(WARNING, THIS SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR MY STORY AND SOME ASPECTS OF THE NEW GOD OF WAR GAME. BE ADVISED BEFORE YOU PROCEED)
Hello everyone. Now that the warning label is displayed above, you all know what you're getting yourself into. This section will detail future aspects of my story and what may appear in the new installment of God of War. I wanted to get my idea's out before it was released in case some things match up, or for accuracy's sake, I have to change character or location appearances to match the cannon story of God of War. If you don't wish to know, you can turn away now. If not, let's begin.
Odin: To those who've seen previews or accidentally spoiled themselves, we now know what the Allfather looks like. And I can say confidently that my variation of the Aesir king was not going to look like the game's version.
Instead, mine was going to look far more gloomy and severe. Odin was to adorn a black cloak made of the darkest leather, with crow feathers sown to it and comprising it entirely on its back end. He would have a crown, made from bone, horned as the traditional old artworks would entail, but with black feathers lining it. And, as an Aesir, he was to be firm in build, similar to Baldur and how I described Höðr, given that he's a warrior. Most of his torso would be exposed, with the exception of silver bands on his biceps and neck with runes etched onto them. The Allfather's body would also bear nordic markings, a ring of ink, and runes would dip down to his collarbone and loop around his neck. Among those tattoos would be his iconic triad marking upon his left pectoral and the tree of Yggdrasil on his right. Finally, his attire would comprise of silver plates atop dark leather in the form of bracers and leather-wrapped footwear exposing his toes. He would wear robes of black, grey, and purple to cover most of his legs. And a single sash that would cover most of his waist.
As for his age, I was still indifferent about it. I either wanted him to look middle-aged, with black hair and a moderate beard. Or to go the traditional route with the long flowing white hair and beard, but still look to be in his 40s to 50s.
As for Odin's iconic spear, Gungnir, would be golden. It would be divided into two separate blades at the end, in the shape of wings extended upwards. Like the Leviathan Axe and Mjölnir, blue sigils would decorate the space between the sharp edges. A single short sharp point would be in between the curved edges.
Heimdall/Heimdallr: The Aesir gatekeeper and the god of foresight in Asgard. As depicted in the murals in the game, Heimdall would be very bulky and have dark skin. In addition, he would fashion a long black, braided beard. For battle, he would have a masked helmet that covers most of his face, discluding his glowing amber eyes and shiny white teeth. His attire would comprise a leather tunic with bits and pieces of Asgardian steel, fur shoulder guards, black pants, and metal cladding boots with brown leather. His choice of weapon was a greatsword of gold and pristine steel, etched with countless red sigils on the dragon-themed hilt, and running up the blade.
Tyr: Much to my surprise, the Norse God of War has both hands, and his giant heritage is more prominent than his brother Thor. He was not going to have these features in my description. Tyr would have a prosthetic built by the Huldra Brothers in place of his missing hand. Instead of his golden eyes, Odin would have had them plucked out during his imprisonment. The Aesir would be of athletic build, have a stubble beard, and his tattoos would stretch and cover his flesh with equal exaggeration as Baldur and Höðr. However, they would be reminiscent of different cultures and religions as a callback to his adventures across the world and other pantheons. He would fight blindly with a spear of Asgardian steel.
Hel/Hela: The queen of the Norse underworld and the daughter of Loki and Angrboða, she will be fun to write on. Per my depiction, the Goddess would have long black and white hair blended and mixed. Her eyes would be pale white, devoid of color or even a pupil. The left side of her face would be covered in runes and nordic symbols, almost giving the illusion of a half mask. Hel would wear a black dress reaching her knees, woven with bone accessories and similar ornaments. She would be barefooted with only a few wraps of cloth, and bandaged wraps over her hands. She would appear as a woman in her early 30s and have an accessory of bones over her right hand to give her claws.
Surtr: The primordial giant of fire and the younger brother of Ymir. As his heritage would entail, he would be immense in size, enough to match the requirements to hold the blade implanted in his realm. However, the giant would be bare, with no armor or defensive protection. Not even any lavish markings are on him. Instead, only a large charred, obsidian-colored cloth would cover the regions between his waist and knees. His flesh would resemble magma, with a reddish hue mixed with his scorching skin. His hair would be black rock but formed in the shape of dreadlocks that would drape to his lower back and, in some places, look similar to roots. Even his short beard would be of dark stone, jagged and sharp to a point.
