Loki

Loki , The Trickster

Once a scheming giant rogue; Loki was amongst the citizens of the Krowethic colony of Jotun that answered the call of Ymir to join the Aesir and Vanir in their war against the Forgotten gods alongside Thrym, Surtur, and Aegir. Serving as a spy, wildcard general, and diplomat, Loki earned the reputation of mischief and trickery and upon the assencion of the honoured Gods they became the god of thieves and trickery.
In later myth, Loki was supposidly locked away after accidently killing the god Balder and is said to remain beneath the mountain of birthright until his return with the children of chaos during the Ragnarok apocalypse event. A mysterious and ecclectic god, Loki's motives and means are hard to decipher. Some tellings of Loki's deeds and tales present them as a tragic figure who let hubris and pride lead to his downfall, others, such as the order of Balder, view Loki as an evil figure who thrives off chaos and dishonour.

Origins

The first historical mention of Loki can be found within the Archives of Storvakis in a mythic age stone tablet decree by Ymir as a warning to the followers of the Forgotten Gods. In "Praise to the Jotun," it is claimed Loki comes from New Amanor, the oldest city in Jotun and the entire Aedrinaran archipelago. This heritage is largely forgotten, bar the Children of the Serpent sect within the Jotun city who still worship Loki and pray for his return.

Joining the First War

Jotun had largely remained neutral in the war between the Aedrinarians and Ice Elves against the forgotten gods, maintaining their isolationist and defensive stance against their fellow residents of the Aedrinarian islands. Like much of mythic age Aedrinarian history, most of what survives is contradictory and morphed by time's passage and bias interpretations. The Cult of Loki claims that it was Loki himself who talked to Ymir into aiding their neighbours, using his cunning and diplomacy to convince the colonial governor of Jotun that the forgotten gods were an existential threat to all life on the islands and they must strike whilst they are weak. The most common myth is that the forgotten gods, led by Vecna, attacked coastal Jotun settlements to create undead giant servants and Ymir sent his most powerful warriors into the war as retalliation. The cult of Balder makes the critical claim that Loki organized Vecna's attacks as a false flag operation.

First Meeting With Odin

Regardless of the reasons for their entry, Loki, Thrym, Surtur, and Aegir journeyed from Jotun to meet with Odin's great host. Odinic tradition states Loki, leading the party of giants, attempted seven games of wits against Odin. By the sixth game, the two were drawing. Impressed by each other's abilities, the two declared a draw. Over a shared barrel of Jotun ale the two leaders swore a blood oath together, binding them as brothers and kin, to never bring harm to the other. This also bound Loki to Odin's two sons, Balder and Odin. Loki would go on to serve as a diplomat and spy, using his gift of the gab and penchant for disguises to infiltrate enemy camps and temples to sow discord and chaos from within.

Forging of the Derro Gifts

Although the rebellion against the Forgotten Gods and their cults was going succesfully, the Aesir were limited in their abilities to actually harm the gods themselves. To remedy this, Odin sent Loki to speak with the Derro of the southern islands of Sudureyja and Drekenheim to forge them mighty weapons. Meeting as a beneficary for the gods, Loki learnt the cost of weapons would be great, and negotiations continued for seven straight days. Tiring of Loki's discussions, the master smiths of Brok and Eitri stormed out of the discussion.
The mission lying in near failure, Loki schemed a way to get the weapons for free and approched the clan of Ivaldi, rivals of Brok and Eitri. Loki told the forge masters that Brok and Eitri claimed their three gifts would be better than what any other dwarf could forge. With the Ivaldis accepting the challenge and Loki's commission, the trickster returned to Brok and Eitri and claimed that the House of Ivaldi has issued the challenge instead. Skeptical and tired of Loki's shennanigans in his time with their people, the smithmasters saw through his lies and only agreed to the contest on one condition: if Odin agreed their gifts were better, they would get the Jotun's head.
Seeing no other choice, Loki agreed, and once again began to scheme a sabotage of Eitri and Brok. Disgusing himself as a mosquito, Loki pestered the smiths whilst they worked on their final gift. First he landed on Brok's hand whilst the dwarf enchanted the ingots for the weapon. Brok, unflinching, continued his work. Next, Loki flew to the back of Eitri's neck as a he placed the ingots in the forge, biting harder than before. Eitri once again powered through, not dropping the ingots and placing them where they needed to be. As the forge burned, Loki tried for a third time, landing on the eye of Brok as he powered the bellows and bit into his eyelid. For a brief moment, the forge stopped as Brok held his eye in pain. Satisfied he had cheated enough, Loki left and returned to his normal form.
When it came for the gifts to be presented, the Ivaldis showed their weapons and gifts to the gods, including a folding ship for Njord. The future gods, impressed, then asked what Brok and Eitri had crafted. First, the smiths presented Gugnir, a spear that could penetrate any armour, and gifted it to Odin. Next, they presented a greatsword capable of transporting others to the outer planes named Horfund to Heimdall. Their third gift, the one Loki had sabotaged, was presented to Thor. It was meant to be a great warhammer, but due to Loki's meddling the handle was far too short and looked like a light hammer instead. The Ivaldis were sure to win it, until Eitri and Brok informed Thor of it's powers. It could call forth storms, its head was unbreakable, those who did have great honour could never weild it, and when thrown, it would always return.
With the revelations of the hammer's, to be named Mjolnir, abilities the gods decided that Brok and Eitri had one the contest. The dwarven brothers gleefully asked for their prize, Loki's head. Having to think fast, the jotun stated that the bargain only asked for his head, not his neck, so they could not cut it. Although furious, the Derro agreed with this and instead hit the giant several times with their own hammers. Loki would be healed and revived by either Balder or Odur, depending on the tradition.

