freja

Alignment	xG
Clerical Domains	Life, Light
Classes	Paladin, Monk, Cleric
Backgrounds	Folk Hero, Acolyte, Knight
Other names	Lightgiver, Lady of Light, The Fruitful One
Symbols and materials	Sun, Sowilo (s) Moon, Diamond, Falcon, Wheat, Elm

Freya the Lightgiver is the goddess fertility and the Sun. Worship of Freya is worship of the cycles of life and nature, especially the creation of new life through farming, husbandry or procreation. Priestesses of Freya are almost exclusively women, as they are the source of new life. Rituals in her honor are usually conducted upon learning of a pregnancy, or during sowing or harvesting of the fields. There are rumours of secluded cults of Freya that worship the sun by standing naked atop mountains, greeting the dawn. All Freya's worshippers fear and revere eclipses, as they disrupt the natural cycle of the heavens.

When she appears to mortals, it is usually in the shape of a young woman with glowing crimson hair, clad in a white dress and a cloak adorned with falcon feathers. In this shape she can appear in the back rows of a wedding, visible only to the bride and groom, or on a cliff or rooftop at dawn, guiding the sun into its position. Seeing an image of Freya is considered a very good omen. She rarely speaks in her visions, instead choosing to guide and direct with light. If she does speak, her voice is soft and soothing and appears to come from all directions at once.

War and violence are not a goal upon itself, but even the most devout disciples of Freya recognize that there are times that it is unavoidable, and on those occasions it is better to strike swiftly. To that end, her sworn champions, the Pilgrim Knights, protect those who cannot defend themselves.

The elves call her Luthiel (luthiel, 'Sun-goddess').

Folkvangr

Freya's realm in Asgard, Folkvangr, is an massive field of wheat where it is always dawn. In the middle of Folkvangr lies Sessrumnir, her great hall. The hall has a mirror roof which refracts the light of the rising sun onto her champions, who feast within in an afterlife without hunger or misery. Freya has a seat at the table of honor where she oversees the feasting. She is usually happy to receive mortal audiences, provided they are pure of heart.

Her radiant Valkyries gather those of her followers they consider worthy, both from the battlefields and the sickbeds, and take them to the bliss that is Folkvangr. Those that inhabit Folkvangr are destined to rebuild civilization in Midgard after Ragnarok, the battle at the end of the world when Odin's armies will march out from Valhalla against the forces of darkness.

To make a tuning fork that is attuned to Folkvangr, a piece of the sun will be needed, such as a blessed crystal of luxite, or a willingly given strand of hair from one of her Valkyries.

Divine Relationships

Freya's closest ally among the gods is Heimdall, and she greatly admires his craftsmanship and considers ít essential for civilization. She is also closely aligned with Balder, as poetry and artistry not seldom leads to love, although she thinks Balder's views on love are a bit too ephemeral - love should be for life.

Folkvangr and Odin's Valhalla might appear as something that would bring division between the Lightbringer and the All-Father, but they are simply different sides of the same coin. They are both content with the souls each are given to tend in the afterlife. Odin takes the mightiest warriors as preparation for Ragnarok and Freya shelters the kindest souls to rebuild mortal civilization afterwards.

As the most beautiful goddess, more than once the schemes of Loki have ended in Freya being unwillingly entered into marriage pacts with various entities. This has left her with a disdain for anything that has to do with the God of Deceit. She thinks of Thor as too impulsive for his own good, but she is nevertheless thankful for his eternal defense of Asgard.

While Skadi the Landmother dislikes civilization, she is not blind to the importance of the sun for nature, and thus she tolerates Freya's influence over her domain. She is on better terms with Uller, the brother of Skadi, and the Lightgiver has been hunting with Uller many times.

Myths of Freya

The legends and tales that surround the Lady of Light show her as a kind patron of civilization through the life-giving rays of the sun.

The Brisingamen Freya was gifted the Brisingamen, a jeweled necklace, by Heimdall. The diamond came from the roots of the world tree itself and contains the light of the sun. The necklace was however stolen a long time ago. The Pilgrim Knights have been searching for it - the greatest artifact of their goddess - since their founding, but so far only whispers have turned up.

Ymnis and Rothar After Ymnis and Rothar had failed to conceive a child after many years of marriage, they prayed to Freya at dawn of the summer solstice. She heard their prayer and made Ymnis pregnant. The child, a girl, grew up to be a priestess of Freya. This story is usually told at weddings, sometimes with a small play.

The Beautiful Bride The giant Thrym stole the hammer Mjolnir from Thor. As a precondition to giving it back, he wanted to marry Freya. When this is suggested to Freya she is furious, but the gods come up with a plan. They dress Thor in Freya's dress and a bridal crown and send him back to Thrym, posing as a bride-to-be. Aided by Loki, this disguise is just enough to make the giant reveal Mjolnir, and Thor promptly reclaims it by force and slays Thrym.

Freya's favor

Freya chooses her champions among the loving and good people of the world. They are her instruments in the fight against darkness and the decay of civilization. Not all need to be strong in arm - there are other ways to aid her causes - but all are kind and compassionate. Here are some ways that Freya could turn her attention to someone:

• You were conceived during a solstice.
• You grew up in an orphanage where the matron suddenly died. You took care of all the other children despite your young age.
• You found true love and overcame several obstacles before you could marry.
• One or both of your parents were champions of Freya.
• You helped the village you grew up in prosper and grow into a small town.
• When your home was threatened by fiends, you took up arms against them.

Ideals of Freya

Devotion Only by fully accepting Freya can the afterlife in Folkvangr be achieved. (Any)

Family Raising the next generation is the most honorable path in life. (Good)

Protect the Weak Those who cannot fend for themselves can find protection under my spear. (Good)

Monogamy True love is the closest thing to divinity a mortal can achieve. (Lawful)

Civilization By building together, we can create a Sessrumnir of our own. (Lawful)

Spread the Light The sun will cleanse the rotten places of the world. (Any)

Earning and losing piety

You increase your piety score to Freya when you expand the influence of the sun and uphold the natural cycles of the world by committing acts such as these:

• Destroy undead or fiends that threaten a village
• Convince the parents of a pair of young lovers that they should be allowed to marry
• Work with farmers to bring in the harvest for the year
• Feed the hungry in a settlement
• Build or defend a temple of Freya

Your piety score to Freya decreases if you diminish her influence, contradict her ideals or otherwise ridicule her through acts such as these:

• Destroy a farm, or hinder the usage of one
• Engage in the raising of undead or summoning of fiends
• Having multiple amorous relationships, or having one without committing fully

Freya's Devotee

Piety 3+ Freya trait

You have earned the notice of the Lightgiver and can call upon her blessing. You can cast Sanctuary with this trait, requiring no material components, a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Freya's Adherent

Piety 10+ Freya trait

Your actions continue to increase your favor with the Lady of Light. You can cast the Ceremony and Purify Food and Water spells. Once you cast a spell in this way, you cannot cast the spell using this trait again until you finish a long rest.

Freya's Disciple

Piety 25+ Freya trait

Thanks to your devotion, Freya has taken a personal interest in your destiny and will grant you some of the powers of the sun. You have resistance to radiant damage, and you can cast Dawn once per long rest, using Wisdom as your spellcasting ability.

Champion of the Dawn

Piety 50+ Freya trait

You can increase your Wisdom or Charisma by 2 and also your maximum for that score by 2.