Freyr: The brother of Freya and the Vanir god of fertility, sunshine, and prosperity. My intentions would be for Freyr and Freya to look near identical. The male Vanir would have a similar hairstyle in the form of braids into a ponytail. In addition, of course, he would have a long goatee tied at the base. He would be without armor, only having tan robes and, at best, bracers and shin guards of dark brown leather. He would also be shoeless and possess some markings similar to his sister, but several patterned in the form of vines and roots across his arms and upper torso. His legendary weapon, Sumarbrander, would be a wooden and leather hilt, but the blade was pure light when drawn.
Njörd: The Vanir god of the sea and the father to Freyr and Freya. I juggled a couple of ideas regarding this Vanir. Some included making him look similar to Poseidon from the previous games, while another part of me wanted him to look very young, even compared to his children. However, the design that stuck with me was a middle-aged man of moderate build, displaying superior combat experience compared to his son and daughter with his physic. His hair was to be primarily black, with some silver fading in on the sides. It would be long, but he would be devoid of facial hair. In its place, he would have blue ink tattoos on his chin, running along his jawline in wave patterns with some sigils blended in. Unlike Freya and Freyr, he would dawn a mantle of silver shoulder pads, a chest plate, and a blue cloth draping over most of his lower body, discluding his plated boots. Finally, his choice of weapon would be a trident of flawless steel.
Vidar: He is the Aesir god of Vengeance and the one to slay Fenrir in revenge for killing Odin in Norse Mythology. Given how little mention of this god there is, I had a lot of creative freedom with him. However, I felt his appearance should be misleading to throw his enemies off. He would be the youngest looking of most of the Aesir, with short blonde hair and a clean face. He would be bare-chested, with a thin build and no markings on his body. He would have plain brown boots and only a white waist cloth stretching to his ankles. No weapons, as his bare hands would be the deadliest thing in his arsenal.
Sif: Lady Sif, the mother to Ullr and Thrúd, and unfortunately, the wife to Thor. There was no other course but to ensure that the Goddess would have beauty unrivaled by any other Aesir. Long blonde hair, just as the old myths have detailed, and eyes like sapphires. Sif would appear roughly in her late 20 to early 30s. I wasn't sure if I wanted to design her like a traditional nordic warrior or to have her wear a white and blue dress. If she dressed for battle, it would consist of leather fur shoulder pads and a metal chested vest. Unlike her daughter, her attire would be lightweight leather and fur making up her attire. However, this would include a thick bear cloak and a larger one-handed blade and shield.
Vanaheim/Vanaheimr: This is the realm of the Vanir gods and other elegant and peaceful races. It would be a realm of pure vitality where forest and plant life thrive unnaturally. The trees would stretch tens to hundreds of feet high, and the oak that makes them would be ivory or gold in color. The leaves atop them would resonate with vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. Even the grass would share a similar hue and radiance of beauty. The architecture of its denizens would be a blend of natural plant growth mixed with wooden nordic structures. As well as a few stone monuments and memorials.
I had yet to finish my thoughts on any other deities or other important figures of Norse Mythology. Some, of course, would not make it to the series, as they're too ambiguous to portray appropriately, or they would take away from the flow of the story to try and force into the narrative. In truth, I do wonder now how I will continue my story from here on. I've already teased many things and hinted at some future events to the point diverging from that path may jeopardize what I have written thus far. While I said a while back that I would make this story original, I may shift what I can to accurately represent Atreus's path through Ragnarok and be faithful to the cannon. Some characters already introduced before the game's release will stay the same. As well as those hinted-at events will play out as well.
A part of me wishes I could still convey these characters as I originally planned, but I can see that causing a lot of confusion for those who may start reading in the future. I also want to make it known that I have no issues with the character's designs in the new game. However, after all this time invested and envisioning these characters as I have, it's strange to make such a sharp transition from what I've planned. But, of course, I would love feedback and opinions on whether this is something most or all of you would be okay with me changing or continuing with my concept.
Thank you all for your continued support. I wish you all a glorious time at Ragnarok!