The Bride to Be

Despite his near demise to the derro dwarves, Loki continued in his role as a negotiator and diplomat. When Odin, Balder, Heimdall and Frigga were captured by a cult supporting clan, Loki negotiated for their release. As part of this agreement, he secured the alliance and freedom of the Aesir leaders through a marriage pact between the clan leader, Gerth son of Gerth, and Freya, the most beautiful of the vanir. Despite initial protests from his allies, Loki revealed the whole wedding was a scam, and that in place of Freya, Thor would dress in a wedding gown and after the release of Gerth's captives, Thor would reveal himself behind the wedding veil and kill Gerth using Mjolnir. Although embarassed, Thor agreed with the plan.
During the wedding, when Thor arrived fully covered in a veil and dress, hiding his true form beneath, Gerth grew suspicious. The warlord asked Loki why he could not see his bride, to which the trickster replied that, "Her beauty would make your guests jealous my lord, it is something you should enjoy in private." Disputed traditions argue whether Loki used charming magic or was simply convincing enough without the need of his arcane abilities.
The hostages were brought out as guests, still bound, and Frigga protested and cursed at Loki for agreeing to this. It was only when the veil was lifted for the marriage pact to be sealed did Gerth realise he was being tricked. Thor summoned Mjolnir and shattered the temple with lightning, slaying Gerth and the clan leaders instantly. The other Aesir quickly freed and aided in the slaughter of the house of Gerth and liberating their thralls to join the great host.

Birth of Hel

See also (Hel)
The creation of Loki's daughter, Hel, has contrary and mysterious origins. It is unclear as to whether Hel was born before the war and travelled with Loki at a later stage, or was born during the war. The only commanality between the two tales is Hel's mother, the archdevil Fierna. In the partially apocryphal Saga of the Odinssens from the Great Division period stating she born of the archdevil Fierna and Loki when the latter seduced the fiend in order to rescue the souls of fallen Aedrinaran warriors. Hel's mother being Fierna is also mentioned in the oral history of the wolf, reindeer, and raven clans; with the key difference being she was created by the archdevil as part of a pact with Loki, who used his skills in trickery and deceit to worm his way out of the deal.

Post Ascension Myths

Following Loki's ascent to godhood with the rest of the Aeisir, he assumed the role of a trickster diety and patron of theives and scoundrels. Although living in Ysgard with the other heroes of the first war, Loki spent most of his time plane hopping and continuing his schemes and tricks.

Fenrir

Fenrir, the great wolf, is deeply connected to Loki. In the tradition of the Wolf Clan, it is said that Loki birthed Fenrir by mating with the Wolf Mother, a great beast who lived in the mountains of eastern Aedrinar, and produced Fenrir and Garmr, the first werewolf and founder of the Wolf Clan. Upon Fenrir's creation, Loki took the impressive hound back to Ysgard where it sat in the halls of Valhalla with the other honoured gods. To everybody's surprise and concern, the great wolf continued to grow far larger than any wolf, and grew more and more aggressive.
Worried about this development, Odin travelled to the Well of the Seer, an unamed figure who lived at the peak of the highest mountain in the land, and looked into his well to see the future. It is from here he saw that Fenrir would one day devour the world. Summoning Tyr, the law bringer, both Odin and Tyr attempted to slay Fenrir, with Tyr nearly losing his arm in the process. When the all-father got close to killing Fenrir with Gungir, Loki ran in the way and told Odin that his blood oath was to never harm him or his kin, and Fenrir was his kin.
Beholden to his honour and his oath, Odin spared the wolf. Instead, he travelled to Durinthar of the Derro and commissioned a mighty chain to bind Fenrir for ever. Luring the wolf to the wilderness, Odin wrapped the chain around the beast and left him there. In the northern and western traditions, Fenrir will be unleashed at the end of days. The binding of Fenrir also marks a turning point in the relationship between Loki and his fellow gods, with the trickster acting more maliciously against his former allies from here on out.

