Seekers of Yggdrasil / SOY

WORK IN PROGRESS. MANY EDITS and REVISIONS TO BE EXPECTED.

The Seekers of Yggdrasil are often considered, especially by others, “Vikings of the Modern Era’. They are sworn enemies of monotheistic faiths. They believe the so called one true God is the reason for centuries of suppression of information, the single cause for the oppression of entire populations based on trivial matters such as race, creed, gender or sexual orientation.
Particularly in the early 21st century, when the Yggdrasilian faith was born, people where ready for a change, for something true to nature and true to themselves. Where they are responsible for their own destinies, not some magical man in the sky wielding a judgmental bolt of lightning to strike down those who do not fall in line. So worship of the Old Gods and the “pagan” ways returned to millions whom at first did not associate themselves with any faith. However, over time, many came to realize that being a Seeker of Yggdrasil meant being a Seeker of Knowledge, a Seeker of Wisdom, and most of all a Seeker of Truth. With the Yggdrasilian faith having such a loose and fragmented foundation there were of course many different ideologies. Throughout the years there came to be two major denominations that managed to benefit one another, a symbiosis between the two very different paths. These are known as…

—————-The Midgardians—————

The Midgardians; a noble, proud, fierce and retribution driven people. A faction within the Seekers of Yggdrasil faith know collectively as the Gunnar. Their faith is inspired by a burning, hate driven desire to seek retribution for their fallen Gods. Believing that their Norse Gods were slain with the rise of the Christian God thousands of years ago, which crept through their strong holds and lands like an evil pestilence, spreading and consuming all that they cherished and held dear. With most of their faithful converted or slain the few remaining of the old ways crept back into the shadows and seemingly died out over time.

Fast Forward a thousand years later and a small group of outcasts would reignite the fires and desires to avenge their new found fallen Gods. It was crushing to these new found followers. They could see society collapsing around them. The one true God had failed, failed them and they would not suffer through his perceived wrath.

At first it was small collectives that would break off from society, often living deep in the wilderness of the frozen European North and the frozen North of North America. Living off of the land, seeking within themselves for answers. Learning how to once again be one with nature, returning to a time without Governments, without laws, without a Big Brother looking over their shoulder at all times. It wasn’t that these Midgards wanted to banish themselves from society, it was a necessity for the times of the early 21st century.

The Midgards started to take on a militant like nature. Recruiting soldiers, from all over the world. Soldiers whom were tired of fighting to fill corrupted politicians pockets. Tired of watching their children be sent off to war to fight for evil and corruption. The Midgard teachings were simple and their tenants of living appealing to many. Be one with nature, live off the land, never consume more than can you use, find peace within one’s self, there are no gods to save you, you have to save yourself and the ones you care for. For decades Midgards were considered a terrorist organization by many world Governments. Over time attitudes changed and so did the Midgards; choosing to once again rejoin society and spread their teachings from within. Which over time evolved far from the roots of which they sprang.

Fast Forward thousands of years once more and the Midgard society has grown into a massive close knit community of collectives with shared ideologies. With the age of exploration upon them and welcoming the Midgards. Giving the Midgards much needed room to expand and explore. The Midgards have carried a heavy burden with them for centuries. Their hatred for the monotheistic many has consumed them. The Midgards have collectively created a society of warriors, explorers, pirates, and raiders. A society finally ready and able to strike back at their oppressors.

The life style of the Midgards has colored their culture over the many centuries. They often live in large self sufficient collectives. In particular the co-ed nature of their living has colored their personalities. It is worth noting that the concept of marriage is alien to a typical Midgard. They instead practice something known as a partnership, having large collective partnerships consisting of many individuals both male and female. These are usually formed as a benefit. They are better able to pull resources together for common goals. Partners are shared freely throughout these partnerships. Though some within these collectives as in human nature, certain partners do have a preference for one another. Sexuality is also a concept that is alien to a Midgard, by proxy this gives their society a very open and welcoming nature. The Midgard life style in these matters is appealing to many and the Midgards attract many converts with their style of life.

