PHOCT Cast - Hel

Cast from the Original Character Tournament

PERSONALITY/QUIRKS
Hel doesn't want your help. More importantly, she doesn't NEED your help. She hasn't had anybody holding her hand since the day she was born, and frankly, she doesn't intend to get dependent on anybody soon.

The model of extreme self-sufficiency, Hel is one tough chick, and proud of it. She always assumes that people look at her disability and gender and think they make her less capable or intelligent. She has worked her whole life to prove this perception wrong. So she can't walk -- she could probably crawl faster than you can run. So she's a woman -- don't think that makes her one of those emotional, gushy push-overs. Do NOT think she will let you get away with ANYTHING. Swear to the All-Father, she will CUT YOU and watch while you BLEED. So stay the F*** away from her!

Does Hel have vulnerabilities? Sure. More than she's probably aware of, but they're buried VERY deep underneath all that emotional armor she's cultivated. Hel has never known the love of a parent, or of a partner. She has never walked in the lands of sunlight, never known joy or companionship. There has only been Hunger, and Work, and Darkness. That's what she knows, and that's what she's comfortable with. They may be tempting, but if she has to give up being strong and independent, she'd rather starve in the dark all alone than give up the hard identity she's wrought.

INTERESTS/MOTIVES
Hel has ruled over the Norse Underworld with harsh competence for centuries, but the Greek Underworld has taken something very precious from her -- one of her charges has gone missing. Not just any soul, either. Oh no, this one is special -- Baldur, a god that fell to Loki's tricks long, long ago. Somehow, his soul has left her underworld, and she has traced it to Hades. She will scour Hades until she finds this lost soul and returns it to its rightful place.

What's so special about Baldur? Well, for one, he was a god beloved by (nearly) everyone and everything. And we do mean EVERYTHING - rocks, stones, beasts - the other gods included. When he was born, his mother had a prophetic dream that his death would be the first in a series of events that would trigger the end of the world. Therefore, she made everything on earth swear not to harm him. Everything, except the mistletoe plant, which she judged too unimportant to bother with. Naturally, Loki, who made it his business to know everything in the event that it could be used in a prank, heard of this. Being a mischief-maker, he got it in his head to get Baldur killed. Why? Maybe because he could. Or maybe he wanted to send his daughter a gift…we DID say that nearly everyone loved Baldur, didn't we? Oh, but don't tell Hel we mentioned it! In fact, don't mention us at all! In fact, forget we ever said anything, I'm sure that we're mistaken -!!!

*Ahem* Regardless of the reason, Loki made a weapon out of mistletoe and gave it to Baldur's brother, the blind god Hoor. You see, since everything on earth had sworn not to harm Baldur, he was invincible, and the gods thought it was great fun to throw things at Baldur just to watch them bounce off of him. It was becoming a new pastime! So, when Hoor was given this lovely new spear, the first thing he did was throw it at his brother. And the mistletoe weapon killed Baldur.

Baldur's soul went to the underworld, and the gods were very distressed. Finally getting fed up with all the WHINING and the PLEADING, Hel proposed a deal: IF the gods could get every object alive and dead on earth to weep for Baldur, she would let him go. If not, then she was keeping Baldur in the underworld, and everybody would agree to SHUT UP ABOUT IT ALREADY! The gods immediately set upon the earth to get things crying. And cry they did. Steel swords wept alongside their warriors, fields grieved with the farmers that tilled them. It seemed that soon Baldur would walk among them once again -- but then a single giantess refused to mourn, and Baldur was sentenced to stay in the underworld until after Ragnarok brought destruction to the gods.

Now, SOME say that the giantess was actually Loki in disguise, and the REAL reason he was bound to that rock and tortured with venom was his role in preventing Baldur's rebirth, but why would he do a silly thing like that? Why indeed…

ABILITIES/SKILLS
Hel has incredible upper body strength, but that doesn't even begin to compare to the strength of her will. She is incredibly determined, with an unyielding manner that brooks no argument. Her gaze is so ferocious that it can make plants wilt, tame wild beasts, and convince darn near every sentient being to do as she demands. She never stoops to trickery or manipulation to get her way. She doesn't need to. You WILL obey her. End of story.

Her two mystical tools are the dish named Hunger and the knife named Famine.

If you eat off of Hunger, you will be consumed with desire for something. It may not necessarily be food. It could be hunger for knowledge, or power, warmth, or love. This hunger will start small, like a dull ache in your stomach, but over time it will grow, becoming an all-consuming force in your life. The only way to end this desire is to eat a second piece of food from the plate, which will neutralize the effects.

A cut from Famine is not so easily cured. It doesn't even have to be a deep wound. In fact, even a scratch will do. If Famine's blade breaks the skin, your life from then on will be one of constant loss and failure. It is marked with the rune Fehu, which upright indicates wealth and fulfillment of goals. However, when inverted, as it is on Famine, it portends loss and failure. All your dreams will turn to dust. Your worldly possessions will be destroyed or stolen. Your relationships will crumble, and your loved ones will either abandon you or perish. Your life will become empty. Worse, there is no known cure for this curse. Fortunately, Hel does not use this weapon often, but woe unto those that truly earn her wrath.

HISTORY

Hel is the daughter of Loki.  She has two siblings, the wolf Fenrir and the serpent Jormungandr.  When she and her brothers were born, prophecy warned of great disaster and mischief at the hands of these three young gods. To prevent these events from coming to pass, Odin summoned the children to him.  Jormungandr he threw into the deep sea.  Fenrir, the agent of fate supposed to kill Odin himself, was bound and locked away.  In many ways, Hel got the best of a bad deal. She was cast into Niflheim, and given authority over the nine worlds.  

Hel ruled in the great hall Eljuanir, first as a young, little girl, and now as the ferocious woman she has become. She never had help from anyone, not a mother or father, not a brother, and not a friend. The uneasy allies she has gathered are held in check by fear, not love. She is a lone and harsh monarch, unquestioned ruler of the dead.

MANNER OF DEATH

N/A - This section will be necessary for all contestants, but does not apply to the gods.

WHAT HEL MAY OFFER IN EXCHANGE FOR HELP ACHIEVING HER GOAL (finding Baldur):

Diddly. Nada. NOTHING. That's right, you heard her. What part of "she doesn't want or need your help" didn't you understand? She's not going to dangle some shiny trinket in front of you to convince you to grant her a favor. F*** that! She's not going to ASK you do to something. She is going to TELL you to do something and you are going to f***ing do it, do you understand? Yes? Good! NOW GET TO IT!