Thrym's Feast

During a great winter, Thrym, a fellow Jotun and the god of winters, agreed to host a mighty feast to celebrate the ascension of the gods. All were invited, except Loki. Spurned by this, Loki disguised himself as a travelling spirit knowing that the gods would never break the laws of hospitality. Welcomed into Thrym's halls as a guest, Loki began to mingle with the assembled dieties. Here he began issuing minor challenges to each of them in the skill of flyting. First, Loki challenged Odur, god of the sun and summer, mocking his insignificance to the mortal realm compared to spring or winter. Next, he challenged Balder, and the flyting lasted for near an hour before the god of poetry faltered on a verse and bowed in submission to Loki. Finally, Loki challenged Thor, and mocked his strength, honour, and size. It was here that Frigga finally saw through the diguise, and revealed Loki's true form.
Infuriated by his insults, Thor chased Loki away. Mjolnir missed constantly as Loki regularly changed form, and was supposidly chased across all the realms fleeing the god of thunder, continuing to mock him as he ran. Thor finally caught Loki when he summoend a bolt of lighting to strike the trickster, casting him from the heavens to the material plane in a bright red star.

Death of Balder

Loki is most associated with the death of Balder, the god of beauty and poetry. At a grand gathering of the gods in Ysgard, Loki attended last. Northern tradition claims that Loki attended to make peace with the gods and attone for his previous slights on them. The order of Balder claims this was a final act of malice against the gods were the trickster's hubris would eventually lead to his downfall.
In favour of Loki - certain traditions such as the northern and Drekenheim mythos claim that Loki attempted to apologise to Odin, but was rebuffed; being told he had brought the great wolf into this world and insulted the honour and character of the gods, abusing laws of hospiality and stretching the blood oath between Odin and himself. To prove his worth, Loki attempted to entertain the gods. He challenged Balder to a game of risk. Taking it in turns, the two would hurl dangerous items at one another whilst they other must dodge out of the way and only use limbs or abilities they had used the turn before. Balder would hurl his throned spear at Loki and in tern, Loki would throw mistletoe darts, supposidly the only thing in all the realms Balder was vulnerable to.
Providing entertainment at first, all the gods laughing and cheering along with the two warriors. Before his final turn, Loki hurled a dart of misletoe and to his horror, Balder did not move in time. The dart struck the god's heart. As gasps rang out across Valhalla, Balder died and his divine soul transitioned to the great beyond.
Loki was chased out of the realm, where he took shelter in the deepest layers of Ysgard in a house with four doors so he could always see what was coming and had a way out. At night, he would move to a nearby pond and turn into a fish, so he could not be found even in rest. Using his sight of the realms, Hiemdall tracked the trickster down. Njord used his fishing rod to grab Loki in his fish form whilst Frigga dismissed his enchantments, forcing him back to his true form. As he begged and pleaded for his like, Odin knew he could do no harm without breaking his own oath. To satisfy his lust for vengeance at the death of his son whilst maintaining his honour, Odin cast Loki down to the land of his birth and buried him deep beneath a mountain with the same unbreakable chains that contained Fenrir.
Traditions critical of Loki, primarily the order of Balder, state that Loki knew what he was doing and waiting till the gods were distracted and magically guided his dart so it would slay Balder, the most beloved of the all the gods, and take vengeance for the loss of his own child, Fenrir. 
A third tradition from the cult of Loki states that it was Loki's hubris that lead to the death of Balder. His shots got closer and closer and he truly beleived he would miss and after being caught by the gods accepted the judgement of Odin and vowed to return one day and redeem himself.

