Glossary

Magic, Bloodlines & Powers

Æsir-borinn: “Born of the Æsir.” A human descendant of the Æsir gods, associated with war, strength, dominion, and certain martial powers. Some belong to the Broderskap.

Broderskap: A secret brotherhood formed by Æsir bloodlines and their human allies. It hunts the descendants of the Vanir and seeks fragments of Yggdrasil in order to track them down and subjugate them.

Descent: A Vanir spiritual practice through which Max, Eline, and other descendants connect with the roots of Yggdrasil. It means listening to the living web of the world until memories, presences, dangers, and destinies become perceptible.

Dís: A female protective spirit tied to lineage, blood, and ancestry. Eira appears to act as a dís for Max, guiding him when the forest and fate close in around him.

Dísir: Female protective or ancestral spirits. A dís may guard a family, warn of an approaching death, or guide a descendant when ancient blood awakens.

Fragment of Yggdrasil: A crystal or sacred remnant fallen from the World Tree. The Broderskap seeks it because it would allow them to trace hidden divine descendants.

Gandr: A runic staff used by a völva as a focus of power. Anna employs it to channel her magic, defend herself, and open hidden paths.

Seiðr: The ancient art of Norse magic, associated with divination, intuition, the alteration of will, and the manipulation of the threads of fate. Anna masters it as a völva; Eline is beginning to awaken the same gift through visions, foresight, and the perception of what remains concealed.

Vanir-borinn: “Born of the Vanir.” A human descendant of the ancient Vanir gods, connected to nature, fertility, subtle perception, and ancient magic.

Völva: A Norse seeress or sorceress capable of practicing seiðr. Anna is among the most powerful; Eline is beginning to awaken the same gift.

Divine Essence: The surviving trace of the power of the ancient gods in certain human bloodlines. After Ragnarök, divine essence may endure in the world, in descendants, and in places or objects. It helps explain the extraordinary abilities of Vanir-borinn and Æsir-borinn, although each descendant expresses the inheritance differently.

Yggdrasil Fragment: A sacred crystal or remnant from the World Tree. It maintains an exceptionally strong connection with Yggdrasil’s living web and can react to people of divine blood. The Broderskap seeks these fragments to locate hidden descendants. Max finds one in a Vanir sanctuary and receives visions when he touches it.

Divine Lineage: A human line of descent connected to a deity or supernatural kindred. Kinship creates certain affinities, but power may remain dormant for generations and awaken in different forms. Members of the same family may develop entirely different abilities.

World Web: The invisible network connecting living beings, the memory of the earth, and the roots of Yggdrasil. For the Vanir-borinn, nature is part of a living structure in which every action creates vibrations and consequences. Max learns to hear it through Descent.

Runes: Ancient signs that can focus intention and power when drawn by someone who understands their nature. They may be used on objects, weapons, protections, or places. Their effect depends on both the rune and the knowledge and power of the person who activates it.

Algiz: A rune associated with protection. Ingrid carves it into Max’s bow as part of a set intended to strengthen its magical properties.

Sowilo: A rune associated with the sun, energy, direction, and victory. It is one of the runes Ingrid uses to alter Max’s bow.

Uruz: A rune linked with strength, endurance, and vitality. Ingrid uses it to reinforce Max’s bow magically.

Seiðr of Foresight: A manifestation of seiðr that allows possibilities to be perceived moments before they occur. In Eline it first appears as extraordinary intuition and becomes especially clear during chess, when she anticipates chains of moves too quickly to calculate normally.

Seiðr of Vision: The ability to perceive events, people, or places beyond the immediate reach of the senses. Visions may belong to the present, the past, or possible futures and often appear through fragments and symbols.

Applied Seiðr: The practical use of seiðr upon materials, substances, and objects. Ingrid represents this branch, combining chemistry with runes and magic to alter weapons, prepare substances, and create ammunition with extraordinary properties.

Ancient Blood: An expression for the supernatural inheritance lying dormant in certain descendants of the gods. It may awaken in childhood, adolescence, or extreme situations, affecting perception, reflexes, physical endurance, and the individual’s relationship with magic.

Vanir Sanctuary: A sacred place built or protected by ancient Vanir lineages. Such places may contain altars, inscriptions, relics, and especially strong connections with Yggdrasil. The sanctuary discovered by Max contains altars to Njörd, Freyr, and Freya and guards a fragment of the World Tree.

Völva: A seer and practitioner of seiðr. A völva can interpret omens, access visions, work with runes, and manipulate forces connected with destiny. Anna is one of the most powerful known völvur; Eline begins to show signs of the same nature.

Yggdrasil: The World Tree and the fundamental structure connecting the different planes of existence. For the Vanir it is more than a myth: its roots form a living network through nature, preserve echoes of the past, and connect places, creatures, and lineages. Descent allows contact with that structure.

Freya’s Heritage: The branch of the Vanir lineage to which Max and his family belong. Its members descend from Freya and possess a particularly strong affinity with seiðr, perception, and the World Web. The gift changes between generations: Anna is a völva, Max excels at Descent, and Ingrid channels her inheritance through chemistry and runes.

Bound Object: A supernatural artefact linked to a person or lineage and able to answer its bearer’s will. The family shield Thorvald gives Max belongs to this category: through concentration it can materialise, disappear, and return to the person who wields it.

Spectral Armour: Supernatural protection used by certain Æsir-borinn warriors. It can remain hidden until summoned and materialise around its bearer. Hakon possesses armour of this kind, associated with his runes and martial power.

Divine Weapon: A weapon whose origin, materials, or forging is connected with the ancient worlds of the gods. Such weapons possess properties beyond those of ordinary human objects. Hakon’s axe, forged in Nidavellir, belongs to this category.

Runic Veil: A set of runes intended to hide a presence, alter perception, or hinder another person’s magical abilities. During her train journey, Anna discovers that her enemies use this protection to interfere with her visions.

Awakening: The moment when a descendant’s supernatural inheritance begins to manifest consciously. It may be gradual, as with Eline, or accelerated by danger, training, or contact with places and objects linked to Yggdrasil.