Herja, Queen of the Dead

Herja is the Goddess of soldiers, death, and change and is in the leader of the Valkyries who serve the Lords of Steel by gathering the souls of mighty warriors to be reborn into the Army of the Gods. Herja takes on the form of an armored warrior warmed with a shield and spear. On the rare occasions when she chooses to unleash her full divine might, she also grows three pairs of wings. Herja never shows her face, as she is patron to the many individual soldiers whose individual identities are frequently overshadowed by their role in the larger army.

Herja's followers are some of the most varied of all the Lords of Steel, as while humans with their large numbers tend to relate the most to a patron for the faceless, any member of any race can find solace in Herja's following. While many of Herja's followers are soldiers, people from all professions worship her as well. Many individuals feel overlooked and small, and the idea of a goddess who looks out for them and helps guide them to potential greatness is appealing to many.

As queen of the Valkyries Herja is responsible to the gathering of fallen warriors for the Army of the Gods, and for placing them under the command of the member of the Lords of Steel most suited for their talents. Herja is also in charge of training and managing the main body of the Army of the Gods. As such, the fighting style she trains her followers in is more straight forward than some of the more specialized styles of the other Lords of Steel. There are a few variations suited to different types of weaponry, but in general they are all designed with the goal of fighting as a part of a group with a unit of other soldiers.

Divine Domains

Herja wields the divine aspects of Change, Death, Might, and Zeal.

Artifacts

On rare occasions Herja is known to grant a particularly favored follower one of her feathers, granting them many of the powers of a Valkyrie, such as flight. Herja has only ever granted these feathers to women, and it is known that receiving one is a good sign that Herja will select the individual to become a Valkyrie when they die.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Herja's holy symbol is a winged spear. Many followers of Herja carve this symbol into their weapons and armor, hoping for greater protection, or that they will strike true.

Tenets of Faith

Followers of Herja are bound by the Honorlaws, a collection of laws meant to guide all followers of the Lords of Steel. In addition, there are several laws that are specific to followers of Herja, and are meant to guide individuals towards finding their strengths and how to best change themselves as they world towards the goal of joining the Army of the Gods.

The first law is that There is no Strength in Stagnation. Herja wants her followers to look for what they are best at, and develop those talents, rather than grow stale and stagnant, wasting their efforts on something not meant for them. Followers of Herja are to seek out change so that they may find new aspects themselves, rather than grow overly dependent on what they already now.

The second law is The Many are Mighty. This law serves as a reminder that while alone, an individual follower of Herja might not amount to much, but when combined with the strength of others even the lowliest soldier can be a part of a mighty army. This law also stresses the importance of teamwork, and the value of one's companions.

The third law is The Cycle must Continue. This law refers to the importance of the cycle of life and death. Followers of Herja must continue to live, die, and reincarnate, so that they can develop their soul into a form worthy of the Army of the Gods. In this sense, immortality is frowned upon as an ignoble goal, for it takes a soul out of that cycle and stagnates it. Undeath, in particular, is considered the ultimate anathema to Herja, and followers of Herja are ordered to destroy any undead they come accross.

Divine Classification

Minor God

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Realm

Valhalla

Church/Cult

The Lords of Steel