Worship

Despite his maligned status due to the murder of Balder, temples of Loki can still be found throughout Aedrinar. These temples are built as pleasure palaces, as it is beleived that enjoying life and living it to its fullest fulfils Loki's ideals. These temples are rare, but smaller shrines to Loki are often found in remote outposts in bizzare places, as his followers likewise believe putting a religious ideal in a place it does not belong, such as a tiny islet in the middle of the ocean, appeals to the trickster's sense of humour.
The hidden art of Grimsweaver, a summoning game using unique magically enchanted decks is also common throughout the Aedrinarian islands, with temples specialising in unique decks and rewards. It is stated that anyone who wins every Grimsweaver tournment in the islands earns a wish from Loki himself.
Loki is also considered the chief diety for many theives and spies. With criminal and espionage careers being looked down upon with Aedrinar the likewise spurnned god makes a natural ally. Certain Skallen Syndicate sects centre themselves as cults of Loki and perform heists to honour him.

Known Temple Locations

1. Fiskvatn 
2. Unknown location in Drekenheim 
3. Morgankirk Keep (in theVodengold Glen) Duchy of Jameleska
4. Unknown Location in Haastarock
5. Unknown Location in Einmanfjell
6. Saarkthel, Nyytkrow
7. Mount Falthiegen, the western hold
8. The Wolfswood, Aedrinar
9. Unknown location near Menklestead, the northern hold
10. Morganhall, Morgenyja
11. Nordurspir Island, Kingdom of Asrinheim
12. Valkyrie, Vanaheim
13. Elencour, Sudalfenland
14. The Summerswood, Asrinheim

Relationships

Thor

The gods of thunder and theives are not strong allies or friends. Once bound together by Loki's blood oath to Odin, the ever stern Thor and constantly blazé Loki regularly butted heads before Loki fell from favour. Thor felt constantly belittled by the trickster beginning with the false wedding with Gerth son of Gerth and reaching its peak with the insults at Thyrm's feast and the death of Balder. Both gods are now long gone from Ysgard and have not seen or spoken to each other for thousands of years, but the feud is likely to still be strong.

Odin

First bound together as brothers by blood oath - Odin and Loki are "not on talking terms." Still bound by this oath for all eternity, the two cannot directly harm each other. A popular theological debate between Aedrinarian clerics is whether Loki severed the blood oath by killing Balder, Odin's son, and if so; why did Odin still spare him? The Temple of Odin states the all-father always has a plan and sees far more than mere mortals, but with this lingering question around Loki's survival despite such a grave injury to his blood brother hint the two have not seen the last of each other.

Hel

Hel is Loki's only child and the ruler of Helheim, the afterlife for Aedrinarians who died dishonourably. Despite this connection, the two have barely interacted in most legends. Doomed 2 Die is aware the two are at least speaking somehow, as Loki asked Hel to look out for Val whilst they were in Gehenna.

Val

Loki is Val's warlock patron and guided them through his twin to aide Doomed to Die in their destiny to stop the Ragnarok prophecy coming to pass. Loki is proud of Val and has previously refered to her as his 'favourite worshipper.'

Trixie

Val's Twin, Trixie, has recieved confusing and cryptic visions from Loki since childhood. As a cleric within the monastery in the Summerswood, Trixie continues to follow Loki but gets angered at him for not being clearer in what he's trying to communicate.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

• Coiled Snake
• Ouroborus
• Four doored house
• A great wolf

Tenets of Faith

• Sow chaos amongst order
• Use your words not your axe
• Steal for pleasure not for gain
• Work in the shadows and hide from the light
• Live life to its fullest
• Fun for Fun's sake
• Con the powerful, empower the weak

Holidays

Celebration of Loki is largely contained to where his temples are with no major holidays or feasts in his honour. The one major exception is within New Amanor, where the Sons of the Snake throw a four-yearly festival of chaos to honour Loki. Places of power or vandalised, thefts commited, and pranks pulled around the city - including the notorious catening of 1604 where a cat was appointed as a high priest of Thrym. Due to Jotun temple rules stating a priest can never be defrocked, the kitten technically remained as the arch-cleric of the city for 14 years until its death. Statues of the priest cat can be found throughout the city and the temple rules were changed afterwards to band non-sentient cretures from obtaining the position.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

• Escape his containment from Odin (Disputed)
• Attone for the death of Balder (Disputed)
• Provide chaos to a world of order

Divine Classification

God

Species

Frost Giant

Ethnicity

Jotun

Presentation

Masculine, Androgynous, or occasionaly, a salmon

Eyes

Amber or Green

Hair

Long, unkempt, red

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

White to Light Blue

Divine Domains
Theives and Trickery
Alignment
Chaotic evil or Chaotic Neutral
Worshippers
Various - primarily Aedrinarians and Frost Giants