such an act.
Followers of Odin consider runic standing stones to be sacred to Odin.
His clerics believe that all other gods of the Norse pantheon are subservient to Odin, although in reality is power is not absolute; if Odin fell, another powerful deity such as Tyr, Thor or Loki would readily take his place.
Divine Classification
God
Alignment
Lawful Neutral
Age
Appears to be 50
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
Asgard
Sex
Male
Gender
Male
Presentation
Masculine
Belief/Deity
Olympian
Ruled Locations
Worshippers
Odin is worshipped primarily among the humans of the world of Midgard, a realm which he himself created from the flesh of his progenitor Ymir. He is popular in numerous other realms, including the Known World, Hollow World, and Aitso, though he is not well known on Toril. He has followers among the many worlds connected to the Great Wheel. He is particularly followed by those who seek knowledge, and heroes who seek to enter Odin's hall Valhalla in the afterlife. His followers especially include gnomes, bards, fighters, rogues, sorcerers and wizards.The clergy of Odin emulate their deity by wearing dark, wide-brimmed hats decorated or made from raven feathers. They wear patches over their left eye.
Odin's priesthood is valued as counsellors to powerful nobles. They serve primarily as diplomats and advisers. Chieftains number among Odin's priesthood. They are expected to fight bravely in the front lines of battle, and to be wise leaders and excellent tacticians.
Minions
Avatars and proxies
Odin prefers to travel Midgard in person, under disguises and many names.It is speculated that the Norse sun god Odur is an aspect of Odin.
The deity Woden of the Anglo-Saxon pantheon is also speculated to be an earlier aspect of Odin.
Creatures
Odin is responsible for the creation of the human race, creating the first man Ask, whose name means "ash tree", and the first woman Embla, whose name means "elm". Odin gave the humans breath; his brother Vili gave them consciousness, and Ve gave them form.Odin rides an eight-legged legendary horse named Sleipnir. It is the offspring of the god Loki, who assumed once the form of a mare.
Odin is served by two legendary ravens: Hugin, whose name means "Thought"; and Munin, "Memory", who search the world each day collecting information for Odin. He has also two wolves, Freke and Gere.
The valkyries bring fallen heroes to Odin's domain at Asgard, but do not follow Odin exclusively.
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