Children born in Midgard society are typically raised by all of the adults within the partnership that the child was born into. A child could have many individuals that it refers to as parents. Naming is fairly unique in that the child’s surname is a combination of the mothers first name, combined with the gender of the child. For example. A child is born and its mother has the name of Freya as her first name. If the child is a boy, then its surname would be Freyason a daughter would be Freyadotter or Freyadotten. This has come about due to the fact that the father of the child often includes to many partners for their to be a certainty. Of course there are things like blood tests, but to a Midgard the mother carries the burden of child birth, so the child should carry her legacy. Children once they reach the age of (16) have the option to go on a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage of exploration of ones surroundings and self. These pilgrimages usually last anywhere from 4 to 6 years. Sometimes children do not return for reasons such as death or they desired another life style. This is the purpose of the pilgrimage. A Midgardian believes that one must truly want to belong in their society.
Upon returning from a typical pilgrimage the child that left returns as an adult with some knowledge of the universe they live in. Typically the now new adult is placed in Gunnar training and givin’ their Gunnar name. The name usually encompasses aspects of the child’s personality and, personal history. For example a child that showed strong combat skills against a certain opponent or advanced skills with weapons; might be called Allahbane or Hammerfoe for example. Then with personal history, a child that was considered clumsy,aloof or artistic might be called Jester,Joker or Bard. Some children are scorned by their collective and given names to reflect how the collective feels about them. A child that was troublesome could be named Hopesmasher or Dreamsmashah for example. The Gunnar name is givin’ by the partnership from which the child belonged to. Usually by the birth mother but, not always. The Gunnar name does not always encompass positive attributes. The name can include any number of things from a childs past. The Gunnar name usually describes in short the person that holds the name.

Gunnar is a loose term that defines the Midgards. Gunnar typically means warrior and explorer. Also Midgardians have the option to request for a ‘voyage’ this means they have found a cause they deem worth fighting for. If approved by the partnership the individual belongs too, they can take leave immediately. During these voyages they may fight for another faith, a government, an army. Whatever the cause be as long as it aligns with the greater Yggdrasil faith.

The Midgards are typical a friendly, foolhardy people once a person gets to know a few with exceptions of course. On the outside they will often appear abrasive towards those of other faiths. Especially if it’s a monotheism faith. A monotheist is usually lucky to make it out of an encounter with a Midgard alive. An old Midgard proverb “A monotheist is at their best when their tongue can speak no lies, their eyes see no sun, and when their ears hear no more”.With that said there are many different sects within the Midgardian faction. Some choose to believe that they are better off without their gods, for they in turn become their own gods. These are people are known as Manheimers and are widely accepted throughout Midgardian society. The most common core belief though is that with the age of exploration, the search of Yggdrasil has taken a literal meaning. Man can finally reach out to the stars and search for their dead gods, the forgotten realms and the great dead world tree.

—————The Seidh—————

They are generally considered engineers due to their proclivity to tinker and fix. If a thruster is broken, a SEIDH will attempt to fix it. If a thruster isn’t supplying a sufficient amount of force or it’s just an old exothermic chemical reaction based scrap, they will attempt to adapt or improve. As a group, the idea of making a better sensor, a more fuel efficient ship, anything that helps them get further and faster is worth investigating.

In turn, this need for better gear has led to an expertise in piloting. To push a piece of equipment a SEIDH would either have to get in the pit and grab the stick or observe this process firsthand. The former is typically the only choice available (the criticism of a SEIDH is rather sarcastic and pungent. Perhaps it’s a trait adopted by their intense studies of The Trickster) since most pilots refrain from placing their ego on the line for a quick buck.

This ideology of always improving, always reaching for the distant goal on the horizon stems from their need to understand what happened to their gods. The urge to comprehend the tragic death and vanishing of an entire pantheon. The patron God of the SEIDH, Old One Eye himself, is particularly baffling to them. Odin. The all seeing. His ravens and sacrifice to Mimir’s well should have allowed him to thwart the introduction of the belief in Ragnarok, the end of the gods, that was placed in the faith by the monotheistic converters. This crippling belief of the people, the Norns cackling glee as they spun the desire for an end into the fate of the gods, was something Odin should have been able to prevent. And most believe he did…to an extent. They believe that in the end, Odin visited the monstrous Fenrir, but the outcome of being swallowed wasn’t death…It was anonymity. They believe that Odin, in his vast wisdom, adapted to the situation as he had so many before.

—————The Bond—————

Decades ago the Midgardians and the Seidh did not see so well eye to eye. Although there were never any physical confrontations between the two. You could say, they did not get along. It wasn’t until recently that they saw the benefit of helping one another and over the years the two have become very close allies.

With their differences there are some very core tenants that each follow. The most notable would be Ancestor Worship and the love of a good mead. Each place a huge emphasis on the role of ancestors in their daily lives. For the Midgards, Ancestors are the closest thing they have to Gods and to remember them is to give them immortality. Thus Ancestor Worship is very important to a Midgardian. Seidh also cherish ancestors but only choosing to place emphasis on notable figures. Yes deceased family members are worshiped by the Seidh but it’s more for traditions sake than having any true meaning outside of a fond remembrance.

In the current age, the Seekers of Yggdrasil take form in two very distinct groups. Their lifestyle may appeal to some and be distasteful to others. Recent years have seen each become more closed off from greater society but in light of current events the two sects have opened their doors to fresh blood. Looking for like minded people that wish to discover themselves and the Universe they live in. For some the Seidh way will be more appealing for others the Midgardians. Which ever path these new followers choose. We will welcome them into our ranks.