Conquest of the North

Conquest of the North

**of Note**

You think the large caerns of Europe and the Americas are impressive? They are nothing; nothing at all, compared to Heimhalla. This place, this magnificent and radiating gateway to the Umbra, nestled, in a valley high in the mountains that separate Siberia from the lands towards the seas, and Asia from Europe.

Great Fenris led his people from the center of the Earth to the northern lands of snow and ice whence his beloved Sigun hailed, but where the Jotunn now reigned. There he found that the Jotunn had destroyed his mate’s long-lost kingdom — and Great Fenris responded in kind. He crushed the Jotunn kingdom of Utgard and scattered their forces, and on the site of his victory he built a great caern, Heimhalla, and made it the home of his Get.

Heimhalla — greatest of caerns, the truest caern of war that ever was. It was so remote and so well protected that even Loki Sky-Walker himself could not find it. It housed our entire tribe in those days; not just a group descending from Tarjei Hardrule or Órjan Gothslayer or other famed Fenrir, but every last one of us. Heimhalla was our home. Our Tribal Home. Many an adventurer has set forth with hopes of finding this ancient citadel, but none have succeeded. The spiritual energies alone should make it easy to track, but alas. Some reformist werewolves claim that Heimhalla has never been anything but a hoax, an insubstantial legend. But when you have been part of the Great Tribal Moot in Uppsala in Get of Fenris Sweden, and you see how the spirit of Great Fenris himself enters the body of every single Garou, be they from Montreal or Barcelona or Copenhagen, at the opening of the moot, you know. As we stand as one and sing our praises to Great Fenris, we know.

Alas, great Heimhalla fell beneath the feet of Fenris’ death-enemy. In the North, they called him Odin, in the South Wotan. He was the Gallows-God of the Aesir, the gods of the Norse, who the great human skald Snorri Sturluson tells came from Asia.

A likely parable, as our people too wandered from Africa through Asia to Siberia. After the fall of Heimhalla, Great Fenris mainly resided in the Umbral aspect of Heimhalla, but was often called upon by the Mother to do Her secret bidding deep in the spirit world. He was often away for years at a time, sometimes bringing his most favored warriors with him, returning to us with news and commandments. After Fenris disappeared into the Umbra on a mission to capture and destroy Wotan, our people migrated westwards, to modern-day Scandinavia. Friendlier, though still harsh climates were better suited for us, as were the vast woods and the many mountains. We made those lands our new home.

The Fall of Heimhalla So. You want to hear of the fall, do you?

Many a skald has told of Great Fenris’ many great deeds. He was the first warrior; he was the greatest warrior. All other warriors since are but echoes. But things were ill for our father. He had many enemies, none of which could single-handedly beat him, nor could they in unison, for they could not crush Fenris and his Get in battle — the greatest horde the world has ever seen.

But his worst enemies were still strong. Of them, the greatest were Odin One-Eye, the Great Trickster Loki, and Utgard-Loki, lord of the Jotunn. Odin was the Dark King of Valhalla and was at war with UtgardLoki and his people. Loki, for all his worthlessness, was the living embodiment of the Ragabash, and played both sides against each other, always poking at the weaknesses of allies and enemies alike. A corrupt bastard to the core — his beloved ideals venerated power and might at the end of a puppet-string. A ruler must rule with his clenched fist, not with his fingertips.

Loki was blood brother to the All-Father of Valhalla, and he was of the kin of Utgard-Loki, and thus free to enter both camps. But he was not allowed in Heimhalla, for he had earned the enmity of the Fenrir with his deceitful ways. From his fortress on the Top of Weather mere days’ march from Heimhalla he spun his spider webs of deceit and treason. He wanted revenge on Great Fenris and his brood, and he wanted the power to rule both Utgard and Valhalla. With that power he could easily rule the entire world, for even though the true power of Utgard had been broken, the kingdom of Utgard-Loki was a strong one, scattered across the world. United, Utgard could field terrible hordes of Jotunn, ready to bring agony to the world.

So Loki took flight to his blood brother, Odin of the Aesir, and requested an audience with the ruler of the kings of men. He told him a lie of how the Fenrir were planning to conquer both Asgard and Utgard.

The tales of men tell how Odin had his memory and thought invested in his familiar ravens, Hugin and Munin. The truth our skalds tell is that he kept his reason and memories separate so that even if he was destroyed, he could live on in a new body. But he did have familiars, and these birds (if true birds they were) flew all over the world and saw and knew everything they encountered, on behalf of their master. And yet the news of the Fenrir’s coming invasion was something he had not seen. But you see, Loki knew some sorcerous tricks, and showed Odin a farsight of Fenris planning his campaign with his sons.

This image was, of course, wrought by Loki, and not Chapter One: Voices of Thunder at all true; the Fenrir had little to gain in trying to conquer their neighbors.

Odin was livid with anger. He struck down on his throne, and legend says that he broke a huge chunk of stone loose so that it fell down and killed one of his servants instantly. He got up from his seat and strode forth through his ancient halls, Loki False-Sayer at his heels. He gathered all his bravest warriors before him, and he told them they were marching for Heimhalla.

He would attack the sacred home of the Fenrir while they battled the Jotunn.

That part of his plan was easy enough to enact.

The Fenrir and Utgard were always at war, the Jotunn being servants of the Wyrm and the Fenrir servants of Gaia. Odin did not have to wait long before the Fenrir and Jotunn were going to war once more. And indeed it was a glorious battle, and many a Fenrir-Wolf proved his worth that night.

But in their home of Heimhalla, Odin Glad-OfWar’s forces had advanced and besieged the fortress.

Though Loki did not know of its location, Odin certainly did, as his thought and memory could go anywhere. And as to how he gained entry… Two strong Garou, Freke and Gere, were the protectors of the caern, and had been disallowed to join the fight against the Jotunn, as protectors of the caern were needed there at all times. They found this task unfair and tedious — this was their failing. Even the hardiest warrior knows that there are some times when you have to stand guard instead of fighting, and that it is, indeed, an important and honorable task.

An emissary from Odin’s campaign approached them, as was honorable, and told them to surrender. At first they were unwilling, but the emissary, who was in fact Loki in disguise, persuaded them to join Odin’s forces instead. And even though Freke and Gere would see penalty by death for their actions, it is well known that even the hardiest warrior could fall prey to Loki’s terrible charms.

So it became that Freke and Gere joined the service of Odin, whose campaign brought down the walls of Heimhalla, raped and slaughtered the Kin of the Fenrir. Great Fenris’ mate, Sigun, fought and killed more attackers than all others combined, but fell prey to Odin’s might. For all of his cowardice, he was still a god of war. For this Odin became the death-enemy of Fenris. The besiegers tried to locate the Center of the Caern, but they could not find it; it was too well hidden. But the chaos and destruction they wrought caused the entire mountain to collapse, killing many, many men in Odin’s army, and burying Heimhalla beneath it. Great was the sorrow of the Fenrir, and especially our father, and he swore that if he had to pursue him all the way to Ragnarok — the Apocalypse — he would swallow Odin and devour him alive for his cowardly actions.